Root Climbers Research Articles

Diversity and Conservation Significance of Angiosperm Climbers in Bhadrak District of Odisha, India

The present study seeks to investigate the distribution patterns of angiosperm climbers within the Bhadrak district of Odisha, India, along with an assessment of the ecosystem services they provide. The ongoing inquiry into climbing plant species within the Bhadrak district reflects the diversity of 103 species distributed across 71 genera and 33 families. The three most diverse families are Convolvulaceae (22), Cucurbitaceae (15), and Fabaceae (14). Out of 103 climbing plant species, 72 species are herbaceous vines and 31 species are woody vines representing 69.9%, and 30.1%, respectively. The most common climbing method in the studied sites is stem twining, accounting for 70 species or 68% of the total, the second most common is tendril climbing (22 species, 21.4%), and the least, root climber (2 species, 1.9%). Local communities use these climbers for various purposes. It has been observed that out of 103 species, 61 species have medicinal properties (59.2%), 16 species have ornamental value (15.5%), 17 species are edible (16.5%), and the remaining 8 species have other uses (8.8%). These results indicate the importance of climber communities to plant diversity of Bhadrak district, enhancing the regional diversity and the conservation value of these forest remnants. Habitat degradation because of rapid development activities with limitation of the supporting tree species is found to be a serious threat to climbing plants. Employing a multifaceted strategy such as securing their habitats through protection, restoration, managing invasive species and promoting collaboration among local stakeholders and organizations, ensures the preservation of these vital plants, sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem health for the future.

Distribution patterns of lianas from subtropical to subboreal zones of the Japanese archipelago and the difference between climbing types

Several factors related to liana abundance have been shown at broad scales, however, the information on factors affecting liana distribution in temperate zones is limited. Climbing types of lianas appear to be associated with interspecific variations of lianas and may be related to the broad-scale distribution and functions of lianas. We aimed to assess the environmental factors related to the abundance of all lianas and those of each climbing type from subtropical to subboreal forests in the Japanese archipelago to better understand the geographical gradient of the liana community.We established six 400 m2 subplots within each of 19 forest plots and recorded the species, stem diameter, and climbing types of lianas with stem diameters ≥ 1 cm. We used generalised linear mixed effects models and model selection based on Akaike's information criterion to examine the effects of climate, soil, and forest structural attributes on liana stem density and basal area.Liana abundance varied substantially among the 19 plots and some forests were characterized by abundant lianas in temperate zones. Twining and root climbers were the major climbing types. Mean annual temperature positively affected the stem density of twining climbers and negatively affected the basal area of root climbers. Maximum snow depth positively affected the stem density of root climbers and negatively affected the basal area of twining climbers. Carbon:nitrogen ratio and dry mass of the soil organic layer had negative effects on the abundance of twining climbers and stem density of both climbers, respectively. Tree basal area positively affected the basal area of root climbers.This study demonstrated the effects of environmental factors, including unique factors such as snow accumulation, on liana distribution at a broad scale from the subtropical to the subboreal zone. Furthermore, the difference between climbing types in distribution may contribute to the gradient of forest ecosystem functions along the environmental factors.

Anatomical and Biomechanical Properties of the Junction between Stem and Aerial Roots of Selenicereus undatus.

Cacti have a distinct adaptation to arid conditions with a massive water storing tissue surrounding a weak central woody cylinder. However, they have not been studied as extensively as other plants have been. Selenicereus undatus is a hemi-epiphytic root climber that attaches itself to supporting plants or rocks with adventitious roots. The anatomy and biomechanics of the adventitious roots were studied using light microscopy, X-ray tomography and pullout and uniaxial tensile tests. The central cylinder of the roots is highly lignified and is connected to the vascular system of the shoot in a peculiar way. Xylem elements of the root turn 90 degrees towards the base of the shoot and merge laterally and below the junction with those from the shoot. Tensile and pull-out tests showed that failure occurs either at the root or junction, with the fracture surface mainly comprising the area where xylem elements from the root merge with those from the shoot. However, damage to the cortical tissue was minimal, and the measured forces showed that adventitious roots have a high safety factor. Even a complete failure of the junction after pullout does not result in severe injury to the cortex, which could lead to water loss or the entry of pathogens.

