Background:To disentangle the controls on species distribution in the context of climate change is a central element in proposed strategies to maintain species diversity.However,previous studies have focused mainly on...Background:To disentangle the controls on species distribution in the context of climate change is a central element in proposed strategies to maintain species diversity.However,previous studies have focused mainly on the roles of abiotic factors(e.g.,climate and soil properties),with much less attention given to the roles of biotic factors such as functional traits.Here,we measured eight leaf traits for 240 individual trees of 53 species and analyzed the variation in traits and population composition indices and their relationships with soil properties,climate factors,and leaf traits.Results:The tree density,frequency and species importance values of the overall species and saplings significantly increased with increasing elevation,while the same indices(except for species frequency)of adults did not significantly change.The largest percentage of variation of species importance value(greater than 50%)was explained by climate,but leaf traits played a critical role in driving elevation distribution patterns of both saplings and adults;the abundance of saplings significantly increased with elevation,with increased leaf carbon contents,while the abundance of adults did not change in accordance with a nutrient conservation strategy associated with the leaf economic spectrum.Conclusions:Our results suggest that the elevation gradient distribution of woody plant species is dependent on tree size and that local atmospheric humidity and leaf traits cause considerable variation in species distribution along subtropical mountain elevations.We provide evidence of which leaf traits play a key role in the elevation gradient distribution of different sizes of woody tree species.展开更多
Three popular traditional rice landraces, namely Kalajeera, Machakanta and Haladichudi, from Koraput, India were used to analyse the leaf traits and antioxidant defence for drought tolerance. When rice plants were exp...Three popular traditional rice landraces, namely Kalajeera, Machakanta and Haladichudi, from Koraput, India were used to analyse the leaf traits and antioxidant defence for drought tolerance. When rice plants were exposed to different levels of drought stress by varying concentrations of polyethylene glycol （PEG） 6000, seed germination and growth parameters were significantly declined in all the rice landraces compared to the control. Drought stress also altered the leaf phenotypic traits based on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll index, with more significant differences in susceptible variety IR64 than in traditional landraces. Furthermore, activities of antioxidative enzymes and proline and protein contents overtly increased under drought stress. The traditional rice landraces showed higher relative ratios for different parameters compared to the susceptible variety IR64. Taken together, the traditional landraces had superior leaf physiological efficiency compared to the susceptible and tolerant check varieties under drought stress.展开更多
Leaf trait patterns and their variations with climate are interpreted as an adaptive adjustment to environment.This study assessed the adaptability of planted black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) based on the analys...Leaf trait patterns and their variations with climate are interpreted as an adaptive adjustment to environment.This study assessed the adaptability of planted black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) based on the analysis of leaf traits and the comparison of its leaf traits with inter-specific ones existing in the same area.We measured some water and N use related leaf traits: leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA) and N,P and K concentrations based on both leaf area (Narea,Parea and Karea) and leaf mass (Nmass,Pmass and Kmass) of R.pseudoacacia at 31 sites along a water stress gradient in North Shaanxi Province,China.The results show that leaves of R.pseudoacacia have high Nmass and low LMA in the study area.High Nmass and low LMA are usually representative of luxurious resource use,and will advance plant resource competitiveness in high-resource conditions.As a whole,LMA-nutrient relationships of R.pseudoacacia display patterns that are fairly similar to the inter-specific relationships in both direction and intensity.The tendency for LMA and Narea to increase with decreasing water availability and the positive correlation between LMA and Narea reflect the trend for R.pseudoacacia to enhance water use efficiency (WUE) at the expense of down-regulated photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) and high construction cost in dry conditions.However,the positive relationship between LMA and Narea in high mean annual precipitation (MAP) area is either unremarkable or reversed with decreasing water availability.This implies a lower photosynthetic capacity and a higher construction cost for high-LMA leaves.The inter-specific relationship between LMA and Narea is positive and does not change with water availability.This difference between inter-species and intra-species may be due to more diversified anatomies and more specialised structures for inter-species than intra-species.The failure of R.pseudoacacia adaption to dry conditions reflected by LMA-Narea relationship may be partially responsible for the emergence of rampike and dwarf forms found frequently in dry conditions.Incorporating intrinsic characteristics of planted trees into vegetation restoration project will be instructive and meaningful for species selection.展开更多
Seventeen morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaves were selected from five natural populations to explore the variation in leaf traits of Lits ea core ana var.sinensis and the effects of geographical...Seventeen morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaves were selected from five natural populations to explore the variation in leaf traits of Lits ea core ana var.sinensis and the effects of geographical environment on these variations.Nested analysis of variance,multiple comparisons,principal component analysis(PCA),and correlation analysis were conducted to explore the variations within and between populations and their correlation with geographical and climatic factors.Significant differences in the 17 leaf traits were observed within and among populations.On average,the relative contribution of within population variation to total variation was 24.8%,which was lower than among population variation(54.6%).The average differentiation coefficient of the traits was 65.8%,and the average coefficient of variation 11.8%,ranging from6.7%for main vein thickness to 21.4%for petiole length.The PC A results showed that morphological characteristics were divided into two categories,and the level of variation was greater than that of leaf anatomy.Most of the leaf traits were significantly correlated with geography and climate and showed a gradual variation with longitude,latitude,and altitude.In areas with high temperatures,less rainfall,and strong seasonal rainfall,the leaves are larger,longer and thicker.This study shows that variations in leaf traits of L.coreana var.sinensis mainly come from variations among populations.The level of trait differentiation among populations is high and the level of variation within populations low.These findings help further understand leaf morphological characteristics of this species and can provide a valuable reference for the protection and sustainable utilization of this natural resource.展开更多
Leaf morphological and stoichiometric characteristics are considered to represent both the interior inheritable characters in the plant and its adaptations to specific exterior environments. Rhododendron agglutinatum,...Leaf morphological and stoichiometric characteristics are considered to represent both the interior inheritable characters in the plant and its adaptations to specific exterior environments. Rhododendron agglutinatum,an evergreen alpine shrub species,occupies a wide range of habitats above timberline in the Miyaluo Natural Reserve,southwestern China. Along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 3700 to 4150 m,we measured leaf morphological characters including leaf dry matter content(LDMC),leaf dry mass per unit area(LMA),and one leaf area(OLA),as well as carbon(C) and nutrient(N,P) contents in leaves of three different age groups(juvenile leaves,mature leaves and senescent leaves). We also calculated the stoichiometric relationships among carbon and nutrients(C/N,C/P and N/P). Results showed thatboth age and altitude affected the leaf morphological and stoichiometric properties of R. agglutinatum. Mature leaves possessed the highest LDMC,LMA and C contents both on a dry mass basis and on a unit area basis. Younger leaves possessed higher contents of nutrients. OLA as well as ratios between carbon and nutrients(C/N,C/P) increased with ages. Juvenile leaves possessed lowest ratio between nitrogen and phosphorus. In juvenile leaves,nutrients increased with altitudinal elevation,whereas other traits decreased. In mature leaves,nutrients and their ratios with carbon showed consistent trends with juvenile leaves along increasing altitude,whereas LMA and carbon on a unit area basis showed opposite trends with juvenile leaves along increasing altitude. In senescent leaves,only content of phosphorus on a unit area basis and N/P were found linearly correlated with altitude. Our results demonstrated a clear pattern of nutrient distribution with aging process inleaves and indicated that a high possibility of N limitation in this region. We also concluded that younger leaves could be more sensitive to climate changes due to a greater altitudinal influence on the leaf traits in younger leaves than those in elder leaves.展开更多
