Climate factors affect forest biomass allocation by altering soil nutrient availability and leaf traits

Gong, Hede; Song, Wenchen; Wang, Jiangfeng; Wang, Xianxian; Ji, Yuhui; Zhang, Xinyu; Gao, Jie

doi:10.1111/jipb.13545

Cited by 12 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Numerous studies have shown that plant life type, functional traits, climate, soil nutrients, and local NPP collectively affect the allocation of plant aboveground and belowground biomass [11,23,45]. To adapt to changing environmental conditions, plants adjust their morphological traits to obtain more resources, ultimately resulting in biomass accumulation [20,34].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Optimal allocation theory suggests that in nutrient-poor soil environments, plants allocate more biomass to the roots than the aboveground parts [22]. As soil fertility increases, the proportion of biomass allocated to the aboveground parts of plants will significantly increase [23]. Previous research has found that adding N and P to nutrient-poor soil environments weakens the competition between root systems and soil microorganisms due to higher soil N content [24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Precipitation Dominates the Allocation Strategy of Above- and Belowground Biomass in Plants on Macro Scales

Wang,

Chen,

et al. 2023

Plants

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The allocation of biomass reflects a plant’s resource utilization strategy and is significantly influenced by climatic factors. However, it remains unclear how climate factors affect the aboveground and belowground biomass allocation patterns on macro scales. To address this, a study was conducted using aboveground and belowground biomass data for 486 species across 294 sites in China, investigating the effects of climate change on biomass allocation patterns. The results show that the proportion of belowground biomass in the total biomass (BGBP) or root-to-shoot ratio (R/S) in the northwest region of China is significantly higher than that in the southeast region. Significant differences (p < 0.05) were found in BGBP or R/S among different types of plants (trees, shrubs, and herbs plants), with values for herb plants being significantly higher than shrubs and tree species. On macro scales, precipitation and soil nutrient factors (i.e., soil nitrogen and phosphorus content) are positively correlated with BGBP or R/S, while temperature and functional traits are negatively correlated. Climate factors contribute more to driving plant biomass allocation strategies than soil and functional trait factors. Climate factors determine BGBP by changing other functional traits of plants. However, climate factors influence R/S mainly by affecting the availability of soil nutrients. The results quantify the productivity and carbon sequestration capacity of terrestrial ecosystems and provide important theoretical guidance for the management of forests, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Precipitation Dominates the Allocation Strategy of Above- and Belowground Biomass in Plants on Macro Scales

Wang,

Chen,

et al. 2023

Plants

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“…The N/P ratio reflects plant demand for nitrogen and phosphorus ( Tessier and Raynal, 2003 ) and plays an important role in investigating plant competition, ecosystem nutrient cycling, and ecosystem stability ( Xu et al., 2020 ). Numerous studies have shown that abiotic factors such as climate change and soil nutrients play a key role in shaping the spatial variability of forest leaf nutrients ( Gong et al., 2023 ). However, studies also indicate that stand factors like forest age play a significant role as well ( Nielsen et al., 2019 ), and it remains unknown whether different forest origins (planted forest, natural forest) affect leaf nutrient functional traits.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests

Zhang,

Yu,

et al. 2024

Front. Plant Sci.

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Leaf nutrient content (nitrogen, phosphorus) and their stoichiometric ratio (N/P) as key functional traits can reflect plant survival strategies and predict ecosystem productivity responses to environmental changes. Previous research on leaf nutrient traits has primarily focused on the species level with limited spatial scale, making it challenging to quantify the variability and influencing factors of forest leaf nutrient traits on a macro scale. This study, based on field surveys and literature collected from 2005 to 2020 on 384 planted forests and 541 natural forests in China, investigates the differences in leaf nutrient traits between forest types (planted forests, natural forests) and their driving factors. Results show that leaf nutrient traits (leaf nitrogen content (LN), leaf phosphorus content (LP), and leaf N/P ratio) of planted forests are significantly higher than those of natural forests (P< 0.05). The impact of climatic and soil factors on the variability of leaf nutrient traits in planted forests is greater than that in natural forests. With increasing forest age, natural forests significantly increase in leaf nitrogen and phosphorus content, with a significant decrease in N/P ratio (P< 0.05). Climatic factors are key environmental factors dominating the spatial variability of leaf nutrient traits. They not only directly affect leaf nutrient traits of planted and natural forest communities but also indirectly through regulation of soil nutrients and stand factors, with their direct effects being more significant than their indirect effects.

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“…Higher temperatures and abundant rainfall largely alleviate environmental survival stress for trees, leading them to allocate more resources to compete for light. They increase specific leaf area (SLA) to enhance photosynthetic capacity and effectively utilize light resources [ 10 , 11 ]. Conversely, in cold and arid conditions, the survival stress of trees increases, forcing them to devote more resources to survival.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Trees with high SLA and low LDMC typically adopt a fast investment–return strategy to better adapt to nutrient-rich soil conditions. Under conditions of high nitrogen and phosphorus, trees often increase leaf area (higher SLA) and reduce the proportion of leaf dry weight to enhance photosynthetic efficiency, optimizing their growth and development, minimizing nutrient investment in support structures and durability, and investing more nitrogen and phosphorus to support leaf growth [ 11 ]. In environments with low nitrogen and phosphorus, trees conserve more nutrients in longer-lived and more resilient tissues, adopting a conservative resource utilization strategy to adapt to these conditions [ 18 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest Age Drives the Resource Utilization Indicators of Trees in Planted and Natural Forests in China

Zhang,

Chen,

et al. 2024

Plants

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Specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) are key leaf functional traits commonly used to reflect tree resource utilization strategies and predict forest ecosystem responses to environmental changes. Previous research on tree resource utilization strategies (SLA and LDMC) primarily focused on the species level within limited spatial scales, making it crucial to quantify the spatial variability and driving factors of these strategies. Whether there are discrepancies in resource utilization strategies between trees in planted and natural forests, and the dominant factors and mechanisms influencing them, remain unclear. This study, based on field surveys and the literature from 2008 to 2020 covering 263 planted and 434 natural forests in China, using generalized additive models (GAMs) and structural equation models (SEMs), analyzes the spatial differences and dominant factors in tree resource utilization strategies between planted and natural forests. The results show that the SLA of planted forests is significantly higher than that of natural forests (p < 0.01), and LDMC is significantly lower (p < 0.0001), indicating a “faster investment–return” resource utilization strategy. As the mean annual high temperature (MAHT) and mean annual precipitation (MAP) steadily rise, trees have adapted their resource utilization strategies, transitioning from a “conservative” survival tactic to a “rapid investment–return” model. Compared to natural forests, planted forest trees exhibit stronger environmental plasticity and greater variability with forest age in their resource utilization strategies. Overall, forest age is the dominant factor influencing resource utilization strategies in both planted and natural forests, having a far greater direct impact than climatic factors (temperature, precipitation, and sunlight) and soil nutrient factors. Additionally, as forest age increases, both planted and natural forests show an increase in SLA and a decrease in LDMC, indicating a gradual shift towards more efficient resource utilization strategies.

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Climate factors affect forest biomass allocation by altering soil nutrient availability and leaf traits

Cited by 12 publications

References 80 publications

Precipitation Dominates the Allocation Strategy of Above- and Belowground Biomass in Plants on Macro Scales

Precipitation Dominates the Allocation Strategy of Above- and Belowground Biomass in Plants on Macro Scales

Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests

Forest Age Drives the Resource Utilization Indicators of Trees in Planted and Natural Forests in China

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