Herbaria as functional trait databases

COBECORE Congo basin eco-climatological data recovery and valorization

Sofie Meeus AMPEE4 - 23/03/2018 Introduction The African & climate change The African rainforest & climate change

Tropical species Vulnerable?

Perez et al. 2016, Science

- Long generation time - Climatic variability hypothesis: tropical species -> narrow tolerances - Functional traits and variation African rainforest lacks legacy data

Measurements

Tropical South America 366629

Central Europe 254132

North America 83374

Tropical SE Asia 53632

Australia 29776

Tropical 14675 Aim COBECORE: Recovering eco-climatological data from Belgian colonial collections

Climate data Aerial photos African herbarium

Foto Kim Herbarium Botanic Garden Meise (BR)

Bron: nieuwsblad.be Herbarium BR: A source of legacy data

UNESCO Biosphere reserves Number of specimens of 64 tropical species in African herbarium BR 350

300

250

200 ©UNESCO 150 Luki (N=341) Yangambi (N=1566) 100

# herbarium specimens herbarium # 50

0 1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 2000 Year BGM expeditions

Belgian Congo

INEAC TIME Herbaria as functional trait databases Herbaria as functional trait databases: SLA Average SLA per species (N = 48) 300

250 ) )

200 cm²/g

150 SLA ( SLA Specific area (SLA) 100

Average Scan = leaf area/dry mass 50 + weigh

0

Huagabonii

Macarangasp.

Parkiabicolor

Ongokeagore

Trichiliagilletii

Carapaprocera

Alstoniaboonei

Trichiliagilgiana

Millettiadrastica

Maranthesglabra

Mammeaafricana

Garciniapunctata

Celtismildbraedii

Uapacaguineensis

Blighiawelwitschii

Irvingiagrandifolia

Lovoatrichilioides

Macarangaspinosa

Pycnanthuskombo

Albiziaadianthifolia

Diospyrositurensis

Monodoramyristica

Polyalthiasuaveolens

Monodoraangolensis

Symphoniaglobulifera

Pycnanthusangolensis

Microdesmispuberula

Autranellacongolensis

Allanblackiafloribunda

Synsepalumstipulatum

Entandrophragmautile

Sorindeiamayumbensis

Hymenocardiaulmoides

Canariumschweinfurthii

Anthonothamacrophylla

Tabernaemontanacrassa

Pentaclethraeetveldeana

Pentaclethramacrophylla

Ricinodendronheudelotii

Discoglypremnacaloneura

Erythrophleumsuaveolens

Petersianthusmacrocarpus

Entandrophragmacandollei

Gilbertiodendrondewevrei

Pseudospondiasmicrocarpa

Trilepisiummadagascariense

Entandrophragmacylindricum Tetrorchidiumdidymostemon SPECIES

Herbaria as functional trait databases: STOMATA

(2) (2) Stoma (3) (3)

Foto: preparaat Pore

Nail varnish Length

method Length

Keyence VHX Digital microscope

(5) Pore Width

(4) Stoma Width

ObjectJ (ImageJ plugin)

Stomatal conductance (gwmax)

d = Diffusivity coefficient water vapor (m²/s) v = molar volume of air (m³/mol) D = Stomatal density (number of stomata/m² )

amax = max area pore (m²) l = pore depth (m) Case study: sp.

• Prioria 6 Central African Prioria oxyphylla

species, 3 species very well- © © Samuel Vanden represented in herbarium of

BGM Abeele • Uses: commercial timber for construction, furniture, etc. • Suffers from habitat loss and overexploitation Case study: Prioria sp.

Prioria balsamifera Prioria oxyphylla Prioria buchholzii Endangered 133 specimens in BGM 164 specimens in BGM 126 specimens in BGM

SLA=108±12 cm²/g SLA=68±8 cm²/g SLA=81±7 cm²/g Case study: Prioria sp.

Genetic analysis Samuel Vanden Abeele (BGM/ULB)

Microsatellite development & analysis on P. balsamifera and P. oxyphylla for genetic diversity assessment (conservation purposes)

High-throughput sequencing for reconstruction phylogeography of all (14) Prioria species g wmax Building a database

3.72 mol/m²s

Specimen coordinates gwmax SLA … 4.32 mol/m²s Spec 1 3.72 mol/m²s Spec 2 4.32 mol/m²s 3.85 mol/m²s Spec 3 3.85 mol/m²s Spec 4 4.93 mol/m²s 4.93 mol/m²s

Measurements Tropical South America 366629 Central Europe 254132 North America 83374 Tropical SE Asia 53632 Australia 29776 Tropical Africa 14675 THANK YOU Visit our website at cobecore.org

Acknowledgements Martine Borremans COBECORE team Samuel Vanden Abeele Hans Verbeeck (Gent University) Iris Van der Beeten Koen Hufkens (Gent University) Ann Bogaerts Jan Van den Bulcke (Gent University) Sofie De Smedt Hans Beeckman (Royal Museum for Central Africa) Quentin Groom Kim Jacobsen (Royal Museum for Central Africa) Henry Engledow Piet Stoffelen (Botanic Garden Meise) André De Kesel Filip Vandelook (Botanic Garden Meise) Nuno Veríssimo Pereira Steven Janssens (Botanic Garden Meise) Wim Baert Michael Amara (National Archives of Belgium) Myriam de Haan Leen Van Hirtum (National Archives of Belgium)