Variation In Traits Research Articles

Changes in leaf functional traits of Phoebe chekiangensis underplanted in moso bamboo forests with different densities

Leaf functional traits are sensitive to environmental changes, and are a current hotspot in ecology. The objective of this study was to explore the changes in leaf functional traits of Phoebe chekiangensis underplanted in moso bamboo forests with different densities. Leaf functional traits of Phoebe chekiangensis were determined, and their relationships were also investigated. Results showed that leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) increased with the increase of bamboo forest density, while leaf thickness (LT), leaf mass per unit area (LMA), and leaf tissue density (LTD) decreased. Chlorophyll a (Ca) concentration decreased with the increase of bamboo forest density, while chlorophyll b (Cb), total chlorophyll (Ca+Cb), and total carotenoids (Car) concentrations increased. Ca/Cb decreased, while Car/(Ca+Cb) remained unchanged. Leaf carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) concentrations increased with the increase of bamboo forest density. However, C/N decreased, and it was significantly higher at 1350 ind·ha−1 than that of 2250 ind·ha−1. Significant correlations among some leaf functional traits were found. In conclusion, leaf functional traits of Phoebe chekiangensis could make up for the deficiency of light through certain trait variations and trait combinations, and better adapt to the environment.

Changes in blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) wing morphology during succession in rat carcasses across forest and grassland habitats in South Brazil

AbstractSuccession is one of the most extensively studied ecological phenomena, yet debates persist about the importance of dispersal and external factors in driving this process. We aimed to quantify the influence of these factors by investigating how wing‐related traits evolve across succession of blowfly (Diptera: Calliphoridae) communities in South Brazil. Rat carrion was placed in both forest and grassland habitats, and the associated blowfly communities were documented throughout the decomposition process. Using morphometric analysis, we measured wing and thorax traits and assessed trait changes over succession through mixed models. Our findings revealed that carrion succession follows distinct trajectories in forest and grassland environments. Specifically, we observed that Calliphora lopesi predominantly visited carcasses during the final phase of decomposition, resulting in significant differences in species composition and wing size between habitats. In forests, wing size increased toward the later stages of succession, whereas an opposite trend was observed in grasslands. Notably, these trait patterns were only evident at the species level, indicating that intraspecific trait variation is irrelevant. Stronger dispersers tend to arrive during the later stages of succession, suggesting that dispersal has a negligible role in shaping successional dynamics. Instead, environmental differences between habitats drive trait patterns throughout succession. Our results suggest that community composition in ephemeral resources is governed by deterministic processes and that successional stages can be predicted based on blowfly wing traits. Specifically, the presence of the large‐winged C. lopesi indicates late decay, while the small‐winged Chrysomia albiceps and Lucilia eximia are indicative of early decay

Stand Diversity Does Not Mitigate Increased Herbivory on Climate-Matched Oaks in an Assisted Migration Experiment.

Assisted migration is a tree-planting method where tree species or populations are translocated with the aim of establishing more climate-resilient forests. However, this might potentially increase the susceptibility of translocated trees to herbivory. Stand diversification through planting trees in species or genotypic mixtures may reduce the amount of damage by insect pests, but its effectiveness in mitigation of excess herbivory on climate-matched trees has seldom been explored. Using the Climate Match Experiment which manipulates both tree climatic provenance and stand diversity, we compared growth, insect herbivory and leaf traits of pedunculate oaks (Quercus robur) of local and Italian provenances in monocultures, provenance mixtures or species mixtures. Additionally, we investigated whether tree apparency and light availability cause variation in leaf traits and herbivory and tested whether these factors were influenced by stand diversity. We found that Italian oaks were subject to greater herbivore damage than those of local English provenance regardless of stand diversity and that insect herbivory in Italian oaks was higher on more apparent trees. Italian oaks also had lower concentrations of hydrolysable tannins than English oaks, but tannin concentrations were poor predictors of herbivory. Additionally, we show that leaf trait variation is strongly associated with differences in light availability.

