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Plant Functional Trait Response to Habitat Change and Grazing in a Semiarid Grassland : Unravelling Species Turnover and Intraspecific Variation Effects

Zhang Jing, Zuo Xiaoan, Lv Peng, Zhao Shenglong, Zhao Xueyong

Polish Journal of Ecology

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2019

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Vol. 67, nr 1

62--74

EN

Plant community assembly is determined by species turnover and intraspecific trait variations (ITV) controlled by environment changes. However, little is known about how species turnover and ITV affect the responses of plant community to habitat changes and grazing disturbance in semiarid grasslands. Here, we measured five functional plant traits in four typical grassland habitats under fencing and grazing disturbance in a semiarid grassland, Northern China, including plant height, specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and leaf carbon: nitrogen ratio (C:N). We also calculated the community weighted means (CWM) and non-weighted means (CM) of all traits and examined the relative roles of species turnover and ITV in affecting the responses of community traits to habitat changes and grazing disturbance. Our results showed that the CWM and CM values of five functional traits differed with grassland habitat changes. As compared to other grasslands, the Stipa steppe had the higher plant height, the sandy grassland had the higher SLA and lower LDMC, and the meadow had the lower LNC and higher C:N. Grazing decreased plant height across grassland habitats, as well as decreased SLA and increased LDMC in meadow. The responses of all community-level traits to habitat changes were driven by species turnover, while the responses of phenotypic traits (height, SLA and LDMC) to grazing were determined by both species turnover and ITV. So, we argue that ITV should be considered when understanding plant community assembly under grazing disturbance regime in semiarid grasslands.

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Inter- and intra-specific variability in δ13C and δ18O values of freshwater gastropod shells from Lake Lednica, western Poland

Apolinarska K., Pełechaty M.

Acta Geologica Polonica

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2017

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Vol. 67, no. 3

441--458

EN

This study focuses on the inter- and intra-specific variability in δ13C and δ18O values of shells and opercula of gastropods sampled live from the littoral zone of Lake Lednica, western Poland. The δ13C and δ18O values were measured in individual opercula of Bithynia tentaculata and in shells of Bithynia tentaculata, Gyraulus albus, Gyraulus crista, Lymnaea sp., Physa fontinalis, Radix auricularia, Theodoxus fluviatilis and Valvata cristata. The gastropods selected for the study are among the species most commonly found in European Quaternary lacustrine sediments. The carbon isotope composition of the gastropod shells was species-specific and the same order of species from the most to the least 13C-depleted was observed at all sites sampled. Differences in shell δ13C values between species were similar at all sampling sites, thus the factors influencing shell isotopic composition were interpreted as species-specific. The δ18O values of shells were similar in all the species investigated. Significant intra-specific variability in shell δ13C and δ18O values was observed not only within the populations of Lake Lednica, which can be explained by heterogeneity of δ13C DIC, δ18O water and water temperature between the sites where macrophytes with snails attached were sampled, but also between individuals sampled from restricted areas of the lake’s bottom. The latter points to the importance of factors related to the ontogeny of individual gastropods.

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Palaeontology, taxonomic revision and variability of some species of the genus Gassendiceras Bert et al., 2006 (Ammonitina, Upper Barremian) from southeastern France

Bert D., Bersac S., Delanoy G., Canut L.

Acta Geologica Polonica

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2013

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Vol. 63, no. 3

355--397

EN

Bed-by-bed sampling of twelve Barremian sections in southeastern France from pelagic basin (Vocontian Basin) to neritic platforms (Arc of Castellane, Arc of Nice and Provencal Domain) has enabled the collection of isochronous samples of the ammonite genus Gassendiceras. Three poorly known species of the Toxancyloceras vandenheckei Zone (Upper Barremian) are revised: G. alpinum, G. multicostatum and G. hoheneggeri; two new species are described (G. rebouleti nov. sp. and G. bosellii nov. sp.). The intraspecific variability of particular species was recognised. This variability is between slender peramorphic and robust paedomorphic extreme morphologies, with the presence of all intermediates.