Physiological ecology of Mexican CAM plants: history, progress, and opportunities

Joel David Flores Rivas Oscar Briones Villareal JOSE LUIS ANDRADE (2022)

"In Mexico, plants with crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) are part of the Mexican culture, have different uses and are even emblematic. Unfortunately, only a small fraction of the Mexican CAM plants has been studied physiologically. For this review, the following questions were considered: What ecophysiological studies have been conducted with CAM species native to Mexico? What ecophysiological processes in Mexican CAM plants are the most studied? What type of ecophysiological studies with CAM plants are still needed? A database of scientific studies on CAM plant species from Mexico was documented, including field and laboratory works for species widely distributed, and those studies made outside Mexico with Mexican species. Physiological processes were grouped as germination, photosynthesis, and water relations. Most studies were done for CAM species of Cactaceae, Bromeliaceae, Asparagaceae and Orchidaceae, andmost ecophysiological studies have been done on germination of cacti. Field and laboratory studies on photosynthesis and water relations were mostly for terrestrial cacti and epiphytic bromeliads. There were few physiological studies with CAM seedlings in Mexico and few studies using stable isotopes of water and carbon of CAM plants in the field. More field and laboratory studies of physiological responses and plasticity of CAM plants to multiple stress factors are required to model plant responses to global climate change. In general, more physiological studies are essential for all CAM species and for species of the genus Clusia, with C3-CAM and CAM members, which can become ecologically important under some climate change scenarios."

Artículo

Asparagaceae Bromeliaceae Cactaceae Germination Photosynthesis Water relations Orchidaceae BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA) BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA)

Interaction between plants growing together from germination to 2 years: A test of competition and phylogenetic closeness for Northeastern Mexico

Interacción entre plantas coexistiendo desde la germinación hasta los 2 años: un experimento de competencia y cercanía filogenética en el noreste de México

ENRIQUE JURADO YBARRA Joel David Flores Rivas Jonathan Marroquín MARISELA PANDO MORENO DAVID ALBERTO RODRIGUEZ TRAPERO Humberto González Rodríguez José Alejandro Selvera Mancha Juan Ángel López Carmona (2022)

"Competition and facilitation are important factors affecting seedling survival. These factors probably affect plant distribution and abundance. Interactions between species relate to phylogeny, in that closely related species are likely to compete more for resources and facilitation is expected between more distantly related species. We tested for Tamaulipan thornscrub plants, grown with close and distant relatives if they differed in survival, length and weight of shoots and roots, assuming that closely related species would compete more than distant ones. We also explored whether seed mass was associated with plant size from 1-24 months after germination. We grew plants from Tamaulipan thornscrub, with a sibling or with one individual from other species from 1-24 months. Seedling survival was similar for all species when their seedlings grew alone or under competition, at 1, 6 and 12 months. At 24 months seedling survival of Vachellia farnesiana was lower when grown with Havardia pallens. There was no evidence of stronger competition or facilitation for phylogenetically closer species. Seedling size correlated with seed mass one month after germination but not after 6 months. Maximum and mean adult plant height did not correlate with seed mass or with plant height in our trials. We found no evidence of phylogeny explaining nearest neighbors in competition during germination for Tamaulipan thornscrub."

"La competencia y la facilitación son factores importantes que afectan la supervivencia de las plántulas y probablemente afectan la distribución y abundancia de las plantas. Las interacciones entre especies se relacionan con la filogenia, es probable que las especies estrechamente relacionadas compitan más por recursos y que en las menos emparentadas ocurra facilitación. Se investigó si plantas de matorral tamaulipeco creciendo junto a parientes cercanos y lejanos diferían en supervivencia, longitud y peso de tallos y raíces, asumiendo que las especies estrechamente relacionadas competirían más que las lejanas. También se exploró si el peso de semillas se asoció con el tamaño de la planta entre 1 y 24 meses de edad. Se pusieron a crecer plantas de matorral tamaulipeco, con un hermano o con un individuo de otras especies, de 1-24 meses. La supervivencia de plántulas fue similar para todas las especies cuando éstas crecieron solas o en competencia, a los 1, 6 y 12 meses. A los 24 meses, la supervivencia de plántulas de Vachellia farnesiana fue menor cuando creció con Havardia pallens. No hubo evidencia de una competencia o facilitación fuerte para especies filogenéticamente más cercanas. El tamaño de la plántula se correlacionó con el peso de la semilla únicamente al mes de germinadas. La altura máxima y promedio de la planta adulta no se correlacionó con el peso de semillas o con la altura de la planta. La filogenia no explicó la competencia con los vecinos más cercanos durante la germinación de especies del matorral tamaulipeco."

Artículo

Phylogeny Seed mass Seedling Shoot/root ratio Tamaulipan thornscrub BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA) BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA)

Seed integrity, effect of temperature and storage time on germination of Populus luziarum and P. primaveralepensis, endangered subtropical species from Mexico

César Jacobo Pereira MIGUEL ANGEL MUÑIZ CASTRO JOSE ANTONIO VAZQUEZ GARCIA Joel David Flores Rivas ALEJANDRO MUÑOZ URIAS FRANCISCO MARTIN HUERTA MARTINEZ (2022)

"Background: Populus luziarum and P. primaveralepensis are endemic species of western Mexico; growing in riparian forests they are critically endangered. The best way to conserve their seeds is unknown, which could be limiting for their conservation.

Hypothesis: The germinability of both subtropical species is like that of boreal and template Salicaceae species that disperse seeds in spring and early summer, as they germinate quickly with high percentages, and rapidly lose their viability when stored at ambient temperature.

Studied species: Populus luziarum and P. primaveralepensis. Study site and dates: Western Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. Jalisco, Mexico. October 2019.

Methods: The physical integrity of the seeds was assessed by X-ray imaging and compared with germinability. In addition, the effect of storage time (nine weeks) under two temperatures (4 and 21 °C) on the percentage and mean germination rate was evaluated.

Results: No significant differences were found between physical integrity and germination in freshly collected seeds for both species. Germination in the first 24 hrs was 91 and 95 % for Populus luziarum and P. primaveralepensis, respectively (week 0). Germination percentages were lower when stored at 21 °C, but P. primaveralepensis was decreased more slowly.

Conclusions: Seeds of subtropical Populus respond similarly to those of species from temperate and boreal climates with early seed dispersal, a crucial condition for establishing ex situ reforestation and conservation programs."

Artículo

Salicaceae Seed physical integrity Seed storage conditions Subtropical endemic species White poplars BIOLOGÍA Y QUÍMICA CIENCIAS DE LA VIDA BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA) BIOLOGÍA VEGETAL (BOTÁNICA)