@article{TomasMarinRodriguezCalcerradaArenasCastroetal.2023, author = {Tom{\´a}s Mar{\´i}n, Sergio de and Rodr{\´i}guez-Calcerrada, J{\´e}sus and Arenas-Castro, Salvador and Prieto, Iv{\´a}n and Gonz{\´a}lez, Guillermo and Gil, Luis and Riva, Enrique G. de la}, title = {Fagus sylvatica and Quercus pyrenaica : two neighbors with few things in common}, series = {Forest Ecosystems}, volume = {10}, journal = {Forest Ecosystems}, publisher = {Beijing Foresty University}, address = {Beijing}, issn = {2197-5620}, doi = {10.1016/j.fecs.2023.100097}, year = {2023}, abstract = {The Iberian Peninsula comprises one of the largest boundaries between Mediterranean and Eurosiberian vegetation, known as sub-Mediterranean zone. This ecotone hosts many unique plant species and communities and constitutes the low-latitude (warm) margin of numerous central European species which co-occur with Mediterranean vegetation. Two of the main species found in this region are the Eurosiberian European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) and the Mediterranean Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.). It remains unclear how the different physiological and adaptive strategies of these two species reflect their niche partitioning within a sub-Mediterranean community and to what extent phenotypic variation (intraspecific variability) is driving niche partitioning across Eurosiberian and Mediterranean species. We quantified functional niche partitioning, based on the n-dimensional hypervolume to nine traits related to resource acquisition strategies (leaf, stem and root) plus relative growth rate as an additional whole-plant trait, and the environmental niche similarity between Pyrenean oak and European beech. Further, we analyzed the degree of phenotypic variation of both target species and its relationship with relative growth rates (RGR) and environmental conditions. Plant recruitment was measured for both target species as a proxy for the average fitness. Species' functional space was highly segregated (13.09\% overlap), mainly due to differences in niche breadth (59.7\%) rather than niche replacement (25.6\%), and beech showed higher trait variability, i.e., had larger functional space. However, both species shared the environmental space, i.e., environmental niches were overlapped. Most plant traits were not related to abiotic variables or RGR, neither did RGR to plant traits. Both target species share similar environmental space, however, show notably different functional resource-use strategies, promoting a high complementarity that contributes to maintaining a high functionality in sub-Mediterranean ecosystems. Therefore, we propose that conservation efforts be oriented to preserve both species in these habitats to maximize ecosystem functionality and resilience.}, subject = {Environmental niche; European beech; Forest dynamics; Functional niche; Pyrenean oak; {\"O}kologische Nische; Europ{\"a}ische Buche; Walddynamik; Funktionelle Nische; Pyren{\"a}en-Eiche; Iberische Halbinsel; {\"O}koton; {\"O}kologische Nische; Rotbuche; Pyren{\"a}eneiche; Artenschutz; {\"O}kosystem}, language = {en} } @article{TomasMarinGalanDiazRodriguezCalcerradeetal.2023, author = {Tom{\´a}s Mar{\´i}n, Sergio de and Gal{\´a}n D{\´i}az, Javier and Rodr{\´i}guez-Calcerrade, J{\´e}sus and Prieto, Iv{\´a}n and Riva, Enrique G. de la}, title = {Linking functional composition moments of the sub-mediterranean ecotone with environmental drivers}, series = {Frontiers in Plant Science}, volume = {14}, journal = {Frontiers in Plant Science}, publisher = {Frontiers}, address = {Lausanne}, issn = {1664-462X}, doi = {10.3389/fpls.2023.1303022}, year = {2023}, abstract = {Functional trait-based approaches are extensively applied to the study of mechanisms governing community assembly along environmental gradients. These approaches have been classically based on studying differences in mean values among species, but there is increasing recognition that alternative metrics of trait distributions should be considered to decipher the mechanisms determining community assembly and species coexistence. Under this framework, the main aim of this study is to unravel the effects of environmental conditions as drivers of plant community assembly in sub-Mediterranean ecotones. We set 60 plots in six plant communities of a sub-Mediterranean forest in Central Spain, and measured key above- and belowground functional traits in 411 individuals belonging to 19 species, along with abiotic variables. We calculated community-weighted mean (CWM), skewness (CWS) and kurtosis (CWK) of three plant dimensions, and used maximum likelihood techniques to analyze how variation in these functional community traits was driven by abiotic factors. Additionally, we estimated the relative contribution of intraspecific trait variability and species turnover to variation in CWM. The first three axes of variation of the principal component analyses were related to three main plant ecological dimensions: Leaf Economics Spectrum, Root Economics Spectrum and plant hydraulic architecture, respectively. Type of community was the most important