From barcodes to genomes: a new era of molecular exploration in bryophyte research

Bryophytes represent a diverse and species-rich group of plants, characterized by a remarkable array of morphological variations. Due to their significant ecological and economic roles worldwide, accurate identification of bryophyte taxa is crucial. However, the variability in morphological traits often complicates their proper identification and subsequent commercial utilization. DNA barcoding has emerged as a valuable tool for the precise identification of bryophyte taxa, facilitating comparisons at both interspecific and intraspecific levels. Recent research involving plastomes, mitogenomes, and transcriptomes of various bryophyte species has provided insights into molecular changes and gene expression in response to environmental stressors. Advances in molecular phylogenetics have shed light on the origin and evolutionary history of bryophytes, thereby clarifying their phylogenetic relationships. Despite these advancements, a comprehensive understanding of the systematic relationships within bryophytes is still lacking. This review synthesizes current molecular studies that have been instrumental in unraveling the complexity of bryophyte taxonomy and systematics. By highlighting key findings from recent genetic and genomic research, we underscore the importance of integrating molecular data with traditional morphological approaches. Such integration is essential for refining the classification systems of bryophytes and for understanding their adaptive strategies in various ecological niches. Future research should focus on expanding the molecular datasets across underrepresented bryophyte lineages and exploring the functional significance of genetic variations under different environmental conditions. This will not only enhance our knowledge of bryophyte evolution, but also inform conservation strategies and potential applications in biotechnology.

ATL_FISHREF: A 12S mitochondrial reference dataset for metabarcoding Atlantic fishes frequently caught during scientific surveys in the Bay of Biscay

AbstractThe biodiversity crisis driven by anthropogenic pressures significantly threatens marine ecosystems. The rate of climate change and anthropogenic impacts outpace our traditional observation tools' capabilities, underscoring the urgency for new assessment methods. Environmental DNA (eDNA; DNA traces released by organisms) metabarcoding, a non‐invasive method widely developed over the last decade, represents a promising biomonitoring tool thanks to a large spatio‐temporal coverage, high detection of rare species and its time and cost‐effectiveness. However, capturing fish diversity using eDNA requires genetic reference databases, currently lacking. Improving reference databases relies on opportunistic sampling enabling the reporting of sequences for new species. The data provided here consists of barcoding 86 species of fishes over the 12S mitochondrial DNA gene. We generated 156 sequences of the mitochondrial 12S gene adapted to the “Teleo” barcodes from fishes sampled in the Bay of Biscay (BoB; Northeast Atlantic, France) between 2017 and 2019. In addition, we provided each individual the barcode details (Genbank accession number, chromatograms), a photograph, 5 ecomorphological measures and 11 life‐history traits documenting ecological functions (e.g., dispersion, habitat use, diet). Furthermore, we provided the sampling metadata (e.g., date, time, gear, coordinates, depth) and environmental variables measured in situ (e.g., conductivity, water/air temperature). This data set is valuable to improve the Northeast Atlantic eDNA genetic database, thus helping to better understand the effects of environmental forcing in the BoB, a transition zone housing mixed assemblages of boreal, temperate, and subtropical fish species susceptible to display variability in functional traits to adapt to changing conditions. The detailed Metadata for this abstract published in the Data Article section of the journal is available in MetaCat in JaLTER at https://jalter.diasjp.net/data/ERDP-2024-09.

