Lifespan outperforms climate as a predictor of wood functional traits, but secondary woodiness shows no clear climatic pattern in <i>Heliophila</i>, a diverse clade from the Cape Floristic Region
In Heliophila, a shift in climatic niche prompts a change in lifespan, followed by slower adaptations in wood anatomy. Possibly, this pattern arises because alterations in lifespan affect stem architecture, establishing a developmental framework that governs subsequent anatomical adjustments. Furthermore, although not statistically robust, increased wood production may be linked to warmer niches, potentially associated with a temperature-driven enhancement in lignin biosynthesis that reinforces stem structure.
Authors
- Alexei A. Oskolski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6205-8492)
- P.J.D. Winter (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4584-7841)
- A. Muthama Muasya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0763-0780)
- K E Frankiewicz
- Jakub Baczyński (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5272-9053)
- Ryan Manuel
- A.R. Magee (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7063-7299)
- Tasha Lyner (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5015-2633)
Institutions
- University of Cape Town (ZA)
- University of Georgia (US)
- University of Johannesburg (ZA)
- South African National Biodiversity Institute (ZA)
- Carnegie Department of Plant Biology (US)
- National Biodiversity Institute (CR)
- Institut de Biologia Evolutiva (ES)
- Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (RU)
- University of Warsaw (PL)
- University of Silesia in Katowice (PL)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Annals of Botany
- Published
- 2025-03-19
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1093/aob/mcaf046
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Tree-ring climate responses
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.60