factor determining differences in the functional structure among communities, as compared to the role of abiotic variables. We found strong differences among communities in their CWMs in line with their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean), while differences in CWS and CWK indicate different trends in the functional structure among communities and the coexistence of different functional strategies, respectively. Moreover, changes in functional composition were primarily due to intraspecific variability. We observed a high number of strategies in the forest with the different communities spreading along the acquisitive-conservative axis of resource-use, partly matching their Eurosiberian-Mediterranean nature, respectively. Intraspecific trait variability, rather than species turnover, stood as the most relevant factor when analyzing functional changes and assembly patterns among communities. Altogether, our data support the notion that ecotones are ecosystems where relatively minor environmental shifts may result in changes in plant and functional composition.}, subject = {Mixed-species forest; Sub-mediterranean; Ecotone; Functional structure; Intraspecific variability; {\"O}koton; Funktionelle Struktur; Intraspezifische Variabilit{\"a}t; Artengemischter Wald; Submediterran; Spanien; Meseta; {\"O}koton; Wald; Pflanzengesellschaft; Umweltver{\"a}nderung; Maximum-Likelihood-Technik}, language = {en} } @phdthesis{deTomasMarin2024, author = {de Tom{\´a}s Mar{\´i}n, Sergio}, title = {Analysis of the functional structure of plant communities from the sub-Mediterranean ecotone}, doi = {10.26127/BTUOpen-6804}, url = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:kobv:co1-opus4-68044}, school = {BTU Cottbus - Senftenberg}, year = {2024}, abstract = {Ecotones are transitional regions between two areas with contrasting ecological features, where elements from the adjacent systems as well as unique species coexist. They are ideal systems to study community assembly mechanisms along environmental gradients. The Iberian Peninsula is one of the largest ecotones in Europe, with Mediterranean climate in the south and Temperate in the north, area known as the sub-Mediterranean region. The broad aim of this thesis is to understand the mechanisms driving plant community assembly in the Iberian sub-Mediterranean ecotone from a functional trait-based approach. In chapter 3 we focused on the two main tree species in a sub-Mediterranean forest of central Spain known as Hayedo de Montejo (UNESCO World Heritage Site): Fagus sylvatica L., a typical Eurosiberian species, and Quercus pyrenaica Willd., a typical Mediterranean species. We quantified functional niche partitioning by estimating the hypervolume of nine traits related to resource acquisition plus relative growth rate as an additional trait. We also estimated environmental niche similarity between both species. While both species shared the environmental niche, they showed notably different functional resource-use strategies, promoting a high complementarity between them. In chapter 4 we studied the mechanisms driving the assembly of 19 woody species in six communities of the Hayedo de Montejo forest. We analysed functional structure variations among communities by estimating the community-weighted mean (CWM), skewness (CWS) and kurtosis (CWK) at whole-plant level. Additionally, we estimated the relative contribution of species turnover and intraspecific trait variability (ITV) to variation in CWM. We detected three axes of variation: Leaf and Root Economics Spectrum, and plant hydraulic architecture, respectively. CWM strongly differed among communities according to their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean). Differences in CWS and CWK indicated different trends in the functional structure among communities and the coexistence of different functional strategies, respectively. Variation in CMW among communities was mainly due to ITV. In chapter 5 we analyzed the taxonomic, phylogenetic and functional diversity of four sub-Mediterranean grasslands of contrasting biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean). Further, we decoupled phylogeny and traits to uncover potentially hidden patterns. Communities segregated by their biogeographic origin (Eurosiberian vs Mediterranean) along a soil recourse gradient in line with the Economics Spectrum; however, some traits varied independently from this axis. Assembly patterns showed a general phylogenetic over-dispersion together with functional clustering when decoupling phylogeny and traits. Our results support the idea that the sub-Mediterranean ecotone is a highly diverse and fragile habitat, where even minor environmental changes can lead to strong changes in the functional structure of the ecosystem.}, subject = {Functional Ecology; Sub-Mediterranean Ecotone; Community Aseembly; Plant Ecology; Umweltnische; Sub-Mediterrane {\"O}kotone; Funktionelle Struktur; Intraspezifische Variabilit{\"a}t; Gemeinschaftliche Versammlung; Iberische Halbinsel; {\"O}koton; Waldgesellschaft; Gr{\"u}ndlandgesellschaft; {\"O}kologische Nische}, language = {en} }