Allometric Responses Research Articles

Variations in Patch Use by Ruminant and Non-Ruminant Herbivores in a Tropical Wildlife Reserve, Ghana

Food processing and consumption by herbivores are affected differently by the availability of forage quality and quantity per unit of time. This demonstrates the “Allometric response concept”, and it is considered a significant determinant in habitat use for foraging by grazers. The relevance of this approach has comprehensively been applied to herbivores of different body sizes, but little is known about its demonstration to explain patch use in herbivores with different digestive physiology and body size. We explain the use of patches by grazing herbivores of different digestive physiology and body sizes, Hippopotamus amphibius (hippopotamus, mega non-ruminant) and cattle (ruminant), by integrating foraging relationship herbivores. We analysed the significant relationships between species dropping densities and environmental variables across forty-eight 100 m×100 m plots in Bui National Park, Ghana, during the wet and dry seasons. We found that both species utilised areas closer to the river in the wet season, but the H. amphibius foraged further away from the river during the dry season. Sward height also determined patch use by both species, with the H. amphibius utilising shorter swards than the cattle. Considering the quality of food resources, the study revealed that patch selection of ruminants (cattle) was significantly influenced by nitrogen content. In contrast, acidic detergent fibre content was positively related to non-ruminant species (H. amphibius). The high seasonal effect of sward height and food quality on patch use is primarily due to the species digestive physiology and body size of hippopotamus and cattle at the Bui National Park.

High Recovery from Either Waterlogging or Drought Overrides Any Beneficial Acclimation of Chloris gayana Facing a Subsequent Round of Stress.

Climate models predict that plants will face extreme fluctuations in water availability in future global change scenarios. Then, forage production will be more frequently subjected to the destabilizing pressure of sequentially occurring waterlogging and drought events. While the isolated effects of drought (D) and waterlogging (WL) are well characterized, little is known about the consequences when both stresses occur sequentially. We hypothesized that plants sequentially subjected to opposite water scenarios (D followed by WL or vice versa) are less stress tolerant than plants experiencing repetitions of the same type of water stress (i.e., D + D or WL + WL) due to contrasting acclimation and allocation to either shoots (WL) or roots (D). Chloris gayana (a tropical forage grass capable of tolerating either D and WL) plants were randomly assigned to nine treatments (a sequence of two stress rounds—WL or D—each followed by a recovery phase at field capacity). Relative growth rates and allometric responses were measured after each stress round and recovery period. In the first round of stress, both WL and D reduced plant RGR similarly, despite their allocation being opposite—prioritizing shoots or roots under WL and D, respectively. The high recovery displayed after either WL or D overrode any possible acclimation of the plants facing a second round of water stress. We conclude that the tolerance of C. gayana to sequential water stress (either for WL or D) is likely to depend more heavily on its recovery ability than on its previous adjustment to any stress scenario that may evoke memory responses. Knowledge like this could help improve forage grass breeding and the selection of cultivars for poorly drained soils subject to sequential stress events.

Changes in Root-Shoot Allometric Relations in Alpine Norway Spruce Trees After Strip Cutting.

Silvicultural interventions such as strip cuttings can change the resource availability of the edge trees. This may alter tree allometry, as light regime, water, and nutrient availability can change at the forest edge. Increased root growth may optimize resource uptake and/or enhance tree anchorage to withstand the altered wind regime. However, little is known about the patterns of the root–shoot allometric responses to strip cuttings. In three alpine stands differing in climate, site productivity, and stand characteristics, we selected 71 Norway spruce trees and took increment cores from stems, root collars, and main roots. This enabled us to study changes in the long-term root-stem allometry for 46 years and short-term allometric responses to intervention. The effects of cutting were compared between edge trees and trees from the stand interior in 10 years before and after the intervention. The long-term allocation to roots increased with stem diameter, with the strongest effects on the regularly managed stand with the tallest and largest trees. These results support the allometric biomass partitioning theory, which postulates resource allocation patterns between different plant organs to depend on plant size. Strip cutting on north-facing slopes boosted edge-tree growth in all plant compartments and enhanced allocation to roots. This change in allometry started 2 years after cutting but disappeared 7–8 years later. In the post-cutting period, the highest root–shoot increase was observed in the small trees independent of the site. This indicates the change in growing conditions to have the strongest effects in formerly suppressed trees. Thus, the effect of such acclimation on the wind firmness of subdominant spruce trees is a question with high importance for optimizing cutting layouts in lowering post-cutting vulnerability to disturbance. The results from this case study contribute to a better understanding of the structural acclimation of spruce trees from high-elevation forests to new forest edges. However, for a more mechanistic understanding of environmental drivers, further analyses of tree-ring stable isotopes are recommended.

