Vertical variation and economic strategy of leaf trait of major tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2019.0307

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims An analysis of the variations in leaf traits of different tree species contributes to the understanding of plant community structures.
Methods This study explored the effect of the light environment on leaf traits at different canopy heights in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest. We measured the leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), chlorophyll content (CCI), leaf carbon content (C), mass-based and area-based nitrogen content (N_mass and N_area), and mass-based and area-based phosphorus content (P_massand P_area) for 15 broad-leaved tree species in this forest.
Important findings We found that the LMA of Fraxinus mandschurica and Populus ussuriensis in the upper canopy were significantly higher than that in the lower canopy, but no significant vertical changes were detected in other species within the canopy. The CCI of Betula platyphylla increased from the lower to upper canopy. In contrast, the CCI of Ulmus japonica in the upper canopy was significantly higher than that in the middle canopy. The N_mass of Fraxinus mandschurica in the middle canopy was significantly higher than that in the upper canopy. These results indicated that the variations in leaf traits within the canopy were different among species. The LMA was positively correlated with the LT and LDMC in all three canopies, but the correlations of other trait combinations were only significant in one or two canopies. The results suggest that the leaves of Populus davidiana and Populus ussuriensis tend to adopt survival strategies involving lower photosynthetic ability, nutrient concentrations, and respiratory rates, while the leaves of Phellodendron amurense and Maackia amurensis tend to be located at the other end of the economics spectrum with contrasting trait values. Differences in species response to light may alter leaf morphological and chemical traits in canopy layers, and hence contribute to community assembly and species coexistence.

Key words: leaf mass per area, chlorophyll content, nutrient content, canopy, leaf economics spectrum

XUN Yan-Han, DI Xue-Ying, JIN Guang-Ze. Vertical variation and economic strategy of leaf trait of major tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2020, 44(7): 730-741.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2019.0307

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2020/V44/I7/730

Figures/Tables 7

Table 1 Statistical information of DBH and height for major broadleaf tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest

树种 Species	缩写 Abbreviation	胸径 DBH (cm)	树高 Tree height (m)	重要值 Important value (%)
白桦 Betula platyphylla	BP	21.2 ± 3.7	16.6 ± 1.1	0.09
风桦 Betula costata	BC	25.0 ± 3.9	17.7 ± 0.9	3.73
春榆 Ulmus japonica	UJ	48.0 ± 26.7	20.9 ± 4.2	1.42
水曲柳 Fraxinus mandschurica	FM	45.3 ± 14.2	21.2 ± 2.6	2.61
蒙古栎 Quercus mongolica	QM	38.3 ± 8.0	20.3 ± 1.5	0.33
山杨 Populus davidiana	PD	27.5 ± 3.8	18.3 ± 0.9	0.19
大青杨 Populus ussuriensis	PU	28.6 ± 7.4	18.4 ± 1.6	0.97
糠椴 Tilia mandshurica	TM	29.3 ± 4.5	18.7 ± 1.1	0.85
紫椴 Tilia amurensis	TA	43.3 ± 22.2	20.6 ± 3.0	5.13
胡桃楸 Juglans mandshurica	JM	30.2 ± 5.3	18.9 ± 2.2	0.03
山槐 Maackia amurensis	MA	12.2 ± 3.0	13.0 ± 1.7	0.26
黄檗 Phellodendron amurense	PA	25.6 ± 6.5	17.7 ± 1.7	0.21
裂叶榆 Ulmus laciniata	UL	52.1 ± 12.2	22.3 ± 1.4	4.65
花楸 Sorbus pohuashanensis	SP	22.6 ± 8.6	16.5 ± 3.3	0.50
五角槭 Acer pictum subsp. mono	AM	22.2 ± 7.5	16.7 ± 2.2	8.25

Table 2 Leaf traits for major broadleaf tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest

叶性状 Leaf trait	缩写 Abbreviation	单位 Unit	平均值 Mean	标准误差 SE	最大值 Max	最小值 Min
比叶质量 Leaf mass per area	LMA	kg·m^-2	0.049	0.014	0.140	0.016
叶片厚度 Leaf thickness	LT	mm	0.126	0.038	0.298	0.034
叶干物质含量 Leaf dry mass content	LDMC	g·g^-1	0.286	0.056	0.509	0.109
叶绿素含量指数 Chlorophyll content index	CCI		16.83	4.364	34.42	3.14
叶碳含量 Leaf carbon content	C	mg·g^-2	475.6	32.15	554.9	384.3
单位质量的叶氮含量 Leaf nitrogen content per leaf mass	N_mass	mg·g^-2	28.16	6.405	48.43	15.00
单位面积的叶氮含量 Leaf nitrogen content per leaf area	N_area	mg·cm^-2	0.134	0.043	0.385	0.042
单位质量的叶磷含量 Leaf phosphorus content per leaf mass	P_mass	mg·g^-2	1.986	0.699	6.314	0.391
单位面积的叶磷含量 Leaf phosphorus content per leaf area	P_area	mg·cm^-2	0.009	0.004	0.032	0.001

Fig. 1 Difference of leaf traits (mean + SE) across the canopy layers for different tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved- Korean pine forest. The lowercase letters indicate whether the trait differences were significant across the canopy layers (α = 0.05). C, leaf carbon content; CCI, chlorophyll content index; LDMC, leaf dry mass content; LMA, leaf mass per area; LT, leaf thickness; Narea, leaf nitrogen content per leaf area; Nmass, leaf nitrogen content per leaf mass; Parea, leaf phosphorus content per leaf area; Pmass, leaf phosphorus content per leaf mass. The full names and abbreviations of species on the horizontal axis are shown in Table 1.

Fig. 2 Relationships among leaf structural traits and chlorophyll content index (CCI) for major broadleaf tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest. CCI, chlorophyll content index; LDMC, leaf dry mass content; LMA, leaf mass per area; LT, leaf thickness.

Fig. 3 Relationships among leaf structural traits, chlorophyll content index (CCI) and nutrient contents for major broadleaf tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest. C, leaf carbon content; CCI, chlorophyll content index; LDMC, leaf dry mass content; LMA, leaf mass per area; LT, leaf thickness; Narea, leaf nitrogen content per leaf area; Nmass, leaf nitrogen content per leaf mass; Parea, leaf phosphorus content per leaf area; Pmass, leaf phosphorus content per leaf mass.

Fig. 4 Relationships among leaf chemical traits for major broad-leaved tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest. C, leaf carbon content; Narea, leaf nitrogen content per leaf area; Nmass, leaf nitrogen content per leaf mass; Parea, leaf phosphorus content per leaf area; Pmass, leaf phosphorus content per leaf mass.

Fig. 5 Principal component analysis of leaf traits for major broadleaf tree species in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest. C, leaf carbon content; CCI, chlorophyll content index; LDMC, leaf dry mass content; LMA, leaf mass per area; LT, leaf thickness; Narea, leaf nitrogen content per leaf area; Nmass, leaf nitrogen content per leaf mass; Parea, leaf phosphorus content per leaf area; Pmass, leaf phosphorus content per leaf mass. The full names and abbreviations of species in panel B are shown in Table 1.

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