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Lu S, Wang J, Liu A, Lei F, Liu R, Li S. Intraspecific transitioning of ecological strategies in Pinus massoniana trees across restoration stages. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11305. [PMID: 38711487 PMCID: PMC11070636 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2023] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Intraspecific variation in plant functional traits and ecological strategies is typically overlooked in most studies despite its pivotal role at the local scales and along short environmental gradients. While CSR theory has been used to classify ecological strategies (competitive C; stress-tolerant, S; ruderal, R) in different plant species, its ability to explain intraspecific variation in ecological strategies remains uncertain. Here, we sought to investigate intraspecific variation in ecological strategies for Pinus massoniana, a pioneer conifer tree for ecological restoration in Changting County, southeast China. By measuring key leaf traits and canopy height of 252 individuals at different ontogenetic stages from three plots spanning distinctive stages along early ecological restoration and calculating their C, S, and R scores, we constructed an intraspecific CSR system. All individual strategies shifted across three restoration stages, with adults from higher S component to higher C component while juveniles from higher S component to higher R component. Our results suggest that while strategies of all P. massoniana individuals start with tolerance to environmental stress, as restoration proceeds, adult transition towards completion for light, whereas juveniles shift to an acquisitive resource use. The study reveals an intraspecific pattern of strategy variation during forest restoration, contributing to our understanding of how plants adapt to diverse environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sihang Lu
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Jiazheng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems, College of Ecology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
- Yuzhong Mountain Ecosystems Observation and Research Station Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | - Ao Liu
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Feiya Lei
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
| | - Rong Liu
- Systems Ecology, Department of Ecological Science VU University Amsterdam The Netherlands
| | - Shouzhong Li
- Institute of Geography Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
- School of Geographical Sciences Fujian Normal University Fuzhou China
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He D, Liu XY, Zheng LT. Sex-specific scaling of leaf phosphorus vs. nitrogen under unequal reproductive requirements in Eurya japonica, a dioecious plant. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF BOTANY 2024:e16311. [PMID: 38571288 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.16311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024]
Abstract
PREMISE Previous work searching for sexual dimorphism has largely relied on the comparison of trait mean vectors between sexes in dioecious plants. Whether trait scaling (i.e., the ratio of proportional changes in covarying traits) differs between sexes, along with its functional significance, remains unclear. METHODS We measured 10 vegetative traits pertaining to carbon, water, and nutrient economics across 337 individuals (157 males and 180 females) of the diocious species Eurya japonica during the fruiting season in eastern China. Piecewise structural equation modeling was employed to reveal the scaling relationships of multiple interacting traits, and multivariate analysis of (co)variance was conducted to test for intersexual differences. RESULTS There was no sexual dimorphism in terms of trait mean vectors across the 10 vegetative traits in E. japonica. Moreover, most relationships for covarying trait pairs (17 out of 19) exhibited common scaling slopes between sexes. However, the scaling slopes for leaf phosphorus (P) vs. nitrogen (N) differed between sexes, with 5.6- and 3.0-fold increases of P coinciding with a 10-fold increase of N in male and female plants, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The lower ratio of proportional changes in P vs. N for females likely reflects stronger P limitation for their vegetative growth, as they require greater P investments in fruiting. Therefore, P vs. N scaling can be a key avenue allowing for sex-specific strategic optimization under unequal reproductive requirements. This study uncovers a hidden aspect of secondary sex character in dioecious plants, and highlights the use of trait scaling to understand sex-defined economic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dong He
- College of Ecology and the Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumchi, PR China
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China
| | - Xiang-Yu Liu
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China
- Plant Ecology and Phytochemistry Group, Institute of Biology, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Li-Ting Zheng
- School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, PR China
- Institute for Global Change Biology, School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, 48109, Michigan, USA
