Hemiepiphytic figs kill their host trees: acquiring phosphorus is a driving factor
论文编号: |
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作者: |
Mo YX |
刊物名称: |
New Phytologist |
所属学科: |
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论文题目英文: |
Hemiepiphytic figs kill their host trees: acquiring phosphorus is a driving factor |
年: |
Jul 2022 |
卷: |
236 |
期: |
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页: |
714–728 |
联系作者: |
Liu WY |
收录类别: |
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影响因子: |
10.323 |
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备注: |
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摘要: |
· Hemiepiphytic figs killing their host trees is an ecological process unique to the tropics. Yet the benefits and adaptive strategies of their special life history remain poorly understood.
· We compared leaf phosphorus (P) content data of figs and palms worldwide, and functional traits and substrate P content of hemiepiphytic figs (Ficus tinctoria), their host palm and nonhemiepiphytic conspecifics at different growth stages in a common garden.
· We found that leaf P content of hemiepiphytic figs and their host palms significantly decreased when they were competing for soil resources, but that of hemiepiphytic figs recovered after host death. P availability in the canopy humus and soil decreased significantly with the growth of hemiepiphytic figs. Functional trait trade-offs of hemiepiphytic figs enabled them to adapt to the P shortage while competing with their hosts. From the common garden to a global scale, the P competition caused by high P demand of figs may be a general phenomenon.
· Our results suggest that P competition is an important factor causing host death, except for mechanically damaging and shading hosts. Killing hosts benefits hemiepiphytic figs by reducing interspecific P competition and better acquiring P resources in the P-deficient tropics, thereby linking the life history strategy of hemiepiphytic figs to the widespread P shortage in tropical soils.
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