Boron Excess Imbalances Root/Shoot Allometry, Photosynthetic and Chlorophyll Fluorescence Parameters and Sugar Metabolism in Apple Plants

Boron (B) excess frequently impair plant performances and their productivity; in particular in arid and semi-arid environments. In the present experiment; hydroponically-grown ‘Granny Smith’ apple plants grafted on M9 rootstock were treated with optimal (25 μΜ) or excess (400 μΜ) B for 116 days to evaluate allometric responses of plants to B toxicity and to highlight physiological (photosynthesis and chlorophyll fluorescence) and biochemical (pigment content and sugar metabolism) responses of apple plants to B excess. Boron accumulated principally in top > middle > basal stems and leaves of high-B-stressed plants. Notably, the stem dramatically accumulated a higher level of B, as an attempt to preserve leaves, especially the youngest from further B accumulation. B accumulation seriously affected photosynthesis of younger leaves and caused both stomata (reduced stomatal conductance) and biochemical (reduction of apparent CO2 use efficiency and pigment content) limitations and altered the photochemistry and energy partitioning in photosystem II. Boron excess altered leaf sugar proportion; increasing the accumulation of non-translocating sugars such as glucose and fructose. Our dataset adds knowledge on the effect of B excess in apple tree and poses serious concerns about the possible effect of B in altering sugar metabolism; which, in turn, can strongly affect fruit production of this worldwide-cropped species.

High Duty Cycle Echolocation May Constrain the Evolution of Diversity within Horseshoe Bats (Family: Rhinolophidae)

The phenotype of organisms is the net result of various evolutionary forces acting upon their lineages over time. When an innovative trait arises that confers a substantial advantage in terms of survival and reproduction, the evolution of adaptive complexes between such an innovation and other traits may constrain diversification of that lineage. The specialized echolocation system of the Rhinolophidae may represent such an innovation which affects other parts of the phenotype. We investigated a potential constraint on the diversity of phenotypes of several species of horseshoe bats within a phylogenetic framework. If phenotypic convergence stems from stasis as a result of the specialized echolocation system, phenotypes should converge not only among members of the same species and between sexes but also among species. We analyzed the phenotypic diversity of >800 individuals of 13–16 species. The phenotypes in the horseshoe bats did indeed converge. There was no sexual size dimorphism in mass, forearm length and wingspan within species and there was marked interspecific similarity in both wing and echolocation variables but marked variability in body mass. Furthermore, correlations of wing and echolocation variables with mass suggest that variability within horseshoe bats was largely the result of selection on body size with allometric responses in wing and echolocation parameters, a potential consequence of constraints imposed by their specialized echolocation.

Positive Allometry of Horns in the Rhinoceros BeetleGolofa xiximecaDoes Not Follow Breaking-Point Patterns

Abstract. Scaling relationships between horns and body size were analyzed for a population of male rhinoceros beetle Golofa xiximeca Moron. Recent accounts suggested that horns of several species of most of the genera in the rhinoceros beetle subfamily Dynastinae showed positive and breaking-point allometries. To learn if the pattern was the same in G. xiximeca, we used allometric analysis to search for linear and breaking-point allometries of 46 males. The results suggested that patterns of the head horn and the pronotal horn were linear. The scale of the pronotal horn and head horn was significantly positively correlated with body size. The analysis indicated steeper slope with 5.20 units for the pronotal horn than the head horn slope with 4.33 units, but comparison analysis showed differences in slope were not statistically significant. Results were discussed in the context of sole versus mixed data collection and positive allometric response to selection pressure.

