Effect of altitude on community-level plant functional traits in the Qinghai Lake Basin, China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2020.0140

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Altitude has prominent effects on many environmental factors, such as atmospheric pressure, temperature, precipitation, soil moisture and wind velocity. The relationship between plant functional traits and altitude are critical for predicting the effects of climate change on montane plants. Our objective is to examine the effect of altitude on community-level plant functional traits in the Qinghai Lake Basin, China.
Methods Five sites were selected with 200 m increase in altitude (3 400-4 200 m) in the Qinghai Lake Basin, China. Community structure, plant functional traits, soil property and atmospheric factors were surveyed and analyzed in this study. Community-weighted mean functional traits (CWM) was calculated according to the relative abundance of species.
Important findings The results showed that: (1) Community-weighted mean plant height (H), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf C:N ratio (C:N) and leaf N:P ratio (N:P) decreased significantly along altitude, while specific root surface area (SRA) fluctuated with altitude. Specific leaf area (SLA), leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and leaf phosphorus content (LPC) increased significantly along altitude, while altitude had no significant effect on leaf carbon content (LCC), root tissue density (RTD) and specific root length (SRL). (2) The variation in CWM along altitude could be explained by species turnover more rather than intraspecific variability. N:P and LPC had a positive covariation, other CWM had a negative covariation. (3) Precipitation and 0-10 cm depth soil nutrients content explained the largest proportion change of SLA. Temperature and 10-20 cm depth soil nutrients content explained the largest proportion change of other CWM along altitude. Overall, these findings suggested that the plant communities in our study adapted to altitude through species turnover, and the non-dominant species tended to occupy opposite trait spaces to the dominant species in the Qinghai Lake Basin, China. Temperature and deeper soil nutrients content had significant effects on CWM along altitude.

Key words: altitude, community-level trait, leaf stoichiometry, intraspecific variability, species turnover

XIANG Xiang, HUANG Yong-Mei, YANG Chong-Yao, LI Ze-Qing, CHEN Hui-Ying, PAN Ying-Ping, HUO Jia-Xuan, REN Liang. Effect of altitude on community-level plant functional traits in the Qinghai Lake Basin, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2021, 45(5): 456-466.

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Figures/Tables 8

References 55

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序号 Serial number	海拔 Altitude (m)	群系 Alliance	优势种 Dominant species	坡度 Slope (°)	土壤类型 Soil type
1	3 373	紫花针茅+西北针茅草地 Stipa purpurea + S. sareptana Tussock Grassland Aliance	紫花针茅、西北针茅 S. purpurea, S. sareptana	<5	砂质壤土 Sandy loam
2	3 626	紫花针茅草地 S. purpurea Tussock Grassland Aliance	紫花针茅 S. purpurea	11	砂质壤土 Sandy loam
3	3 719	高山嵩草+紫花针茅草地 Kobresia pygmaea + S. purpurea Tussock Grassland Aliance	高山嵩草、紫花针茅 K. pygmaea, S. purpurea	<5	砂质壤土 Sandy loam
4	3 973	高山嵩草草地 K. pygmaea Tussock Grassland Aliance	高山嵩草 K. pygmaea	13	壤质细砂土 Loam fine sand
5	4 222	唐古红景天高山垫状植被 Rhodiola tangutica Alpine Cushion Vegetation	唐古红景天 R. tangutica	<5	砂质壤土 Sandy loam

序号 Serial number	海拔 Altitude (m)	群系 Alliance	优势种 Dominant species	坡度 Slope (°)	土壤类型 Soil type
1	3 373	紫花针茅+西北针茅草地 Stipa purpurea + S. sareptana Tussock Grassland Aliance	紫花针茅、西北针茅 S. purpurea, S. sareptana	<5	砂质壤土 Sandy loam
2	3 626	紫花针茅草地 S. purpurea Tussock Grassland Aliance	紫花针茅 S. purpurea	11	砂质壤土 Sandy loam
3	3 719	高山嵩草+紫花针茅草地 Kobresia pygmaea + S. purpurea Tussock Grassland Aliance	高山嵩草、紫花针茅 K. pygmaea, S. purpurea	<5	砂质壤土 Sandy loam
4	3 973	高山嵩草草地 K. pygmaea Tussock Grassland Aliance	高山嵩草 K. pygmaea	13	壤质细砂土 Loam fine sand
5	4 222	唐古红景天高山垫状植被 Rhodiola tangutica Alpine Cushion Vegetation	唐古红景天 R. tangutica	<5	砂质壤土 Sandy loam

