浙江天童常绿阔叶林不同演替阶段木本植物的水力结构特征

水力结构是植物应对环境形成的与水分运输相关的形态策略.探索不同演替阶段和群落不同高度层植物的水力结构特征, 有助于理解植物的水分运输和利用策略.该研究以浙江天童常绿阔叶林演替前中后期群落的上层木(占据林冠层的树种)和下层木(灌木层物种)为对象, 测定了演替共有种(至少存在于两个演替阶段的物种)和更替种(仅存在于某一演替阶段的物种)的枝边材比导率,叶比导率和胡伯尔值, 以及边材疏导面积,末端枝总叶面积和枝条水势, 分析植物水力结构在群落上层木和下层木间以及在演替阶段间的差异, 及其与枝叶性状的相关关系.结果显示: (1)上层木植物边材比导率和叶比导率显著高于下层木植物(p < 0.05); (2)上层木和下层木的边材比导率与叶比导率在演替阶段间均无显著差异(p > 0.05); 上层木的胡伯尔值在演替阶段间无显著差异, 下层木的胡伯尔值随演替显著下降(p < 0.05); (3)上层木共有种仅边材比导率随演替进行显著降低(p < 0.05), 更替种的3个水力结构参数在演替阶段间无显著差异; 下层木共有种水力结构参数在演替阶段间无明显差异, 更替种仅胡伯尔值随演替减小(p < 0.05); (4)植物边材比导率与枝疏导面积和末端枝所支撑的总叶面积显著正相关(p < 0.01), 胡伯尔值与枝条水势及末端枝总叶面积显著负相关(p < 0.01).以上结果表明: 天童常绿阔叶林演替各阶段上层木比下层木具有更大的输水能力和效率; 随着演替进行, 上层木与下层木的共有种和更替种边材比导率的相反变化表明上层木水力结构的变化可能由微生境变化引起, 而下层木水力结构特征的变化可能由物种更替造成.     

元宝枫苗木的水力结构特征

在温室条件下,控制不同干旱梯度,用改良的冲洗法测定了4年生元宝枫苗木的水力结构参数．研究表明,随着小枝水势的降低,水力结构各参数随茎段功能木质部直径的变化可以用不同的方程来模拟;导水率的大小受茎段所在区域的影响,限速区的导水率明显低于非限速区,限速区的存在对苗木个体的生存竞争有利．导水率、比导率和叶比导率都和功能木质部直径和小枝水势呈明显的正相关．较粗茎段的叶比导率远高于多次分枝的未端细小分枝,有利于苗木在干旱时保存那些光合积累较大的器官．在落叶之前,相同直径枝条的胡伯尔值随小枝水势的变化很小,说明苗木水分胁迫主要源于木质部空穴和栓塞．     

浙江天童常绿阔叶林演替阶段共有种的树木构型

树木构型是木本植物为响应光照变化在其空间建造结构上的配置模式和形态体现。研究演替不同阶段共有种构型的变化可以剔除植物谱系的影响, 反映植物构型特征与光资源供给性的关系。该研究在浙江宁波天童、南山和北仑3个次生演替序列上选择了5个演替共有种, 分4个群落高度层级, 对照分析了树高、冠幅深度和面积、枝条伸展方向、基径、叶片盖度和聚集度构型性状随演替的变化, 并分析了与冠幅曝光指数的线性关系。结果表明: 1)随着演替进行, 冠幅厚度和面积、叶片盖度、叶片聚集度和基径逐步增加, 但在个别相邻演替阶段增加不显著; 2)随着演替进行, 植物的垂直枝比例降低, 水平枝比例增加; 3)演替过程中植物冠幅曝光指数在各层级内都呈现出减小趋势; 4)构型性状和植物冠幅曝光指数间存在显著的线性回归关系(p < 0.001)。总之, 随着常绿阔叶林演替进行, 演替共有种构型的变化反映了物种功能类群由阳性先锋植物向耐阴植物的转化, 其中, 植物对光资源的适应是导致构型变化的主要原因。     

Xylem traits mediate a trade-off between resistance to freeze-thaw-induced embolism and photosynthetic capacity in overwintering evergreens