Leaf trait networks(LTNs)visualize the intricate linkages reflecting plant trait-functional coordination.Typical karst vegetation,developed from lithological dolomite and limestone,generally exhibits differential comm...Leaf trait networks(LTNs)visualize the intricate linkages reflecting plant trait-functional coordination.Typical karst vegetation,developed from lithological dolomite and limestone,generally exhibits differential communities,possibly due to habitat rock exposure,soil depth,and soil physicochemical properties variations,leading to a shift from plant trait variation to functional linkages.However,how soil and habitat quality affect the differentiation of leaf trait networks remains unclear.LTNs were constructed for typical dolomite and limestone habitats by analyzing twenty-one woody plant leaf traits across fifty-six forest subplots in karst mountains.The differences between dolomite and limestone LTNs were compared using network parameters.The network association of soil and habitat quality was analyzed using redundancy analysis(RDA),Mantle's test,and a random forest model.The limestone LTN exhibited significantly higher edge density with lower diameter and average path length when compared to the dolomite LTN.It indicates LTN differentiation,with the limestone network displaying a more compact architecture and higher connectivity than the dolomite network.The specific leaf phosphorus and leaf nitrogen contents of dolomite LTN,as well as the leaf mass and leaf carbon contents of limestone LTN,significantly contributed to network degree and closeness,serving as crucial node traits regulating LTN connectedness.Additionally,both habitat LTNs significantly correlated with soil nitrogen and phosphorus,stoichiometric ratios,pH,and organic carbon,as well as soil depth and rock exposure rates,with soil depth and rock exposure showing greater relative importance.Soil depth and rock exposure dominate trait network differentiation,with the limestone habitat exhibiting a more compact network architecture than the dolomite habitat.展开更多
[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the response of Gardenia to purple soil drought stress,hoping to provide a reference for the selection of plants for vegetation restoration in purple soil regions.[M...[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the response of Gardenia to purple soil drought stress,hoping to provide a reference for the selection of plants for vegetation restoration in purple soil regions.[Methods]The pot-weighing water control method was used to apply different degrees of drought stress to Gardenia seedlings in purple soil,and the effects of drought stress on the electrical conductivity,chlorophyll content,leaf morphology and structure of Gardenia leaves were explored.[Results]The leaf electrical conductivity increased with the increase of drought stress intensity,and the leaf electrical conductivity under severe drought stress increased by 59.93%compared with the control;the chlorophyll content of Gardenia showed a single-peak changing trend that increased and then decreased with the development of drought stress,and it was the highest in each stress stage under severe drought stress;the leaf thickness,palisade tissue thickness and sponge tissue thickness of Gardenia were reduced with the stress degree increasing,and showed the largest decreases under severe stress;the stomatal length,stomatal width and stomatal opening of Gardenia gradually decreased with the increase of stress,while the stomatal density gradually increased.[Conclusions]This study provides a technical and resource basis for vegetation restoration in purple soil.展开更多
The variation and correlation of leaf economics and vein traits are crucial for predicting plant ecological strategies under different environmental changes.However,correlations between these two suites of traits and ...The variation and correlation of leaf economics and vein traits are crucial for predicting plant ecological strategies under different environmental changes.However,correlations between these two suites of traits and abiotic factors such as soil water and nitrogen content remain ambiguous.We measured leaf economics and vein traits as well as soil water and nitrogen content for two different shade-tolerant species(Betula platyphylla and Acer mono)in four mixed broadleaved-Korean pine(Pinus koraiensis)forests along a latitudinal gradient in Northeast China.We found that leaf economics traits and vein traits were decoupled in shade-intolerant species,Betula platphylla,but significantly coupled in a shadetolerant species,A.mono.We found stronger correlations among leaf traits in the shade tolerant species than in the shade intolerant species.Furthermore,leaf economic traits were positively correlated with the soil water gradient for both species,whereas vein traits were positively correlated with soil water gradient for the shade intolerant species but negatively correlated in the shade tolerant species.Although economic traits were positively correlated with soil nitrogen gradient in shade intolerant species but not correlated in shade tolerant species,vein traits were negatively correlated with soil nitrogen gradient in shade tolerant species but not correlated in shade intolerant species.Our study provides evidence for distinct correlations between leaf economics and vein traits and local abiotic factors of species differing in light demands.We recommend that the ecological significance of shade tolerance be considered for species when evaluating ecosystem functions and predicting plant responses to environmental changes.展开更多
On base of the content of Pb in the soil under different land use patterns in Lanping Lead-zinc mining area,Yunnan in southwest China,the root morphology and leaf traits of maize in different concentration Pb(20,40,60...On base of the content of Pb in the soil under different land use patterns in Lanping Lead-zinc mining area,Yunnan in southwest China,the root morphology and leaf traits of maize in different concentration Pb(20,40,60,80,100,150,200,500,1000,2000,3000 mg/L)were analyzed.The results showed that maize germination rate,germination vigor and growth index decreased with the increase of Pb concentration.The root length,surface area of maize increased by 0.21%-81.58%,8.99%-73.43%,1.50%-77.37%,respectively,under 20-500 mg/L Pb concentration.However,these parameters under 1000-3000 mg/L Pb concentration decreased by 37.86%-553.54%,44.99%-766.16%,55.99%-92.81%,respectively,and these lowest value appeared in 3000 mg/L Pb treatment.The root volume of maize increased by 4.57%-89.25%in 20-80 mg/L Pb concentration,and it decreased with the increase of Pb concentration when the Pb concentration was higher than 80 mg/L and decreased by 94.13%in 3000 mg/L Pb.The root surface area and length of 0.50-1.00 diameter class were higher than those of other diameter classes,and these value of maize under 500 mg/L Pb were higher than those of other concentrations.The length and perimeter of maize leaves with the highest value of 220.36 and 962.68 mm,respectively appeared in 60 mg/L Pb treatment.The leaf width and area of maize with the highest value of 15.68 mm and 2448.31 mm^(2),respectively,appeared in 40 mg/L Pb treatment,which indicated that the leaf traits of maize were promoted by low concentration Pb and inhibited by high concentration Pb.展开更多
Leaf trait-based research has become the preferred method to understand the ecological strategies of plants.However,there is still a debate on whether area-based or mass-based traits provide different insights into en...Leaf trait-based research has become the preferred method to understand the ecological strategies of plants.However,there is still a debate on whether area-based or mass-based traits provide different insights into environmental adaptations and responses.In this study,seven key leaf traits(maximum net photosynthetic rate,dark respiration rate,nitrogen content,photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency,leaf mass per area,leaf dry matter contents and leaf area)of 43 woody species were quantified on the basis of both area and mass along an altitudinal gradient(1100–2700 m)in the Qinling Mountains of China.Differences in leaf traits and bivariate correlations between the two expressions were compared.By considering different expressions,the strengths and directions of the responses of leaf traits to the altitudinal gradient were determined.Leaf traits showed large variations;interspecific variations contributed more to total variance than intraspecific variations.Bivariate correlations between photosynthetic traits and structural traits(mass per area,dry matter content,and area)were weaker on a mass basis than those on an area basis.Most traits exhibited quadratic trends along the altitudinal gradient,and these patterns were more noticeable for area-based than mass-based traits.Area-based traits were more sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation associated with altitude.These results provide evidence that mass-versus area-based traits show different ecological responses to environmental conditions associated with altitude,even if they do not contain very broad spatial scales.Our results also indicate distinction of photosynthetic acclimation among the two expressions along an altitudinal gradient,reflecting trade-offs among leaf structure and physiological traits.展开更多
Background:With the expansion of urban areas,the remnants of forested areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in urban environments.This study aimed to explore the impact of spatiotemporal urban expansion...Background:With the expansion of urban areas,the remnants of forested areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in urban environments.This study aimed to explore the impact of spatiotemporal urban expansion on the networks of leaf traits in woody plants within remnant forest patches,thereby enhancing our understanding of plant adaptive strategies and contributing to the conservation of urban biodiversity.Methods:Our study examined woody plants within 120 sample plots across 15 remnant forest patches in Guiyang,China.We constructed leaf trait networks (LTNs) based on 26 anatomical,structural,and compositional leaf traits and assessed the effects of the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion on these LTNs.Results and conclusions:Our results indicate that shrubs within these patches have greater average path lengths and diameters than trees.With increasing urban expansion intensity,we observed a rise in the edge density of the LTN-shrubs.Additionally,modularity within the networks of shrubs decreased as road density and urban expansion intensity increased,and increases in the average path length and average clustering coefficient for shrubs were observed with a rise in the composite terrain complexity index.Notably,patches subjected to‘leapfrog’expansion exhibited greater average patch length and diameter than those experiencing edge growth.Stomatal traits were found to have high degree centrality within these networks,signifying their substantial contribution to multiple functions.In urban remnant forests,shrubs bolster their resilience to variable environmental pressures by augmenting the complexity of their leaf trait networks.展开更多