Negative phototropism of the shoots helps temperate liana Hedera helix L. to locate host trees under habitat conditions.

Lianas employ a variety of searching mechanisms to find support; however, it is not clear to what extent environmental signals are used to help direct the search. Several adventitious root climbers have been shown to bend away from light and grow toward darker areas or objects, in one case including actual tree trunks. In the literature, this negative phototropism (NP) has also been informally and inconsistently reported from a temperate root climber Hedera helix L. (common ivy). In this study, rigorous laboratory tests have confirmed the occurrence of NP in both seedlings and prostrate shoots of H. helix. Furthermore, a field experiment with potted ivy seedlings placed around tree trunks demonstrated their ability to remotely locate trees. This finding was corroborated by a survey of growth directions in wild-growing prostrate ivy shoots in two woodland habitats. An additional outdoor experiment showed that the ability to locate support is expressed in shade but supressed by full sun conditions. These results show that H. helix uses NP to locate support and indicate that this ability is a component of the species' shade escape strategy.

Glimpse of Herbaceous and Woody Climbers of Hassan District, Karnataka

The study was carried out to document the species of herbaceous and woody climbers in the Western Ghats region of the Hassan district. A total of 170 species of climbers were documented belonging to 126 genera under 46 families. The dominant climber families are Leguminosae (26 spp.), Convolvulaceae (18 spp.), followed by Cucurbitaceae (17 spp.). Of the total climbers documented, 76 species belongs to herbaceous climbers and 94 species belongs to woody climbers. Of the six climbing mechanisms, twiners (54 %) are most predominant, followed by tendril climbers (21 %), stragglers-armed (13 %), stragglers-unarmed (8 %), root climbers (3 %), and hook climbers (1 %). Distribution among the vegetation revealed that a maximum number of species inhabit tropical dry deciduous forest (52 spp.), scrub forest (39 spp.), and wasteland (33 spp.) have the most species, followed by home garden (28 spp.), tropical semi-evergreen forest, (21 spp.), tropical moist deciduous forest (16 spp.), and other vegetation types. The study also documented the various uses of climbers for human consumption (42 spp.), medicinal purpose (98 spp.), ornamental purpose (26 spp.), and other uses (4 spp.).

Interspecific variation in clonality in temperate lianas revealed by genetic analysis: Do clonal proliferation processes differ among lianas?

AbstractLianas are important components of forest communities with a considerable impact on overall forest structure and function. Lianas are characterized by extensive clonal reproduction on the forest floor, which is important for their establishment and growth. Previous studies have suggested that clonal reproduction strategies vary substantially among liana species; however, few studies have quantitatively evaluated the clonality strategy in multiple co‐occurring liana species. The primary objective of the present study was to evaluate the relative contribution of clonal reproduction and to understand the clonal proliferation processes in co‐occurring liana species by assessing both small stems on the forest floor and mature stems that climbed trees. The clonal reproduction strategy in four common liana species (stem twiner: Wisteria floribunda; root climbers: Schizophragma hydrangeoides, Euonymus fortunei and Rhus ambigua) in a 6‐ha plot and a belt transect within an old‐growth temperate forest in central Japan was evaluated using genetic analysis. The contribution of clonal reproduction was smaller in root climbers than in W. floribunda. All W. floribunda genets with small ramets in the understory had genetically identical ramets that climbed trees, whereas few such ramets were found in root climbers. This indicates that W. floribunda mature ramets laterally produce small ramets via clonal proliferation, whereas seedlings of root climbers grow horizontally to climb trees. The results indicate that the clonal reproduction processes differ greatly among lianas and the clonal growth in lianas plays a contrasting role in their life‐history strategy.