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Millan M, Ottaviani G, Beckett H, Archibald S, Mangena H, Stevens N. Disentangling the effect of growth from development in size-related trait scaling relationships. PLANT BIOLOGY (STUTTGART, GERMANY) 2024; 26:485-491. [PMID: 38441404 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13634] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
In plant ecology, the terms growth and development are often used interchangeably. Yet these constitute two distinct processes. Plant architectural traits (e.g. number of successive forks) can estimate development stages. Here, we show the importance of including the effect of development stages to better understand size-related trait scaling relationships (i.e. between height and stem diameter). We focused on one common savanna woody species (Senegalia nigrescens) from the Greater Kruger Area, South Africa. We sampled 406 individuals that experience different exposure to herbivory, from which we collected four traits: plant height, basal stem diameter, number of successive forks (proxy for development stage), and resprouting. We analysed trait relationships (using standardized major axis regression) between height and stem diameter, accounting for the effect of ontogeny, exposure to herbivory, and resprouting. The number of successive forks affects the scaling relationship between height and stem diameter, with the slope and strength of the relationship declining in more developed individuals. Herbivory exposure and resprouting do not affect the overall height-diameter relationship. However, when height and stem diameter were regressed separately against number of successive forks, herbivory exposure and resprouting had an effect. For example, resprouting individuals allocate more biomass to both primary and secondary growth than non-resprouting plants in more disturbed conditions. We stress the need to include traits related to ontogeny so as to disentangle the effect of biomass allocation to primary and secondary growth from that of development in plant functional relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Millan
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- School for Climate Studies, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - G Ottaviani
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Třeboň, Czechia
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czechia
- Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Porano, Italy
- National Biodiversity Future Center (NBFC), Palermo, Italy
| | - H Beckett
- School for Climate Studies, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
| | - S Archibald
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - H Mangena
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - N Stevens
- School for Climate Studies, Stellenbosch University, Matieland, South Africa
- Environmental Change Institute, School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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Xu L, Zhang N, Wei T, Liu B, Shen L, Liu Y, Liu D. Adaptation strategies of leaf traits and leaf economic spectrum of two urban garden plants in China. BMC PLANT BIOLOGY 2023; 23:274. [PMID: 37221486 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-023-04301-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies of the relationships between traits have focused on the natural growth conditions of wild plants. Urban garden plants exhibit some differences in plant traits due to environmental interference. It is unknown whether the relationships between the leaf traits of urban garden plants differ under distinct climates. In this study, we revealed the variation characteristics of the leaf functional traits of trees, shrubs, and vines in two urban locations. Two-way ANOVA was used to reveal the response of plant leaf traits to climate and life forms. Pearson correlation analysis and principal component analysis were used to calculate the correlation coefficient between the leaf functional traits of plants at the two locations. RESULTS Leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and vein density (VD) of different life forms in Mudanjiang were higher than those in Bozhou (P < 0.05), and the relative water content (RWC) in Bozhou was higher, whereas vein density (VD) of trees and shrubs in the two urban locations was significant (P < 0.05), but the vines were not significant. The photosynthetic pigments of tree and shrub species were larger in Mudanjiang, but the opposite was true for the vines. Both leaf vein density (VD) and stomatal density (SD) showed a very significant positive correlation in the two urban locations (P < 0.01), and both were significantly positively correlated with specific leaf area (SLA) (P < 0.05); and negatively correlated with leaf thickness (LT), and the relationship between pigment content were closer. CONCLUSION The response to climate showed obvious differences in leaf traits of different life forms species in urban area, but the correlations between the traits showed convergence, which reflects that the adaptation strategies of garden plant leaves to different habitats are both coordinated and relatively independent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liying Xu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal College, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, 157011, P. R. China.
