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Volcanic ash deposition as a selection mechanism towards woodiness

DOI zum Zitieren der Version auf EPub Bayreuth: https://doi.org/10.15495/EPub_UBT_00007420
URN to cite this document: urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-7420-0

Title data

Beierkuhnlein, Carl ; Nogales, Manuel ; Field, Richard ; Vetaas, Ole R. ; Walentowitz, Anna J. ; Weiser, Frank ; Stahlmann, Reinhold ; Guerrero-Campos, María ; Jentsch, Anke ; Medina, Félix M. ; Chiarucci, Alessandro:
Volcanic ash deposition as a selection mechanism towards woodiness.
In: npj Biodiversity. Vol. 2 (2023) Issue 1 . - 14.
ISSN 2731-4243
DOI der Verlagsversion: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44185-023-00018-2

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Abstract

The high proportion of woody plant species on oceanic islands has hitherto been explained mainly by gradual adaptation to climatic conditions. Here, we present a novel hypothesis that such woodiness is adaptative to volcanic ash (tephra) deposition. Oceanic islands are subject to frequent eruptions with substantial and widespread ash deposition on evolutionary time scales. We postulate that this selects for woodiness through an increased ability to avoid burial of plant organs by ash, and to re-emerge above the new land surface. We sense-checked using observations of plant occurrences and distributions on La Palma (Canary Islands) in April 2022, 4 months after the end of the eruptions of the Tajogaite volcano (Cumbre Vieja ridge). In contrast to herbs and grasses, most woody plants persisted and were already in full flower in areas with 10+ cm ash deposition. Remarkably, these persisting woody plants were almost exclusively endemics.

Further data

Item Type: Article in a journal
DDC Subjects: 500 Science > 550 Earth sciences, geology
500 Science > 580 Plants (Botany)
Institutions of the University: Faculties
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences > Chair Biogeography
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences > Chair Biogeography > Chair Biogeography - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Carl Beierkuhnlein
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences > Professor Disturbance Ecology
Faculties > Faculty of Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences > Department of Earth Sciences > Professor Disturbance Ecology > Professor Disturbance Ecology - Univ.-Prof. Dr. Anke Jentsch
Research Institutions
Research Institutions > Central research institutes
Research Institutions > Central research institutes > Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research- BayCEER
Graduate Schools
Graduate Schools > Elite Network Bavaria
Graduate Schools > Elite Network Bavaria > Global Change Ecology
Language: English
Originates at UBT: Yes
URN: urn:nbn:de:bvb:703-epub-7420-0
Date Deposited: 19 Jan 2024 08:40
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2024 08:42
URI: https://epub.uni-bayreuth.de/id/eprint/7420

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