Abstract
Fruit type is a key reproductive trait associated with plant evolution and adaptation. However, large-scale geographical patterns in fruit type composition and the mechanisms driving these patterns remain to be established. Contemporary environment, plant functional traits and evolutionary age may all influence fruit type composition, while their relative importance remains unclear. Here, using data on fruit types, plant height and distributions of 28,222 (∼ 90.1%) angiosperm species in China, we analyzed the geographical patterns in the proportion of fleshy-fruited species for all angiosperms, trees, shrubs, and herbaceous species separately, and compared the relative effects of contemporary climate, ecosystem primary productivity, plant height, and evolutionary age on these patterns. We found that the proportion of fleshy-fruited species per grid cell for all species and different growth forms all showed significant latitudinal patterns, being the highest in southeastern China. Mean plant height per grid cell and actual evapotranspiration (AET) representing ecosystem primary productivity were the strongest drivers of geographical variations in the proportion of fleshy-fruited species, but their relative importance varied between growth forms. From herbaceous species to shrubs and trees, the relative effects of mean plant height decreased. Mean genus age had significant yet consistently weaker effects on proportion of fleshy-fruited species than mean plant height and AET, and environmental temperature and precipitation contributed to those of only trees and shrubs. These results suggest that biotic and environmental factors and evolutionary age of floras jointly shape the pattern in proportion of fleshy-fruited species, and improve our understanding of the mechanisms underlying geographical variations in fruit type composition. Our study also demonstrates the need of integrating multiple biotic and abiotic factors to fully understand the drivers of large-scale patterns of plant reproductive traits.
Highlights
Plants show remarkable diversity in their fruit types, varying from tiny dry fruits to huge fleshy fruits
Fleshy-fruited species accounted for 19.9% of angiosperm species in China
The geographical patterns in the proportion of fleshy-fruited species were consistent among different growth forms, the proportion of fleshy-fruited species for herbaceous species was generally much lower than those of trees and shrubs in most regions
Summary
Plants show remarkable diversity in their fruit types, varying from tiny dry fruits to huge fleshy fruits. It has been shown that evolutionary changes in fruit type are normally associated with shifts in plant diversification rate (Tiffney, 1984; Eriksson and Bremer, 1992; Beaulieu and Donoghue, 2014). Exploring geographical variations in fruit type composition in plant communities across large spatial scales and their mechanisms will shed light on the mechanisms underlying large-scale patterns in reproductive traits and their responses to climate change. Contemporary climate (Almeida-Neto et al, 2008; Chen et al, 2017; Zhao et al, 2018), growth forms (Bolmgren and Eriksson, 2005), plant functional traits (e.g., plant height) and evolutionary age may all influence geographical variations in fruit type composition, while the relative contribution of different factors remains poorly understood
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