Atomic absorption spectrophotometry,sulfuric acid and potassium dichromate oxidation method and ultraviolet spectrophotometry,were used to determine mineral elements,fiber,the content of chlorogenic acid and flavones ...Atomic absorption spectrophotometry,sulfuric acid and potassium dichromate oxidation method and ultraviolet spectrophotometry,were used to determine mineral elements,fiber,the content of chlorogenic acid and flavones in leaves of 24 Helianthus tuberosus Linn.resources,and the characteristics of the leaf introduced from abroad were evaluated.The results showed that the highest water content of 22 species was F12(27.58%),and the lowest was F16(19.02%).The difference in mean water content between the species from Denmark and France was small,but it was lower than that of Qingyu 3 and Qingyu 4.There were 3 orbicular leaves,1 long oval-shaped leaf and 18 oval leaves.The highest K content in the leaves was F19(30.62 mg/g),which was 2.5 times than Qingyu 3.The highest Mg content was D8(14.17 mg/g).The Fe content hadlittledifference,ranging from 0.09 mg/g to 0.19 mg/g.The highest Ca content was D8(26.87 mg/g).The highest level of chlorogenic acid and flavones was F7,2.55%and 1.24 g/100 g respectively.The highest fiber content was F9(16.7%),and the lowest was F19(7.36%).Through the analysis of the main component and the clustering analysis,when the genetic distance was 0.65,the 24 resources can be divided into three major categories.The first category of leaves were mainly oval and orbicular;the second category of leaves were long oval-shaped;the third category of leaves were oval.There was a difference between the various indexes in the leaf of different kinds of H.tuberosus Linn.resources.Finally,F19,D8,F9,F7,D14 and D11,6 specific species(F19,D8,F9,F7,D14 and D11)were screened out for further studies in the future.展开更多
Modem maize varieties have become more productive than ever, owing largely to increased tolerance of high plant density. However, the genetics of ear leaf traits under different densities remains poorly understood. In...Modem maize varieties have become more productive than ever, owing largely to increased tolerance of high plant density. However, the genetics of ear leaf traits under different densities remains poorly understood. In this study, Zhongdan 909 recombinant inbred lines(RILs) derived from a cross between Z58 and HD568 were genotyped for 3072 single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs), and phenotyped for leaf length(LL), leaf width(LW), and leaf angle(LA) of the uppermost ear leaf under three planting densities(52,500,67,500, and 82,500 plants ha-1, respectively). A genetic map was then constructed using1358 high-quality SNPs. The total length of the linkage map was 1985.2 cM and the average interval between adjacent markers 1.46 cM. With increasing density, LL and LW decreased from 63.68 to 63.02 cm and from 8.56 to 8.21 cm, respectively, while LA increased from19.42° to 19.66°. All three traits had high heritabilities, of 0.75, 0.78, and 0.84, respectively.Using inclusive composite interval mapping, 23, 25, and 17 quantitative trait loci(QTL) were detected for LL, LW, and LA, respectively. Of these, 35 were simultaneously detected under two or three plant densities, while 30 were detected under only one. Sixty-five individual QTL explained 2.41% to 16.53% of phenotypic variation, while eight accounted for >10%.These findings will help us understand the genetic basis of leaf traits in maize as well as the response of maize to increased plant density.展开更多
Understanding physiological responses and drought adaptation strategies of woody plant leaf traits in sub-humid to semi-arid regions is of vital importance to understand the interplay between ecological processes and ...Understanding physiological responses and drought adaptation strategies of woody plant leaf traits in sub-humid to semi-arid regions is of vital importance to understand the interplay between ecological processes and plant resource-allocation strategies of different tree species.Seasonal variations of leaf morphological traits,stoichiometric traits and their relationships of two drought tolerant woody species,live oak(Quercus virginiana)and honey mesquite(Prosopis glandulosa)and two less drought tolerant species,sugarberry(Celtis laevigata)and white ash(Fraxinus americana)were analyzed in a sub-humid to semi-arid area of south Texas,USA.Our findings demonstrate that for the two drought tolerant species,the leguminous P.glandulosa had the highest specific leaf area,leaf N,P,and lowest leaf area and dry mass,indicating that P.glandulosa adapts to an arid habitat by decreasing leaf area,thus reducing water loss,reflecting a resource acquisition strategy.While the evergreen species Q.virginiana exhibited higher leaf dry mass,leaf dry matter content,C content,C:N,C:P and N:P ratios,adapts to an arid habitat through increased leaf thickness and thus reduced water loss,reflecting a resource conservation strategy in south Texas.For the two less drought tolerant deciduous species,the variations of leaf traits in C.laevigata and F.americana varied between Q.virginiana and P.glandulosa,reflecting a trade-off between rapid plant growth and nutrient maintenance in a semi-arid environment.展开更多
The integration and modularity of leaf morphological traits are fundamental to plant adaptations, yet their responses to diverse environmental pressures remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the roles of leaf ...The integration and modularity of leaf morphological traits are fundamental to plant adaptations, yet their responses to diverse environmental pressures remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the roles of leaf trait integration and modularity and how they interact with environmental factors. We analyzed geometric, traditional, and functional leaf traits across 908 individuals from 72 populations of two alpine evergreen oaks, Quercus aquifolioides Rehder & E.H. Wilson and Quercus spinosa David ex Franch., distributed throughout the Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains(HHM), employing genetic assignment as a priori. Multivariate and redundancy analyses revealed that Q. aquifolioides, which inhabits harsher environments, exhibits lower trait integration and greater morphological flexibility, allowing for dynamic adaptation to fluctuating conditions. In contrast, Q. spinosa, thriving in milder environments, demonstrates stronger integration and stability in leaf morphology, facilitating resource optimization and providing a competitive advantage. Notable differences in modularity between the two species were observed, particularly in specific leaf traits, as revealed by structural equation modeling(SEM) analysis. These results underscore the adaptive significance of leaf trait integration and modularity in extreme environments and highlight the critical role of leaf morphology in enhancing species resilience.展开更多
Aims Growth rates of plants are driven by factors that influence the amount of resources captured and the efficiency of resource use.In trees,the amount of light captured and the efficiency of light use strongly depen...Aims Growth rates of plants are driven by factors that influence the amount of resources captured and the efficiency of resource use.In trees,the amount of light captured and the efficiency of light use strongly depends on crown characteristics and leaf traits.Although theory predicts that both crown and leaf traits affect tree growth,few studies have yet to integrate these two types of traits to explain species-specific growth rates.Using 37 broad-leaved tree species of subtropical forests in SE China,we investigated how interspecific differences in wood volume growth rates were affected by crown and leaf traits.We tested the hypotheses that(i)larger crown dimensions promote growth rates,(ii)species-specific growth rates are positively related to leaf stomatal conductance,leaf water potential and leaf chemical components,and negatively related to leaf C/N and leaf toughness and(iii)the two sets of traits better explain growth rates in combination than either alone.Methods Our study was conducted in a large-scale forest Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning experiment in China(BEF-China),located in a mountainous region in Jiangxi Province.We related 17 functional traits(two crown dimension and three crown structure traits;six physiological and six morphological leaf traits)to the mean annual growth rate of wood volume of young trees of the studied species.Interrelationships between crown and leaf traits were analyzed using principal component analysis.Simple linear regression analysis was used to test the effect of each trait separately.We used multiple regression analysis to establish the relationship of growth rate to each set of traits(crown traits,physiological and morphological leaf traits)and to the combination of all types of traits.The coefficients of determination(R^(2)_(adj))of the best multiple regression models were compared to determine the relative explanatory power of crown and leaf traits and a combination of both.Important Findings The species-specific growth rates were not related to any of the single crown traits,but were related positively to leaf stomatal conductance and leaf water potential individually,and negatively to leaf toughness,with approximately 13%variance explained by each of the traits.Combinations of different crown traits did not significantly explain the species-specific growth rates,whereas combinations of either physiological or morphological leaf traits explained 24%and 31%,respectively.A combination of both crown and leaf traits explained 42%of variance in species-specific growth rates.We concluded that sets of traits related to carbon assimilation at the leaf-level and to overall amount of leaves exposed at the crown-level jointly explained species-specific growth rates better than either set of traits alone.展开更多