植物功能性状 Plant functional trait	简写 Abbreviation	单位 Unit	计算公式 Equation
植株高度 Plant height	H	cm	-
比叶面积 Specific leaf area	SLA	cm²·g^-1	叶面积/叶片干质量 Leaf area/dry mass
叶片干物质含量 Leaf dry matter content	LDMC	g·g^-1	叶干质量/叶饱和鲜质量 Leaf dry mass/saturated fresh mass
叶片氮含量 Leaf nitrogen content	LNC	mg·g^-1	-
叶片磷含量 Leaf phosphorus content	LPC	mg·g^-1	-
叶片碳含量 Leaf carbon content	LCC	mg·g^-1	-
叶片碳氮比 Leaf C:N ratio	C:N	-	-
叶片氮磷比 Leaf N:P ratio	N:P	-	-
比根长 Specific root length	SRL	cm·g^-1	细根长度/细根干质量 Fine root length/dry mass
比根表面积 Specific root surface area	SRA	cm²·g^-1	细根表面积/细根干质量 Fine root surface area/dry mass
根组织密度 Root tissue density	RTD	g·cm^-3	细根干质量/细根体积 Fine root dry mass/volume

植物功能性状 Plant functional trait	简写 Abbreviation	单位 Unit	计算公式 Equation
植株高度 Plant height	H	cm	-
比叶面积 Specific leaf area	SLA	cm²·g^-1	叶面积/叶片干质量 Leaf area/dry mass
叶片干物质含量 Leaf dry matter content	LDMC	g·g^-1	叶干质量/叶饱和鲜质量 Leaf dry mass/saturated fresh mass
叶片氮含量 Leaf nitrogen content	LNC	mg·g^-1	-
叶片磷含量 Leaf phosphorus content	LPC	mg·g^-1	-
叶片碳含量 Leaf carbon content	LCC	mg·g^-1	-
叶片碳氮比 Leaf C:N ratio	C:N	-	-
叶片氮磷比 Leaf N:P ratio	N:P	-	-
比根长 Specific root length	SRL	cm·g^-1	细根长度/细根干质量 Fine root length/dry mass
比根表面积 Specific root surface area	SRA	cm²·g^-1	细根表面积/细根干质量 Fine root surface area/dry mass
根组织密度 Root tissue density	RTD	g·cm^-3	细根干质量/细根体积 Fine root dry mass/volume

序号 Serial number	年平均气温 Mean annual air temperature (℃)	年降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)	0-10 cm土壤全氮含量 Soil total nitrogen content in 0-10 cm layer (mg·g^-1)	0-10 cm土壤全磷含量 Soil total phosphorus content in 0-10 cm layer (mg·g^-1)	10-20 cm土壤全氮含量 Soil total nitrogen content in 10-20 cm layer (mg·g^-1)	10-20 cm土壤全磷含量 Soil total phosphorus content in 10-20 cm layer (mg·g^-1)
1	1	348	0.39 ± 0.003^c	0.66 ± 0.164^a	0.34 ± 0.033^b	0.62 ± 0.001^ab
2	-1	434	0.39 ± 0.003^c	0.62 ± 0.008^a	0.31 ± 0.033^c	0.63 ± 0.004^a
3	-2	430	0.43 ± 0.003^b	0.65 ± 0.004^a	0.26 ± 0.000^d	0.57 ± 0.015^bc
4	-4	401	0.49 ± 0.001^a	0.59 ± 0.004^a	0.38 ± 0.000^a	0.59 ± 0.002^b
5	-6	371	0.32 ± 0.003^d	0.53 ± 0.005^a	0.18 ± 0.033^e	0.53 ± 0.007^d