Limb bone allometry in modern Euro-Americans.

The pattern of static and secular allometry was examined in a time series of limb bone lengths from individuals with birth years ranging from 1840 to 1989. The main hypothesis investigated was that secular changes in limb proportions, as seen in changes in the brachial and crural indices, can be explained by allometric responses to increasing size. Maximum lengths of humerus, radius, femur, and tibia were obtained from 19th and 20th centuries identified skeletons. Allometry was investigated on two levels, static and secular. Static allometry was defined as average allometry within 20-year birth cohorts, and secular allometry as allometry among birth year cohorts. Allometry was assessed by extracting eigenvectors from covariance matrices of log transformed variables. Departures from allometry were examined using shape variables, and principal components of minor axes. Static covariance matrices were homogeneous. Eigenvectors extracted from the secular covariance matrix showed important departures from static allometry, particularly a much stronger negative allometry of the humerus and a stronger positive allometry of the tibia. Shape analysis showed that relative humerus length decreased significantly over the time period examined and relative tibia length increased. The last principal component, which combined aspects of the brachial and crural index, showed the highest variation among birth year cohorts. The results demonstrate that the secular changes in limb proportions cannot be explained by allometric responses to increasing size alone. The majority of variation among birth cohorts is found on the last PC and that suggests that canalized development has been disrupted by the unique environment in which modern Americans now live.

Effects of red/far-red light ratio on common lamb’s-quarters, redroot pigweed, and tomato plants

Red/far-red (R/FR) ratio, a signal of impending competition from neighbouring plants, fluctuates in plant canopies because of selective absorption of red light and transmission and reflection of far-red light by leaves. The differential response of a crop and associated weeds to changes in R/FR ratio could therefore influence competitive interaction among them. In a growth chamber study, growth, morphological, and allometric responses of common lamb’s-quarters (Chenopodium album L.), redroot pigweed (Amaranthus retroflexus L.), and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) seedlings to changes in R/FR ratio were investigated. Low R/FR ratio increased plant height, stem length below the first node, stem diameter, leaf length, and stem/shoot weight ratio, and decreased leaf greenness, leaf/shoot weight, and leaf/stem weight ratios in some or all of these species; the species differed significantly in this regard. Total length and surface area of tomato root were greater under low R/FR ratio. R/FR ratio did not affec...

Variation in Elevation and Sward Height Facilitate Coexistence of Goose Species through Allometric Responses in Wetlands

Allometric scaling law predicts that herbivores respond differently to the availability of resources, mediated by body size. However, studies of allometric responses have often focused on animals with a relatively large difference in body size. Here, using a correlative field study, habitat use by two herbivorous species, the Bean Goose (Anser fabalis) and the Greater White-fronted Goose (A. albifrons), with a relatively small difference in body size was investigated during the wintering period. Both a generalized linear mixed model and a mixed logistic regression model showed that both species selected lower lying areas that were recently exposed, and, as expected, the smaller Greater White-fronted Goose showed a stronger selection of foraging habitat than the larger Bean Goose. Sward height also influenced habitat selection by both species, and the smaller species selected shorter swards than the larger species. In terms of forage quality, both models failed to detect a significant effect of nitrogen content on goose habitat selection. A logistic regression model showed that structural heterogeneity of the sward negatively correlated with the patch selection of the smaller species, but for the larger species such a correlation was not found. In agreement with our hypotheses, our results provide some preliminary indication that coexistence of the two goose species studied here might be mediated by an allometric response even if the difference in body size is relatively small.

