Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2025, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (12): 2105-2118.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2024.0372  cstr: 32100.14.cjpe.2024.0372

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Post-fire time impacts on nonstructural carbohydrates in leaves-branches-roots of Vaccinium vitis-idaea in Da Hinggan Mountains

LU Lei-Qin, SUN Long, SONG Yu-Xuan, YANG Guang, CAI Hui-Ying*()   

  1. College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, Harbin 150040, China
  • Received:2024-10-21 Accepted:2025-02-26 Online:2025-12-20 Published:2025-12-29
  • Contact: CAI Hui-Ying
  • Supported by:
    Natural Science Foundation of Heilongjiang(YQ2024C032);Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2572023CT01)

Abstract:

Aims In recent years, fires triggered by extreme weather have caused severe damage to forest ecosystems, leading to a sharp increase in tree mortality. Non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) can reflect the response of plants to post-fire environmental changes and their adaptive strategies. However, few studies have explored the changing patterns and response mechanisms of NSC concentrations in different plant organs with time post fire.

Methods In the Huzhong area of the Da Hinggan Mountains, four severely burned plots at different burn times and one adjacent unburned plot were selected using the “space for time” method. The local dominant shrub species, Vaccinium vitis-idaea, was chosen, and the leaves and branches of different ages (current year and perennial), fine roots and rhizosphere soil samples were collected, further determining organ soluble sugar and starch concentrations, functional traits of leaves and fine roots, and the soil properties.

Important findings The order of NSC concentrations in different organs of V. vitis-idaea was leaves > branches > fine roots. The soluble sugar concentration of current year leaves increased significantly after fire, whereas the starch concentration of perennial leaves increased remarkably. The starch concentration of current year branches was significantly higher than that of perennial branches from 2 to 10 years post fire. The NSC concentrations of branches and fine roots 18 years post fire differed substantially from those at unburned plot. In addition, leaf NSC concentration was negatively correlated with soil pH, leaf specific area and leaf nitrogen content. Furthermore, branch NSC concentration was positively correlated with time post fire and soil available phosphorus content, but negatively correlated with fine root nitrogen content. Fine root NSC concentration was positively correlated with time post fire while negatively correlated with fine root nitrogen content. In conclusion, the responses of V. vitis-idaea NSC concentrations to time post fire varied among organs, which is of great significance to accurately understanding the physiological and ecological changes of plants during post fire recovery.

Key words: forest fire disturbance, leaf age, soluble sugar, soil properties, plant trait