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, 150040, P. R. China.
| | - Nana Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal College, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, 157011, P. R. China
| | - Tongchao Wei
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal College, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, 157011, P. R. China
| | - Bingyang Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal College, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, 157011, P. R. China
| | - Lanyi Shen
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal College, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, 157011, P. R. China
| | - Yang Liu
- School of Life Science and Technology, Mudanjiang Normal College, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, 157011, P. R. China
| | - Dounan Liu
- School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Mudanjiang Normal College, Mudanjiang, Heilongjiang, 157011, P. R. China
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Shrubs Should Be Valued: The Functional Traits of Lonicera fragrantissima var. lancifolia in a Qinling Huangguan Forest Dynamics Plot, China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13071147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have focused on the functional traits of trees, while undergrowth shrubs have not received the same attention. We collected 97 shrubs from 6 habitats in 3 diameter classes to measure the functional traits of Lonicera fragrantissima var. lancifolia, which is one of the dominant species in the shrub layer of the Qinling Huangguan plot. We found that leaf thickness (LT) decreased with an increase in diameter classes. Other functional traits did not change significantly with the diameter classes. Most of the functional traits changed with the habitats, which may be influenced by topography and soil. On the whole, Lonicera fragrantissima var. lancifolia showed low variation, which indicates that its growth was stable and good. The relationships between functional traits within species was in accordance with the leaf economic spectrum. The positive correlation between soil total nitrogen (STN) and C:N verified the “nutrition luxury hypothesis”.
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Jiao Y, Niklas KJ, Wang L, Yu K, Li Y, Shi P. Influence of Leaf Age on the Scaling Relationships of Lamina Mass vs. Area. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:860206. [PMID: 35463398 PMCID: PMC9024345 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.860206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Leaf lamina mass and area are closely correlated with the photosynthetic capacity and competitive ability of plants, whereas leaf age has been demonstrated to affect physiological processes such as photosynthesis. However, it remains unknown whether the lamina mass vs. area scaling relationship is influenced by leaf age, which is important for understanding plant adaptive strategies and, more broadly, resource utilization and growth. We measured the leaf functional traits of five leaf-age groups of Photinia × fraseri for a total of 1,736 leaves. ANOVA followed by Tukey's honestly significant difference test was used to compare the functional traits among the five leaf-age groups. Reduced major axis regression protocols were used to fit the scaling relationship between lamina mass and area, and the bootstrap percentile method was used to compare the lamina mass vs. area scaling relationships among the leaf-age groups. Lamina area, and the ratio of lamina dry mass to lamina fresh mass increased with increasing leaf age. Lamina fresh mass per unit area, and lamina dry mass per unit area both exhibited a parabolic-like trend as leaf age increased, i.e., at the leaf maturation stage, it showed a slight but significant decline. The phenomenon called diminishing returns were confirmed by each of the five leaf-age groups, i.e., all of the numerical values of the scaling exponents of lamina mass vs. area were significantly greater than 1. There were significant differences in the scaling exponents of lamina mass vs. area for the leaves across different sampling times. The scaling exponents were lower at the early rapid growth stage, indicating a lower cost for increasing leaf area compared to the leaf maturation stage. These data are consistent with leaves undergoing a transition from resource acquisition to resource conservation in the process of their development and growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yabing Jiao
- College of Biology and the Environment, Bamboo Research Institution, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Karl J. Niklas
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Lin Wang
- College of Biology and the Environment, Bamboo Research Institution, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Kexin Yu
- College of Biology and the Environment, Bamboo Research Institution, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yirong Li
- College of Biology and the Environment, Bamboo Research Institution, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peijian Shi
- College of Biology and the Environment, Bamboo Research Institution, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
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Bin Y, Li Y, Russo SE, Cao H, Ni Y, Ye W, Lian J. Leaf trait expression varies with tree size and ecological strategy in a subtropical forest. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yue Bin
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou 510650 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) Guangzhou 511458 China
| | - Yanpeng Li