Evolutionary allometry of lumbar shape in Felidae and Bovidae

As body size increases, so do the biomechanical challenges of terrestrial locomotion. In the appendicular skeleton, increasing size is met with allometry of limb posture and structure, but much less is known about adaptations of the axial skeleton. It has been hypothesized that stabilization of the lumbar region against sagittal bending may be a response to increasing size in running mammals. However, empirical data on lumbar allometry in running mammals are scarce. This study presents quantitative data on allometry of the penultimate lumbar vertebra in two mammal families: Bovidae and Felidae. One hundred and twenty 3D landmarks were collected on the penultimate lumbar vertebra of 34 bovid (N = 123) and 23 felid (N = 93) species. Multivariate phylogenetically informed regressions were computed, and the shape variation associated with increasing size calculated. The influence of locomotor and habitat variables on size-corrected lumbar shape was tested using phylogenetic multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVAs). Results demonstrate that the scaling patterns in both groups are consistent with the hypothesis of allometric stabilization of the lumbar region, and suggest convergent evolution of allometric responses in distantly related lineages of mammals. However, there was a relatively smaller effect of size in felids than bovids, even when size range disparities were accounted for, suggesting a trade-off between size and running behaviour. Despite the strong influence of size and phylogeny on lumbar shape, there was no correlation with either habitat or diet within families, though certain specialized taxa (i.e., cheetah) did have divergent morphology.

Individual-area relationship best explains goose species density in wetlands.

Explaining and predicting animal distributions is one of the fundamental objectives in ecology and conservation biology. Animal habitat selection can be regulated by top-down and bottom-up processes, and is mediated by species interactions. Species varying in body size respond differently to top-down and bottom-up determinants, and hence understanding these allometric responses to those determinants is important for conservation. In this study, using two differently sized goose species wintering in the Yangtze floodplain, we tested the predictions derived from three different hypotheses (individual-area relationship, food resource and disturbance hypothesis) to explain the spatial and temporal variation in densities of two goose species. Using Generalized Linear Mixed Models with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo technique, we demonstrated that goose density was positive correlated with patch area size, suggesting that the individual area-relationship best predicts differences in goose densities. Moreover, the other predictions, related to food availability and disturbance, were not significant. Buffalo grazing probably facilitated greater white-fronted geese, as the number of buffalos was positively correlated to the density of this species. We concluded that patch area size is the most important factor determining the density of goose species in our study area. Patch area size is directly determined by water levels in the Yangtze floodplain, and hence modifying the hydrological regimes can enlarge the capacity of these wetlands for migratory birds.

Morphological plasticity in mangrove trees: salinity-related changes in the allometry of Avicennia germinans

Morphological plasticity helps plants to cope to environmental conditions. Allometric responses of the mangrove Avicennia germinans to increasing salinity are easily detectable when focusing on the top height trees. Several studies show that mangrove trees possess high species- and site-related trait allometry, suggesting large morphological plasticity that might be related to environmental conditions, but the causes of such variation are not clearly understood and systematic quantification is still missing. Both aspects are essential for a mechanistic understanding of the development and functioning of forests. We analyzed the role of salinity in the allometric relations of the mangrove Avicennia germinans, using: (1) the top height trees (trees with the largest diameters at breast height, which reflect forest properties at the maximum use of resources); (2) the slenderness coefficient (which indicates competition and environmental conditions); and (3) the crown to DBH ratio. These standard tools for forest scientists dealing with terrestrial forests are suitable to analyze the plastic responses of mangroves to salinity. First, the top height trees help to recognize structural forest properties that are not detectable when studying the whole stand. Second, we found that at salinities above 55 ‰, trees are less slender and develop wider crowns in relation to DBH than when growing at lower salinities. Our results suggest a significant change in allometric traits in relation to salinity, and reflect the plastic responses of tree traits in response to environmental variation. Understanding the plastic responses of plants to their environment can help to better model, predict, and manage forests in changing environments.