Intercropping generates trait plasticity, which corresponds with year‐to‐year stability in productivity

Abstract Environmentally friendly approaches to increasing food production include using the positive effects of plant biodiversity, such as in intercropping. Functional traits are key drivers of these positive effects, in part because variation in functional traits can increase niche partitioning. However, we know little about how variation in functional traits affects the long‐term stability of yield in agroecosystems. We conducted a 5‐year field experiment with five different cropping systems; maize/peanut, maize/soybean intercropping, and maize, peanut and soybean monocultures. We compared the productivity of monocultures to intercrops and then compared plasticity in functional traits at different rates of nitrogen supply between the cropping systems. Intercropping generated plasticity, measured here as the inverse of the coefficient of variation, in three functional traits of maize (height, stem diameter and ear height), which probably increases above‐ground spatial niche differentiation, and decreases the intraspecific competition of maize. Intercropping also increased the stability of grain yield and above‐ground biomass. Plasticity in functional traits of maize correlated positively with year‐to‐year temporal stability (CV−1) of grain yield and biomass of maize and with the total productivity of the agroecosystem. Synthesis and applications. Our study provides evidence of the greater productivity and temporal stability of species‐diverse intercropping systems. Interspecific interaction‐induced plasticity suggests a unique mechanism for biodiversity effects on ecosystem function, which adds to our understanding of fixed, or inherent, variation in traits among genotypes or species. Theoretically, our findings provide novel insights into how interspecific interactions contribute to ecosystem service, especially in yield temporal stability, by increased trait plasticity of the dominant crop, maize. The results also had implications for applying intercropping in the sustainable management of food‐production systems with the use of more crop species. Greater stability in production has the potential to provide a stable income for farmers.

A test of the Grant-Stebbins pollinator-shift model of floral evolution.

Pollinators are thought to play a key role in driving incipient speciation within the angiosperms. However, the mechanisms underlying floral divergence in plants with generalist pollination systems, remains understudied. Brunsvigia gregaria displays significant geographical variation in floral traits and are visited by diverse pollinator communities. Because pollinators are often shared between populations, we investigated whether specific pollinators are responsible for driving floral divergence between them. Three distinct ecotypes were identified, each dominated by three different pollinators: bees, swallowtail butterflies, and long-proboscid flies. Across seven populations, we found a pattern of association between style length and the morphology of pollinators that visit the flowers most frequently and contact the reproductive parts most often. Furthermore, we found significant linear, quadratic and correlational selection on flower number, tepal length and style length within the butterfly- and bee-dominated populations. We also found partial evidence for divergent selection on these traits between experimental sites. Our findings suggest that a handful of key pollinators that vary in their importance have the potential to drive population-level divergence in floral traits, which may lead to pollination ecotype formation.

Response of Plant Leaf Traits to Environmental Factors in Climax Communities at Varying Latitudes in Karst Regions

Exploring the changes in plant functional traits and their relationship with the environment in karst climax communities across different latitudes can enhance our understanding of how these communities respond to environmental gradients. In this study, we focus on climax karst climax plant communities in Guizhou Province, China. We selected three sample sites located at varying latitudes and analyzed the variations in functional traits of the plant communities at these latitudes. Additionally, we examined the relationship between functional traits and environmental factors, integrating species characteristics and community structure into our analysis. The results indicated that (1) there were significant differences in both the community leaf aspect ratio and the community-specific leaf area. (2) Soil organic carbon content exhibited significant variations across different latitudes, while soil nitrogen content was notably higher in mid-latitude and low-latitude regions compared to high-latitude areas. The distribution of soil factors was more concentrated in high and mid-latitude regions, whereas low-latitude areas displayed more pronounced variability. (3) The primary environmental factors influencing the climax community in the karst study area included soil water content (SPMC), soil bulk density (BD), soil organic carbon content (SOC), soil nitrogen content (SNC), and soil phosphorus content (SPC). Our findings suggest that karst plant communities exhibit specific combinations of functional traits at distinct latitudes. With increasing latitude, the community demonstrated a gradual shift in ecological strategy from conservative to more opportunistic. Most environmental factors imposed limiting effects on plant functional traits, with plants primarily constrained by BD during growth. Among the responses of plant functional traits to environmental factors, community-weighted leaf area and community-weighted chlorophyll content were the most sensitive to soil conditions.