Root climbers may alter invertebrate communities on tree trunks: an indirect effect of lianas

Root climbers are a group of lianas which typically climb the host tree using adhesive roots and do not compete with the host for light. They are relatively more abundant in high-latitude forests and were recently documented to have no harmful effect on their host trees. Although previous studies have examined the direct negative effects of lianas on their host trees, little is known about potential indirect effects via effects on the animal and plant communities. Here, we aimed to determine the effects of root climbers on the animal and plant community composition of their host trunk and whether these alterations indirectly affect host trees. To answer these questions, we compared the invertebrate community, herbaceous plant presence, moss cover and herbivory rates in more than 22 pairs of host and control trees in cool-temperate forests in Hokkaido, Japan. We selected Quercus crispula Blume and Hydrangea petiolaris Sieb. et Zucc. as the study species. Generalised linear mixed models (GLMMs) were used to determine the influence of lianas on tree trunk communities and host trees. Our results showed that the presence of root climbers increased the abundance of Araneae and herbaceous plants and reduced the abundance of Formicidae on host trees, implying a reduction of herbivory on hosts. These results imply that liana presence may reduce the herbivory rate on the host tree, potentially by altering the trunk animal and plant community structure. Our results have implications for the understanding of the effects of lianas on host trees and their function in high-latitude forests.

Determinants of Piper (Piperaceae) climber composition in a lowland tropical rainforest in New Guinea

Climbing plants form a substantial component of tropical forest diversity. Climbers are a diverse group comprising various ecological strategies dependent on tree support and are affected by biotic and abiotic forest conditions. In a lowland primary tropical rainforest in Papua New Guinea, we studied the distribution of root climbers from genus Piper in relation to topography (slope, convexity, altitude) and properties of vegetation and of individual host trees (basal area of trees, and host tree size, abundance and species identity). In total, 1,058 Piper climber individuals belonging to 8 species occupied 13.7% of tree trunks with a diameter at breast height (DBH) > 1 cm. All Piper species generally avoided similar habitat conditions – higher altitude, steeper slopes, more closed canopy layer and bigger total basal area of host vegetation. The preferences of Piper climbers for some tree species are primarily determined by properties of host trees, mainly their DBH. Therefore, the probability of Piper presence on a tree increased with individual host tree DBH. Piper species were more frequently found on rare than common tree species. However, this relationship might be also explained by their affinity for higher tree DBH. Our findings point to non-random association between climbers and their host trees, in a complicated interplay with local environmental conditions. These interactions have very probably consequences for forest vegetation dynamics and maintenance of diversity.

Assessing Negative and Positive Phototropism in Lianas.

By the nineteenth century, root climbers and adhesive-tendril climbers were known to exhibit negative phototropism. Negative phototropism is shared by various plant species belonging to many taxonomic families and is considered to be an outcome of parallel evolution. Through negative phototropism, lianas search for supporting hosts; however, compared with positive phototropism, which occurs during germination, there is little research on the properties of negative phototropism. This chapter presents a technique for quantifying negative phototropism in root climbers and adhesive-tendril climbers, which involves casting light on one side of a liana shoot and measuring the coordinates of the shoot tip and the angle of curvature of the entire shoot relative to the gradient of the light conditions.

Liana distribution and community structure in an old-growth temperate forest: the relative importance of past disturbances, host trees, and microsite characteristics

Studies on lianas conducted within temperate forest stands have provided scant information on host trees, microsites, past disturbances, and liana size classes. Studies focussing on East Asia are also lacking, although this information is important for a comprehensive understanding of temperate liana ecology. The aim of this study was to compare the liana community structure of a 6-ha plot in the Ogawa Forest Reserve, an old-growth temperate forest of Japan, with that of other temperate forests. We also examined the relative importance of past disturbances, host trees, and microsite characteristics on specific liana distribution, especially variations among climbing types and liana size classes. The diameter at breast height, species name, and the locations of all liana stems were recorded. The most dominant liana species was Wisteria floribunda, contributing 85 % to the total basal area of the liana community. The liana community structure at the study site was similar to that of other temperate forests in terms of flora at genus level, basal area, and climbing types. Occurrences of stem twiners and root climbers were negatively correlated with tree size gradients, as reported for other temperate forests. Each liana species significantly aggregated at a 25-m scale, on average, whereas there were no exclusive distribution patterns among liana species. Most liana species were dependent on past disturbances, with host tree sizes also influencing liana distribution, and microsite characteristics being less important. Further studies in temperate East Asia will contribute to a comprehensive understanding of liana communities in temperate forests.