Changes in allometric relations of mangrove trees due to resource availability – A new mechanistic modelling approach

Models based on allometric responses to competing neighbours and environmental conditions in mangrove forests are increasingly available. However, the improvement of these models requires a mechanistic understanding of how individual trees allocate biomass. This study introduces a new tree model (BETTINA) focusing on this issue. It is designed to investigate the response of trees in terms of biomass allocation patterns to environmental conditions. Additionally, it is suitable as a component of an individual-based mangrove stand model. BETTINA describes the plasticity of trees in growth patterns depending on their below-ground resource uptake. In contrast to the existing mangrove stand models, BETTINA focusses explicitly on the processes leading to variation in resource availability. Based on the physical principle of osmotic potential of solutions, the direct influence of salinity on plant water availability is considered. Allometric model parameters are not restricted to only the above-ground measures of trees’ traits (such as stem diameter and height), but also characterize below-ground biomass. Within BETTINA these measures are not limited to predefined empirical maximum values, but are the result of and depend on environmental conditions.The model is suitable to explain allometric measures and relations in dependence on total plant size and environmental conditions (for now salinity and light), and has a great potential for a physiologically and physically based improvement of plant component related biomass estimations.

Effects of elevated CO2 and cyclic drought on potato under varying radiation regimes

Climate change predictions include increased frequency of episodic drought in many potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) producing regions in the world. Quantitative data on potato response to periodic drought under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) conditions is lacking, but is needed to improve crop modeling tools suitable for investigating adaptation strategies. Two experiments E1 and E2 were conducted in sunlit soil-plant-atmosphere research (SPAR) chambers to evaluate effects of short-term drought cycles at ambient and twice-ambient CO2. Experiments were conducted in the same growing season, but at different planting dates in order to further examine effects of variation in solar radiation during the drought periods (daily average photosynthetically active radiation of 43.9molm−2d−1 in E1 and 24.7molm−2d−1 in E2). Drought cycles were applied at post-tuber initiation (R) or at both vegetative and post tuber-initiation (VR) stages. While total dry matter in E1 was nearly twice that of E2 as a result of the radiation differences, relative responses to drought and CO2 were consistent. Total dry matter production was reduced proportionately based on the number of drought cycles, with twice-droughted VR plants producing less biomass than non-droughted controls. Harvest index and the ratio of tuber to total dry matter growth rate increased with drought frequency, suggesting that tuber sink strength was higher for VR plants than R. Harvest index, the ratio of tuber to total plant growth rate, and tuber dry matter for VR and R treated plants were also higher at elevated versus ambient CO2. Water use efficiency for water deficient versus water sufficient plants was correlated with harvest index and also increased at the higher CO2 concentration. As there was also little influence of drought or CO2 on leaf extension characteristics, differences in dry matter production and allometric responses were assumed to predominantly be a function of assimilation rate and carbon partitioning. These results confirm potato drought sensitivity in terms of yield response is influenced by developmental stage and CO2 regardless of light environment, and provide necessary data for calibration and testing modeling tools for climate change studies.

An alternative mechanism for shade adaptation: implication of allometric responses of three submersed macrophytes to water depth

AbstractAllometric scaling models describing size‐dependent biological relationships are important for understanding the adaptive responses of plants to environmental variation. In this study, allometric analysis was used to investigate the biomass allocation and morphology of three submerged macrophytes (Potamogeton maackianus, Potamogeton malaianus and Vallisneria natans) in response to water depth (1.0 and 2.5 m) in an in situ experiment. The three macrophytes exhibited different allometric strategies associated with distinct adjustments in morphology and biomass allocation in response to varying water depths. In deeper water, after accounting for the effects of plant size, P. maackianus and P. malaianus tended to enhance light harvesting by allocating more biomass to the stem, increasing shoot height and specific leaf area. V. natans tended to allocate more biomass to the leaf than to the basal stem (rosette), showing a higher leaf mass ratio and shoot height in deeper water. The three species decreased biomass allocation to roots as water depth increased. The main effect of water depth treatments was reduced light availability, which induced plastic shoot or leaf elongation. This shows that macrophytes have evolved responses to light limitation similar to those of terrestrial plants.

Allometric response of perennial <I>Pennisetum centrasiaticum</I> Tzvel to nutrient and water limitation in the Horqin Sand Land of China

Allometric response of perennial <I>Pennisetum centrasiaticum</I> Tzvel to nutrient and water limitation in the Horqin Sand Land of China

Common allometric response of open-grown leader shoots to tree height in co-occurring deciduous broadleaved trees.