Unveiling the Role of Spatial Functional Trait Variations on Grassland Primary Productivity at France Scale

Unveiling the Role of Spatial Functional Trait Variations on Grassland Primary Productivity at France Scale

Leaf morphological variability of Pyrus spinosa and Crataegus monogyna and their potential hybridization

This paper is aimed at investigating leaf morphological variability and possible hybridization between two species within the Rosaceae family: the one-seed hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna Jacq.) and the almond-leaved pear (Pyrus spinosa Forssk.). These two genera are taxonomically related and meet many prerequisites for successful hybridization between them, which prompted us to investigate the possibility of the presence of a long-described yet uninvestigated hybrid called ×Pyrocrataegus. The research was conducted along the Eastern Adriatic coast, where both species are widespread and often grow together in open woodlands, forest edges and abandoned agricultural areas. The examination of morphological variability was based on a morphometric analysis of seven populations using ten phenotypic traits of leaves. In general, our results showed great variability of leaf morphological traits within and between the studied populations, as well as a clear differentiation between the two species. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) showed a few intermediate individuals between the two species, indicating possible hybridization. However, as heteroblasty is present in P. spinosa, with its seedlings reported to have lobed, hawthorn-like leaves, dimorphism could also result from the reappearance of juvenile leaves on adult trees by means of rejuvenation. In order to draw a definitive conclusion about the existence of hybrid individuals in the next study, DNA markers and a much larger sample, especially morphologically intermediate individuals per population should be included.

Variance and covariance components of agronomic and quality traits assessed in tetraploid potato and their implications on practical breeding

Potato is a versatile food crop and major component of human nutrition worldwide. Model calculations and computer simulations can be used to optimize the resource allocation in potato breeding programs but require quantitative genetic parameters. The objectives of our study are to (i) estimate quantitative genetic parameters of the most important phenotypic traits in potato breeding programs, (ii) compare the importance of inter- vs. intra-population variance, (iii) quantify genotypic and phenotypic covariances among phenotypic traits, and (iv) examine the effect of a preselection in the single hills stage on variance and covariance components in later stages of the breeding program. Our study was based on a total of 1066 clones from three breeding programs which were evaluated in a non-orthogonal way in 15 environments for a total of 26 phenotypic traits. The examined traits showed an overall high to medium heritability, and variance analysis revealed trait-specific differences in the influence of the genotypic, environmental, and genotype-environment interaction effect. Accounting for heterogeneity in the residual variances between the 15 environments led to a significant improvement of the variance parameter estimation. The result of our study suggested that the first selection step at the single hills stage did not negatively impact the genetic variability of the target traits implying that the traits assessed in the earlier stages were not correlated with the traits influencing market success. Our results can be used as base for further simulation studies and, thus, help to optimize the resource allocation in breeding programs.

Hypoxia traits imprinted in otolith δ13C from individual to global scales

Hypoxia tolerance and its variation with temperature, activity, and body mass, are critical ecophysiological traits through which climate impacts marine ectotherms. To date, experimental determination of these traits is limited to a small subset of modern species. We leverage the close coupling of carbon and oxygen in animal metabolism to mechanistically relate these traits to the carbon isotopes in fish otoliths (δ13Coto). The model reproduces the major empirical patterns in δ13Coto at individual to global scales. The weak dependence on body size and strong, non-linear, dependence on temperature reflect the same balance between metabolism and ventilatory gas exchange that underlies organisms’ hypoxia tolerance. The global relationship between temperature and δ13Coto records both the fractionation by aragonite precipitation and the variation in hypoxia traits across ocean biomes. Because hypoxia tolerance is imprinted on both otolith geochemistry and species biogeography, the model allows the aerobic limits of species geographic ranges to be predicted from fish δ13Coto. This physiologically grounded model provides a foundation for the use of otolith chemistry to reconstruct modern spatial patterns and paleoceanographic changes in key traits that shape aerobic habitat of aquatic species.

