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Dryad

Data from: Marcescence and prostrate growth in tree ferns are adaptations to cold tolerance

Data files

Feb 04, 2025 version files 28.50 MB

Abstract

Cold tolerance strategies in plants vary from structural to biochemical. Many temperate tree fern taxa are marcescent—retaining whorls of dead fronds encircling the upper trunk—or develop short or prostrate trunks possibly to insulate against cold temperatures that might detrimentally affect their trunks and growing crowns. We asked the following questions: (1) do global growth patterns traits of temperate taxa relate to environmental factors associated with latitude (a proxy for seasonality and frost tolerance) and elevation (a proxy for temperature), (2) do growth patterns of tree ferns in New Zealand vary along a temperature related gradient, and (3) do marcescent tree fern skirts insulate the growing crown from sub-zero temperatures? We review the global and regional distributions of these structural and morphological traits within Cyatheales. Further, we assess the patterns of tree fern marcescence, and other traits potentially associated with cold tolerance (no trunk, prostrate, short-trunked), by comparing the ecological niches of nine taxa of the Cyatheales along environmental gradients across New Zealand. Finally, we conducted a field experiment to assess the thermal insulation properties of tree fern marcescent skirts. We identified significant trends among growth forms, marcescence, and envionmental gradients consistent with our hypothesis that these are adaptations to tolerate cold. In addition, our field experiments provide quantitative evidence that marcescent skirts have a strong insulating effect on tree fern trunks. The Cyatheales have evolved several strategies to protect the pith cores of their trunks from extreme cold temperatures in temperate forests allowing them to capture niche space in environments beyond the tropics.