Simple item page
 

Foliar N Content Parallels Increasing Aridity in a Mediterranean‐Saharan Transition Zone: Evidence From Regional and Global Trends

cris.virtual.author-orcid0000-0001-5564-7360
cris.virtual.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtual.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtual.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtual.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtual.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid62199eda-fe32-456c-9935-2e55f2101f3a
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
cris.virtualsource.author-orcid#PLACEHOLDER_PARENT_METADATA_VALUE#
dc.abstract.enAim: Warm deserts are characterised by water shortages and high temperature extremes. A commonly reported adaptive strategy in such environments is maximisation of photosynthetic capacity, which allows plants to achieve positive carbon budgets by taking advantage of short periods of water availability and non-inhibitory temperatures. Considering the well-supported interspecific covariation between photosynthetic capacity and leaf N concentration, we tested the hypothesis that environmental aridity is related to an elevated leaf nitrogen content. Location: 53 locations in the transitional zone spanning the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert in Morocco. The mean maximal temperature (Tmax) within the area varied between 35.7°C and 43.5°C, and the mean annual precipitation (MAP) was between 12 and 246 mm. Taxon: 225 vascular species representative of local vegetation. Methods: Leaf samples were collected along a regional aridity gradient and preserved in herbarium presses. The leaf mass per area (LMA) and N concentrations expressed on leaf mass (Nmass) and area (Narea) basis were determined. We also obtained LMA and Nmass values for 6711 species from a worldwide database for comparative analysis. Results: Significant increases in mean LMA, Nmass and Narea accompanied the increase in Tmax and the decrease in MAP in woody species and in non-graminoid herbs, but not in graminoids. Considering the overall aridity of our sampling area, we compared the Nmass values of Moroccan plants with those from a worldwide database. We found that at a common LMA, the Moroccan plants showed on average elevated Nmass relative to global values. Main Conclusions: These two lines of evidence: regional gradient and global comparison confirm that hot deserts select for high leaf N content. This result suggests the direction of natural selection that will accompany future climate warming and habitat aridification
dc.affiliationWydział Leśny i Technologii Drewna
dc.affiliation.instituteKatedra Hodowli Lasu
dc.contributor.authorWyka, Tomasz P.
dc.contributor.authorRobakowski, Piotr
dc.contributor.authorRomo, Angel
dc.contributor.authorBoratyński, Adam
dc.contributor.authorŻytkowiak, Roma
dc.contributor.authorOleksyn, Jacek
dc.date.accessioned2025-06-10T06:49:46Z
dc.date.available2025-06-10T06:49:46Z
dc.date.issued2025
dc.description.abstract<jats:title>ABSTRACT</jats:title><jats:sec><jats:title>Aim</jats:title><jats:p>Warm deserts are characterised by water shortages and high temperature extremes. A commonly reported adaptive strategy in such environments is maximisation of photosynthetic capacity, which allows plants to achieve positive carbon budgets by taking advantage of short periods of water availability and non‐inhibitory temperatures. Considering the well‐supported interspecific covariation between photosynthetic capacity and leaf <jats:italic>N</jats:italic> concentration, we tested the hypothesis that environmental aridity is related to an elevated leaf nitrogen content.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Location</jats:title><jats:p>53 locations in the transitional zone spanning the Mediterranean and the Sahara Desert in Morocco. The mean maximal temperature (<jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>max</jats:sub>) within the area varied between 35.7°C and 43.5°C, and the mean annual precipitation (MAP) was between 12 and 246 mm.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Taxon</jats:title><jats:p>225 vascular species representative of local vegetation.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Methods</jats:title><jats:p>Leaf samples were collected along a regional aridity gradient and preserved in herbarium presses. The leaf mass per area (LMA) and <jats:italic>N</jats:italic> concentrations expressed on leaf mass (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic><jats:sub>mass</jats:sub>) and area (<jats:italic>N</jats:italic><jats:sub>area</jats:sub>) basis were determined. We also obtained LMA and <jats:italic>N</jats:italic><jats:sub>mass</jats:sub> values for 6711 species from a worldwide database for comparative analysis.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Results</jats:title><jats:p>Significant increases in mean LMA, <jats:italic>N</jats:italic><jats:sub>mass</jats:sub> and <jats:italic>N</jats:italic><jats:sub>area</jats:sub> accompanied the increase in <jats:italic>T</jats:italic><jats:sub>max</jats:sub> and the decrease in MAP in woody species and in non‐graminoid herbs, but not in graminoids. Considering the overall aridity of our sampling area, we compared the <jats:italic>N</jats:italic><jats:sub>mass</jats:sub> values of Moroccan plants with those from a worldwide database. We found that at a common LMA, the Moroccan plants showed on average elevated <jats:italic>N</jats:italic><jats:sub>mass</jats:sub> relative to global values.</jats:p></jats:sec><jats:sec><jats:title>Main Conclusions</jats:title><jats:p>These two lines of evidence: regional gradient and global comparison confirm that hot deserts select for high leaf <jats:italic>N</jats:italic> content. This result suggests the direction of natural selection that will accompany future climate warming and habitat aridification.</jats:p></jats:sec>
dc.description.additionalThis study was supported by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education grant NN 304 066537
dc.description.bibliographyil., bibliogr.
dc.description.financepublication_nocost
dc.description.financecost0,00
dc.description.if3,4
dc.description.number1
dc.description.points140
dc.description.volume52
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/jbi.15027
dc.identifier.eissn1365-2699
dc.identifier.issn0305-0270
dc.identifier.urihttps://sciencerep.up.poznan.pl/handle/item/2815
dc.languageen
dc.relation.ispartofJournal of Biogeography
dc.relation.pages213-224
dc.rightsClosedAccess
dc.sciencecloudsend
dc.subject.enarid lands
dc.subject.endesert adaptations
dc.subject.endesert plants
dc.subject.enfunctional trait spectrum
dc.subject.enfuture climate warming
dc.subject.enleaf functional traits
dc.subject.enMoroccan flora
dc.titleFoliar N Content Parallels Increasing Aridity in a Mediterranean‐Saharan Transition Zone: Evidence From Regional and Global Trends
dc.typeJournalArticle
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.issue1
oaire.citation.volume52