Phenotypic Sorting of Pink Salmon Hatchery Strays May Alleviate Adverse Impacts of Reduced Variation in Fitness-Associated Traits.

Maladapted immigrants may reduce wild population productivity and resilience, depending on the degree of fitness mismatch between dispersers and locals. Thus, domesticated individuals escaping into wild populations is a key conservation concern. In Prince William Sound, Alaska, over 700 million pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) are released annually from hatcheries, providing a natural experiment to characterize the mechanisms underlying impacts to wild populations. Using a dataset of > 200,000 pink salmon sampled from 30 populations over 8 years, we detected significant body size and phenological differences between hatchery- and wild-origin spawners, likely driven by competitive differences during maturation and broodstock selection practices. Variation in traits was reduced in hatchery fish, raising biodiversity concerns. However, phenotypic traits of immigrants and locals were positively correlated. We discuss possible mechanisms that may explain this pattern and how it may reduce adverse impacts associated with reduced trait variation. This study suggests that domestication impacts are likely widespread, but local adaptation may be maintained by phenotypic sorting.

Functional traits of Ziziphus mucronata below mistletoe-infected trees in a semi-arid African savanna

Mistletoes are increasingly associated with elevated leaf litter, soil nutrients, and soil moisture, resources which influence variations in plant functional traits. Despite this recognition, variations in the functional traits of understorey plants with overstorey (host) tree mistletoe infection are yet to be examined. Here, we measured the different functional traits (height, stem diameter, canopy area, leaf area, specific leaf area, whole-leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and chlorophyll content) of Ziziphus mucronata, a dominant woody plant beneath mistletoe-infected Vachellia karroo trees in semi-arid savanna. Two-sample t-tests were used to compare host size, mistletoe infection intensity, and trait variables between low and high mistletoe-infected trees. The relationships between Ziziphus mucronata functional traits vs. host tree diameter and the number of mistletoes per tree were explored using regression analysis and visualized using a regression biplot based on a redundancy analysis (RDA). Host tree height, canopy area, and canopy volume were strongly positively (r > 0.7, p < 0.05) related to mistletoe infection intensity. While most of the traits did not vary with mistletoe infection, the chlorophyll content and leaf area of understorey Z. mucronata increased with host tree size, being greater beneath high than low mistletoe-infected trees. These variations are linked to changes in limiting resources such as light, soil nutrients, and soil moisture due to accumulation of mistletoes and increase in size as the host tree ages. As a result, the understorey plants shifted from being resource conservative to being acquisitive as limiting resources increased. The general lack of trait plasticity in understorey Z. mucronata suggests that plastic allocation responses may not be a general consequence of mistletoe infection.

An experimental test of eco‐evolutionary dynamics on rocky shores

AbstractA growing body of theoretical studies and laboratory experiments has focused attention on reciprocal feedbacks between ecological and evolutionary processes. However, uncertainty remains about whether such eco‐evolutionary feedbacks have an important or negligible influence on natural communities. Thus, recent discussions call for field experiments that explore whether selection on phenotypic variation within populations leads to contemporaneous effects on community dynamics. To help fill this gap, in this study, we test the hypothesis that selection on consumer traits in a population of predatory drilling snails can drive eco‐evolutionary dynamics in a rocky intertidal community in California, USA. We first conducted a laboratory selection experiment to raise newly hatched dogwhelks (Nucella canaliculata) on four diet treatments encompassing a range of prey species and shell thicknesses. Snails that survived to adulthood under these diet treatments differed in their capacity to drill thick‐shelled mussels. Dogwhelks from these treatment groups were then outplanted to intertidal field cages for 1 year to test whether groups experiencing selection differed in their effects on mussel bed succession. As expected, succession proceeded most rapidly in the reference treatment with dogwhelks excluded. However, successional patterns differed minimally among dogwhelks raised under the different diet treatments. Thus, although our laboratory results suggest that prey can impose selection that leads to rapid adaptation and divergent consumer traits, these feedbacks were not strong enough to result in clear community effects in the field. We propose that a limited range of variation in functional traits within populations, moderate strengths of selection, and a background of substantial abiotic and biotic variation may all act to dampen the potential for strong eco‐evolutionary dynamics in this and many other natural communities.

