Leaf and fine root economics spectrum across 49 woody plant species in Wuyi Mountains

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2020.0280

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The plant economics spectrum would explain the trade-off strategies of vascular plants between resource acquisition and resource storage, and provide a scientific basis for understanding the mechanisms of niche differentiation and species coexistence.
Methods In this study, we measured leaf/root traits of 49 woody plants species in Wuyi Mountains, including individual leaf area (ILA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon content (LCC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC) and leaf phosphorus content (LPC), root tissue density (RTD), specific root length (SRL), specific root surface area (SRA), root carbon content (RCC), root nitrogen content (RNC) and root phosphorus content (RPC). Then, we detected if the leaf and fine root economics spectrum of the plants exist, and analyzed the differences of the plant economics spectrum between evergreen and deciduous species.
Important findings The results showed that along the PC1 axis, a leaf economics spectrum (LES), a root economics spectrum (RES) and a whole-plant economics spectrum (WPES) can be defined, respectively. Most of the evergreen species were on the conservative side, while deciduous species, on the acquisitive side of the economics spectrum. There were significant positive correlations among the scores of leaf PC1, root PC1 and whole-plant PC1. In the relationships, evergreen and deciduous species shared common scaling exponents, but common scaling constants lack, revealing that the leaf and root strategies of the subtropical species are coordinated toward the integration of WPES. The evergreen and deciduous species distributed at different sides of the economics spectrum are in different ways to construct the WPES.

Key words: trade-off strategy, evergreen species, deciduous species, plant functional traits, plant economics spectrum, Wuyi Mountains

WANG Zhao-Ying, CHEN Xiao-Ping, CHENG Ying, WANG Man-Tang, ZHONG Quan-Lin, LI Man, CHENG Dong-Liang. Leaf and fine root economics spectrum across 49 woody plant species in Wuyi Mountains[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2021, 45(3): 242-252.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2020.0280

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2021/V45/I3/242

Figures/Tables 7

References 64

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群落 Community	林分密度 Stand density (trees·hm^-2)	平均胸径 Mean DBH (cm)	平均树高 Mean height (m)	土壤总碳含量 Soil total C content (mg·g^-1)	土壤总氮含量 Soil total N content (mg·g^-1)	土壤总磷含量 Soil total P content (mg·g^-1)
EF	3 033.33 ± 200.00 ^a	13.77 ± 1.46 ^b	7.87 ± 0.07 ^b	68.88 ± 0.59 ^a	4.84 ± 0.04 ^a	0.46 ± 0.01 ^b
MF	1 133.33 ± 164.15 ^b	21.39 ± 0.80 ^a	10.56 ± 0.21 ^a	78.71 ± 4.36 ^a	5.25 ± 0.27 ^a	0.38 ± 0.02 ^c
DF	2 725.00 ± 163.94 ^a	11.47 ± 0.67 ^b	6.94 ± 0.24 ^b	75.16 ± 5.23 ^a	6.05 ± 0.22 ^a	0.65 ± 0.01 ^a

群落 Community	林分密度 Stand density (trees·hm^-2)	平均胸径 Mean DBH (cm)	平均树高 Mean height (m)	土壤总碳含量 Soil total C content (mg·g^-1)	土壤总氮含量 Soil total N content (mg·g^-1)	土壤总磷含量 Soil total P content (mg·g^-1)
EF	3 033.33 ± 200.00 ^a	13.77 ± 1.46 ^b	7.87 ± 0.07 ^b	68.88 ± 0.59 ^a	4.84 ± 0.04 ^a	0.46 ± 0.01 ^b
MF	1 133.33 ± 164.15 ^b	21.39 ± 0.80 ^a	10.56 ± 0.21 ^a	78.71 ± 4.36 ^a	5.25 ± 0.27 ^a	0.38 ± 0.02 ^c
DF	2 725.00 ± 163.94 ^a	11.47 ± 0.67 ^b	6.94 ± 0.24 ^b	75.16 ± 5.23 ^a	6.05 ± 0.22 ^a	0.65 ± 0.01 ^a

性状 Trait	单位 Unit	平均值(±标准误) Mean (±SE)	最大值 Max	最小值 Min	变异系数 CV
ILA	cm²	22.98 ± 1.68	56.03	0.24	56.79
SLA	cm²·g^-1	164.54 ± 8.45	386.95	79.54	39.78
LCC	mg·g^-1	477.56 ± 3.32	525.14	371.38	5.39
LNC	mg·g^-1	21.07 ± 0.88	38.75	9.54	32.36
LPC	mg·g^-1	1.34 ± 0.05	2.40	0.66	27.91
RTD	g·cm^-3	0.10 ± 0.003	0.18	0.05	24.23
SRL	cm·g^-1	1 809.01 ± 56.49	3 284.93	749.73	24.19
SRA	cm²·g^-1	477.00 ± 11.31	825.78	283.10	18.37
RCC	mg·g^-1	481.55 ± 3.48	526.99	374.11	5.60
RNC	mg·g^-1	10.19 ± 0.47	27.14	5.88	35.56
RPC	mg·g^-1	0.60 ± 0.02	1.34	0.27	32.31

性状 Trait	单位 Unit	平均值(±标准误) Mean (±SE)	最大值 Max	最小值 Min	变异系数 CV
ILA	cm²	22.98 ± 1.68	56.03	0.24	56.79
SLA	cm²·g^-1	164.54 ± 8.45	386.95	79.54	39.78
LCC	mg·g^-1	477.56 ± 3.32	525.14	371.38	5.39
LNC	mg·g^-1	21.07 ± 0.88	38.75	9.54	32.36
LPC	mg·g^-1	1.34 ± 0.05	2.40	0.66	27.91
RTD	g·cm^-3	0.10 ± 0.003	0.18	0.05	24.23
SRL	cm·g^-1	1 809.01 ± 56.49	3 284.93	749.73	24.19
SRA	cm²·g^-1	477.00 ± 11.31	825.78	283.10	18.37
RCC	mg·g^-1	481.55 ± 3.48	526.99	374.11	5.60
RNC	mg·g^-1	10.19 ± 0.47	27.14	5.88	35.56
RPC	mg·g^-1	0.60 ± 0.02	1.34	0.27	32.31

性状 Trait	lg ILA	lg SLA	lg LCC	lg LNC	lg LPC	lg RTD	lg SRL	lg SRA	lg RCC	lg RNC
lg SLA	0.107
lg LCC	-0.075	-0.367^**
lg LNC	0.140	0.708^**	-0.253
lg LPC	-0.003	0.458^**	0.018	0.776^**
lg RTD	-0.037	-0.24	0.022	-0.295^*	-0.236
lg SRL	0.276^*	0.014	-0.077	0.003	-0.116	-0.200
lg SRA	0.202	0.163	-0.074	0.199	0.081	-0.777^**	0.768^**
lg RCC	-0.049	-0.114	0.596^**	-0.094	0.036	0.078	-0.119	-0.163
lg RNC	-0.006	0.147	-0.113	0.413^**	0.310^*	-0.462^**	0.192	0.435^**	-0.224
lg RPC	-0.081	0.194	-0.207	0.362^**	0.310^*	-0.572^**	0.113	0.451^**	-0.381^**	0.786^**