Abstract
Functional diversity and the contribution of functional traits in mangrove ecosystems dynamics in western Mexico remain unknown. In this study, we assessed functional variability and intraspecific trait variation in three different mangrove zones. We developed and tested the following hypothesis: (i) mangrove species vary along trait axes associated with plant size and leaf economics. (ii) there is intraspecific trait variation (ITV) in leaf traits related to economic aspects of plant function among mangrove zones. (iii) the presence of functional variation in plant traits among mangrove zones is related to physicochemical ground-water gradients. We used 65 permanent plots, distributed across three contrasting mangrove zones to assess morphological functional traits: leaf area, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry-matter content (LDMC), tree height (H) and wood density; in each permanent plot, we recorded: water salinity, dissolved oxygen, pH and temperature. We used Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to examine how mangrove and mangrove-associated species were assembled in the functional trait space; in order to identify ITV, we compared the mean functional trait values using general linear models (GLM) with the zone and species as fixed effects. We also tested for differences in functional composition by Community-Weighted Means (CWM) running GLM for each trait with mangrove zones as fixed effect. Finally, we ran a Redundancy Analysis (RDA) to identify interstitial water variables explaining functional composition. According to our GLM results, we found intraspecific variability in functional traits among the three mangrove zones; particularly LDMC varied the most among species inside the three zones. Regarding GLM results using CWM, traits such as SLA, LDMC and H were different among zones. Our findings suggested ITV among mangrove zones with spatial patterns related to interstitial water variables; mangrove species exhibited significant ITV mainly in SLA and LDMC; salinity and pH were relevant to the functional ecology in mangrove ecosystems.
Resumen
La diversidad funcional y la contribución de los rasgos funcionales en la dinámica de los ecosistemas de manglares en el occidente de México ha sido poco estudiada. En este estudio, evaluamos la variabilidad funcional y la variación de rasgos intraespecíficos en tres zonas de manglar. Desarrollamos y probamos las siguientes hipótesis: (i) las especies de manglares varían a lo largo de ejes de rasgos asociados con el tamaño de la planta y la economía de las hojas. (ii) existe una variación de rasgos intraespecíficos (ITV) en los rasgos de las hojas relacionados con aspectos económicos de la función de la planta entre las zonas de manglares. (iii) la presencia de variación funcional en los rasgos funcionales de las especies entre las zonas de manglar está relacionada con los gradientes fisicoquímicos del agua intersticial. Utilizamos 65 parcelas permanentes distribuidas en tres zonas de manglar contrastantes para evaluar los rasgos funcionales morfológicos: área foliar, área foliar específica (SLA), contenido de materia seca de la hoja (LDMC), altura del árbol (H) y densidad de la madera; en cada parcela permanente se registró: salinidad del agua, oxígeno disuelto, pH y temperatura. Utilizamos análisis de componentes principales (PCA) para examinar cómo se ensamblaron los manglares y las especies asociadas a los manglares en el espacio de los rasgos funcionales. Para identificar ITV, comparamos los valores medios de los rasgos funcionales utilizando modelos lineales generalizados (GLM) utilizando la zona y la especie como efectos fijos. También probamos las diferencias en la composición funcional mediante medias ponderadas de la comunidad (CWM) ejecutando GLM para cada rasgo utilizando las zonas de manglar como efecto fijo. Finalmente, realizamos un análisis de redundancia (RDA) para identificar las variables del agua intersticial que explican la composición funcional. De acuerdo con los resultados de nuestro GLM, encontramos una variabilidad intraespecífica en los rasgos funcionales entre las tres zonas de manglar; particularmente LDMC resultó el rasgo más variable entre las especies dentro de las tres zonas. En cuanto a los resultados de GLM usando CWM, los rasgos como SLA, LDMC y H fueron diferentes entre zonas. Nuestros hallazgos sugieren ITV entre zonas de manglares con patrones espaciales relacionados con variables del agua intersticial; las especies de manglar mostraron un ITV significativo, principalmente en SLA y LDMC; la salinidad y el pH fueron las variables más relevantes para la ecología funcional en los ecosistemas de manglar.
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Data Availability
The datasets used and/or analyzed in this study are available from the corresponding author on request.
Code Availability
Not applicable.
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Acknowledgements
We thank the Cuyutlan Ecological Centre “El Tortugario” for their help during the field work. We also thank M. Sc. José Guadalupe Morales Arias and M. Sc. Pilar Ibarra for their valuable help in the laboratory work. We thank two anonymous reviewers for their thoughtful feedback.
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This study was supported by the Mexican National Council for Science and Technology (CONACYT) through a doctorate scholarship (422855) to the first author.
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Judit Torres-Fernández del Campo and Miguel Olvera Vargas conceived the original idea, designed methodology, collected and analysed the data and wrote the manuscript; Blanca Lorena Figueroa-Rangel analysed the data and wrote the manuscript. Ramón Cuevas Guzmán contributed with writing and reading the manuscript; Fernando Casanoves analysed the data and contributed with writing and reading the manuscript. All authors contributed critically to the drafts, discussed the results and commented on the manuscript and gave final approval for publication.
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del Campo, J.TF., Olvera-Vargas, M., Figueroa-Rangel, B.L. et al. Intraspecific Functional Variability and Functional Changes Along Environmental Gradients Associated to Mangrove Forest Zonation in West-Central Mexico. Wetlands 42, 115 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01635-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-022-01635-6