Plant leaf traits, height and biomass partitioning in typical ephemerals under different levels of snow cover thickness in an alpine meadow

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2015.0288

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims In the cold life zones, snow cover is a comprehensive environmental factor that directly influences soil temperature, soil water content, light and nutrient availability. Plants in these zones develop a series of unique mechanisms involving phenological characteristics, reproductive strategies, physiology and morphology to adapt to environmental changes. This paper is focused on the responses of plant leaf traits, height and biomass partitioning to variations in snow cover thickness, in order to better understand the responses of plant functional traits and specific adaptation strategies under global climate change scenarios. Methods Three transects were established along a gradient of snow cover in an alpine meadow of Mt. Kaka, in the eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Primula purdomii, Pedicularis kansuensis and Ranunculus tanguticus, which are three widely distributed and dominant ephemerals, were sampled and studied, particularly at their blooming stages. Plant height, specific leaf area (SLA) and biomass partitioning were measured accordingly. Important findings The values of SLA in Pedicularis kansuensis and R. tanguticus were relatively greater under better soil conditions; it was smaller in Primula purdomii with thick snow cover. The relationship between aboveground biomass and belowground biomass in Primula purdomii was allometric at sites with both thick and thin snow cover. No significant relationships were found between aboveground biomass and belowground biomass in Pedicularis kansuensis and R. tanguticus at some individual sites. However, when samples of the three species were pooled, the relationships between aboveground biomass and belowground biomass were allometric at all sites, which did not support isometric scaling hypothesis. In addition, on sites with either thick or thin snow cover, aboveground biomass had greater rate of accumulation than belowground biomass; whereas on sites with medium snow cover, the rate of biomass accumulation was greater for belowground component than aboveground component. Functional traits and biomass variables were better correlated in Primula purdomii and Pedicularis kansuensis than in R. tanguticus.

http://jtp.cnki.net/bilingual/detail/html/ZWSB201608004

Key words: snow cover thickness, ephemeral plant, special leaf area, plant height, biomass partitioning, allometric scaling

Jing GAO, Jin-Niu WANG, Bo XU, Yu XIE, Jun-Dong HE, Yan WU. Plant leaf traits, height and biomass partitioning in typical ephemerals under different levels of snow cover thickness in an alpine meadow[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2016, 40(8): 775-787.

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References 63

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雪被厚度 Levels of snow cover thickness	雪被形成日期 Date of snow cover formation	雪被消失日期 Date of snow cover disappearance	雪被持续天数 Lasting days of snow cover (d)	雪被最大厚度 Maximum depth of snow cover (cm)
浅 Thin	2012-01-14	2013-04-28	106	46
中 Medium	2012-01-09	2013-05-01	114	61
厚 Thick	2012-02-28	2013-05-13	138	115

雪被厚度 Levels of snow cover thickness	雪被形成日期 Date of snow cover formation	雪被消失日期 Date of snow cover disappearance	雪被持续天数 Lasting days of snow cover (d)	雪被最大厚度 Maximum depth of snow cover (cm)
浅 Thin	2012-01-14	2013-04-28	106	46
中 Medium	2012-01-09	2013-05-01	114	61
厚 Thick	2012-02-28	2013-05-13	138	115

雪被厚度 Levels of snow cover thickness	土壤有机碳含量 SOC (g·kg^-1)	土壤全氮含量 STN (g·kg^-1)	土壤全磷含量 STP (g·kg^-1)	土壤含水量 SWC (%)
浅 Thin	43.28 ± 6.36^b	3.63 ± 0.47^b	0.88 ± 0.07^a	65.76 ± 0.90^ab
中 Medium	44.12 ± 2.24^b	3.78 ± 0.16^b	1.15 ± 0.26^a	68.68 ± 0.57^a
厚 Thick	71.54 ± 7.27^a	5.34 ± 0.48^a	1.31 ± 0.06^a	62.88 ± 1.22^b

雪被厚度 Levels of snow cover thickness	土壤有机碳含量 SOC (g·kg^-1)	土壤全氮含量 STN (g·kg^-1)	土壤全磷含量 STP (g·kg^-1)	土壤含水量 SWC (%)
浅 Thin	43.28 ± 6.36^b	3.63 ± 0.47^b	0.88 ± 0.07^a	65.76 ± 0.90^ab
中 Medium	44.12 ± 2.24^b	3.78 ± 0.16^b	1.15 ± 0.26^a	68.68 ± 0.57^a
厚 Thick	71.54 ± 7.27^a	5.34 ± 0.48^a	1.31 ± 0.06^a	62.88 ± 1.22^b

	植物功能性状 Plant functional traits	自由度 df	均方 Mean squares	F	p
物种 Species	单叶质量 Individual leaf mass	2	1.674	54.180	<0.000 1
	单叶面积 Individual leaf area	2	3.689	101.290	<0.000 1
	比叶面积 Specific leaf area	2	0.443	52.446	<0.000 1
	株高 Plant height	2	1.811	177.241	<0.000 1
雪被 Snow cover	单叶质量 Individual leaf mass	2	0.299	9.682	<0.000 1
	单叶面积 Individual leaf area	2	0.058	1.582	0.210 0
	比叶面积 Specific leaf area	2	0.166	19.625	<0.000 1
	株高 Plant height	2	0.296	29.004	<0.000 1
物种× 雪被 Species × snow cover	单叶质量 Individual leaf mass	2	0.566	18.331	<0.000 1
	单叶面积 Individual leaf area	2	0.085	2.338	0.101 0
	比叶面积 Specific leaf area	2	0.236	27.977	<0.000 1
	株高 Plant height	2	0.519	50.762	<0.000 1