The survival strategy of plants is to adjust their functional traits to adapt to the environment.However,these traits and survival strategies of evergreen broad-leaved forest species are not well understood.This study...The survival strategy of plants is to adjust their functional traits to adapt to the environment.However,these traits and survival strategies of evergreen broad-leaved forest species are not well understood.This study examined 10 leaf functional traits(LFTs)of 70 common plant species in an evergreen broad-leaved forest in Huangshan Mountain to decipher their adaptive strategies.The phylogenetic signals of these LFTs were assessed and phylogenetically independent contrasts(PIC)and correlation analyses were carried out.LFTs were analyzed to determine their CSR(C:competitor,S:stress-tolerator,R:ruderal)strategies.The results show that plant species exhibit different leaf functional traits and ecological strategies(nine strategies were identified;the most abundant were S/CS and S/CSR strategies).Some traits showed significant phylogenetic signals,indicating the effect of phylogeny on LFTs to an extent.Trait variations among species suggest distinct adaptation strategies to environmental changes.The study species were mainly clustered on the C-S strategy axis,with a high S component.Species leaning toward the C-strategy end(e.g.,deciduous species),favored a resource acquisition strategy characterized by higher specific leaf area(SLA),greater nutrient contents(N and P),lower leaf dry matter content(LDMC),and reduced nutrient utilization efficiency(C:N and C:P).Conversely,species closer to the S-strategy end(e.g.,evergreen species)usually adopted a resource conservative strategy with trait combinations contrary to those of C-strategy species.Overall,this study corroborated the applicability of the CSR strategy at a local scale and provides insights into the varied trait combinations and ecological strategies employed by plant species to adapt to their environment.These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in biodiversity maintenance.展开更多
Aims Understanding the drivers for leaf traits is critical to improving our predictions on ecosystems'responses to global changes.Geographic patterns of leaf traits are shaped by phylogenetic,biological and enviro...Aims Understanding the drivers for leaf traits is critical to improving our predictions on ecosystems'responses to global changes.Geographic patterns of leaf traits are shaped by phylogenetic,biological and environmental factors simultaneously.However,till now few studies have examined how these factors influenced leaf traits together,and how their effects differed at the within-and among-site levels.Methods We sampled leaf traits from a 1100 km shrub-biome transect across central Inner-Mongolia,including leaf mass per area(LMA),mass-based photosynthetic rate,nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)concentrations.We examined the effects of phylogenetic,biological(height and growth rate)and environmental(climate and soil)fac-tors on leaf traits with mixed-model analyses of variance.Variation partitioning method was used to separate the joint and independent effects of these three types of factors.Important Findings(i)Climate and soil fertility(total or available nutrient concentra-tions)together explained 11.4-41.4%of among-site variations,with remarkable difference among traits.(i)Height and height growth rate together explained 0.4--31.9%of trait variations(mostly among-site variations).Our results could only weakly support the ability of leaf traits as predictors for whole-plant growth.(ii)LMA was negatively related to height,which was consistent with the resource-use strategy hypothesis but incon-sistent with the hypotheses proposed for coexisting trees,suggest-ing that the LMA--height relationship is shaped by rather different mechanisms between the within-and among-communities lev-els.(iv)The variation partitioning analysis showed that,the rela-tionships between leaf traits and biological characters largely reflected the differences in both leaf traits and biological char-acters among species that occupying different sites.The relative importance of phylogenetic,biological and environmental fac-tors differed remarkably among leaf traits,between the within-and among-communities levels,and between different biomes.(v)Our results strongly suggest the necessity of examining the three types of factors simultaneously,and at both the within-and among-communities levels,for a better understanding of the drivers for leaf traits patterns.展开更多
Vein traits influence photosynthesis and drought resistance and are sensitive to climate change.It is unclear whether vein traits,similar to other leaf traits,have obvious regional characteristics and covariance with ...Vein traits influence photosynthesis and drought resistance and are sensitive to climate change.It is unclear whether vein traits,similar to other leaf traits,have obvious regional characteristics and covariance with other leaf traits,especially in Tibetan Plateau grasslands.We collected 66 species from 37 sites in late July of 2012 and early August of 2013 to investigate leaf vein traits and their relationships with other leaf traits in comparison with the available global database data and to elucidate vein investment of plants with different vein types.The average vein length per area(VLA)of plants in the Tibetan Plateau was within the range of the global dataset,and the relationships among vein traits and other leaf traits of alpine plants were consistent with the global models.The VLAs of parallel-veined grasses and pinnateveined forbs were significantly lower and higher than the global mean value,respectively.The leaf mass perarea and total nitrogen content of parallel-veined grasses were significantly lower and higher,respectively,than the global mean values;the opposite was observed in pinnate-veined forbs.The parallel-veined grasses exhibited almost a four-fold higher vein biomass investment(i.e.,vein mass per leaf mass)than pinnate-veined forbs in the same region.The average VLA and its relationships with other leaf traits of the alpine grassland plants on the Tibetan Plateau had no regional characteristics,suggesting a convergence in plant leaf functioning.Plants with different leaf types differ in their adaptation strategies to plateau environments,and this may relate to biomass investment into leaf veins.Our study fills the gap with regard to vein density in alpine grassland species and provides a new perspective for understanding plant physiology and ecology by calculating and comparing the proportion of vein investment among different vein types.展开更多
The success of growing vegetables indoors requires the most appropriate selection of lighting spectrum.This mini review discusses the impacts of LED spectral quality on different leafy vegetables with a focus on the s...The success of growing vegetables indoors requires the most appropriate selection of lighting spectrum.This mini review discusses the impacts of LED spectral quality on different leafy vegetables with a focus on the studies of Chinese broccoli(Brassica alboglabra),ice plants(Mesembryanthem crystallinum)and lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.cv.Canasta).For each species,plants exposed to different spectral LED lights were all under the same light intensity and same photoperiod.Chinese broccoli grown under red(R):blue(B)-LED ratio of 84:16(16B)had the highest light-saturated photosynthetic CO_(2) assimilation rate(Asat)and stomatal conductance(gs sat)compared to plants grown under other R:B-LED ratios.It was also shown that 16B is the most appropriate selection for Chinese broccoli to achieve the highest shoot productivity with a rapid leaf number and leaf area development.The highest concentrations of photosynthetic pigments,soluble and Rubisco protein on a leaf area basis were also observed in 16B plants.The results conclusively affirmed that the highest productivity of Chinese broccoli grown under 16B is closely linked to the highest photosynthetic performance on a leaf area basis.For ice plants grown under R:B-LED ratios of 90:10(10B),they had the highest shoot biomass with a faster leaf development compared to plants grown under other RB-LED combinations.However,there were no differences in Asat,gs sat,photosynthetic pigments,soluble and Rubisco proteins on a leaf area basis.In the case of lettuce plants,it was a surprise to observe that plants grown under 0B and 20G(20%green(G)-LED and 80%R-LED)had the highest shoot biomass,and largest total leaf area and light interception area but the lowest net maximal photosynthetic rate on a leaf area basis,compared to other plants.The combined RB-LED enhanced other photosynthetic parameters while 0B and 20G conditions had inhibitory effects on maximum quantum efficiency of PS II with lower photosynthetic pigments,total soluble protein and Rubisco protein.These results suggest that impacts of LED light quality on productivity of lettuce(L.sativa L.cv.Canasta)are closely linked to leaf traits not associated with photosynthetic performance on a leaf area basis.展开更多
基金supported by PhD Research Start-up Foundation of Tongren University(trxyDH1807,trxyDH1826,trxyDH1806)the Natural Science Foundation of Guizhou Provincial Department of Education([2019]075)+2 种基金the Science and Technology Project of Guizhou Province(ZK-[2021]221)the National Nature Sci-ence Foundation of China(31900271)the Key Laboratory Project of Guizhou Province([2020]2003).
