Variation and correlation of plant functional traits in karst area of central Guizhou Province, China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.01000

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The trait-based community ecology approach has recently attracted considerable interest from plant ecologists. Our objective is to explore variations and correlations of plant functional traits at the species and community levels along a successional gradient in Karst area of central Guizhou Province in order to improve our understanding about community succession from the perspective of functional ecology.
Methods We investigated species composition of 26 plots in three successional stages (bush, deciduous broad-leaved forests, deciduous-evergreen forests) in Karst area of Puding, central Guizhou Province and quantified three functional traits (leaf area, specific leaf area and maximum height) of 82 woody species in these plots. We calculated the species abundance-weighted mean community trait values and used trait-gradient analysis (TGA) to analyze species functional trait variation along the successional gradient and within communities.
Important findings We found an increasing trend in mean community leaf area and maximum height and decreasing mean community specific leaf area along the successional gradient. For mean plot trait values, there were strong positive correlations between leaf area and maximum height, and significant negative correlations between specific leaf area and both maximum height and leaf area. Species β trait values of the three traits were strongly correlated with each other, but there was no significant correlation for α trait values. Results indicate that the adaptive strategies of dominant species transformed from fast growth to high resource-use efficiency along succession and that co-occurring species in the same community employ different trait assemblies.

Key words: community mean trait values, Karst vegetation succession, leaf area, maximum height, specific leaf area, trait-gradient analysis

XI Xin-Qiang, ZHAO Yu-Jie, LIU Yu-Guo, WANG Xin, GAO Xian-Ming. Variation and correlation of plant functional traits in karst area of central Guizhou Province, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2011, 35(10): 1000-1008.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.01000

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2011/V35/I10/1000

Figures/Tables 6

References 36

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演替阶段 Succession stage	群落类型 Community type	海拔 Elevation (m)	坡度 Slope (°)	坡向 Slope aspect	样方数 Plot number
灌丛 Shrub	小果蔷薇+火棘 Rosa cymosa + Pyracantha fortuneana	1 438	22	西南 Southwest	3
	异叶鼠李+火棘 Rhamnus heterophylla + Pyracantha fortuneana	1 230	23	西南 Southwest	3
	小果蔷薇 Rosa cymosa	1 420	20	西北 Northwest	2
落叶阔叶林 Deciduous broad-leaved forest	圆果化香树 Platycarya longipes	1 378	25	东南 Southeast	2
	圆果化香树+槲栎 Platycarya longipes + Quercus aliena	1 456	27	西北 Northwest	2
	槲栎+小叶朴 Quercus aliena + Celtis bungeana	1 389	27	西 West	2
	槲栎 Quercus aliena	1 528	31	西南 Southwest	2
落叶常绿混交林 Deciduous- evergreen forest	云南鼠刺+圆果化香树 Quercus aliena + Platycarya longipes	1 457	28	东南 Southeast	3
	云南鼠刺+窄叶石栎 Quercus aliena + Lithocarpus confines	1 436	30	北 North	2
	窄叶石栎+短萼海桐 Lithocarpus confines + Pittosporum brevicalyx	1 387	32	西北 Northwest	3
	窄叶石栎+猴樟+刺楸 Lithocarpus confines + Cinnamomum bodinieri + Kalopanax septemlobus	1 356	27	南 South	3

演替阶段 Succession stage	群落类型 Community type	海拔 Elevation (m)	坡度 Slope (°)	坡向 Slope aspect	样方数 Plot number
灌丛 Shrub	小果蔷薇+火棘 Rosa cymosa + Pyracantha fortuneana	1 438	22	西南 Southwest	3
	异叶鼠李+火棘 Rhamnus heterophylla + Pyracantha fortuneana	1 230	23	西南 Southwest	3
	小果蔷薇 Rosa cymosa	1 420	20	西北 Northwest	2
落叶阔叶林 Deciduous broad-leaved forest	圆果化香树 Platycarya longipes	1 378	25	东南 Southeast	2
	圆果化香树+槲栎 Platycarya longipes + Quercus aliena	1 456	27	西北 Northwest	2
	槲栎+小叶朴 Quercus aliena + Celtis bungeana	1 389	27	西 West	2
	槲栎 Quercus aliena	1 528	31	西南 Southwest	2
落叶常绿混交林 Deciduous- evergreen forest	云南鼠刺+圆果化香树 Quercus aliena + Platycarya longipes	1 457	28	东南 Southeast	3
	云南鼠刺+窄叶石栎 Quercus aliena + Lithocarpus confines	1 436	30	北 North	2
	窄叶石栎+短萼海桐 Lithocarpus confines + Pittosporum brevicalyx	1 387	32	西北 Northwest	3
	窄叶石栎+猴樟+刺楸 Lithocarpus confines + Cinnamomum bodinieri + Kalopanax septemlobus	1 356	27	南 South	3

