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Li X, Zhao X, Tsujii Y, Ma Y, Zhang R, Qian C, Wang Z, Geng F, Jin S. Links between leaf anatomy and leaf mass per area of herbaceous species across slope aspects in an eastern Tibetan subalpine meadow. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8973. [PMID: 35784019 PMCID: PMC9163673 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2021] [Revised: 04/22/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Leaf anatomy varies with abiotic factors and is an important trait for understanding plant adaptive responses to environmental conditions. Leaf mass per area (LMA) is a key morphological trait and is related to leaf performance, such as light‐saturated photosynthetic rate per leaf mass, leaf mechanical strength, and leaf lifespan. LMA is the multiplicative product of leaf thickness (LT) and leaf density (LD), both of which vary with leaf anatomy. Nevertheless, how LMA, LT, and LD covary with leaf anatomy is largely unexplored along natural environmental gradients. Slope aspect is a topographic factor that underlies variations in solar irradiation, air temperature, humidity, and soil fertility. In the present study, we examined (1) how leaf anatomy varies with different slope aspects and (2) how leaf anatomy is related to LMA, LD, and LT. Leaf anatomy was measured for 30 herbaceous species across three slope aspects (south‐, west‐, and north‐facing slopes; hereafter, SFS, WFS, and NFS, respectively) in an eastern Tibetan subalpine meadow. For 18 of the 30 species, LMA data were available from previous studies. LD was calculated as LMA divided by LT. Among the slope aspects, the dominant species on the SFS exhibited the highest LTs with the thickest spongy mesophyll layers. The thicker spongy mesophyll layer was related to a lower LD via larger intercellular airspaces. In contrast, LD was the highest on NFS among the slope aspects. LMA was not significantly different among the slope aspects because higher LTs on SFS were effectively offset by lower LDs. These results suggest that the relationships between leaf anatomy and LMA were different among the slope aspects. Mechanisms underlying the variations in leaf anatomy may include different solar radiation, air temperatures, soil water, and nutrient availabilities among the slope aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin’e Li
- Division of Grassland Science College of Animal Science and Technology Yangzhou University Yangzhou Jiangsu China
| | - Xin Zhao
- Division of Grassland Science College of Animal Science and Technology Yangzhou University Yangzhou Jiangsu China
| | - Yuki Tsujii
- School of Natural Sciences Macquarie University Sydney New South Wales Australia
- Faculty of Science Kyushu University Fukuoka Japan
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment Western Sydney University Penrith New South Wales Australia
| | - Yueqi Ma
- Division of Grassland Science College of Animal Science and Technology Yangzhou University Yangzhou Jiangsu China
| | - Renyi Zhang
- College of Ecology Lanzhou University Lanzhou China
| | - Cheng Qian
- Division of Grassland Science College of Animal Science and Technology Yangzhou University Yangzhou Jiangsu China
| | - Zixi Wang
- Division of Grassland Science College of Animal Science and Technology Yangzhou University Yangzhou Jiangsu China
| | - Feilong Geng
- Division of Grassland Science College of Animal Science and Technology Yangzhou University Yangzhou Jiangsu China
| | - Shixuan Jin
- Division of Grassland Science College of Animal Science and Technology Yangzhou University Yangzhou Jiangsu China
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C:N:P Stoichiometry of Plant, Litter and Soil along an Elevational Gradient in Subtropical Forests of China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13030372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/10/2022]
Abstract
The internal correlation of plant, litter and soil stoichiometric characteristics and their responses to the environment are helpful for revealing nutrient cycling mechanisms. However, few studies have assessed the nutrient relationship between plant, litter and soil and nutrient stock along elevational gradients, which limit the understanding of nutrient relationships in the ecosystem. To gain insight into the forces of nutrient stock and its stoichiometric ecological characteristics along the elevational gradients in forest ecosystem, we investigated the carbon (C), nitrogen (N) phosphorus (P) contents and stoichiometric ratios of dominant plants, litter and soil layers at different elevations (900–1600 m) in Daiyun Mountain. The results showed the following: (1) C, N and P contents showed an increasing order as plant > litter > soil in each elevation of Daiyun Mountain. Dominant plants were limited by N each elevation. C, N and P contents of plants at high elevation were higher than those at low elevation and significant correlations were found between plant and litter TN, TP and air and soil temperature (negative), which conforms to the Temperature-Plant Physiological Hypothesis (TPPH). (2) Significant correlations were found between plant C:N and litter C:N (positive); between litter C:P and soil N:P (positive); and between litter C:P and soil C:N (negative). (3) Elevation and slope were essential environmental factors to the stoichiometric ratio of plant and litter, and pH was the main factor that correlated negatively to soil stoichiometry ratio. Litter provided a link between plant and soil, and there was a coupling among plant, litter and soil nutrients. The results could provide a theoretical basis for understanding the nutrient cycling for the subtropical forest ecosystem of China.
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Zhang X, Feng Q, Cao J, Biswas A, Su H, Liu W, Qin Y, Zhu M. Response of leaf stoichiometry of Potentilla anserina to elevation in China's Qilian Mountains. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:941357. [PMID: 36226296 PMCID: PMC9549292 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.941357] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Plants adapt to changes in elevation by regulating their leaf ecological stoichiometry. Potentilla anserina L. that grows rapidly under poor or even bare soil conditions has become an important ground cover plant for ecological restoration. However, its leaf ecological stoichiometry has been given little attention, resulting in an insufficient understanding of its environmental adaptability and growth strategies. The objective of this study was to compare the leaf stoichiometry of P. anserina at different elevations (2,400, 2,600, 2,800, 3,000, 3,200, 3,500, and 3,800 m) in the middle eastern part of Qilian Mountains. With an increase in elevation, leaf carbon concentration [(C)leaf] significantly decreased, with the maximum value of 446.04 g·kg-1 (2,400 m) and the minimum value of 396.78 g·kg-1 (3,500 m). Leaf nitrogen concentration [(N)leaf] also increased with an increase in elevation, and its maximum and minimum values were 37.57 g·kg-1 (3,500 m) and 23.71 g·kg-1 (2,800 m), respectively. Leaf phosphorus concentration [(P)leaf] was the highest (2.79 g·kg-1) at 2,400 m and the lowest (0.91 g·kg-1) at 2,800 m. The [C]leaf/[N]leaf decreased with an increase in elevation, while [N]leaf/[P]leaf showed an opposite trend. The mean annual temperature, mean annual precipitation, soil pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus at different elevations mainly affected [C]leaf, [N]leaf, and [P]leaf. The growth of P. anserina in the study area was mainly limited by P, and this limitation was stronger with increased elevation. Progressively reducing P loss at high elevation is of great significance to the survival of P. anserina in this specific region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaofang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qi Feng
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- *Correspondence: Qi Feng
| | - Jianjun Cao
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Asim Biswas
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada
| | - Haohai Su
- College of Geography and Environmental Science, Northwest Normal University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Wei Liu
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Qilian Mountains Eco-Environment Research Center in Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yanyan Qin
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
- Qilian Mountains Eco-Environment Research Center in Gansu Province, Lanzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Land Surface Process and Climate Change in Cold and Arid Regions, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
| | - Meng Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
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