Synergy and trade-off between plant functional traits enhance grassland multifunctionality under grazing exclusion in a semi-arid region.

Grazing exclusion is effective in restoring vegetation and ecological services in degraded grasslands within semi-arid regions. Variations in plant functional traits associated with the duration of grazing exclusion can indicate both ecological adaptability of plants and restoration processes of ecosystems. However, research on ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) under grazing exclusion and restoration mechanisms mediated by plant functional traits is relatively limited. In this study, we calculated EMF based on plant species diversity, above-ground biomass (AGB), below-ground biomass (BGB), storages of soil organic carbon (TSOC), soil nitrogen (TSN), and soil phosphorus (TSP) in grasslands under varying durations of grazing exclusion in the semi-arid Songnen Plain, China, and investigated the trait-based pathways involved in forming EMF. The findings revealed irregular fluctuations in plant species diversity, while AGB, TSOC, TSN, and TSP exhibited a linear increase with grazing exclusion duration. Additionally, BGB initially increased but experienced a slight decline over the 17 years of grazing exclusion (GE17). Notably, EMF peaked at 0.778 in GE17 site. In particular, the proportions of AGB and TSOC in the EMF were higher in grazing exclusion sites than that in grazing site. Leaf area (LA) and leaf weight (LW) were lowest in grazing site and highest in GE17 site. Redundancy analysis indicated that the plant functional traits, including LA, leaf nitrogen content (LNC), and LW, collectively explained a substantial proportion of the variance (70.85%) in ecosystem function indicators. Structural equation modelling analysis revealed a direct impact of grazing exclusion on EMF (P<0.05). However, EMF was remarkably and directly affected by the AGB (P<0.01) that regulated by the trade-off between LW and LNC. In addition, the synergy between LW and LA had an impact on TSP (P<0.01), and further enhance EMF (P<0.05). These findings prominently emphasize the advantageous outcomes of proper grazing exclusion concerning the functional aspects of degraded grasslands. Moreover, they persuasively validate the crucial significance of plant functional traits in relation to the enhancement of EMF. Consequently, this study is capable of providing valuable information for revealing multiple driven mechanisms of grassland EMF in the semi-arid regions.

Characterization of indigenous chicken phenotypes in Liban Jawi District, Ethiopia: A qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Indigenous chickens play a crucial role in the livelihoods of smallholder farmers in rural Ethiopia. This study aimed to phenotypically characterize indigenous chickens in the Liban Jawi district, focusing on measurements of phenotypic characteristics. The multi-stage sampling method selected 192 households with at least two mature indigenous chickens from 2,166 households, resulting in the sampling of 224 chickens (138 females and 86 males) for phenotypic characterization. Qualitative trait analysis revealed that male chickens exhibited a plain head shape (54.7%), single combs (39.5%), red feather plumage (26.7%), yellow shanks (54.7%), red earlobes (51.6%), and white skin (68.6%). Female chickens showed single combs (75.4%), red earlobes (51.4%), yellow shanks (50.1%), and brown mottled feathers (23.9%), with red (23.1%) and black (9.4%) feathers observed. Quantitatively, cocks had an average body weight of 1.46±0.02 kg, while hens weighed 1.21±0.01 kg. Cocks exhibited larger body dimensions, with significant measurements in body length (38.05±0.26 cm) and wingspan (38.56±0.13 cm). For hens, the average body length was 31.55±0.33 cm. Shank length emerged as a moderate predictor of body weight for both sexes (r = 0.45 for hens and r = 0.44 for cocks), indicating it should be combined with other factors for accurate assessments. Cluster and multivariate analysis revealed distinct phenotypic groupings among the indigenous chickens, highlighting significant variations in both qualitative and quantitative traits. This suggests the potential for improvement through selective breeding at the community level, influenced by unique environmental conditions and practices. These findings provide valuable insights into the phenotypic characterization of indigenous chickens, serving as a foundation for future breeding programs and conservation efforts aimed at enhancing productivity and preserving genetic diversity. Further molecular-level characterization is recommended to validate the current phenotypic results.