植物功能性状 Plant functional trait	单位 Unit	定义与功能含义 Definition and functional implication
比叶面积 Specific leaf area (SLA)	cm²·g^-1	新鲜叶片的面积与叶片干重之比, 代表植物体投入单位质量的干物质所获得的捕光面积。比叶面积较高的物种生长速率较高, 养分利用效率较低, “防御性”投入较少, 叶片寿命较短(Cornelissen et al., 2003)。 Fresh leaf area divided by its oven-dry mass, it’s a measure of the allocation of biomass to light harvesting. Species with higher values tend to correspond with relatively low investment in leaf defense and shorter lifespan (Cornelissen et al., 2003).
叶面积 Leaf area (LA)	cm²	叶面积指示的是叶片与外界接触面积的大小, 影响到植物体与外界环境的气体、能量等交换的平衡, 干旱而开阔的地区的植物一般具有较小的叶片(Ackerly et al., 2002; Cornelissen et al., 2003)。 Leaf area is the area leave interact with environment. It’s related to the balance of gas and energy exchange, with small leaves often observed in drier and more exposed conditions (Ackerly et al., 2002; Cornelissen et al., 2003).
最大高度 Maximum height (MH)	m	在Westoby提出的植物功能性状四维空间中, 最大高度单独成为一个主导维度(leading dimension), 最大高度跟植物的种子散布距离等多个策略有关, 主要反映了植物对光、空间等资源的竞争能力(Westoby et al., 2002; Moles et al.,2009)。 Maximum height is a leading dimension in Westoby’s trait spaces. It’s associated with the seed disperse and other strategies, and mainly reflect the competitive capacity for light, space and other resources (Westoby et al., 2002; Moles et al.,2009).

植物功能性状 Plant functional trait	单位 Unit	定义与功能含义 Definition and functional implication
比叶面积 Specific leaf area (SLA)	cm²·g^-1	新鲜叶片的面积与叶片干重之比, 代表植物体投入单位质量的干物质所获得的捕光面积。比叶面积较高的物种生长速率较高, 养分利用效率较低, “防御性”投入较少, 叶片寿命较短(Cornelissen et al., 2003)。 Fresh leaf area divided by its oven-dry mass, it’s a measure of the allocation of biomass to light harvesting. Species with higher values tend to correspond with relatively low investment in leaf defense and shorter lifespan (Cornelissen et al., 2003).
叶面积 Leaf area (LA)	cm²	叶面积指示的是叶片与外界接触面积的大小, 影响到植物体与外界环境的气体、能量等交换的平衡, 干旱而开阔的地区的植物一般具有较小的叶片(Ackerly et al., 2002; Cornelissen et al., 2003)。 Leaf area is the area leave interact with environment. It’s related to the balance of gas and energy exchange, with small leaves often observed in drier and more exposed conditions (Ackerly et al., 2002; Cornelissen et al., 2003).
最大高度 Maximum height (MH)	m	在Westoby提出的植物功能性状四维空间中, 最大高度单独成为一个主导维度(leading dimension), 最大高度跟植物的种子散布距离等多个策略有关, 主要反映了植物对光、空间等资源的竞争能力(Westoby et al., 2002; Moles et al.,2009)。 Maximum height is a leading dimension in Westoby’s trait spaces. It’s associated with the seed disperse and other strategies, and mainly reflect the competitive capacity for light, space and other resources (Westoby et al., 2002; Moles et al.,2009).

演替阶段 Succession stage	群落平均性状值 Plot mean trait values (mean ± SD)
演替阶段 Succession stage	叶面积 LA (cm²)	比叶面积 SLA (cm²·g^-1)	最大高度 MH (m)
灌丛 Shrub (n = 8)	7.74 ± 1.91	171.64 ± 15.33	2.56 ± 0.40
落叶阔叶林 Deciduous broad-leaved forest (n = 8)	11.70 ± 4.70	166.56 ± 30.76	4.07 ± 1.25
常绿落叶阔叶混交林 Deciduous-evergreen forest (n = 10)	18.33 ± 2.26	150.65 ± 17.58	6.61 ± 0.36