Abstract Detail

Physiology & Ecophysiology

Muller, Clare [1], Palacio, Sara [2], Moore, Michael J. [3], Drenovsky, Rebecca [4].

Foliar and whole-plant nutrition of gypsum floras from the USA and Spain.

Gypsum endemism (gypsophily) is common in the Chihuahuan Desert and Spain, but the physiology of gypsophiles has been poorly studied in relation to the evolutionary history of endemic taxa. Much of what is known about gypsophile physiology comes from work conducted in Spain, in which the leaf chemistry of gypsophiles and non-endemic taxa (gypsovags) was compared to the unique chemistry of gypsum soils. These studies have suggested that assimilation of excess S and Ca as biomineralized gypsum in the leaves of widely-distributed gypsophiles is an important mechanism supporting life on gypsum for those taxa. However, few phylogenetic studies have been conducted on the gypsum flora from Spain. In contrast, the gypsum flora of the Chihuahuan Desert has been examined by molecular phylogeneticists for years, but little is known of their physiology. In this study, we compare the physiological trends in leaf nutrition from the Chihuahuan Desert gypsum flora with trends observed for the Spanish gypsum flora when sampled with respect to phylogenic relationships among taxa. We observed that there are global trends in leaf nutrition of widely-distributed gypsophiles, characterized by accumulation and assimilation of S and Ca, and that phylogeny is important for understanding plant nutrition among gypsophiles and gypsovags from both floras. We also observed some trends in the whole-plant nutrition of taxa from Spain that suggest widely-distributed gypsophiles, narrowly-distributed gypsophiles, and gypsovags are mechanistically different in multiple organ systems.

1 - 1741 Archwood Ln, Toledo, OH, 43614, United States
2 - Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología, Biodiversity and Conservation, Avda. Nuestra Señora de la Victoria, 16, Jaca, Huesca, Spain
3 - Oberlin College, Department Of Biology, 119 Woodland St., Science Center K111, Oberlin, OH, 44074, United States
4 - Biology Department, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH, 44118, United States

Keywords:
gypsum
Chihuahuan Desert
sulfur accumulation.

Presentation Type: Poster
Session: P, Physiology & Ecophysiology
Location: Grand Ballroom - Exhibit Hall/Mayo Civic Center
Date: Monday, July 23rd, 2018
Time: 5:30 PM This poster will be presented at 6:15 pm. The Poster Session runs from 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm. Posters with odd poster numbers are presented at 5:30 pm, and posters with even poster numbers are presented at 6:15 pm.
Number: PPE010
Abstract ID:910
Candidate for Awards:None