Hydraulic traits were studied in temperate, woody evergreens in a high-elevation heath community to test for trade-offs between the delivery of water to canopies at rates sufficient to sustain photosynthesis and protection against disruption to vascular transport caused by freeze-thaw-induced embolism. Freeze-thaw-induced loss in hydraulic conductivity was studied in relation to xylem anatomy, leaf- and sapwood-specific hydraulic conductivity and gas exchange characteristics of leaves. We found evidence that a trade-off between xylem transport capacity and safety from freeze-thaw-induced embolism affects photosynthetic activity in overwintering evergreens. The mean hydraulically weighted xylem vessel diameter and sapwood-specific conductivity correlated with susceptibility to freeze-thaw-induced embolism. There was also a strong correlation of hydraulic supply and demand across species; interspecific differences in stomatal conductance and CO(2) assimilation rates were correlated linearly with sapwood- and leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity. Xylem vessel anatomy mediated an apparent trade-off between resistance to freeze-thaw-induced embolism and hydraulic and photosynthetic capacity during the winter. These results point to a new role for xylem functional traits in determining the degree to which species can maintain photosynthetic carbon gain despite freezing events and cold winter temperatures.     

Evolution of hydraulic traits in closely related species pairs from Mediterranean and nonMediterranean environments of North America

Chaparral shrubs in California experience cool, wet winters and hot, dry summers characteristic of mediterranean-type climates; by contrast, morphologically similar close relatives in central Mexico experience summer rainfall. A comparison of closely related species pairs was conducted to examine whether evolutionary divergences in plant hydraulic conductivity were associated with contrasting seasonality of precipitation. Six species pairs in Santa Barbara, California and Tehuacan, Mexico were chosen to test for repeated directional divergences across the habitat contrast. Additionally, evolutionary correlations were examined using phylogenetically independent contrasts (PICs) among a suite of hydraulic traits, including stem- and leaf-specific conductivity, resistance to embolism, wood density, inverse Huber value, and minimum seasonal water potential. Leaf-specific conductivity was generally higher in California, but for most hydraulic traits the species pairs exhibited varied evolutionary trajectories across the climate contrast. A significant correlation was found between divergences in xylem resistance to embolism and minimum seasonal water potential, but no evolutionary trade-off was found between resistance and stem conductivity. Higher leaf-specific conductivity may be adaptive in California, where soil and atmospheric droughts coincide during summer months. This response is consistent with a hydraulic strategy of high leaf water supply under high evaporative demand to prevent excessive drops in water potential.     

Effect of stem length to stem slender ratio of current-year twigs on the leaf display efficiency in evergreen and deciduous broadleaved trees

Aims Branches and leaves are the two main structural units of tree crown composition. Among the adaptive strategies of plants, the functional traits of branches and the relationships between branch traits and leaf traits determine the capacity of trees to access light and space. In this study, our objective is to test the hypothesis that leaf display efficiency is affected by the stem length to stem slender ratio within current-year twigs.Methods The stem length to stem slender ratios of current-year twigs were used as the proxy of stem structure traits. Leaf area ratio (total leaf area per stem mass), leaf density (leaf number per stem length) and leaf/stem mass ratio (total leaf mass per stem mass) were used as the proxies of leaf display efficiency. The relationship between stem structure traits and leaf display efficiency within current-year twigs were studied for 25 evergreen and 60 deciduous broadleaved woody species in Qingliang Mountain, Zhejiang, China. The standardized major axis estimation method was used to examine the scaling relationship between stem structural traits and leaf display efficiency within current-year twigs.Important findings The proxies of leaf display efficiency, measured by leaf area ratio, leaf density or leaf/stem mass ratio, were all significantly and negative correlated with stem length to stem slender ratio within current-year twigs in both evergreen and deciduous broadleaved woody species. This suggested that leaf display efficiency decreased with stem length to stem slender ratios within current-year twigs, which may reflect the role of mechanical safety and light within twigs. The slope of the relationship between leaf display efficiency and stem long-dimension structure traits in evergreen species was not significantly different from the one in deciduous species. In contrast, the y-intercept of the relationship between leaf density and stem long-dimension structure traits was significantly larger in evergreen species than in deciduous species, i.e. the leafing intensity of evergreen species was higher than that of deciduous species. Individual leaf area and specific leaf area were smaller in evergreen species than in deciduous species, which resulted in deciduous species have a larger leaf area per stem mass and leaf mass per stem mass at a given stem length to stem slender ratio compared to evergreen species. It may reflect the conservative adaptive strategy of high consumption and slow benefit in evergreen species. Our results demonstrated that leaf display efficiency could be affected by stem length, and would change with leaf life-span (deciduous versus evergreen).     