- Forest Ecology Research Center Research Institute of Tropical Forestry Chinese Academy of Forestry Guangzhou 510520 USA
| | - Sabrina E. Russo
- School of Biological Sciences University of Nebraska Lincoln NE USA 68588‐0118
- Center for Plant Science Innovation University of Nebraska Lincoln NE USA 68588‐0660
| | - Honglin Cao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou 510650 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) Guangzhou 511458 China
| | - Yunlong Ni
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou 510650 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) Guangzhou 511458 China
| | - Wanhui Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou 510650 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) Guangzhou 511458 China
| | - Juyu Lian
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences Guangzhou 510650 China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou) Guangzhou 511458 China
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Zheng J, Jiang Y, Qian H, Mao Y, Zhang C, Tang X, Jin Y, Yi Y. Size-dependent and environment-mediated shifts in leaf traits of a deciduous tree species in a subtropical forest. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8516. [PMID: 35136561 PMCID: PMC8809444 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8516] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Revised: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
AIMS Understanding the joint effects of plant development and environment on shifts of intraspecific leaf traits will advance the understandings of the causes of intraspecific trait variation. We address this question by focusing on a widespread species Clausena dunniana in a subtropical broad-leaved forest. METHODS We sampled 262 individuals of C. dunniana at two major topographic habitat types, the slope and hilltop, within the karst forests in Maolan Nature Reserve in southwestern China. We measured individual plant level leaf traits (i.e., specific leaf area (SLA), leaf area, leaf dry-matter content (LDMC), and leaf thickness) that are associated with plant resource-use strategies. We adopted a linear mixed-effects model in which the plant size (i.e., the first principal component of plant basal diameter and plant height) and environmental factors (i.e., topographic habitat, canopy height, and rock-bareness) were used as independent variables, to estimate their influences on the shifts of leaf traits. KEY RESULTS We found that (1) plant size and the environmental factors independently drove the intraspecific leaf trait shifts of C. dunniana, of which plant size explained less variances than environmental factors. (2) With increasing plant size, C. dunniana individuals had increasingly smaller SLA but larger sized leaves. (3) The most influential environmental factor was topographic habitat; it drove the shifts of all the four traits examined. Clausena dunniana individuals on hilltops had leaf traits representing more conservative resource-use strategies (e.g., smaller SLA, higher LDMC) than individuals on slopes. On top of that, local-scale environmental factors further modified leaf trait shifts. CONCLUSIONS Plant size and environment independently shaped the variations in intraspecific leaf traits of C. dunniana in the subtropical karst forest of Maolan. Compared with plant size, the environment played a more critical role in shaping intraspecific leaf trait variations, and potentially also the underlying individual-level plant resource-use strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Zheng
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Ya Jiang
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Hong Qian
- Research and Collections CenterIllinois State MuseumSpringfieldIllinoisUSA
| | - Yanjiao Mao
- School of Life SciencesGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Chao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Xiaoxin Tang
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Yi Jin
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
| | - Yin Yi
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Biodiversity Conservation in Karst Mountainous Areas of Southwestern ChinaGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
- Key Laboratory of Plant Physiology and Developmental Regulation of Guizhou ProvinceGuizhou Normal UniversityGuiyangChina
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Ma J, Niklas KJ, Liu L, Fang Z, Li Y, Shi P. Tree Size Influences Leaf Shape but Does Not Affect the Proportional Relationship Between Leaf Area and the Product of Length and Width. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:850203. [PMID: 35755713 PMCID: PMC9221507 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.850203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The Montgomery equation predicts leaf area as the product of leaf length and width multiplied by a correction factor. It has been demonstrated to apply to a variety of leaf shapes. However, it is unknown whether tree size (measured as the diameter at breast height) affects leaf shape and size, or whether such variations in leaf shape can invalidate the Montgomery equation in calculating leaf area. Here, we examined 60 individual trees of the alpine oak (Quercus pannosa) in two growth patterns (trees growing from seeds vs. growing from roots), with 30 individuals for each site. Between 100 and 110 leaves from each tree were used to measure leaf dry mass, leaf area, length, and width, and to calculate the ellipticalness index, ratio of area between the two sides of the lamina, and the lamina centroid ratio. We tested whether tree size affects leaf shape, size, and leaf dry mass per unit area, and tested whether the Montgomery equation is valid for calculating leaf area of the leaves from different tree sizes. The diameters at breast height of the trees ranged from 8.6 to 96.4 cm (tree height ranged from 3 to 32 m). The diameter at breast height significantly affected leaf shape, size, and leaf dry mass per unit area. Larger trees had larger and broader leaves with lower leaf dry mass per unit area, and the lamina centroid was closer to the leaf apex than the leaf base. However, the variation in leaf size and shape did not negate the validity of the Montgomery equation. Thus, regardless of tree size, the proportional relationship between leaf area and the product of leaf length and width can be used to calculate the area of the leaves.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianzhong Ma
