Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Jewel Tomasula, Billie Maguire, Tyler M. Rippel, Eddie Lopez, Stephanie Perez, Ali Arab, Shannon M. Murphy, Gina M. Wimp
Summary: This study found that nutrient enrichment leads to increased salt marsh dieback, and high-intensity nutrient enrichment combined with a biotic agent can cause ecosystem collapse.
BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION
(2023)
Article
Agronomy
Zhao-Long Lu, Hui-Juan Gao, Jia-Yi Xu, Yuan Chen, Xin-Pei Lu, Jin-Lin Zhang
Summary: Salt stress reduces plant growth and threatens global crop production. The identification of salt tolerance genes from plants inhabiting extreme environments is urgent. HaASR1 overexpression from Haloxylon ammodendron increased salt tolerance in Arabidopsis by enhancing osmotic adjustment, maintaining membrane integrity, improving chlorophyll content, leaf area, and photosynthesis capacity. These results suggest the potential application of HaASR1 in genetic engineering to increase salt tolerance in grass and crop plants.
Article
Ecology
Cristian Salgado-Luarte, Marcia Gonzalez-Teuber, Karina Madriaza, Ernesto Gianoli
Summary: There is a trade-off between plant resistance and tolerance. The study found a negative relationship between mechanical defenses and tolerance, while there was no significant association between chemical defenses and tolerance. Plant adaptation to light environments may affect the trade-off between resistance and tolerance.
Article
Plant Sciences
Xin-Pei Lue, Kun-Zhong Shao, Jia-Yi Xu, Jia-Lue Li, Wei Ren, Jia Chen, Ling-Yu Zhao, Qi Zhao, Jin-Lin Zhang
Summary: In this study, a heat shock transcription factor gene, HaHSFA1, was cloned from Haloxylon ammodendron and overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana to investigate its effects on salt tolerance. The results showed that overexpression of HaHSFA1 increased chlorophyll content, promoted plant growth, increased soluble sugar and proline contents, enhanced antioxidant activity, improved root activity, and increased selective absorption and transport capacity for K+ over Na+. These findings suggest that HaHSFA1 has potential application in improving crop abiotic stress tolerance through genetic engineering.
ENVIRONMENTAL AND EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Jordan R. Croy, Jessica D. Pratt, Kailen A. Mooney
Summary: Plant populations adapted to resource-rich environments show lower resistance and higher tolerance to herbivory. Putative growth and defense traits parallel patterns of resistance and tolerance in these populations.
Article
Plant Sciences
Yanping Wang, Zhengfu Fang, Li Yang, Zhulong Chan
Summary: Salinity and drought conditions lead to osmotic and oxidative stresses, with salinity also causing ionic stress. Through transcriptomic analysis, specific genes regulated by these stresses in five Arabidopsis ecotypes were identified, with SHA and C24 ecotypes showing greater tolerance. The study revealed common regulation of genes by osmotic and ionic stresses, and highlighted pathways affected by these stresses, providing new insights into plant responses to salt and drought stresses.
PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM
(2021)
Article
Agronomy
Sundas Iqbal, Tianshan Zha, Xin Jia, Muhammad Hayat, Duo Qian, Charles P-A Bourque, Yun Tian, Yujie Bai, Peng Liu, Ruizhi Yang, Alamgir Khan
Summary: Extreme seasonal droughts have a profound influence on the physiological state of desert plants, with different species exhibiting varying abilities to resist and recover from drought. In the Mu Us Desert, long-term water shortages and short-term rainfall events impact the sap flow of dominant desert-shrub species, with precipitation, soil water content, and leaf area index being key factors in driving interannual variation in sap flow. The study shows that different plant species acclimate to drought by reducing stomatal conductance, with Hedysarum mongolicum demonstrating the highest overall resistance and resilience to drought. Additionally, the relationship between sap flow and soil water content is influenced by precipitation, suggesting that certain species may be better suited to future climatic warming in sustaining their physiological activity over longer periods.
AGRICULTURAL AND FOREST METEOROLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Carl G. Lundblad, Courtney J. Conway
Summary: Variation in life-history strategies is crucial for understanding population dynamics and adaptation, with nest microclimate driving important trade-offs and thermal gradients often explaining observed biogeographic and seasonal patterns. Our study implies an indirect effect of climate change on reproductive success and recruitment.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Brittany M. Bernik, Candice Y. Lumibao, Scott Zengel, John Pardue, Michael J. Blum
Summary: The study found that plants from different sources exhibited variations in landform characteristics, growth traits, and shoreline erosion rates, with nonlocal plants showing poorer performance in erosion, likely due to nitrogen limitation. Therefore, restoration practices should take into account intraspecific variation in landform engineers and in situ trials should be conducted to evaluate donor source suitability.