Morphology of crown shoots changes with tree height. The height of forest trees is usually correlated with the light environment and this makes it difficult to separate the effects of tree size and of light conditions on the morphological plasticity of crown shoots. This paper addresses the tree-height dependence of shoot traits under full-light conditions where a tree crown is not shaded by other crowns. Focus is given to relationships between tree height and top-shoot traits, which include the shoot's leaf-blades and non-leafy mass, its total leaf-blade area and the length and basal diameter of the shoot's stem. We examine the allometric characteristics of open-grown current-year leader shoots at the tops of forest tree crowns up to 24 m high and quantify their responses to tree height in 13 co-occurring deciduous hardwood species in a cool-temperate forest in northern Japan. Dry mass allocated to leaf blades in a leader shoot increased with tree height in all 13 species. Specific leaf area decreased with tree height. Stem basal area was almost proportional to total leaf area in a leader shoot, where the proportionality constant did not depend on tree height, irrespective of species. Stem length for a given stem diameter decreased with tree height. In the 13 species observed, height-dependent changes in allometry of leader shoots were convergent. This finding suggests that there is a common functional constraint in tree-height development. Under full-light conditions, leader shoots of tall trees naturally experience more severe water stress than those of short trees. We hypothesize that the height dependence of shoot allometry detected reflects an integrated response to height-associated water stress, which contributes to successful crown expansion and height gain.

Field appraisal of seed priming to improve the growth, yield, and quality of direct seeded rice

Poor crop stand and high weed infestation are the major constraints of direct seeded rice. Seed priming has the potential to improve the seedling emergence and crop stand. This study was conducted to evaluate the on-farm assessment of direct seeded rice by employing different priming techniques such as on-farm priming, hydropriming, hardening, and osmohardening with CaCl_2 and KCl. Untreated seeds were taken as control. Among all the seed priming techniques, osmohardening with CaCl_2 improved the stand establishment, allometric response, agronomic traits, yield, and quality of harvested paddy compared with other priming techniques, and non-primed control in direct seeded culture. Improved crop stand as indicated by lower values of time to emergence and higher values for emergence index and final emergence, higher crop growth rate, and improved plant height, tiller numbers, and straw and kernel yield with high harvest index were recorded from osmohardening with CaCl_2. In addition, seed priming treatments also improved the kernel quality. Osmohardening with CaCl_2 was the best way to reduce sterile spikelets, abortive and chalky kernels, and improve kernel length. However, none of the seed priming techniques could improve the number of kernels per branch, 1000-kernel weight, kernel width, and kernel water absorption ratio. Moreover, improved phosphorus, calcium, and potassium contents were also observed from osmohardening with CaCl_2 followed by KCl. Osmohardening with CaCl_2 can therefore be employed for better crop stand, growth, yield, and quality in direct seeded rice.

DROUGHT STRESS: Comparative Time Course Action of the Foliar Applied Glycinebetaine, Salicylic Acid, Nitrous Oxide, Brassinosteroids and Spermine in Improving Drought Resistance of Rice

AbstractWorldwide rice productivity is being threatened by increased endeavours of drought stress. Among the visible symptoms of drought stress, hampered water relations and disrupted cellular membrane functions are the most important. Exogenous use of polyamines (PAs), salicylic acid (SA), brassinosteroids (BRs), glycinebetaine (GB) and nitrous oxide (NO) can induce abiotic stresses tolerance in many crops. In this time course study, we appraised the comparative role of all these substances to improve the drought tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa L.) cultivar Super‐Basmati. Plants were subjected to drought stress at four leaf stage (4 weeks after emergence) by maintaining soil moisture at 50 % of field capacity. Pre‐optimized concentrations of GB (150 mg l−1), SA (100 mg l−1), NO (100 μmol l−1 sodium nitroprusside as NO donor), BR (0.01 μm 24‐epibrassinolide) and spermine (Spm; 10 μm) were foliar sprayed at five‐leaf stage (5 weeks after emergence). There were two controls both receiving no foliar spray, viz. well watered (CK1) and drought stressed (CK2). There was substantial reduction in allometric response of rice, gas exchange and water relation attributes by drought stress. While drought stress enhanced the H2O2, malondialdehyde (MDA) and relative membrane permeability, foliar spray of all the chemicals improved growth possibly because of the improved carbon assimilation, enhanced synthesis of metabolites and maintenance of tissue water status. Simultaneous reduction in H2O2 and MDA production was also noted in the plants treated with these substances. Drought tolerance was sturdily associated with the greater tissue water potential, increased synthesis of metabolites and enhanced capacity of antioxidant system. Of all the chemicals, foliar spray with Spm was the most effective followed by BR.