- Yunnan Academy of Forestry and Grassland, Kunming, China
- Bamboo Research Institute, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Karl J. Niklas
- Plant Biology Section, School of Integrative Plant Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, United States
| | - Leyi Liu
- College of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture Science, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, China
| | - Zhendong Fang
- Shangri-la Alpine Botanical Garden, Shangri-la, China
| | - Yirong Li
- Bamboo Research Institute, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
| | - Peijian Shi
- Bamboo Research Institute, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
- *Correspondence: Peijian Shi,
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Martin AR, Isaac ME. The leaf economics spectrum's morning coffee: plant size-dependent changes in leaf traits and reproductive onset in a perennial tree crop. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2021; 127:483-493. [PMID: 33502446 PMCID: PMC7988517 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcaa199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/20/2021] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Size-dependent changes in plant traits are an important source of intraspecific trait variation. However, there are few studies that have tested if leaf trait co-variation and/or trade-offs follow a within-genotype leaf economics spectrum (LES) related to plant size and reproductive onset. To our knowledge, there are no studies on any plant species that have tested whether or not the shape of a within-genotype LES that describes how traits covary across whole plant sizes, is the same as the shape of a within-genotype LES that represents environmentally driven trait plasticity. METHODS We quantified size-dependent variation in eight leaf traits in a single coffee genotype (Coffea arabica var. Caturra) in managed agroecosystems with different environmental conditions (light and fertilization treatments), and evaluated these patterns with respect to reproductive onset. We also evaluated if trait covariation along a within-genotype plant-size LES differed from a within-genotype environmental LES defined with trait data from coffee growing in different environmental conditions. KEY RESULTS Leaf economics traits related to resource acquisition - maximum photosynthetic rates (A) and mass-based leaf nitrogen (N) concentrations - declined linearly with plant size. Structural traits - leaf mass, leaf thickness, and leaf mass per unit area (LMA) - and leaf area increased with plant size beyond reproductive onset, then declined in larger plants. Three primary LES traits (mass-based A, leaf N and LMA) covaried across a within-genotype plant-size LES, with plants moving towards the 'resource-conserving' end of the LES as they grow larger; in coffee these patterns were nearly identical to a within-genotype environmental LES. CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that a plant-size LES exists within a single genotype. Our findings indicate that in managed agroecosystems where resource availability is high the role of reproductive onset in driving within-genotype trait variability, and the strength of covariation and trade-offs among LES traits, are less pronounced compared with plants in natural systems. The consistency in trait covariation in coffee along both plant-size and environmental LES axes indicates strong constraints on leaf form and function that exist within plant genotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R Martin
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
| | - Marney E Isaac
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Centre for Critical Development Studies, University of Toronto Scarborough, Military Trail, Toronto, Canada
- Department of Geography, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
- For correspondence. E-mail
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Liu Z, Hikosaka K, Li F, Jin G. Variations in leaf economics spectrum traits for an evergreen coniferous species: Tree size dominates over environment factors. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13498] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zhili Liu
- Center for Ecological Research Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management‐Ministry of Education Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
| | - Kouki Hikosaka
- Graduate School of Life Sciences Tohoku University Sendai Miyagi Japan
| | - Fengri Li
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management‐Ministry of Education Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
- School of Forestry Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
| | - Guangze Jin
- Center for Ecological Research Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management‐Ministry of Education Northeast Forestry University Harbin China
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