文摘Background:To disentangle the controls on species distribution in the context of climate change is a central element in proposed strategies to maintain species diversity.However,previous studies have focused mainly on the roles of abiotic factors(e.g.,climate and soil properties),with much less attention given to the roles of biotic factors such as functional traits.Here,we measured eight leaf traits for 240 individual trees of 53 species and analyzed the variation in traits and population composition indices and their relationships with soil properties,climate factors,and leaf traits.Results:The tree density,frequency and species importance values of the overall species and saplings significantly increased with increasing elevation,while the same indices(except for species frequency)of adults did not significantly change.The largest percentage of variation of species importance value(greater than 50%)was explained by climate,but leaf traits played a critical role in driving elevation distribution patterns of both saplings and adults;the abundance of saplings significantly increased with elevation,with increased leaf carbon contents,while the abundance of adults did not change in accordance with a nutrient conservation strategy associated with the leaf economic spectrum.Conclusions:Our results suggest that the elevation gradient distribution of woody plant species is dependent on tree size and that local atmospheric humidity and leaf traits cause considerable variation in species distribution along subtropical mountain elevations.We provide evidence of which leaf traits play a key role in the elevation gradient distribution of different sizes of woody tree species.
文摘Three popular traditional rice landraces, namely Kalajeera, Machakanta and Haladichudi, from Koraput, India were used to analyse the leaf traits and antioxidant defence for drought tolerance. When rice plants were exposed to different levels of drought stress by varying concentrations of polyethylene glycol （PEG） 6000, seed germination and growth parameters were significantly declined in all the rice landraces compared to the control. Drought stress also altered the leaf phenotypic traits based on chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and chlorophyll index, with more significant differences in susceptible variety IR64 than in traditional landraces. Furthermore, activities of antioxidative enzymes and proline and protein contents overtly increased under drought stress. The traditional rice landraces showed higher relative ratios for different parameters compared to the susceptible variety IR64. Taken together, the traditional landraces had superior leaf physiological efficiency compared to the susceptible and tolerant check varieties under drought stress.
基金Under the auspices of National Basic Research Program of China (No.2007CB407205)National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (No.2006BAC01A01)
文摘Leaf trait patterns and their variations with climate are interpreted as an adaptive adjustment to environment.This study assessed the adaptability of planted black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.) based on the analysis of leaf traits and the comparison of its leaf traits with inter-specific ones existing in the same area.We measured some water and N use related leaf traits: leaf dry mass per unit area (LMA) and N,P and K concentrations based on both leaf area (Narea,Parea and Karea) and leaf mass (Nmass,Pmass and Kmass) of R.pseudoacacia at 31 sites along a water stress gradient in North Shaanxi Province,China.The results show that leaves of R.pseudoacacia have high Nmass and low LMA in the study area.High Nmass and low LMA are usually representative of luxurious resource use,and will advance plant resource competitiveness in high-resource conditions.As a whole,LMA-nutrient relationships of R.pseudoacacia display patterns that are fairly similar to the inter-specific relationships in both direction and intensity.The tendency for LMA and Narea to increase with decreasing water availability and the positive correlation between LMA and Narea reflect the trend for R.pseudoacacia to enhance water use efficiency (WUE) at the expense of down-regulated photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) and high construction cost in dry conditions.However,the positive relationship between LMA and Narea in high mean annual precipitation (MAP) area is either unremarkable or reversed with decreasing water availability.This implies a lower photosynthetic capacity and a higher construction cost for high-LMA leaves.The inter-specific relationship between LMA and Narea is positive and does not change with water availability.This difference between inter-species and intra-species may be due to more diversified anatomies and more specialised structures for inter-species than intra-species.The failure of R.pseudoacacia adaption to dry conditions reflected by LMA-Narea relationship may be partially responsible for the emergence of rampike and dwarf forms found frequently in dry conditions.Incorporating intrinsic characteristics of planted trees into vegetation restoration project will be instructive and meaningful for species selection.
基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(32060349)China Scholarship Council([2021]15)。
文摘Seventeen morphological and anatomical characteristics of the leaves were selected from five natural populations to explore the variation in leaf traits of Lits ea core ana var.sinensis and the effects of geographical environment on these variations.Nested analysis of variance,multiple comparisons,principal component analysis(PCA),and correlation analysis were conducted to explore the variations within and between populations and their correlation with geographical and climatic factors.Significant differences in the 17 leaf traits were observed within and among populations.On average,the relative contribution of within population variation to total variation was 24.8%,which was lower than among population variation(54.6%).The average differentiation coefficient of the traits was 65.8%,and the average coefficient of variation 11.8%,ranging from6.7%for main vein thickness to 21.4%for petiole length.The PC A results showed that morphological characteristics were divided into two categories,and the level of variation was greater than that of leaf anatomy.Most of the leaf traits were significantly correlated with geography and climate and showed a gradual variation with longitude,latitude,and altitude.In areas with high temperatures,less rainfall,and strong seasonal rainfall,the leaves are larger,longer and thicker.This study shows that variations in leaf traits of L.coreana var.sinensis mainly come from variations among populations.The level of trait differentiation among populations is high and the level of variation within populations low.These findings help further understand leaf morphological characteristics of this species and can provide a valuable reference for the protection and sustainable utilization of this natural resource.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.41071039)National Key Research and Development Program (No.2016YFC0502100)
文摘Leaf morphological and stoichiometric characteristics are considered to represent both the interior inheritable characters in the plant and its adaptations to specific exterior environments. Rhododendron agglutinatum,an evergreen alpine shrub species,occupies a wide range of habitats above timberline in the Miyaluo Natural Reserve,southwestern China. Along an altitudinal gradient ranging from 3700 to 4150 m,we measured leaf morphological characters including leaf dry matter content(LDMC),leaf dry mass per unit area(LMA),and one leaf area(OLA),as well as carbon(C) and nutrient(N,P) contents in leaves of three different age groups(juvenile leaves,mature leaves and senescent leaves). We also calculated the stoichiometric relationships among carbon and nutrients(C/N,C/P and N/P). Results showed thatboth age and altitude affected the leaf morphological and stoichiometric properties of R. agglutinatum. Mature leaves possessed the highest LDMC,LMA and C contents both on a dry mass basis and on a unit area basis. Younger leaves possessed higher contents of nutrients. OLA as well as ratios between carbon and nutrients(C/N,C/P) increased with ages. Juvenile leaves possessed lowest ratio between nitrogen and phosphorus. In juvenile leaves,nutrients increased with altitudinal elevation,whereas other traits decreased. In mature leaves,nutrients and their ratios with carbon showed consistent trends with juvenile leaves along increasing altitude,whereas LMA and carbon on a unit area basis showed opposite trends with juvenile leaves along increasing altitude. In senescent leaves,only content of phosphorus on a unit area basis and N/P were found linearly correlated with altitude. Our results demonstrated a clear pattern of nutrient distribution with aging process inleaves and indicated that a high possibility of N limitation in this region. We also concluded that younger leaves could be more sensitive to climate changes due to a greater altitudinal influence on the leaf traits in younger leaves than those in elder leaves.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC:32260268)the Science and Technology Project of Guizhou Province[(2021)General-455]the Guizhou Hundred-level Innovative Talents Project[Qian-ke-he platform talents(2020)6004-2].
