Allocation of nonstructural carbohydrates for three temperate tree species in Northeast China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.01245

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The content and allocation of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) in trees reflect whole-tree carbon balance regimes, and are crucial to determine growth / survivorship trade-off of trees and model tree carbon balance between uptake and investments in structure or loss. Our objective was to examine the concentration and allocation patterns of NSC for three temperate tree species, i.e., Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis), Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) and Mongolian oak (Quercus mongolica).
Methods During the mid-growing season (July of 2010), all biomass tissues, including foliage, branch, stem and root, were randomly sampled from three dominant trees for each species. The stem samples were taken from mid-canopy and breast height, and divided into sapwood and heartwood, while the root samples were divided into fine (diameter < 2 mm), medium (2-5 mm) and coarse roots (>5 mm). All samples were dried, ground, and analyzed for NSC concentrations (including soluble sugar and starch) with a modified phenol-sulfuric acid method.
Important findings The concentrations of NSC and its component differed significantly among species and tissues. Concentration ranges were 0.65-8.45, 1.96-5.95 and 3.00-13.90 g·100 g^-1 DM for soluble sugar, starch, and NSC, respectively. On average, the contents of NSC and its components followed the order of: larch > oak > pine. Concentrations in the foliage and roots were higher than those in other tissues. Within the stems, the longitudinal variations in the concentrations of NSC and its components were insignificant, whereas the differences between sapwood and heartwood varied with species and NSC components. There was no significant difference in soluble sugar concentration between sapwood and heartwood, but significant differences in starch and total NSC concentration. The concentrations of NSC and its components varied insignificantly with root diameters for larch and pine, but significantly for oak. Oak invested more soluble sugar to aboveground growth, whereas the two conifers did more to roots. Nevertheless, starch was mainly reserved in stems, and the intra-tree allocation pattern of starch exhibited an opposite trend to soluble sugar, leading the total NSC to be relatively balanced between roots and branches. In the stems, heartwood was the major reserve of NSC and starch, while sapwood was the major reserve of soluble sugar for the two conifers. In the roots, coarse root was the dominant reserves of NSC and its components. We concluded that the inter- and intra-specific variations in the NSC and its components in this study reflect differences in growth strategies and within-tree carbon source / sink strength for the three temperate tree species.

Key words: carbon allocation, Larix gmelinii, Pinus koraiensis, Quercus mongolica, soluble sugar, starch

YU Li-Min, WANG Chuan-Kuan, WANG Xing-Chang. Allocation of nonstructural carbohydrates for three temperate tree species in Northeast China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2011, 35(12): 1245-1255.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.01245

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2011/V35/I12/1245

Figures/Tables 9

Table 1 Basic characteristics of the sampled trees and stands

树种 Species	叶性状 Leaf trait	林分密度 Stand density (tree·hm^-2)	坡度 Slope (°)	坡向 Slope aspect	平均胸径 Mean DBH (cm)	平均树高 Mean tree height (m)
蒙古栎 Quercus mongolica	落叶阔叶 Deciduous broadleaved	2495	23	南 South	41.2	17.0
兴安落叶松 Larix gmelinii	落叶针叶 Deciduous coniferous	1823	2	西南 Southwest	35.6	27.7
红松 Pinus koraiensis	常绿针叶 Evergreen coniferous	2683	8	西 West	31.2	18.4

Table 2 ANOVA of factors influencing concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components

非结构性碳水化合物组分 NSC component	变异来源 Source of variation	自由度 df	F值 F-value	概率 p
可溶性糖 Soluble sugar	树种 Species	2	20.7	<0.01
	组织 Tissue	3	110.5	<0.01
	树种×组织 Species × Tissue	6	8.4	<0.01
淀粉 Starch	树种 Species	2	6.4	<0.01
	组织 Tissue	3	29.9	<0.01
	树种×组织 Species × Tissue	6	9.1	<0.01
总量 Total	树种 Species	2	16.5	<0.01
	组织 Tissue	3	90.0	<0.01
	树种×组织 Species × Tissue	6	4.7	<0.01

Fig. 1 Concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components in the tissues of the three tree species (mean ± SE). Larch, Larix gmelinii; Oak, Quercus mongolica; Pine, Pinus koraiensis. a and b in the figures stand for the significant difference groups (α = 0.05).

Fig. 2 Contents of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components in the tissues of the three tree species. The diameters at breast height of all trees for the three species are normalized to 30 cm. Larch, Larix gmelinii; Oak, Quercus mongolica; Pine, Pinus koraiensis. a and b in the figure stand for the significant difference groups (α = 0.05).

Fig. 3 Allocation of nonstructural carbohydrates (NSC) and its components within the tissues for the three tree species. Larch, Larix gmelinii; Oak, Quercus mongolica; Pine, Pinus koraiensis.

Fig. 4 Concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components in the roots of the three tree species (mean ± SE). a and b in the figures stand for the significant difference groups (α = 0.05). Larch, Larix gmelinii; Oak, Quercus mongolica; Pine, Pinus koraiensis.

Fig. 5 Allocation of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components within the roots of the three tree species. Larch, Larix gmelinii; Oak, Quercus mongolica; Pine, Pinus koraiensis.

Fig. 6 Concentrations of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components in the sapwood and heartwood of the three tree species (mean ± SE). a and b in the figures stand for the significant difference groups (α = 0.05). Larch, Larix gmelinii; Oak, Quercus mongolica; Pine, Pinus koraiensis.

Fig. 7 Allocation of nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) and its components in the sapwood and heartwood of the three tree species. Larch, Larix gmelinii; Oak, Quercus mongolica; Pine, Pinus koraiensis.

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