Plant Ecological Strategies Shift Across the Cretaceous–Paleogene Boundary

Benjamin Blonder; Dana L. Royer; Kirk R. Johnson; Ian Miller; Brian J. Enquist

doi:10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949

Plant Ecological Strategies Shift Across the Cretaceous–Paleogene Boundary

Benjamin Blonder, Dana L. Royer, Kirk R. Johnson, Ian Miller, Brian J. Enquist

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

36 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Chicxulub bolide impact caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of plants, but the associated selectivity and ecological effects are poorly known. Using a unique set of North Dakota leaf fossil assemblages spanning 2.2 Myr across the event, we show among angiosperms a reduction of ecological strategies and selection for fast-growth strategies consistent with a hypothesized recovery from an impact winter. Leaf mass per area (carbon investment) decreased in both mean and variance, while vein density (carbon assimilation rate) increased in mean, consistent with a shift towards “fast” growth strategies. Plant extinction from the bolide impact resulted in a shift in functional trait space that likely had broad consequences for ecosystem functioning.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	PLoS biology
Volume	12
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949
State	Published - 2014
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Neuroscience(all)
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology(all)
Immunology and Microbiology(all)
Agricultural and Biological Sciences(all)

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10.1371/journal.pbio.1001949

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abstract = "The Chicxulub bolide impact caused the end-Cretaceous mass extinction of plants, but the associated selectivity and ecological effects are poorly known. Using a unique set of North Dakota leaf fossil assemblages spanning 2.2 Myr across the event, we show among angiosperms a reduction of ecological strategies and selection for fast-growth strategies consistent with a hypothesized recovery from an impact winter. Leaf mass per area (carbon investment) decreased in both mean and variance, while vein density (carbon assimilation rate) increased in mean, consistent with a shift towards “fast” growth strategies. Plant extinction from the bolide impact resulted in a shift in functional trait space that likely had broad consequences for ecosystem functioning.",

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Plant Ecological Strategies Shift Across the Cretaceous–Paleogene Boundary

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