SURVEY OF CLIMBERS IN ATCHANKULAM, KOTTARAM PANCHAYAT, KANYAKUMARI DISTRICT, TAMILNADU, INDIA

Climbing plants are one of the most interesting group but a much neglected group of plants. But, they also play a part in historical importance of our ancient buildings which owe their attraction to the green veil which covers up their architectural or structural defects making them assume perfect beauty in our eyes. The present survey reveals that angiospermic climbers of the study area are represented by 94 species under 63 genera belonging to 32 families. Among all families, Convolvulaceae, Papilionaceae (7 species) and Vitaceae are the most dominating family species as well as genera wise. The dominant families are Convolvulaceae, Papilionaceae, Vitaceae, Apocynaceae, Menispermaceae and Oleaceae. The most abundant liana species include the thorny stragglers Pterolobium hexapetalun (Caesalpiniaceae), Lantana camara (Verbenaceae), and the twiners Jasminum angustifolium (Oleaceae), Gymnena sylvestre (Asclepiadaceae) and Aganosmacymosavar. cymosa (Apocynaceae). The enumerated climbing modes were classified into woody vines, the lianas (75) and herbaceous vines (19). Six climbing modes of lianas were recognized as stem twiners (37) followed by stragglers-unarmed (28), stragglers unarmed (10), tendril climbers (17), root climbers (1) and hook climber (1).

Development of a novel cup cake with unique properties of essential oil of betel leaf (Piper betle L.) for sustainable entrepreneurship.

Betel vine (Piper betle L.) is a root climber with deep green heart shaped leaves. It belongs to the Piperaceae family. There is a huge wastage of the leaves during glut season and it can be reduced by various means including extraction of medicinal essential oil which can be considered as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) materials. Therefore, attempts were made to develop a novel cup cake by incorporating essential oil of betel leaf. The textural properties of the cakes were measured by texture analyzer instrument; whereas the organoleptic properties were adjudged by human preferences using sensory tables containing 9-point hedonic scale. Price estimation was done considering all costs and charges. Finally, all parameters of the developed cake were compared with different cup cakes available in the market for ascertaining consumer acceptability of the newly developed product in terms of quality and market price. Results revealed that the Novel cup cake developed with 0.005% (v/w) essential oil of betel leaf occupied the 1st place among the four developed novel cup cakes. However, it occupied 4th place among the nine cup cakes in the overall preference list prepared based on the textural and organoleptic qualities, though its market price was calculated to be comparable to all the leading cupcakes available in the market. This indicates that manufacturing of novel cup cake with essential oil of betel leaf would be a profitable and self-sustaining entrepreneurship.

Taxonomic Diversity of Lianas in Tropical Forests of Northern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India

Lianas are important in forest ecosystem and strongly influence the forest dynamics and diversity. Lianas are common in the tropical moist deciduous and rain forests, which are competing with other forest trees. Little information is known on the habitat specialization in tropical lianas diversity and the root causes for variation among forests in liana species composition. A total of 170 liana species (≥ 1.5 cm girth at breast height) representing 109 genera and 43 families were reported in 5×5 m quadrate samples along with their climbing modes in the tropical forests of northern Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, India. A total of 210 grids were sampled in study area and reported that Convolvulaceae was the dominant family with 23 species followed by Papilionaceae, 22 species and Asclepiadaceae, 19 species and Ipomoea was the largest genera. Woody lianas were dominated by 128 species and these are classified into six climbing modes consisting in stem climbers (53.5%) that were the most predominant followed by stragglersunarmed (14.7%), stragglers armed and tendril climbers (13.5% each), root climbers (2.9%) and hook climbers (1.8%). The most dominant liana species in the northern Eastern Ghats were Acacia sinuata and Bauhinia vahlii. The results of this investigation suggests that better management and protection is an important for in situ conservation of liana diversity and involving local people is emphasized.

Phylogeny and classification of the Cuban species of Elaphoglossum (Dryopteridaceae), with description of Elaphoglossum sect. Wrightiana sect. nov.

