Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants

Abstract Riparian forests are structured and maintained by their hydrology. Woody riparian plants typically adapt to the local flood regime to maximise their likelihood of survival and reproductive success. Understanding how extant trees form and reproduce in response to flood disturbance is crucial...

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Autores principales:	Sarah Fischer, Joe Greet, Christopher J. Walsh, Jane A. Catford
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2021
Materias:	Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/4a729654c7dc40ff83e02a65b34441c3
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:4a729654c7dc40ff83e02a65b34441c32021-12-02T15:07:53ZFlood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants10.1038/s41598-021-95543-02045-2322https://doaj.org/article/4a729654c7dc40ff83e02a65b34441c32021-08-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95543-0https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Riparian forests are structured and maintained by their hydrology. Woody riparian plants typically adapt to the local flood regime to maximise their likelihood of survival and reproductive success. Understanding how extant trees form and reproduce in response to flood disturbance is crucial for predicting vegetation changes and informing restoration. Working in a temperate evergreen riparian forest, we aimed to determine whether disturbance-based responses of plants found in other ecosystems also typify woody plants in riparian forests where disturbances are often mild or chronic, non-lethal, annual events. Using plant surveys and 20-year modelled hydrological data, we examined whether (1) the morphology (main stem diameter, height, crown width, crown extent, stem leaning) and (2) reproduction type (sexual and asexual reproduction) and extent of three dominant woody species (Eucalyptus camphora, Leptospermum lanigerum and Melaleuca squarrosa) vary with flood regime (flood frequency and flood duration); and (3) whether different morphology is associated with different reproductive strategies. Increased flooding generally resulted in increased stem numbers and greater stem leaning—morphologies associated with asexual reproduction—of our study species. More frequent flooding also reduced plant size and sexual reproduction in E. camphora. Sexual reproduction in the studied species was more common in taller plants with single, more upright stems in good condition. Flexible morphology and plastic reproductive strategy may constitute an adaptation of trees to mild or chronic disturbance in floodplains. Our findings suggest that flood regime (i.e. variable frequency and duration of flooding events) is critical to the structural integrity and self-maintenance of species-diverse riparian forests.Sarah FischerJoe GreetChristopher J. WalshJane A. CatfordNature PortfolioarticleMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 11, Iss 1, Pp 1-14 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Medicine R Science Q Sarah Fischer Joe Greet Christopher J. Walsh Jane A. Catford Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
description	Abstract Riparian forests are structured and maintained by their hydrology. Woody riparian plants typically adapt to the local flood regime to maximise their likelihood of survival and reproductive success. Understanding how extant trees form and reproduce in response to flood disturbance is crucial for predicting vegetation changes and informing restoration. Working in a temperate evergreen riparian forest, we aimed to determine whether disturbance-based responses of plants found in other ecosystems also typify woody plants in riparian forests where disturbances are often mild or chronic, non-lethal, annual events. Using plant surveys and 20-year modelled hydrological data, we examined whether (1) the morphology (main stem diameter, height, crown width, crown extent, stem leaning) and (2) reproduction type (sexual and asexual reproduction) and extent of three dominant woody species (Eucalyptus camphora, Leptospermum lanigerum and Melaleuca squarrosa) vary with flood regime (flood frequency and flood duration); and (3) whether different morphology is associated with different reproductive strategies. Increased flooding generally resulted in increased stem numbers and greater stem leaning—morphologies associated with asexual reproduction—of our study species. More frequent flooding also reduced plant size and sexual reproduction in E. camphora. Sexual reproduction in the studied species was more common in taller plants with single, more upright stems in good condition. Flexible morphology and plastic reproductive strategy may constitute an adaptation of trees to mild or chronic disturbance in floodplains. Our findings suggest that flood regime (i.e. variable frequency and duration of flooding events) is critical to the structural integrity and self-maintenance of species-diverse riparian forests.
format	article
author	Sarah Fischer Joe Greet Christopher J. Walsh Jane A. Catford
author_facet	Sarah Fischer Joe Greet Christopher J. Walsh Jane A. Catford
author_sort	Sarah Fischer
title	Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
title_short	Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
title_full	Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
title_fullStr	Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
title_full_unstemmed	Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
title_sort	flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/4a729654c7dc40ff83e02a65b34441c3
work_keys_str_mv	AT sarahfischer flooddisturbanceaffectsmorphologyandreproductionofwoodyriparianplants AT joegreet flooddisturbanceaffectsmorphologyandreproductionofwoodyriparianplants AT christopherjwalsh flooddisturbanceaffectsmorphologyandreproductionofwoodyriparianplants AT janeacatford flooddisturbanceaffectsmorphologyandreproductionofwoodyriparianplants
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Flood disturbance affects morphology and reproduction of woody riparian plants

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