Ecophysiological adaptability of four tree species in the southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest to warming

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2020.0318

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The subject of this study was to investigate warming effects on leaf stomatal traits, anatomical structure and photosynthetic traits of four common tree species in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest of southern China, and to compare their physiological adaptability to warming. Our study aims to provide a theoretical basis for better predicting the tree growth of native forests in a warming climate.
Methods One-year-old seedlings of Syzygium rehderianum, Ormosia pinnata, Castanopsis hystrix and Schima superba were selected and exposed to two levels of temperature (ambient temperature and infrared heater warming). Leaf stomatal traits, anatomical structure and photosynthetic characteristics were measured to represent the abilities of stomatal regulation, leaf tissue regulation and nutrient maintenance, respectively.
Important findings For Syzygium rehderianum, warming decreased its leaf sponge tissue thickness, photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (PNUE) and photosynthetic phosphorous-use efficiency (PPUE). Seedling of O. pinnata exposed to warming showed increased stomatal conductance, photosynthetic rate, PNUE and PPUE, but decreased stomatal density, leaf thickness and palisade tissue thickness. For C. hystrix, warming decreased the stomata size, but did not affect its photosynthetic rate. Seedling of Schima superba exposed to warming showed lower stomata density, leaf palisade tissue thickness, photosynthetic rate, PNUE and PPUE, but higher stomata size. These results suggested that O. pinnata, Syzygium rehderianum and Schima superba could reduce their leaf thickness to acclimate to warming conditions. The abilities of stomatal regulation, nutrient maintenance, photosynthetic rate and PNUE varied among these tree species. Warming would be beneficial for the growth of O. pinnata due to increased photosynthetic rate, PNUE and PPUE, while not for Syzygium rehderianum and Schima superba, the two dominant tree species of native forests. This study indicated that, with projected climate change, O. pinnata may replace Syzygium rehderianum and Schima superba as a new dominant tree species in the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest for its stronger adaptability to warming.

Key words: infrared heating, stomatal size, stomatal density, leaf anatomical structure, photosynthesis, subtropical tree species

LI Xu, WU Ting, CHENG Yan, TAN Na-Dan, JIANG Fen, LIU Shi-Zhong, CHU Guo-Wei, MENG Ze, LIU Ju-Xiu. Ecophysiological adaptability of four tree species in the southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest to warming[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2020, 44(12): 1203-1214.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2020.0318

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2020/V44/I12/1203

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 Leaf anatomical structure and stomatal characteristics of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. CT, cuticle thickness; LET, lower epidermis thickness; LT, leaf thickness; PT, palisade tissue thickness; ST, spongy tissue thickness; UET, upper epidermis thickness.

Fig. 2 Dynamics of air temperature, soil temperature and soil volumetric water content at 5 cm depth in the control and warming sites (mean ± SE).

Fig. 3 Effects of warming on stomatal conductance (Gs), stomatal density (SD), and stomatal size (SS) of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest (mean + SE, n = 6).*, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001.

Table 1 Effects of warming (W), tree species (S) and their interactions on the leaf anatomical structure and photosynthetic characters of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

因子 Item	气孔导度 G_s	气孔密度 SD	气孔大小 SS	叶片厚度 LT	栅栏组织厚度 PT	海绵组织厚度 ST	上表皮厚度 UET	下表皮厚度 LET	角质层厚度 CT	光合速率 P_n	蒸腾速率 T_r	水分利用效率 WUE	光合氮利用效率 PNUE	光合磷利用效率 PPUE
W	0.838	6.385^*	0.156	5.248^*	14.160^***	0.000	1.358	0.147	0.177	6.973^*	3.558	0.370	3.692	4.172
S	4.670^*	377.401^***	115.697^***	0.572	1.176	0.678	82.049^***	64.682^***	23.588^***	9.032^**	1.878	19.357^***	2.250	0.001
W × S	8.638^**	12.526^***	0.075	1.187	0.022	3.409	0.005	2.552	0.056	17.443^***	9.874^**	0.186	8.099^*	20.012^***

Fig. 4 Box plots illustrating the effects of warming on leaf thickness (LT), palisade tissue thickness (PT) and sponge tissue thickness (ST) of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. Whiskers of box plots indicates upper extreme, upper quartile, median, lower quartile and lower extreme, respectively. Each circle represents one individual tree. *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; n = 9.

Fig. 5 Box plots illustrating the effects of warming on leaf upper epidermis thickness (UET), lower epidermis thickness (LET) and cuticle thickness (CT) of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest. Whiskers of box plots indicates upper extreme, upper quartile, median, lower quartile and lower extreme, respectively. Each circle represents one individual tree. *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001; n = 9.

Fig. 6 Effects of warming on photosynthetic rate (Pn), transpiration rate (Tr), and water use efficiency (WUE) of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in 2018 and 2019 (mean + SE, n = 6). *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001.

Fig. 7 Effects of warming on the photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency (PNUE) and photosynthetic phosphorous-use efficiency (PPUE) of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest in 2018 and 2019 (mean + SE, n = 6). *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; ***, p < 0.001.

Table 2 Relationship between photosynthesis rate and stomatal conductance under control and warming environments of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest (unary linear regression)

树种 Species	处理 Treatment	斜率 Slope	截距 Intercept	R²	p
红枝蒲桃 Syzygium rehderianum	对照 Control	20.057	6.463	0.319	0.109
红枝蒲桃 Syzygium rehderianum	增温 Warming	20.178	4.252	0.162	0.076
海南红豆 Ormosia pinnata	对照 Control	123.374	-0.843	0.492	0.021
海南红豆 Ormosia pinnata	增温 Warming	-8.698	9.819	0.039	0.490
红锥 Castanopsis hystrix	对照 Control	20.228	4.090	0.530	0.007
红锥 Castanopsis hystrix	增温 Warming	18.066	3.978	0.159	0.070
木荷 Schima superba	对照 Control	31.071	7.561	0.462	0.009
木荷 Schima superba	增温 Warming	35.576	5.570	0.410	0.003

Table 3 Correlations between leaf anatomical structure and photosynthetic characters of four tree species in southern subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest

变量 Variable	光合速率 P_n	气孔导度 G_s	蒸腾速率 T_r	水分利用效率 WUE	光合氮利用效率 PNUE	光合磷利用效率 PPUE
气孔密度 SD	0.350^*	0.080	0.113	-0.198	0.270	0.337^*
气孔大小 SS	-0.241	-0.126	-0.155	0.018	-0.146	-0.100
叶片厚度 LT	-0.033	0.217	0.159	-0.079	-0.203	-0.159
栅栏组织厚度 PT	-0.010	0.212	0.154	-0.015	-0.177	-0.124
海绵组织厚度 ST	-0.077	0.145	0.065	-0.396^**	-0.262	-0.189
上表皮厚度 UET	0.095	-0.199	-0.075	0.035	0.252	0.054
下表皮厚度 LET	-0.400^**	-0.115	-0.208	-0.121	-0.359^*	-0.364^*
角质层厚度 CT	0.166	0.163	0.088	-0.006	0.111	-0.011

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