文摘Leaf trait networks(LTNs)visualize the intricate linkages reflecting plant trait-functional coordination.Typical karst vegetation,developed from lithological dolomite and limestone,generally exhibits differential communities,possibly due to habitat rock exposure,soil depth,and soil physicochemical properties variations,leading to a shift from plant trait variation to functional linkages.However,how soil and habitat quality affect the differentiation of leaf trait networks remains unclear.LTNs were constructed for typical dolomite and limestone habitats by analyzing twenty-one woody plant leaf traits across fifty-six forest subplots in karst mountains.The differences between dolomite and limestone LTNs were compared using network parameters.The network association of soil and habitat quality was analyzed using redundancy analysis(RDA),Mantle's test,and a random forest model.The limestone LTN exhibited significantly higher edge density with lower diameter and average path length when compared to the dolomite LTN.It indicates LTN differentiation,with the limestone network displaying a more compact architecture and higher connectivity than the dolomite network.The specific leaf phosphorus and leaf nitrogen contents of dolomite LTN,as well as the leaf mass and leaf carbon contents of limestone LTN,significantly contributed to network degree and closeness,serving as crucial node traits regulating LTN connectedness.Additionally,both habitat LTNs significantly correlated with soil nitrogen and phosphorus,stoichiometric ratios,pH,and organic carbon,as well as soil depth and rock exposure rates,with soil depth and rock exposure showing greater relative importance.Soil depth and rock exposure dominate trait network differentiation,with the limestone habitat exhibiting a more compact network architecture than the dolomite habitat.
基金Hunan Forestry Science and Technology Innovation Project(XLK201971)Changsha Science and Technology Program(kq1801028).
文摘[Objectives]This study was conducted to investigate the response of Gardenia to purple soil drought stress,hoping to provide a reference for the selection of plants for vegetation restoration in purple soil regions.[Methods]The pot-weighing water control method was used to apply different degrees of drought stress to Gardenia seedlings in purple soil,and the effects of drought stress on the electrical conductivity,chlorophyll content,leaf morphology and structure of Gardenia leaves were explored.[Results]The leaf electrical conductivity increased with the increase of drought stress intensity,and the leaf electrical conductivity under severe drought stress increased by 59.93%compared with the control;the chlorophyll content of Gardenia showed a single-peak changing trend that increased and then decreased with the development of drought stress,and it was the highest in each stress stage under severe drought stress;the leaf thickness,palisade tissue thickness and sponge tissue thickness of Gardenia were reduced with the stress degree increasing,and showed the largest decreases under severe stress;the stomatal length,stomatal width and stomatal opening of Gardenia gradually decreased with the increase of stress,while the stomatal density gradually increased.[Conclusions]This study provides a technical and resource basis for vegetation restoration in purple soil.
基金This work was supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(2022YFD2201100)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31971636)the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities(2572022DS13).
文摘The variation and correlation of leaf economics and vein traits are crucial for predicting plant ecological strategies under different environmental changes.However,correlations between these two suites of traits and abiotic factors such as soil water and nitrogen content remain ambiguous.We measured leaf economics and vein traits as well as soil water and nitrogen content for two different shade-tolerant species(Betula platyphylla and Acer mono)in four mixed broadleaved-Korean pine(Pinus koraiensis)forests along a latitudinal gradient in Northeast China.We found that leaf economics traits and vein traits were decoupled in shade-intolerant species,Betula platphylla,but significantly coupled in a shadetolerant species,A.mono.We found stronger correlations among leaf traits in the shade tolerant species than in the shade intolerant species.Furthermore,leaf economic traits were positively correlated with the soil water gradient for both species,whereas vein traits were positively correlated with soil water gradient for the shade intolerant species but negatively correlated in the shade tolerant species.Although economic traits were positively correlated with soil nitrogen gradient in shade intolerant species but not correlated in shade tolerant species,vein traits were negatively correlated with soil nitrogen gradient in shade tolerant species but not correlated in shade intolerant species.Our study provides evidence for distinct correlations between leaf economics and vein traits and local abiotic factors of species differing in light demands.We recommend that the ecological significance of shade tolerance be considered for species when evaluating ecosystem functions and predicting plant responses to environmental changes.
基金Basic Research in Yunnan Local Colleges and Universities(2017FH001-026,2018FH001-004)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42167009,31300349)International Joint Innovation Team for Yunnan Plateau Lakes and Great Lakes of North America which is sponsored by Yunnan Provincial Education Department(to XC),and Scientific and Technological Innovation team Project of Agricultural Resources Utilization of Kunming University.
文摘On base of the content of Pb in the soil under different land use patterns in Lanping Lead-zinc mining area,Yunnan in southwest China,the root morphology and leaf traits of maize in different concentration Pb(20,40,60,80,100,150,200,500,1000,2000,3000 mg/L)were analyzed.The results showed that maize germination rate,germination vigor and growth index decreased with the increase of Pb concentration.The root length,surface area of maize increased by 0.21%-81.58%,8.99%-73.43%,1.50%-77.37%,respectively,under 20-500 mg/L Pb concentration.However,these parameters under 1000-3000 mg/L Pb concentration decreased by 37.86%-553.54%,44.99%-766.16%,55.99%-92.81%,respectively,and these lowest value appeared in 3000 mg/L Pb treatment.The root volume of maize increased by 4.57%-89.25%in 20-80 mg/L Pb concentration,and it decreased with the increase of Pb concentration when the Pb concentration was higher than 80 mg/L and decreased by 94.13%in 3000 mg/L Pb.The root surface area and length of 0.50-1.00 diameter class were higher than those of other diameter classes,and these value of maize under 500 mg/L Pb were higher than those of other concentrations.The length and perimeter of maize leaves with the highest value of 220.36 and 962.68 mm,respectively appeared in 60 mg/L Pb treatment.The leaf width and area of maize with the highest value of 15.68 mm and 2448.31 mm^(2),respectively,appeared in 40 mg/L Pb treatment,which indicated that the leaf traits of maize were promoted by low concentration Pb and inhibited by high concentration Pb.
基金financially supported by the National Science Foundation of China(31700348 and 41571500)China Postdoctoral Science Foundation(2016M602850)+1 种基金Natural Science Basic Research Plan of Shaanxi Province(2018JQ3011)the Fourth National Survey of Traditional Chinese Medicine Resources(2017-66).
文摘Leaf trait-based research has become the preferred method to understand the ecological strategies of plants.However,there is still a debate on whether area-based or mass-based traits provide different insights into environmental adaptations and responses.In this study,seven key leaf traits(maximum net photosynthetic rate,dark respiration rate,nitrogen content,photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency,leaf mass per area,leaf dry matter contents and leaf area)of 43 woody species were quantified on the basis of both area and mass along an altitudinal gradient(1100–2700 m)in the Qinling Mountains of China.Differences in leaf traits and bivariate correlations between the two expressions were compared.By considering different expressions,the strengths and directions of the responses of leaf traits to the altitudinal gradient were determined.Leaf traits showed large variations;interspecific variations contributed more to total variance than intraspecific variations.Bivariate correlations between photosynthetic traits and structural traits(mass per area,dry matter content,and area)were weaker on a mass basis than those on an area basis.Most traits exhibited quadratic trends along the altitudinal gradient,and these patterns were more noticeable for area-based than mass-based traits.Area-based traits were more sensitive to changes in temperature and precipitation associated with altitude.These results provide evidence that mass-versus area-based traits show different ecological responses to environmental conditions associated with altitude,even if they do not contain very broad spatial scales.Our results also indicate distinction of photosynthetic acclimation among the two expressions along an altitudinal gradient,reflecting trade-offs among leaf structure and physiological traits.
基金funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.32360418)the Guizhou Provincial Basic Research Program (Natural Science)(No.QianKeHeJiChu-ZK[2024]YiBan022)。
文摘Background:With the expansion of urban areas,the remnants of forested areas play a crucial role in preserving biodiversity in urban environments.This study aimed to explore the impact of spatiotemporal urban expansion on the networks of leaf traits in woody plants within remnant forest patches,thereby enhancing our understanding of plant adaptive strategies and contributing to the conservation of urban biodiversity.Methods:Our study examined woody plants within 120 sample plots across 15 remnant forest patches in Guiyang,China.We constructed leaf trait networks (LTNs) based on 26 anatomical,structural,and compositional leaf traits and assessed the effects of the spatiotemporal dynamics of urban expansion on these LTNs.Results and conclusions:Our results indicate that shrubs within these patches have greater average path lengths and diameters than trees.With increasing urban expansion intensity,we observed a rise in the edge density of the LTN-shrubs.Additionally,modularity within the networks of shrubs decreased as road density and urban expansion intensity increased,and increases in the average path length and average clustering coefficient for shrubs were observed with a rise in the composite terrain complexity index.Notably,patches subjected to‘leapfrog’expansion exhibited greater average patch length and diameter than those experiencing edge growth.Stomatal traits were found to have high degree centrality within these networks,signifying their substantial contribution to multiple functions.In urban remnant forests,shrubs bolster their resilience to variable environmental pressures by augmenting the complexity of their leaf trait networks.
