Hydraulic and photosynthetic characteristics differ between co-generic tree and liana species: a case study of Millettia and Gnetum in tropical forest

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2019.0304

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Liana is an important component of tropical forest, and exert a significant impact on community structure and function. Previous studies have found significant differences in hydraulic traits between lianas and trees, as indicated that lianas tended to have large and long vessels to compensate hydraulically to their thin stems, resulting in high hydraulic conductivity but low resistant to drought-induced cavitation. In order to reduce the influence of different genotypes on the comparative results, we aimed to compare the differences in hydraulic and photosynthetic characteristics between the two life forms from two genera Millettia and Gnetum.
Methods We measured branch and leaf hydraulic properties, sapwood density, gas exchange rates in the dry season for nine tree and liana species grown in common garden. We compared the hydraulic and photosynthetic traits between each species using one-way ANOVA. In addition, we analyzed hydraulic efficiency-safety trade-off, and the relationship between dry-season photosynthetic rates and hydraulic traits.
Important findings (1) There was a significant variations in hydraulic traits in genus Millettia, which was related to their light requirements and life forms. Compared with trees, the shade-tolerant liana species had lower hydraulic conductivity and higher resistance to cavitation. (2) Despite angiosperm-like characteristics such as vessels and broad pinnate-veined leaves, the Gnetum tree species had the lowest hydraulic conductivity among the nine species. However, the Gnetum liana species had higher hydraulic conductivity, comparable to light-demanding angiosperm species in this study. (3) There was no significant trade-off between hydraulic conductivity efficiency and hydraulic safety in both branch- and leaf-level across all the species, or within each plant group. (4) Compared to co-generic tree species, liana species’ leaves were more resistant to cavitation than branches, as indicated by higher maximum net photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance during the dry season. These results support the hypothesis of “growth advantages at dry season” for liana species. This study reveals the high diversity and significance of hydraulic functioning in tropical lianas. Extensive measurements of hydraulic properties are needed to promote understanding of tropical species response to environmental change.

Key words: hydraulic function, cavitation resistance, trade-off, vulnerability segmentation, photosynthetic rates

SONG Hui-Qing, NI Ming-Yuan, ZHU Shi-Dan. Hydraulic and photosynthetic characteristics differ between co-generic tree and liana species: a case study of Millettia and Gnetum in tropical forest[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2020, 44(3): 192-204.

Figures/Tables 5

Table 1 Life form, species abbreviations, maximum vessel length and ecological descriptions for the nine woody species

物种 Species	生活型 Life form	缩写 Abbreviation	最大导管长度 Maximum vessel length (m)	原生生境分布 Native habitat of adult in the forest
崖豆藤属(豆科) Millettia (Fabaceae)
思茅崖豆 Millettia leptobotrya	乔木 Tree	M. lep	0.69	山坡疏林或常绿阔叶林中, 海拔300-1 000 m Open forest on slopes or evergreen broad-leaved forest; 300-1 000 m a.s.l.
红河崖豆 Millettia cubittii	乔木 Tree	M. cub	0.49	河边的林地或路边, 海拔300-1 000 m Riparian forest or roadside; 300-1 000 m a.s.l.
变色鸡血藤 Millettia versicolor	乔木 Tree	M. ver		引种于非洲南部热带次生林、稀树草原 Tropical secondary forests and savannas of southern Africa
厚果崖豆藤 Millettia pachycarpa	藤本 Liana	M. pac	1.50	山坡疏林、阔叶林内或路边, 海拔100-2 000 m Open forest on slopes, broad-leaved forest or roadside; 100-2 000 m a.s.l.
香花崖豆藤 Millettia dielsiana	藤本 Liana	M. die	0.82	山坡杂木林与灌丛中, 海拔300-2 500 m Tree-shrub mixed forest on slopes; 300-2 500 m a.s.l.
海南崖豆藤 Millettia pachyloba	藤本 Liana	M. pab		沟谷常绿阔叶林中, 海拔1 500 m以下 Evergreen broad-leaved forests in valleys; below 1 500 m a.s.l.
买麻藤属(买麻藤科) Gnetum (Gnetaceae)
灌状买麻藤 Gnetum gnemon	乔木 Tree	G. gne		湿润的常绿次生森林下, 海拔1 600-2 000 m Moist evergreen secondary forests; 1 600-2 000 m a.s.l.
少苞买麻藤 Gnetum brunonianum	乔木 Tree	G. bru	1.14	海拔350 m的阔叶林下 Broad-leaved forest; below 350 m a.s.l.
小叶买麻藤 Gnetum parvifolium	藤本 Liana	G. par	2.00	海拔较低的干燥平地或湿润谷地的森林,海拔100-1 000m Dry flat or moist valleys forests at lower altitude; 100-1 000 m a.s.l.

Fig. 1 Branch and leaf vulnerability curves of the woody species in Millettia (left) and Gnetum (right). Filled and open circles indicate tree and liana species, respectively. Species abbreviations are shown in Table 1. Water potential at 50% loss of branch hydraulic conductivity (P50branch) and leaf hydraulic conductance (P50leaf) are indicated by vertical dashed lines. Kleaf, leaf hydraulic conductivity.

Fig. 2 Comparison in branch hydraulic traits among the nine woody species in Millettia and Gnetum (mean + SE). ks, sapwood specific hydraulic conductivity; kl, leaf specific hydraulic conductivity; Al/As, leaf area/sapwood area ratio; WD, sapwood density. Filled and open bars indicate tree and liana species, respectively. Different letters indicate significant difference at p < 0.05. Species abbreviations are shown in Table 1.

Fig. 3 Relationship between sapwood specific hydraulic conductivity (ks) and vulnerability to cavitation in branches (A), and relationship between maximum hydraulic leaf conductance (Kleaf-max) and vulnerability to cavitation in leaves (B). P50branch, xylem water potential at 50% loss of branch hydraulic conductivity; P50leaf, leaf water potential at 50% loss of leaf hydraulic conductance. Error bars are standard errors.

Fig. 4 Relationships between maximum net photosynthetic rates during the dry season (Amax) and leaf specific hydraulic conductivity (kl)(A), or maximum leaf hydraulic conductivity (Kleaf-max)(B), and relationships between the difference in P50 between leaves and branches (P50leaf-branch) and Amax (C) or maximum stomatal conductance during the dry season (gs-max)(D). Error bars are standard errors.

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