Although a worldwide phylogeny of the bolbitidoid fern genus Elaphoglossum is now available, little is known about the phylogenetic position of the 34 Cuban species. We performed a phylogenetic analysis of a chloroplast DNA dataset for atps-rbcL (including a fragment of the gene atps), rps4-trnS, and trnL-trnF. The dataset included 79 new sequences of Elaphoglossum (67 from Cuba) and 299 GenBank sequences of Elaphoglossum and its most closely related outgroups, the bolbitidoid genera Arthrobotrya, Bolbitis, Lomagramma, Mickelia, and Teratophyllum. We obtained a well-resolved phylogeny including the seven main lineages recovered in previous phylogenetic studies of Elaphoglossum. The Cuban endemic E. wrightii was found to be an early diverging lineage of Elaphoglossum, not a member of E. sect. Squamipedia where it was previously classified. We propose a new section for this species: E. sect. Wrightiana. The early diverging position of E. wrightii is of particular interest because the species is a root climber (i.e., climbing from the soil on the lower portions of tree trunks and not losing its connection with the soil), a growth habit it shares with its closest bolbitidoid outgroup genera. This suggests that holoepiphytism evolved later in Elaphoglossum, and the primary hemiepiphytism of E. amygdalifolium, which is sister to the rest of the genus, was derived independently from ancestors that were root climbers. Based on our phylogenetic analysis and morphological investigations, the species of Cuban Elaphoglossum were found to occur in E. sects. Elaphoglossum, Lepidoglossa, Polytrichia, Setosa, and Squamipedia.

Global distribution of root climbers is positively associated with precipitation and negatively associated with seasonality

Abstract:Root climbers constitute a distinctive group within climbing plants and some evidence suggests that they are associated with high precipitation and low light availability at local scales, which is in contrast with general patterns of liana distribution in the tropics. The influence of precipitation and seasonality on the occurrence of root climbers was evaluated both globally and in the tropics. The presence/absence of root climbers was recorded in 174 sites of Alwyn H. Gentry Forest Transect Data Set. The effects of mean annual precipitation and dry-season length (and temperature) on their occurrence were analysed using logistic regressions. Root climbers were significantly more frequent in sites with greater precipitation and reduced seasonality. Increasing temperature reduced root-climber occurrence in tropical sites, but this effect was marginally significant at a global scale. Dry and open habitats appear unsuitable for root climbers. This can be explained by the susceptibility to desiccation of adventitious roots and/or the low acclimation ability of these climbers to high irradiance.

Regeneration Ecology of the Useful Flora of the Putu Range Rainforest, Liberia

Regeneration Ecology of the Useful Flora of the Putu Range Rainforest, Liberia. We test the hypothesis that useful plants in general, and medicines in particular, are more likely to be pioneer and herbaceous species than any other guild or habit, using data from six communities in southeastern Liberia. Of 624 surveyed species from seven locally defined vegetation classes, 228 species (36 %) were found to be useful in the categories of food, medicine, materials, and social use. Five habits account for 98 % of surveyed species: Trees, treelets (including two palm species), lianes (including root climbers), shrubs, and herbs. Four guilds account for 93 % of the surveyed species: Swamp, shade–bearer, pioneer, and non–pioneer light demander (NPLD) species. A significantly higher proportion of pioneers is found to be useful overall (55 %) and useful medicinally (69 %) than for any other guild. However, the shade–bearing guild provides the greatest number of useful species (92 species) and the greatest number of medicinal species (55 species). Fifteen species were shortlisted by the communities for their particular importance, of which only one is a pioneer species. A similar proportion of species of each habit (about one–third of species) was found to be useful overall. In the case of medicinal use in particular, a significantly larger proportion of herbs (63 %) is medicinal than for any other habit. Our study from West Africa supports the findings of others working in the neotropics that disturbed and secondary vegetation classes are important sources of useful plants, particularly medicines. However, the greatest number of useful species are shade–bearing, which are most abundant in primary forest. Familiarity with and accessibility of old–growth forests to the communities of our study site due to Liberia’s recent history is likely responsible for their usefulness.

Abundance and Distribution of Climbers in a Coastal Hill Forest in Perak, Malaysia

Species diversity and density of all climbers were inventoried in five 1-hectare plots (at 45m to 350 m elevations) in a coastal hill forest of Pulau Pangkor in Perak. In addition, we analyzed pattern of community diversity using species richness and evenness. Total of 4901 climbers belonging to 45 species were recorded. Mean climber density was 870 stems per ha. Annonaceae, Connaraceae and Menispermaceae were the most species-rich plant families of climbers followed by Rubiaceae and Leguminosae. Twiners formed the bulk (64%) of climber types followed by hook climbers and tendril, while root climbers were rare. Results from Canonical Corresponding Analysis (CCA) indicate that altitude was the most important factor that influenced the abundance and distribution of climbers.