Water Relations and Hydraulic Architecture of a Tropical Tree (Schefflera morototoni) : Data, Models, and a Comparison with Two Temperate Species (Acer saccharum and Thuja occidentalis)

The water relations and hydraulic architecture of a tropical tree (Schefflera morototoni) and of two temperate species (Acer saccharum and Thuja occidentalis) are reported. Among the water relations parameters measured were leaf and stem water storage capacity, leaf water potential, transpiration, and vulnerability of stems to cavitation and loss of hydraulic conductivity by embolisms. Among the hydraulic architecture parameters measured were hydraulic conductivity per unit pressure gradient, specific conductivity, leaf-specific conductivity, and Huber value. In terms of vulnerability of stems to cavitation, stem and leaf capacitances, and leaf-specific conductivity, all three species followed the same sequence: Schefflera > Acer > Thuja. It is argued here that the high stem capacitance and high leaf-specific conductivity of Schefflera are necessary to compensate for its high vulnerability to cavitation. Extractable water storage per unit leaf area in Schefflera stems is >100 times that of Acer and may permit the species to survive unusually long, dry seasons in Panama. Although Schefflera frequently grows >20 meters, the biggest resistance to water flow in the shoots resides in the leaves.     

林火干扰对北方针叶林林下植被的影响

林下植被在北方针叶林植被群落中的物种多样性最高, 且具有较高的生物量周转率和地上部分净初级生产力, 对北方针叶林生态系统功能起着重要作用。火干扰是决定北方针叶林林下植被结构与功能的一个重要景观过程。该文综述了火干扰是如何通过与地形、火前林冠组成的交互作用而影响环境资源和林下植被的。最近的研究表明: 林下植被能够影响火后树木更新苗的定植、重建速率及森林演替轨迹; 林下植被还会通过影响元素的生物地球化学过程(凋落物降解和养分循环)影响林下环境资源的数量与异质性。因此, 研究火后初期北方针叶林林下植被的动态变化, 对于物种多样性保护和森林管理具有重要意义。     

Traits of shrubs in forests and bushes reveal different life strategies

灌木是森林和灌丛生态系统的重要组成部分, 探究森林与灌丛灌木功能性状的差异, 可揭示灌木在不同生境的适应策略。该研究以金华北山森林群落林下灌木层、低山灌丛和山顶灌丛共24个样地中的优势灌木为研究对象, 分析叶片和小枝9个功能性状在3种生境下的总体差异, 以及种间、种内变异和不同生活型的差异。结果表明: 1) 9个性状在3种不同生境下存在差异。林下灌木具有较大的叶面积和比叶面积, 较小的叶干物质含量、叶和小枝的组织密度, 低山灌丛相较于山顶灌丛具有较大的叶厚度、叶组织密度和较小的比叶面积、小枝干物质含量。2)林下灌木的比叶面积、小枝直径、小枝组织密度和小枝干物质含量的种内种间变异系数最大, 低山灌丛的比叶面积、叶和小枝的干物质含量、叶和小枝的组织密度的种内种间变异系数最小。3)不同生活型间, 林下常绿灌木的叶厚度、叶组织密度、叶干物质含量显著高于落叶灌木, 落叶灌木的比叶面积显著高于常绿灌木, 而山顶灌丛叶厚度和比叶面积的差异规律与林下灌木相同, 叶组织密度和叶干物质含量的差异与其相反。4)影响灌木性状的主要因素是物种以及物种和生境的交互作用。总之, 森林群落林下灌木形成较大叶面积和比叶面积, 较小叶和小枝组织密度、叶干物质含量的性状组合, 以快速生长而适应光照较弱、竞争作用强的林下环境, 是资源获取型策略; 低山灌丛和山顶灌丛具有较大叶厚度、组织密度、干物质含量和小枝组织密度和较小叶面积、比叶面积等一系列储存养分、慢速生长的性状组合, 属于资源保守型策略。灌木植物性状的不同组合及其所反映的不同生活策略, 对亚热带地区退化植被的生态恢复具有指导意义。     

Water stress vulnerability of four Banksia species in contrasting ecohydrological habitats on the Gnangara Mound, Western Australia

