Age-related changes of leaf traits and stoichiometry in an alpine shrub (Rhododendron agglutinatum) along altitudinal gradient

Wang, Meng; Liu, Guo-hu; Jin, Tiantian; Li, Zong-shan; Gong, Li; Wang, Hao; Ye, Xin

doi:10.1007/s11629-016-4096-y

Cited by 14 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…The stoichiometric properties of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaves can reflect plant adaptation strategies to habitats and patterns of nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient limitation (Wardle et al, 2004). Carbon-to-nitrogen and carbon- to-phosphorus ratios reflect the efficiency of nutrient uptake and utilization by plants (Wang et al, 2017). In this study, we found that the leaf carbon-to-nitrogen and carbon-to-phosphorus ratios of the three plant life forms decreased significantly with altitude.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Carbon Nitrogen and Phosphorus Distributi...mentioning

confidence: 53%

Response of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaves of different life forms to altitude and soil factors in Tianshan wild fruit forest

Jia,

Wu,

Ren

et al. 2024

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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IntroductionThe ecological stoichiometric ratio of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus is an important index to understand the utilization and distribution of plant nutrients.MethodTo explore how leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus contents, along with the stoichiometric ratio of different life forms of plants, respond to variations in altitude and soil physical and chemical properties, leaves and soil samples were collected from different life forms of plants at different altitudes (1,100~1,700 m) within the Guozigou region of the forest. Subsequently, the contents and ratios of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the leaves, as well as the physicochemical properties of the soil, were determined.ResultsThe results showed the following: (1) The three life forms of plants in the study area showed that the coefficient of variation of leaf carbon content was the smallest and the distribution was the most stable, while the coefficient of variation of carbon–nitrogen ratio was the largest. (2) Altitude had a significant effect on the carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus contents of different life form of plants, among which the leaf nitrogen content of trees, shrubs, and herbs increased significantly with altitude (p < 0.01), the leaf phosphorus content of trees increased significantly with altitude (p < 0.01), and the leaf C:N of the three life form of plants decreased significantly with altitude (p < 0.01). The C:P of the arbor decreased significantly with altitude (p < 0.05), and the N:P of shrub and herb leaves increased significantly with altitude (p < 0.01). (3) Soil organic carbon and soil moisture content were the main environmental factors affecting the changes of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaves of arbors, and nitrate nitrogen was the main environmental factor affecting the changes of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaves of shrubs. Available phosphorus affected the changes of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in the leaves of herbaceous plants.DiscussionThe results provide new insights into community-level biogeographical patterns and potential factors of leaf stoichiometry among plant life forms.

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Section: Characteristics Of Carbon Nitrogen and Phosphorus Distributi...mentioning

confidence: 53%

Response of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaves of different life forms to altitude and soil factors in Tianshan wild fruit forest

Jia,

Wu,

Ren

et al. 2024

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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“…Compared with trees at low elevation in this study, the trees at high elevation did not show higher concentrations of NSC and greater increases in NSC in winter, suggesting that the freezing point depression for C. gracilis by accumulating sugars is not a main way of achieving low temperature resistance and the individuals at upper limit must employ other strategies to adapt to colder winter temperature and longer duration of winter (Körner, 2012). Elsewhere, leaves of species at higher elevation tend to have higher LMA to enhance the adaptability with low temperature (Ball et al, 2002; Wang et al, 2017). Indeed, LMA of C. gracilis also significantly increased with decreasing temperature in the current study—as has been found in previous studies at intraspecific scales (González‐Zurdo, Escudero, Babiano, García‐Ciudad, & Mediavilla, 2016; Read et al, 2014; Vitousek et al, 1990).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Responses of leaf traits to low temperature in an evergreen oak at its upper limit

Zhang

Song

Pan

et al. 2020

Ecological Research

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Low temperature is a major driver of the upper distributional limits of subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests in East Asia. The eco‐physiology of evergreen broadleaved trees at the upper limits could respond to both lower winter temperature and lower averaged annual temperature that covary with elevation. To analyze these responses, we assessed the variations in leaf chemical traits of Cyclobalanopsis gracilis with seasonality and along elevation in the ecotone from subtropical to temperate climate, and analyzed the relationships between traits of mature leaves and temperature. The study showed that the mass‐based nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) content reached the highest level across elevations during winter; however, the winter NSC content did not differ between elevations. For mature leaves, leaf dry mass per area (LMA) tended to be higher approaching the upper limit. The leaf carbon to phosphorus ratio (C/P) showed an increasing trend with decreasing temperature, as did leaf carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N) to some extent. The mass‐based P content showed a decreasing trend approaching the upper limit, whereas area‐based P content showed no significant variation. Our main results indicate that leaf NSC content is highest at all elevations in winter, and individuals at high elevations have high LMA and high nutrient use efficiency. The results suggest that for C. gracilis, an increasing leaf NSC results in a baseline protection to cope with cold in winter, which, at higher elevations is supplemented with increasing LMA and nutrient use efficiency to cope with associated low‐temperature stress.

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“…The phenotypic differentiation of leaf features can be strongly influenced by the environment [34]. The variability and complexity of environmental factors may be the main contributors to the conservative phenotypic variance of Betula albosinensis, which has long lived at low temperatures and high light exposure.…”

Section: Trade-offs Between Leaf Anatomical Traitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in leaf anatomical traits of Betula albosinensis at different altitudes reflects the adaptive strategy to environmental changes

Yang¹,

Chen²,

Chong³

et al. 2022

ScienceAsia

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The ability of plants to adapt to environmental variability and self-regulate in complex habitats often reflected in leaf anatomical changes. In an assessment of 19 characteristics of Betula albosinensis leaves, samples were taken from trees grown along an altitudinal gradient on the eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and distributed at three altitudes: 2434 m, 2824 m, and 3060 m. Anatomical characteristics of the leaves' blade, mesophyll, and midrib were studied using paraffin slice technology. We found that altitudes and changes in altitude affected the leaf anatomy. As altitude increased, the blade and the mesophyll became thinner, and the transport tissues of the midrib became relatively underdeveloped. However, intra-altitudinal variation was the main source of phenotypic variance. Pearson correlation and principal component analysis revealed that each trait had different ecological dimensions, and that there were trade-offs and covariance relationships between traits. In summary, to adapt to the local altitudinal conditions, Betula albosinensis may exhibit multiple responses, such as reducing investment in leaves, which can boost short-term growth rates, and the "quick investment and return" strategy. Our findings are useful in understanding anatomical adaptations and their trade-offs to environmental variation.

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Age-related changes of leaf traits and stoichiometry in an alpine shrub (Rhododendron agglutinatum) along altitudinal gradient

Abstract: 107leaves 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.

Cited by 14 publications

References 69 publications

Response of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaves of different life forms to altitude and soil factors in Tianshan wild fruit forest

Response of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in leaves of different life forms to altitude and soil factors in Tianshan wild fruit forest

Responses of leaf traits to low temperature in an evergreen oak at its upper limit

Variation in leaf anatomical traits of Betula albosinensis at different altitudes reflects the adaptive strategy to environmental changes

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