Contrasting effects of environmental factors during larval stage on morphological plasticity in post-metamorphic frogs

CR Climate Research Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsSpecials CR 43:31-39 (2010) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/cr00878 Contrasting effects of environmental factors during larval stage on morphological plasticity in post-metamorphic frogs Miguel Tejedo1,*, Federico Marangoni1,2, Cino Pertoldi3, Alex Richter-Boix4, Anssi Laurila4, Germán Orizaola4, Alfredo G. Nicieza5, David Álvarez5, Iván Gomez-Mestre5,6 1Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain 2Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, FCEQyN-UnaM/CONICET, Félix de Azara 1552, 6to Piso 3300 Posadas – Misiones, Argentina 3Department of Ecology and Genetics, Institute of Biological Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark 4Department of Population Biology and Conservation Biology, Evolutionary Biology Centre (EBC), Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18 D, 752 36 Uppsala, Sweden 5Ecology Unit, Department of Biology of Organisms and Systems, University of Oviedo, 33071 Oviedo, and Cantabrian Institute of Biodiversity (ICAB), Spain 6Department of Wetland Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Avda. Américo Vespucio s/n, 41092 Sevilla, Spain *Email: tejedo@ebd.csic.es ABSTRACT: In organisms with complex life cycles, environmentally induced plasticity across sequential stages can have important consequences on morphology and life history traits such as developmental and growth rates. However, previous research in amphibians and other ectothermic vertebrates suggests that some morphological traits are generally insensitive to environmental inductions. We conducted a literature survey to examine the allometric responses in relative hind leg length and head shape of post-metamorphic anuran amphibians to induced environmental (temperature, resource level, predation and desiccation risk) variation operating during the larval phase in 44 studies using 19 species. To estimate and compare plastic responses across studies, we employed both an index of plasticity and effect sizes from a meta-analysis. We found contrasting trait responses to different environmental cues. Higher temperatures increased development more than growth rate and induced smaller heads but not overall shifts in hind leg length. In contrast, an increment in resource availability increased growth more than development, with a parallel increase in hind leg length but no change in head shape. Increases in predation risk decreased both development and growth rates and slightly reduced relative hind leg length, but there was no change in head shape. Pond desiccation induced quick development and low growth rates, with no changes in morphology. Across environments, both hind leg and head shape plasticity were positively correlated with growth rate plasticity. However, plasticity of developmental rate was only correlated with head shape plasticity. Overall, these results suggest that environmental trends predicted by global warming projections, such as increasing pond temperature and accelerating pond desiccation, will significantly influence hind leg and head morphology in metamorphic frogs, which may affect performance and, ultimately, fitness. KEY WORDS: Morphology · Plasticity · Temperature · Resources · Pond desiccation · Predation risk · Meta-analysis · Global warming Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Tejedo M, Marangoni F, Pertoldi C, Richter-Boix A and others (2010) Contrasting effects of environmental factors during larval stage on morphological plasticity in post-metamorphic frogs. Clim Res 43:31-39. https://doi.org/10.3354/cr00878 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in CR Vol. 43, No. 1-2. Online publication date: August 05, 2010 Print ISSN: 0936-577X; Online ISSN: 1616-1572 Copyright © 2010 Inter-Research.