This study investigated the interspecific differences in vulnerability to xylem embolism of four phreatophytes – two facultative phreatophytes ( Banksia attenuata and B. menziesii ) and two obligate phreatophytes ( B. ilicifolia and B. littoralis ). Species differences at the same position along an ecohydrological gradient on the Gnangara Groundwater Mound, Western Australia were determined in addition to intraspecific differences to water stress between populations in contrasting ecohydrological habitats. Stem- and leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity, as well as Huber values (ratio of stem to leaf area), were also determined to support these findings. We found that where water is readily accessible, there were no interspecific differences in vulnerability to water stress. In contrast both facultative phreatophyte species were more resistant to xylem embolism at the more xeric dune crest site than at the wetter bottom slope site. B. ilicifolia did not differ in vulnerability to embolism, supporting its classification as an obligate phreatophyte. Other measured hydraulic traits ( K _S, K _L and Huber value) showed no adaptive responses, although there was a tendency for plants at the wetter site to have higher K _S and K _L. This study highlights the influence site hydrological attributes can have on plant hydraulic architecture across species and environmental gradients.     

Transgenic poplars with reduced lignin show impaired xylem conductivity, growth efficiency and survival

We studied xylem anatomy and hydraulic architecture in 14 transgenic insertion events and a control line of hybrid poplar (Populus spp.) that varied in lignin content. Transgenic events had different levels of down-regulation of two genes encoding 4-coumarate:coenzyme A ligase (4CL). Two-year-old trees were characterized after growing either as free-standing trees in the field or as supported by stakes in a greenhouse. In free-standing trees, a 20 to 40% reduction in lignin content was associated with increased xylem vulnerability to embolism, shoot dieback and mortality. In staked trees, the decreased biomechanical demands on the xylem was associated with increases in the leaf area to sapwood area ratio and wood specific conductivity (k(s)), and with decreased leaf-specific conductivity (k(l)). These shifts in hydraulic architecture suggest that the bending stresses perceived during growth can affect traits important for xylem water transport. Severe 4CL-downregulation resulted in the patchy formation of discoloured, brown wood with irregular vessels in which water transport was strongly impeded. These severely 4CL-downregulated trees had significantly lower growth efficiency (biomass/leaf area). These results underscore the necessity of adequate lignification for mechanical support of the stem, water transport, tree growth and survival.     

Hydraulic characteristics and leaf water use efficiency in trees from tropical montane habitats

This study was carried out in pioneer and successional forest tree species in a lower montane tropical forest with seasonal rains. We tested whether pioneer species feature high hydraulic conductance allowing them to use water profusely at leaf level. Conversely, forest species may have relatively low hydraulic conductance accompanied with better control over water use. This may lead in turn to pioneer species being at a relatively higher risk of shoot water potential falling below the threshold value at which cavitations occur compared to forest. Specific hydraulic conductance ( K _s) measured during the wet season was comparable between pioneers and forest species. During drought, K _s was significantly reduced, and species of both plant groups responded to this by modifying the relationship between conducting area and leaf area (Huver value), such that leaf specific conductivity ( K _l) was unaffected. Thus, leaf area seemed to be adjusted to maintain constant hydraulic sufficiency during drought. Pioneer species were more efficient in conducting water to their leaves but had low control over water use compared to forest species. A trade-off between water transport and leaf water use efficiency was suggested. These ecophysiological differences may have an impact on the performance of the species occupying contrasting habitats. Nonetheless, drought-induced embolisms occurred in trees growing in both open and forest habitats. Overall, during drought, adjustment of leaf area occurred in order to maintain a homeostasis of some physiological traits (leaf-specific conductivity and carbon assimilation).     