Structure, attachment properties, and ecological importance of the attachment system of English ivy (Hedera helix)

Root climbers such as English ivy (Hedera helix) rely on specialized adventitious roots for attachment, enabling the plants to climb on a wide range of natural and artificial substrates. Despite their importance for the climbing habit, the biomechanical properties of these specialized adventitious roots compared with standard roots and their performance in the attachment to different host species or inert substrates have not been studied. Here organs and tissues involved in the attachment are characterized and their significance in regard to a broader functional and ecological aspect is discussed. Depending on the substrate, the root clusters show different types of failure modes at various frequencies, demonstrating the close interaction between the climber and its substrates. With a Young’s Modulus of 109.2 MPa, the attachment roots are relatively stiff for non-woody roots. The central cylinders of the attachment roots show a high tensile strength of 38 MPa and a very high extensibility of 34%. In host trees naturally co-distributed with English ivy, a ‘balanced’ occurrence of failure of the attachment system of the climber and the bark of the host is found, suggesting a co-evolution of climber and host. Maximum loads of root clusters normalized by the number of roots match those of individually tested attachment roots. In comparison with most subterranean roots the properties and structure of the attachment roots of English ivy show distinct differences. There exist similarities to the properties found for roots of Galium aparine, suggesting a trend in not fully self-supporting plants towards a higher extensibility.

Responses of Trachelospermum asiaticum (Apocynaceae) seedlings to growth in a light intensity gradient

AbstractWe recorded the growth of 24 seedlings of Trachelospermum asiaticum, a root climber, placed between a light source and a wall. Shoot length of seedlings planted at the brightest points nearly matched the distance the shoot tips moved toward the wall surface. In contrast, although the seedlings planted at the darkest points did elongate, the tips moved an average distance of only 0.4 cm. Creeping shoots of T. asiaticum planted in brighter environments exhibit negative phototropism, which encourages them to grow rapidly toward dark places, allowing them to reach supporting hosts faster than those that germinate close to the host.

Liana habitat and host preferences in northern temperate forests

Lianas and other climbers are important ecological and structural components of forest communities. Like other plants, their abundance in a given habitat depends on a variety of factors, such as light, soil moisture and nutrients. However, since lianas require external support, host tree characteristics also influence their distribution. Lianas are conspicuous life forms in tropical regions, but in temperate areas, where they are less prominent, little is known about factors that control their distributions in these forests. We surveyed the climbing plant species in 20 mature (100 years and greater) forested habitats in the Midwest USA at a variety of levels from simple presence/absence, to ground layer abundances, to those species that had ascended trees. We also examined attributes of the tree species with climbers attached to them. Using cluster analysis, we distinguished five different tree communities in our survey locations. We determined that 25% of the trees we surveyed had one or more lianas attached to it, with Parthenocissus quinquefolia (Virginia creeper) the most common climbing species encountered. Canopy cover and soil attributes both influenced climber species presence/absence and ground layer climber abundance. The proportion of liana species of a given climbing type (roots, stem twiner, tendril climber) was significantly related to the DBH of the host tree, with more root climbers and fewer stem and tendril climbers on large trees. In general, the DBH of climbing lianas had a significant positive relationship to the DBH of the host tree; however this varied by the identity of the liana and the tree species. The greater the DBH of the host tree, the higher the probability that it was colonized by one or more lianas, with tree species such as Pinus banksiana (jack pine) and Quercus alba (white oak) being more susceptible to liana colonization than others. Finally, some liana species such as Celastrus scandens (American bittersweet) showed a preference for certain tree species (i.e., P. banksiana) as hosts. The information obtained about the relationship between the tree and climber community in this study provides insight into some of the factors that influence liana distributions in understudied temperate forest habitats and how lianas contribute to the structure of these mature forests. In addition, these data can provide a point of comparison to other liana communities in both temperate and tropical regions.