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Multi-trait interactions, not phylogeny, fine-tune leaf size reduction with increasing altitude.
1Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. ruben.milla@gmail.com
Annals of Botany
|January 5, 2011
Summary
Leaf size variation is shaped by abiotic factors, species history, and trait interactions. Phenotypic changes, not just ancestry, drive leaf size differences in closely related species adapting to different altitudes.
Area of Science:
- Ecology
- Evolutionary Biology
- Plant Science
Background:
- Leaf size variation across species is a key trait but its drivers remain incompletely understood.
- Investigating the interplay of environmental, phylogenetic, and trait-based factors is crucial for explaining leaf size diversity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if abiotic factors, phylogenetic history, and multi-trait interactions collectively influence leaf size.
- To quantify the relative importance of these factors in shaping leaf size reduction along altitudinal gradients.
Main Methods:
- Studied 57 pairs of altitudinal vicariant species in northern Spain.
- Measured leaf area and related traits (leaf, shoot, plant).
- Employed structural equation modeling and Mantel tests to analyze trait interactions and relative influences of phylogeny, environment, and traits.
Main Results:
- Highland species generally exhibited smaller leaves than lowland counterparts.
- The degree of leaf size reduction with altitude varied significantly among genera.
- Shifts in leaf, shoot, and whole-plant traits, particularly size/number trade-offs, were more influential than phylogeny or local environment in explaining leaf size reduction.
Conclusions:
- Ecological filters, phylogenetic constraints, and phenotypic integration jointly shape trait evolution.
- Phenotypic change was a more significant driver of leaf size differences than shared ancestry in closely related, altitudinally segregated species.
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