The Macroecology of Aquatic Plant Functions (MAP) project: exploring the functional and environmental trait space of macrophytes

• Autores: Trottier, Lindsay Louise; Pan, Yingji; García Girón, Jorge; Alahuhta, Janne; Bagella, Simonetta; Balk, Pauline; Båstrup Spohr, Lars; Bedoya, Ana Maria; Bolpagni, Rossano; Burke, Colin; Dalle Fratte, Michele; Fares, Ana Luísa; Gayol, Maira Patricia; Hoblyn, Ashley; Jung, Migyeong; Koleszár, Gergo; Liu, Yang; Lobato De Magalhães, Tatiana; Manzo, Luz Maria; Michelan, Thaisa Sala; Morandeira, Natalia Soledad; Mormul, Roger Paulo; Oláh, Viktor; Rivieccio, Giovanni; Rybak, Michal; Tyrrell, Chrisopher; Urrutia Estrada, Jonathan; Van Bodegom, Peter; Ye, Ziqi; Iversen, Lars Lønsmann
• Año de publicación: 2025
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: documento de conferencia
• Materia: MACROECOLOGY; AQUATIC PLANTS; TRAITS; MAP PROJECT
• Institución: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas

Aquatic plants (macrophytes) are crucial for the maintenance of ecosystem functioning and structure. Functional traits (i.e., physical characteristics linked to growth, reproduction, and survival) can be used to explore the mechanisms by which macrophytes provide structure and stability to freshwater ecosystems. Similarly, functional traits link biodiversity to ecosystem functioning, which is essential for understanding how plants are shaped by and govern the abiotic characteristics of their environment. The phenotypic and physiological adaptations of plants to external factors and how species, communities, and ecosystems worldwide may differ in the future can be explained using functional ecology. This is especially important considering the impact of anthropogenic and climate-induced changes, such as eutrophication and global warming, on the structure and function of freshwater ecosystems worldwide. Despite the ecological significance of macrophytes, functional trait research has been largely centered on terrestrial plants, in part due to the absence of a centralised database for aquatic plant traits. Since 2021, the Macroecology of Aquatic Plant Functions (MAP) Project has been working to address this data gap by compiling measurements of plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf phosphorus content, and leaf nitrogen content for 3331 macrophyte species. To date, more than 45 collaborators from around the world have contributed functional trait data to the MAP Project. The MAP Database contains over 42,000 records, and 55% of macrophyte species have at least one trait measurement. As in other global trait databases, trait coverage varies by functional trait (ranging from 11% coverage of leaf phosphorus content to 53% for plant height) and by ecozone (ranging from 60% of species in the Neotropics with least one trait measurement, to 93% in the Nearctic). Now, we have begun to employ this unique trait database, in conjunction with global information on environmental conditions (e.g., climate and bicarbonate availability) and species distributions, to explore how trait-trait relationships and trait-environment relationships of macrophytes compare to those of terrestrial plants. We also aim to quantify variation within the trait space of macrophytes and identify possible sources for variation, such as freshwater-adaptive traits which enable macrophytes to survive underwater. The work conducted through the MAP Project is the first attempt at understanding how ecological patterns and processes in freshwater systems are driven by the form and function of the macrophytes inhabiting them. Ultimately, the MAP Project will provide a foundation for future research and conservation efforts stemming from a trait-based ecological framework.
Fil: Trottier, Lindsay Louise. McGill University; Canadá
Fil: Pan, Yingji. Chinese Academy Of Sciences, China; China
Fil: García Girón, Jorge. Universidad de León; España
Fil: Alahuhta, Janne. University Of Oulu (oy);
Fil: Bagella, Simonetta. University Of Sassari; Italia
Fil: Balk, Pauline. Uppsala Universitet; Suecia
Fil: Båstrup Spohr, Lars. Universidad de Copenhagen; Dinamarca
Fil: Bedoya, Ana Maria. State University of Louisiana; Estados Unidos
Fil: Bolpagni, Rossano. Università di Parma; Italia
Fil: Burke, Colin. Griffith University; Australia
Fil: Dalle Fratte, Michele. University Of Insubria; Italia
Fil: Fares, Ana Luísa. Universidade Federal do Pará; Brasil
Fil: Gayol, Maira Patricia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación en Ingeniería Ambiental; Argentina
Fil: Hoblyn, Ashley. McGill University; Canadá
Fil: Jung, Migyeong. Kunsan National University; Corea del Sur
Fil: Koleszár, Gergo. University Of Nyíregyháza; Hungría
Fil: Liu, Yang. Chinese Academy of Sciences; República de China
Fil: Lobato De Magalhães, Tatiana. Universidad Autonoma de Queretaro.; México
Fil: Manzo, Luz Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte. Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco". Centro de Investigación Esquel de Montaña y Estepa Patagónica; Argentina
Fil: Michelan, Thaisa Sala. Universidade Federal do Pará; Brasil
Fil: Morandeira, Natalia Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de San Martín. Instituto de Investigación en Ingeniería Ambiental; Argentina
Fil: Mormul, Roger Paulo. Universidade Estadual de Maringá. Departamento de Engenharia Química.; Brasil
Fil: Oláh, Viktor. University Of Debercen (university Of Debercen); Hungría
Fil: Rivieccio, Giovanni. University of Sassari; Italia
Fil: Rybak, Michal. Adam Mickiewicz University; Polonia
Fil: Tyrrell, Chrisopher. Milwaukee Public Museum; Estados Unidos
Fil: Urrutia Estrada, Jonathan. Universidad Católica de Temuco; Chile
Fil: Van Bodegom, Peter. Leiden University; Países Bajos
Fil: Ye, Ziqi. Laurentian University; Canadá
Fil: Iversen, Lars Lønsmann. McGill University; Canadá
17th International Symposium on Aquatic Plants: Back to the Future of Aquatic Plants and the Way Forward
Lisboa
Portugal
International Aquatic Plants Group
Universidad de Lisboa
Instituto Superior de Agronomía