文摘Atomic absorption spectrophotometry,sulfuric acid and potassium dichromate oxidation method and ultraviolet spectrophotometry,were used to determine mineral elements,fiber,the content of chlorogenic acid and flavones in leaves of 24 Helianthus tuberosus Linn.resources,and the characteristics of the leaf introduced from abroad were evaluated.The results showed that the highest water content of 22 species was F12(27.58%),and the lowest was F16(19.02%).The difference in mean water content between the species from Denmark and France was small,but it was lower than that of Qingyu 3 and Qingyu 4.There were 3 orbicular leaves,1 long oval-shaped leaf and 18 oval leaves.The highest K content in the leaves was F19(30.62 mg/g),which was 2.5 times than Qingyu 3.The highest Mg content was D8(14.17 mg/g).The Fe content hadlittledifference,ranging from 0.09 mg/g to 0.19 mg/g.The highest Ca content was D8(26.87 mg/g).The highest level of chlorogenic acid and flavones was F7,2.55%and 1.24 g/100 g respectively.The highest fiber content was F9(16.7%),and the lowest was F19(7.36%).Through the analysis of the main component and the clustering analysis,when the genetic distance was 0.65,the 24 resources can be divided into three major categories.The first category of leaves were mainly oval and orbicular;the second category of leaves were long oval-shaped;the third category of leaves were oval.There was a difference between the various indexes in the leaf of different kinds of H.tuberosus Linn.resources.Finally,F19,D8,F9,F7,D14 and D11,6 specific species(F19,D8,F9,F7,D14 and D11)were screened out for further studies in the future.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2014CB138200)the Agricultural Science and Technology Innovation Program of CAAS
文摘Modem maize varieties have become more productive than ever, owing largely to increased tolerance of high plant density. However, the genetics of ear leaf traits under different densities remains poorly understood. In this study, Zhongdan 909 recombinant inbred lines(RILs) derived from a cross between Z58 and HD568 were genotyped for 3072 single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs), and phenotyped for leaf length(LL), leaf width(LW), and leaf angle(LA) of the uppermost ear leaf under three planting densities(52,500,67,500, and 82,500 plants ha-1, respectively). A genetic map was then constructed using1358 high-quality SNPs. The total length of the linkage map was 1985.2 cM and the average interval between adjacent markers 1.46 cM. With increasing density, LL and LW decreased from 63.68 to 63.02 cm and from 8.56 to 8.21 cm, respectively, while LA increased from19.42° to 19.66°. All three traits had high heritabilities, of 0.75, 0.78, and 0.84, respectively.Using inclusive composite interval mapping, 23, 25, and 17 quantitative trait loci(QTL) were detected for LL, LW, and LA, respectively. Of these, 35 were simultaneously detected under two or three plant densities, while 30 were detected under only one. Sixty-five individual QTL explained 2.41% to 16.53% of phenotypic variation, while eight accounted for >10%.These findings will help us understand the genetic basis of leaf traits in maize as well as the response of maize to increased plant density.
基金funded by the China Scholarship Council(CSC)a research award from Texas A&M University-Kingsville+1 种基金the Natural Science Foundation of Anhui Province(Grant Number 1408085QC57)Youth Science Fund of Anhui Agricultural University(Grant Number 2012zd015)
文摘Understanding physiological responses and drought adaptation strategies of woody plant leaf traits in sub-humid to semi-arid regions is of vital importance to understand the interplay between ecological processes and plant resource-allocation strategies of different tree species.Seasonal variations of leaf morphological traits,stoichiometric traits and their relationships of two drought tolerant woody species,live oak(Quercus virginiana)and honey mesquite(Prosopis glandulosa)and two less drought tolerant species,sugarberry(Celtis laevigata)and white ash(Fraxinus americana)were analyzed in a sub-humid to semi-arid area of south Texas,USA.Our findings demonstrate that for the two drought tolerant species,the leguminous P.glandulosa had the highest specific leaf area,leaf N,P,and lowest leaf area and dry mass,indicating that P.glandulosa adapts to an arid habitat by decreasing leaf area,thus reducing water loss,reflecting a resource acquisition strategy.While the evergreen species Q.virginiana exhibited higher leaf dry mass,leaf dry matter content,C content,C:N,C:P and N:P ratios,adapts to an arid habitat through increased leaf thickness and thus reduced water loss,reflecting a resource conservation strategy in south Texas.For the two less drought tolerant deciduous species,the variations of leaf traits in C.laevigata and F.americana varied between Q.virginiana and P.glandulosa,reflecting a trade-off between rapid plant growth and nutrient maintenance in a semi-arid environment.
基金supported by the National Science Foundation of China(No.42071060)to Fang Du.
文摘The integration and modularity of leaf morphological traits are fundamental to plant adaptations, yet their responses to diverse environmental pressures remain unclear. In this study, we investigate the roles of leaf trait integration and modularity and how they interact with environmental factors. We analyzed geometric, traditional, and functional leaf traits across 908 individuals from 72 populations of two alpine evergreen oaks, Quercus aquifolioides Rehder & E.H. Wilson and Quercus spinosa David ex Franch., distributed throughout the Himalayan-Hengduan Mountains(HHM), employing genetic assignment as a priori. Multivariate and redundancy analyses revealed that Q. aquifolioides, which inhabits harsher environments, exhibits lower trait integration and greater morphological flexibility, allowing for dynamic adaptation to fluctuating conditions. In contrast, Q. spinosa, thriving in milder environments, demonstrates stronger integration and stability in leaf morphology, facilitating resource optimization and providing a competitive advantage. Notable differences in modularity between the two species were observed, particularly in specific leaf traits, as revealed by structural equation modeling(SEM) analysis. These results underscore the adaptive significance of leaf trait integration and modularity in extreme environments and highlight the critical role of leaf morphology in enhancing species resilience.
基金the entire BEF-China research group for their supportfunded by the German Research Foundation(DFG FOR 891/1,2 and 3)financed by the Sino-German Centre for Research Promotion in Beijing(GZ 524,592,698,699 and 785).
文摘Aims Growth rates of plants are driven by factors that influence the amount of resources captured and the efficiency of resource use.In trees,the amount of light captured and the efficiency of light use strongly depends on crown characteristics and leaf traits.Although theory predicts that both crown and leaf traits affect tree growth,few studies have yet to integrate these two types of traits to explain species-specific growth rates.Using 37 broad-leaved tree species of subtropical forests in SE China,we investigated how interspecific differences in wood volume growth rates were affected by crown and leaf traits.We tested the hypotheses that(i)larger crown dimensions promote growth rates,(ii)species-specific growth rates are positively related to leaf stomatal conductance,leaf water potential and leaf chemical components,and negatively related to leaf C/N and leaf toughness and(iii)the two sets of traits better explain growth rates in combination than either alone.Methods Our study was conducted in a large-scale forest Biodiversity and Ecosystem Functioning experiment in China(BEF-China),located in a mountainous region in Jiangxi Province.We related 17 functional traits(two crown dimension and three crown structure traits;six physiological and six morphological leaf traits)to the mean annual growth rate of wood volume of young trees of the studied species.Interrelationships between crown and leaf traits were analyzed using principal component analysis.Simple linear regression analysis was used to test the effect of each trait separately.We used multiple regression analysis to establish the relationship of growth rate to each set of traits(crown traits,physiological and morphological leaf traits)and to the combination of all types of traits.The coefficients of determination(R^(2)_(adj))of the best multiple regression models were compared to determine the relative explanatory power of crown and leaf traits and a combination of both.Important Findings The species-specific growth rates were not related to any of the single crown traits,but were related positively to leaf stomatal conductance and leaf water potential individually,and negatively to leaf toughness,with approximately 13%variance explained by each of the traits.Combinations of different crown traits did not significantly explain the species-specific growth rates,whereas combinations of either physiological or morphological leaf traits explained 24%and 31%,respectively.A combination of both crown and leaf traits explained 42%of variance in species-specific growth rates.We concluded that sets of traits related to carbon assimilation at the leaf-level and to overall amount of leaves exposed at the crown-level jointly explained species-specific growth rates better than either set of traits alone.