Comparative Analyses and Phylogenetic Dependence in Traits and Trends of the Dipterocarpaceae.

The role of trait evolution in shaping the functional and ecological diversity of tropical forests remains poorly understood. Analyses of trait variation as a function of evolutionary history and environmental variables should reveal the drivers of species distributions, as well as generate insights valuable to conservation. Here, we focus on the Dipterocarpaceae, the key plant family underpinning the hyperdiversity of South-East Asian tropical forest canopies and of major conservation concern due to over-exploitation for timber, cultivation, and climate change. Our objectives are to (i) assess whether dipterocarp species traits are phylogenetically conserved through a phylogenetic signal, indicating phylogenetic niche conservatism (PNC); (ii) determine the drivers of dipterocarp species distribution; (iii) examine the relationship between morphological traits with habitat factors; and (iv) assess the correlation between conservation status and phylogeny. We compiled a dataset of species-level plant traits of the Dipterocarpaceae together with population-level ecological trends. We found substantial evidence of phylogenetic conservatism of plant traits in dipterocarp species, with a moderate to strong phylogenetic signal, and that the elevational gradient shapes dipterocarp species distribution pan-tropically. Morphological traits including height and diameter show phylogenetically dependent relationships with soil type, while shade tolerance traits are related to survival. We find that conservation status is related to phylogeny and correlated with population trend status, suggesting that decreasing population trends correlated with conservation status. Overall, our analyses show that functional traits and ecological trends of dipterocarp species are shaped by the phylogenetic history. Our study highlights that conservation strategies require consideration of the consequences of these relationships for long-term population changes.

Phenotypic characterization and principal component analyses of Bangkok chicken in Indonesia

ABSTRACT Bangkok chicken is a significant genetic resource in Indonesia, valued culturally and economically. However, limited reports on its phenotypic diversity risks genetic loss. This study aimed to assess phenotypic characterization of Bangkok chicken through qualitative and quantitative traits. Methods included qualitative classification, morphometric measurements, correlation, and principal component analysis (PCA). A T-test analyzed sex differences in body weight and morphometric traits. The research findings revealed that the male Bangkok chickens had 44.16% black-red (black dominant) feather colour and 73.20% yellow shank. Meanwhile, the females had 78% black feather colour and 34% black shank. The pea comb type was dominant in both sexes. The results indicated that the body weight and morphometric traits of male Bangkok were higher than those of females. In the total population, the PC1 accounted for 56.92% of the total variance. Morphometric features, such as breast girth and shank length were strongly correlated with body weight, highlighting their potential as reliable traits for selection and breeding Bangkok chickens. In conclusion, the study identified key phenotypic characteristics, which were body weight, breast girth, and shank length. These traits are strongly correlated and can serve as reliable criteria for selecting and improving Bangkok chicken breeds. Highlight The variation of qualitative traits of Bangkok chickens, consisting of feather colour, shank colour, and comb type, were widely varied across the population. Sexual dimorphism (male and female) affected all the parameters in quantitative traits, and the PCA identified breast girth and shank length as the key potential criteria for selecting Bangkok chicken.

Genetic variability and association analyses of morphological and biochemical traits in Tamarindus indica L. clones

Genetic variability and association analyses of morphological and biochemical traits in Tamarindus indica L. clones