The eco-evolutionary significance of rainfall constancy for facultative CAM photosynthesis.

A flexible use of the crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) has been hypothesised to represent an intermediate stage along a C to full CAM evolutionary continuum, when relative contributions of C vs CAM metabolism are co-determined by evolutionary history and prevailing environmental constraints. However, evidence for such eco-evolutionary interdependencies is lacking. We studied these interdependencies for the leaf-succulent genus Drosanthemum (Aizoaceae, Southern African Succulent Karoo) by testing for relationships between leaf δ C diagnostic for CAM dependence (i.

Bud protection: a key trait for species sorting in a forest-savanna mosaic.

Contrasting fire regimes maintain patch mosaics of savanna, thicket and forest biomes in many African subtropical landscapes. Species dominating each biome are thus expected to display distinct fire-related traits, commonly thought to be bark related. Recent Australian savanna research suggests that bud position, not bark protection alone, determines fire resilience via resprouting.