Variation and macroevolution in leaf functional traits in the Hawaiian silversword alliance (Asteraceae)

• Published in: The Journal of ecology Vol. 104; no. 1; pp. 219 - 228
• Main Authors: Blonder, Benjamin, Baldwin, Bruce G, Enquist, Brian J, Robichaux, Robert H, Lau, Jennifer
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Blackwell Scientific Publ 01.01.2016; John Wiley & Sons Ltd
• Subjects: adaptive radiation; Argyroxiphium; Asteraceae; climate; climate niche; Dubautia; economics; ecophysiology; functional trait; habitats; leaves; phylogeny; Plant population and community dynamics; prediction; silversword alliance; vein density; vein elongation index; venation network; Wilkesia
• ISSN: 0022-0477; 1365-2745; 1365-2745
• DOI: 10.1111/1365-2745.12497

The Hawaiian silversword alliance is a spectacular example of plant adaptive radiation. The lineage includes 33 species in three endemic genera (Argyroxiphium, Dubautia and Wilkesia) that occupy almost all major habitats of the Hawaiian archipelago. Here, we quantitatively explore functional diversification in the lineage by linking measurements of multiple leaf functional traits with climate niche and phylogenetic data. We show that leaf functional trait variation (i) spans much of the global angiosperm range, (ii) is best explained by a white‐noise evolutionary model and (iii) is integrated in ways consistent with both the global leaf economics spectrum and the predictions of leaf venation network theory. Our results highlight the importance of functional diversification and integration in rapidly evolving plant lineages. They also provide compelling additional support for the view that the Hawaiian silversword alliance is one of the world's premier examples of adaptive radiation in plants.