Leaf traits from stomata to morphology are associated with climatic and edaphic variables for dominant tropical forest evergreen oaks

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtab060

J Plant Ecol ›› 2021, Vol. 14 ›› Issue (6): 1115-1127 .DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtab060

• Research Articles • Previous Articles Next Articles

Leaf traits from stomata to morphology are associated with climatic and edaphic variables for dominant tropical forest evergreen oaks

Yutong Lin^1,2,3,4, Luhui Kuang^1,2,3,4, Songbo Tang^1,2,3,4, Zhijian Mou^1,2,3,4, Oliver L. Phillips⁵, Hans Lambers⁶, Zhanfeng Liu^1,2,3, Jordi Sardans^7,8, Josep Peñuelas^7,8, Yuan Lai^1,2,3,4, Mingxian Lin⁹, Dexiang Chen^9,*, and Yuanwen Kuang^1,2,3,*

¹Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China, ² Heshan National Field Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou 510650, China, ³ Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Guangzhou 510650, China, ⁴ College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China, ⁵ School of Geography, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK,⁶ School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia, ⁷ CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CEAB-UAB, Cerdanyola del Valles, 08193 Catalonia, Spain, ⁸ CREAF, Bellaterra, 08193 Catalonia, Spain, ⁹ Research Institute of Tropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou 510520, China

^*Corresponding author. E-mail: dchen@caf.ac.cn (D.C.); kuangyw@scbg.ac.cn (Y.K.)

Received:2021-01-20 Accepted:2021-03-13 Online:2021-06-11 Published:2021-12-01

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims

Understanding variation and coordination of leaf traits at multiscales along elevational gradients can help predict the likely responses of dominant species to climate change. We seek to determine the extent to which variation in leaf stomatal, anatomical and morphological traits is associated with environmental factors, and whether ecological strategies of Cyclobalanopsis species shift with elevations.

Methods

In a tropical forest landscape in Jianfengling, South China, we determined leaf traits related to stomata, anatomy and morphology of six evergreen oak species (Cyclobalanopsis bambusaefolia, C. hui, C. patelliformis, C. fleuryi, C. tiaoloshanica and C. phanera) along a long elevational gradient (400–1400 m above sea level).

Important Findings

We found that stomatal density and stomatal pore index increased, whereas spongy mesophyll thickness to leaf thickness ratios decreased, significantly with elevation. The leaf area and leaf dry matter content increased and decreased, respectively, with elevation. Variations in stomatal, anatomical and morphological traits were mainly correlated to the mean annual temperature, mean annual sum precipitation and soil pH. At low and high elevations, the oak species exhibited strong stress tolerance combined with competition strategy, while they shifted toward more clearly the competitive strategy at intermediate elevations. And the changes in soil phosphorus concentration and soil pH along the elevation may drive the shift of ecological strategy. The results showed that the dominant oak species in tropical forests respond to environmental change by modulating traits at multiple levels, from that of the individual cell, through tissue and up to the whole leaf scale.

Key words: elevational gradient, ecological strategy, leaf traits, oak species, tropical forest

摘要：
热带森林优势种青冈叶片气孔、解剖和形态性状与气候、土壤因子的关联
了解优势树种叶片多水平的功能性状沿海拔梯度的变化及其内在关联，有助于预测优势种应对气候变化的响应与适应。本文研究了青冈属树种叶片气孔、解剖和形态性状沿海拔梯度的变化及其与环境调控因子的关联，探究了其生态策略是否随海拔发生改变。在海南尖峰岭热带森林，沿海拔梯度(400–1400 m)采集了6种常绿青冈：竹叶青冈(Cyclobalanopsis bambusaefolia)、雷公青冈(C. hui)、托盘青冈 (C. patelliformis)、饭甄青冈(C. fleuryi)、吊罗山青冈(C. tiaoloshanica)和亮叶青冈(C. phanera)叶片，用于气孔、解剖和形态性状的测定。研究结果表明，随海拔升高，青冈树种叶片气孔密度、气孔孔隙度指数和叶面积显著增加，但海绵组织厚度比和干物质含量则显着降低。叶片气孔、解剖和形态性状沿海拔梯度的变化主要受年均温、年降水量和土壤pH 值调控。在低海拔和高海拔处，青冈属采取“耐受”和“竞争”策略，而在中海拔处，则是“竞争”策略。土壤磷含量和土壤pH 值随海拔的变化可能是驱动其生态策略转变的主要原因。该结果揭示，热带森林优势树种青冈可通过从气孔细胞-组织解剖结构-叶片水平功能性状的改变来响应环境变化。

关键词: 海拔梯度, 生态策略, 叶性状, 青冈, 热带森林

Yutong Lin, Luhui Kuang, Songbo Tang, Zhijian Mou, Oliver L. Phillips, Hans Lambers, Zhanfeng Liu, Jordi Sardans, Josep Peñuelas, Yuan Lai, Mingxian Lin, Dexiang Chen, and Yuanwen Kuang. Leaf traits from stomata to morphology are associated with climatic and edaphic variables for dominant tropical forest evergreen oaks[J]. J Plant Ecol, 2021, 14(6): 1115-1127.

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Leaf traits from stomata to morphology are associated with climatic and edaphic variables for dominant tropical forest evergreen oaks

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