EVOLUTIONARY APPLICATIONS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Hem Nalini Morzaria-Luna, Joy B. Zedler
Summary: This study investigates the influence of Triglochin concinna on the salt marsh plain plant assemblage in terms of nitrogen dynamics. The results show that Triglochin can accumulate nitrogen in its roots and shoots, release nitrogen to neighbors as its litter decomposes, and reduce the biomass of surrounding plants. This suggests that Triglochin can play a role in the restoration of salt marsh vegetation.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2022)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Thomas E. Kutcher, Kenneth B. Raposa, Charles T. Roman
Summary: Salt marshes are at increasing risk of degradation and loss, and the Salt Marsh Rapid Assessment Method (MarshRAM) provides a science-based approach to gather data and guide management strategies. The method assesses salt marsh characteristics, ecological value, disturbance, integrity, and potential for landward migration. MarshRAM data can inform restoration and conservation efforts, and our findings suggest that inundation stress and high-marsh vegetation loss are indicators of vulnerability and degradation.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2022)
Article
Plant Sciences
Yang Li, Heng Ye, Tri D. Vuong, Lijuan Zhou, Tuyen D. Do, Sushil Satish Chhapekar, Wenqian Zhao, Bin Li, Ting Jin, Jinbao Gu, Cong Li, Yanhang Chen, Yan Li, Zhen-Yu Wang, Henry T. Nguyen
Summary: Identification and characterization of soybean germplasm and gene(s)/allele(s) for salt tolerance is crucial for developing improved varieties for saline soils. This study identified four salt-tolerant soybean lines with new gene(s) or new functional allele(s) of GmCHX1. QTL mapping revealed two major salt tolerance loci, including a novel locus associated with leaf scorch score, and variations in the promoter region of GmCHX1 were found to regulate its salt-inducible expression. These findings suggest the potential use of gene-editing techniques in improving salt tolerance in soybean.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY
(2023)
Article
Agricultural Engineering
Abdelraheem Abdelraheem, Vasu Kuraparthy, Lori Hinze, David Stelly, Tom Wedegaertner, Jinfa Zhang
Summary: In this study, an association mapping panel of 376 Upland cotton accessions was evaluated to identify QTL for thrips resistance, drought tolerance, and salt tolerance. Using 26,301 polymorphic SNPs, 53 QTL for drought tolerance, 78 QTL for salt tolerance, and 8 QTL for thrips resistance were detected. Thirteen QTL clusters were also found, containing QTL for different traits.
INDUSTRIAL CROPS AND PRODUCTS
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Gema Hernan, Maria J. Ortega, Jeremy Henderson, Josep Alos, Katharyn Boyer, Stephanie Cimon, Vincent Combes, Mathieu Cusson, Clara M. Hereu, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Kevin Hovel, Pablo Jorgensen, Stephanie Kiriakopolos, Nicole Kollars, Mary I. O Connor, Jeanine Olsen, Pamela L. Reynolds, Jennifer Ruesink, Erin Voigt, Fiona Tomas
Summary: This study found that both latitude and resource availability have significant impacts on plant defense strategies against herbivory, and that plant defenses may not linearly respond to increased herbivory pressure.
GLOBAL ECOLOGY AND BIOGEOGRAPHY
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Emily Tronson, Ian Kaplan, Laramy Enders
Summary: This study examines the role of root-associated microbial communities in supporting plant tolerance to insect damage. The results show that wild tomatoes have higher tolerance to tobacco hornworm herbivory compared to domesticated tomatoes. The structure of rhizosphere microbial communities is mainly influenced by the ontogeny of the plants, as well as the tomato line, tolerance, and domestication status.
FRONTIERS IN MICROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Xincong Chen, Wenwen Liu, Steven C. Pennings, Yihui Zhang
Summary: The study on the invasive grass Spartina alterniflora along the coast of China found that the flowering phenology exhibited a pattern that was influenced by latitude, with plants at different latitudes flowering at different times. The research results suggest a high degree of plasticity in flowering phenology, with variations in factors such as climate and oceanographic variables affecting the timing of flowering. Additionally, the study indicated some selection for earlier flowering at sites with low temperatures and highlighted the importance of environmental conditions in shaping the flowering patterns of the invasive species.
Article
Ecology
Steven C. Pennings, Rachael M. Glazner, Zoe J. Hughes, John S. Kominoski, Anna R. Armitage
Summary: The study found that mangroves provide better coastal protection against erosion compared to salt marsh vegetation, especially at lower coverage levels. Although Hurricane Harvey did not cause increased erosion, the effectiveness of erosion prevention increased with higher mangrove cover.
Article
Ecology
Youzheng Zhang, Steven C. Pennings, Zixia Liu, Bo Li, Jihua Wu
Summary: Global variation in litter decomposition rates is influenced by climate, decomposer taxa, and litter quality. This study explores how litter decomposition rate and quality vary within a species across different latitudes, finding that higher latitude plants have faster decomposition rates due to lower defensive compounds and higher nutrient levels. Additionally, exotic species decomposed faster than native species, indicating differences in defensive mechanisms and nutrient concentrations.
FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Julie C. Zinnert, Jesse B. Nippert, Jennifer A. Rudgers, Steven C. Pennings, Grizelle Gonzalez, Merryl Alber, Sara G. Baer, John M. Blair, Adrian Burd, Scott L. Collins, Christopher Craft, Daniela Di Iorio, Walter K. Dodds, Peter M. Groffman, Ellen Herbert, Christine Hladik, Fan Li, Marcy E. Litvak, Seth Newsome, John O'Donnell, William T. Pockman, John Schalles, Donald R. Young
Summary: Understanding complex and unpredictable ways ecosystems are changing and predicting future ecosystem states require coordinated, long-term research efforts. This paper reports on a US National Science Foundation funded Long Term Ecological Research network synthesis on anticipated changes in populations and communities. Common themes of state change, connectivity, resilience, time lags, and cascading effects are identified as key predictions across different ecosystems within the LTER network.
Article
Ecology
Huy D. Vu, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: The study found that abiotic conditions at creek heads are more favorable for Sesarma crabs, leading to the directional movement of consumer fronts towards the creek heads. Crabs exhibit higher densities, richer dissolved oxygen, and lower hydrogen sulfide at creek heads. The rate of erosion at creek heads limits the propagation speed of consumer fronts, rather than the mobility of crabs.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tianjiao Adams, Huy D. Vu, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: The study shows that the population density of Orchelimum fidicinium, an important salt marsh orthopteran on the East Coast of the US, varies greatly over space and time. Plant biomass is found to be the best predictor of O. fidicinium density, while factors such as food quality, animal prey, and abiotic factors have minimal impact on their densities.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2021)
Article
Limnology
Fengrun Wu, Steven C. Pennings, Collin Ortals, Jennifer Ruiz, W. Reilly Farrell, Samuel M. McNichol, Christine Angelini, Amanda C. Spivak, Merryl Alber, Chunfu Tong
Summary: The study on perturbation caused by headward-eroding creeks in salt marshes revealed that different variables responded to and recovered from the disturbance in diverse ways. Plants recovered before soils and snails. Disturbance magnitude and time to recovery were often influenced by the proximity to the new creekbank, with some variables never converging with control values.
LIMNOLOGY AND OCEANOGRAPHY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Dan Peng, Denise C. Montelongo, Leslie Wu, Anna R. Armitage, John S. Kominoski, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: As global change alters ecosystems, the importance of subsidies from one habitat to another may change. This study manipulated black mangrove cover and found that increasing mangrove cover decreases the relative importance of marine subsidies into the intertidal at the plot level, but concentrates subsidies at the front edge of the mangrove stand. Storms may temporarily override mangrove attenuation of subsidies. The study emphasizes the importance of understanding the impact of changes in plant species composition on marine subsidies and exchanges among ecosystems.
Article
Plant Sciences
Fan Li, Christine Angelini, James E. Byers, Christopher Craft, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: This study shows that tidal freshwater marsh plant and animal communities are vulnerable to long-term salinity changes but resilient to short saline pulses. While saline pulses did not impair most ecosystem functions, the decline of a single species in the pulse treatment was associated with reduced marsh accretion and no elevation gain, which are crucial for wetland survival in an era of rising seas.
JOURNAL OF ECOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
John S. Kominoski, Carolyn A. Weaver, Anna R. Armitage, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: Changes in dominant plant species following a hurricane can affect carbon processing in coastal wetlands. Despite declines in soil nutrients, post-hurricane carbon processing increased with mangrove cover.
Article
Entomology
Tianjiao Adams, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: Both dietary protein and sodium are important for the growth and reproduction of insect herbivores, and their interaction can enhance cockroach growth rate and offspring weight.
ECOLOGICAL ENTOMOLOGY
(2022)
Editorial Material
Ecology
Ming Nie, Wenwen Liu, Steven C. Pennings, Bo Li
Article
Environmental Sciences
Alyssa C. Hockaday, Anna R. Armitage, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: Ecologists use different methods to study interspecific competition and the results may vary. In this study conducted in Texas, USA, we compared four methods to examine the competitive interactions between black mangroves and salt marsh plants. Mangroves were found to strongly suppress the cover and biomass of salt marsh plants, but the strength of these interactions varied depending on the method used, plant species studied, and spatial scale considered.
ESTUARIES AND COASTS
(2023)
Article
Plant Sciences
Dan Peng, Hongyu Guo, Anna R. Armitage, Steven C. Pennings
Summary: This study conducted the first experimental research on intraspecific competition among adult mangroves in a natural forest, indicating that despite being limited by abiotic conditions, scrub mangroves exhibit strong competition. The importance of competition outweighs the abiotic differences between the fringe and interior.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2022)
Proceedings Paper
Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence
J. Parashar, S. M. Bhandarkar, J. Simon, B. M. Hopkinson, S. C. Pennings
Summary: Recent advancements in computer vision and machine learning, particularly deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs), are utilized to identify and localize various plant species in salt marsh images. Different approaches are explored to estimate abundance and spatial distribution at varying levels of granularity, with CNNs showing high precision and recall for more common plant species but reduced performance for less common ones. The study highlights a trade-off between CNN estimation quality and spatial resolution, offering insights for ecological applications of CNN-based approaches in automated plant identification and localization.
2020 25TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON PATTERN RECOGNITION (ICPR)
(2021)