基金supported by the Special Foundation for National Science and Technology Basic Resources Investigation of China(2019FY202300)the Biodiversity Survey,Observation and Assessment Project of the Ministry of Ecology and Environment(2110404).
文摘The survival strategy of plants is to adjust their functional traits to adapt to the environment.However,these traits and survival strategies of evergreen broad-leaved forest species are not well understood.This study examined 10 leaf functional traits(LFTs)of 70 common plant species in an evergreen broad-leaved forest in Huangshan Mountain to decipher their adaptive strategies.The phylogenetic signals of these LFTs were assessed and phylogenetically independent contrasts(PIC)and correlation analyses were carried out.LFTs were analyzed to determine their CSR(C:competitor,S:stress-tolerator,R:ruderal)strategies.The results show that plant species exhibit different leaf functional traits and ecological strategies(nine strategies were identified;the most abundant were S/CS and S/CSR strategies).Some traits showed significant phylogenetic signals,indicating the effect of phylogeny on LFTs to an extent.Trait variations among species suggest distinct adaptation strategies to environmental changes.The study species were mainly clustered on the C-S strategy axis,with a high S component.Species leaning toward the C-strategy end(e.g.,deciduous species),favored a resource acquisition strategy characterized by higher specific leaf area(SLA),greater nutrient contents(N and P),lower leaf dry matter content(LDMC),and reduced nutrient utilization efficiency(C:N and C:P).Conversely,species closer to the S-strategy end(e.g.,evergreen species)usually adopted a resource conservative strategy with trait combinations contrary to those of C-strategy species.Overall,this study corroborated the applicability of the CSR strategy at a local scale and provides insights into the varied trait combinations and ecological strategies employed by plant species to adapt to their environment.These findings contribute to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in biodiversity maintenance.
基金This work was supported by the National Key Technologies R&D Program(2011BAD38B01)the Research Funds for Doctoral Education in Universities of China(20090014120002)the Strategic Priority Research Program-Climate Change:Carbon Budget and Related Issues'of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(#XDA05050300).
文摘Aims Understanding the drivers for leaf traits is critical to improving our predictions on ecosystems'responses to global changes.Geographic patterns of leaf traits are shaped by phylogenetic,biological and environmental factors simultaneously.However,till now few studies have examined how these factors influenced leaf traits together,and how their effects differed at the within-and among-site levels.Methods We sampled leaf traits from a 1100 km shrub-biome transect across central Inner-Mongolia,including leaf mass per area(LMA),mass-based photosynthetic rate,nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)concentrations.We examined the effects of phylogenetic,biological(height and growth rate)and environmental(climate and soil)fac-tors on leaf traits with mixed-model analyses of variance.Variation partitioning method was used to separate the joint and independent effects of these three types of factors.Important Findings(i)Climate and soil fertility(total or available nutrient concentra-tions)together explained 11.4-41.4%of among-site variations,with remarkable difference among traits.(i)Height and height growth rate together explained 0.4--31.9%of trait variations(mostly among-site variations).Our results could only weakly support the ability of leaf traits as predictors for whole-plant growth.(ii)LMA was negatively related to height,which was consistent with the resource-use strategy hypothesis but incon-sistent with the hypotheses proposed for coexisting trees,suggest-ing that the LMA--height relationship is shaped by rather different mechanisms between the within-and among-communities lev-els.(iv)The variation partitioning analysis showed that,the rela-tionships between leaf traits and biological characters largely reflected the differences in both leaf traits and biological char-acters among species that occupying different sites.The relative importance of phylogenetic,biological and environmental fac-tors differed remarkably among leaf traits,between the within-and among-communities levels,and between different biomes.(v)Our results strongly suggest the necessity of examining the three types of factors simultaneously,and at both the within-and among-communities levels,for a better understanding of the drivers for leaf traits patterns.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(grant numbers 41731175,31700410 and 41988101)the Strategic Priority Research Program A of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(grant number XDA20050101)。
文摘Vein traits influence photosynthesis and drought resistance and are sensitive to climate change.It is unclear whether vein traits,similar to other leaf traits,have obvious regional characteristics and covariance with other leaf traits,especially in Tibetan Plateau grasslands.We collected 66 species from 37 sites in late July of 2012 and early August of 2013 to investigate leaf vein traits and their relationships with other leaf traits in comparison with the available global database data and to elucidate vein investment of plants with different vein types.The average vein length per area(VLA)of plants in the Tibetan Plateau was within the range of the global dataset,and the relationships among vein traits and other leaf traits of alpine plants were consistent with the global models.The VLAs of parallel-veined grasses and pinnateveined forbs were significantly lower and higher than the global mean value,respectively.The leaf mass perarea and total nitrogen content of parallel-veined grasses were significantly lower and higher,respectively,than the global mean values;the opposite was observed in pinnate-veined forbs.The parallel-veined grasses exhibited almost a four-fold higher vein biomass investment(i.e.,vein mass per leaf mass)than pinnate-veined forbs in the same region.The average VLA and its relationships with other leaf traits of the alpine grassland plants on the Tibetan Plateau had no regional characteristics,suggesting a convergence in plant leaf functioning.Plants with different leaf types differ in their adaptation strategies to plateau environments,and this may relate to biomass investment into leaf veins.Our study fills the gap with regard to vein density in alpine grassland species and provides a new perspective for understanding plant physiology and ecology by calculating and comparing the proportion of vein investment among different vein types.
基金We thank the Singapore Millennium Foundation(SMF-Farming System)and Nanyang Technological University(NTU AcRF Tier 1,RP 1/18 HJ)for their financial support.
文摘The success of growing vegetables indoors requires the most appropriate selection of lighting spectrum.This mini review discusses the impacts of LED spectral quality on different leafy vegetables with a focus on the studies of Chinese broccoli(Brassica alboglabra),ice plants(Mesembryanthem crystallinum)and lettuce(Lactuca sativa L.cv.Canasta).For each species,plants exposed to different spectral LED lights were all under the same light intensity and same photoperiod.Chinese broccoli grown under red(R):blue(B)-LED ratio of 84:16(16B)had the highest light-saturated photosynthetic CO_(2) assimilation rate(Asat)and stomatal conductance(gs sat)compared to plants grown under other R:B-LED ratios.It was also shown that 16B is the most appropriate selection for Chinese broccoli to achieve the highest shoot productivity with a rapid leaf number and leaf area development.The highest concentrations of photosynthetic pigments,soluble and Rubisco protein on a leaf area basis were also observed in 16B plants.The results conclusively affirmed that the highest productivity of Chinese broccoli grown under 16B is closely linked to the highest photosynthetic performance on a leaf area basis.For ice plants grown under R:B-LED ratios of 90:10(10B),they had the highest shoot biomass with a faster leaf development compared to plants grown under other RB-LED combinations.However,there were no differences in Asat,gs sat,photosynthetic pigments,soluble and Rubisco proteins on a leaf area basis.In the case of lettuce plants,it was a surprise to observe that plants grown under 0B and 20G(20%green(G)-LED and 80%R-LED)had the highest shoot biomass,and largest total leaf area and light interception area but the lowest net maximal photosynthetic rate on a leaf area basis,compared to other plants.The combined RB-LED enhanced other photosynthetic parameters while 0B and 20G conditions had inhibitory effects on maximum quantum efficiency of PS II with lower photosynthetic pigments,total soluble protein and Rubisco protein.These results suggest that impacts of LED light quality on productivity of lettuce(L.sativa L.cv.Canasta)are closely linked to leaf traits not associated with photosynthetic performance on a leaf area basis.
