J Plant Ecol ›› Advance articles     DOI:10.1093/jpe/rtag204

• Research Article •     Next Articles

Leaf and root of Machilus pauhoi both exhibit different resource acquisition strategies when mixed with evergreen broad-leaved tree species compared to deciduous ones in a mid-subtropical region of China

Chaobin Xu1*, Yunni Chang2*, Yuxin Fan1, Josep Peñuelas3, 4, Weiyong Gong5, Yuanshun Li5, Jinpan You5, Dongliang Cheng1, Baoyin Li1, Quanlin Zhong1*   

  1. 1School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory for Plant Eco-physiology, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou 350117, China
    2Tea Research Institute, Fujian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Fuzhou 350013, China
    3CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra 08193, Catalonia, Spain
    4CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès 08193, Catalonia, Spain
    5Anxi Fengtian State-owned Forest Farm of Fujian Province, Quanzhou 362411, China
    *Corresponding author. E-mails: Chaobin Xu xuchaobin2010@163.com; Yunni Chang changyunni02@163.com; Quanlin Zhong qlzhong@126.com.
  • Received:2025-12-23 Accepted:2026-08-14 Published:2026-09-07
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the Central Guidance for Local Science and Technology Development Fund Project (2024L3009), National Natural Science Foundation of China (32371859), Fujian Provincial Forestry Science and Technology Project (ZMGG-0809), Key Research and Development Program Project of Jiangxi Province (S20251860).

Abstract: Mixed forest has become a key approach for enhancing productivity and ecological functions of plantations. Machilus pauhoi is a native precious fast-growing evergreen broad- leaved tree species with multiple functions. However, functional traits and resource utilization strategies after mixture with different life-form plants remain unclear. This study evaluated leaf and root traits of M. pauhoi from three forests (pure forest (CT), mixed forest with Cerasus campanulata (deciduous broad-leaved (MC)), mixed forest with Magnoliaceae glanca (evergreen broad-leaved (MM))). M. pauhoi in MM exhibited higher specific leaf area, leaf relative water content, specific root length and root specific surface area, lower leaf dry matter content and leaf thickness than in MC and CT. No significant differences were observed in leaf and fine root traits between CT and MC. Leaf, root and whole-plant traits were consistently resource-acquisitive in MM. Root trait variation was more sensitive to soil environment compared to leaf traits. The different mixed patterns did not alter the relationship between phenotypic integration and plasticity. This research provided theoretical and technical references for elucidating response characteristics to mixed forests, selecting suitable tree species for mixing and efficiently cultivating plantations. It makes scientific recommendations for sustainable management of precious species plantations across subtropical regions.

Leaf, root and whole-plant traits of Machilus pauhoi were consistently resource-acquisitive in mixed forest with Magnoliaceae glanca compared to pure forest and mixed forest with Cerasus campanulate. Root trait variation was more sensitive to soil environment compared to leaf traits.