浙江天童木本植物水力结构与树高的关联性

垂直分层是森林群落的基本结构,但有关群落不同垂直层次植物水力结构策略的研究仍然比较缺乏。以浙江天童木荷林内25株高度不同的9种木本植物为对象,通过测量其枝条直径、边材面积、干材密度、导管直径、内腔面积以及枝条水分比导率,旨在检验植物水力结构与树高的关联性。结果显示：除干材密度外,枝条直径、导管直径、枝条和导管内腔面积、边材面积、水分比导率均随树高增加而显著增大。作为重要的水力结构特征,比导率与导管直径和内腔面积、枝直径和内腔面积、边材面积显著正关联。该结果强调了局域群落内不同垂直层次植物水力结构特征的显著差异,以及植物水分生态位在不同垂直层次的分化过程。     

Ecological physiology of Pereskia guamacho, a cactus with leaves

The specialized physiology of leafless, stem-succulent cacti is relatively well understood. This is not true, however, for Pereskia (Cactaceae), the 17 species of leafy trees and shrubs that represent the earliest diverging lineages of the cacti. Here we report on the water relations and photosynthesis of Pereskia guamacho, a small tree of the semiarid scrubland of Venezuela's Caribbean coast. Sapwood-specific xylem conductivity (Ksp) is low when compared to other vessel-bearing trees of tropical dry systems, but leaf-specific xylem conductivity is relatively high due to the high Huber value afforded by P. guamacho's short shoot architecture. P. guamacho xylem is not particularly vulnerable to drought-induced cavitation, especially considering the high leaf water potentials maintained year round. This is confirmed by the lack of significant variation exhibited in Ksp between wet and dry seasons. In the rainy season, P. guamacho exhibited C3-like patterns of stomatal conductance, but during a prolonged drought we documented nocturnal stomatal opening with a concomitant accumulation of titratable acid in leaves. This suggests that P. guamacho can perform drought-induced crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM photosynthesis), although delta 13C values imply that most carbon is assimilated via the C3 pathway. P. guamacho leaves display very low stomatal densities, and maximum stomatal conductance is low whether stomata open during the day or night. We conclude that leaf performance is not limited by stem hydraulic capacity in this species, and that water use is conservative and tightly regulated at the leaf level.     

Nutrient availability constrains the hydraulic architecture and water relations of savannah trees

Leaf and whole plant-level functional traits were studied in five dominant woody savannah species from Central Brazil (Cerrado) to determine whether reduction of nutrient limitations in oligotrophic Cerrado soils affects carbon allocation, water relations and hydraulic architecture. Four treatments were used: control, N additions, P additions and N plus P additions. Fertilizers were applied twice yearly, from October 1998 to March 2004. Sixty-three months after the first nutrient addition, the total leaf area increment was significantly greater across all species in the N- and the N + P-fertilized plots than in the control and in the P-fertilized plots. Nitrogen fertilization significantly altered several components of hydraulic architecture: specific conductivity of terminal stems increased with N additions, whereas leaf-specific conductivity and wood density decreased in most cases. Average daily sap flow per individual was consistently higher with N and N + P additions compared to the control, but its relative increase was not as great as that of leaf area. Long-term additions of N and N + P caused midday PsiL to decline significantly by a mean of 0.6 MPa across all species because N-induced relative reductions in soil-to-leaf hydraulic conductance were greater than those of stomatal conductance and transpiration on a leaf area basis. Phosphorus-fertilized trees did not exhibit significant changes in midday PsiL. Analysis of xylem vulnerability curves indicated that N-fertilized trees were significantly less vulnerable to embolism than trees in control and P-fertilized plots. Thus, N-induced decreases in midday PsiL appeared to be almost entirely compensated by increases in resistance to embolism. Leaf tissue water relations characteristics also changed as a result of N-induced declines in minimum PsiL: osmotic potential at full turgor decreased and symplastic solute content on a dry matter basis increased linearly with declining midday PsiL across species and treatments. Despite being adapted to chronic nutrient limitations, Cerrado woody species apparently have the capacity to exploit increases in nutrient availability by allocating resources to maximize carbon gain and enhance growth. The cost of increased allocation to leaf area relative to water transport capacity involved increased total water loss per plant and a decrease in minimum leaf water potentials. However, the risk of increased embolism and turgor loss was relatively low as xylem vulnerability to embolism and leaf osmotic characteristics changed in parallel with changes in plant water status induced by N fertilization.     

伊犁河谷退化野果林中新疆野苹果茎的水力结构

为揭示伊犁河谷退化野果林中新疆野苹果植株个体的死亡机理,对比研究3种长势(Ⅰ级,20%枯枝率;Ⅱ级,40%~60%枯枝率;Ⅲ级,>80%枯枝率)新疆野苹果茎的水力结构特征的差异以及水分运输有效性和安全性及其影响因素。结果表明: 随野果林退化程度的增加,3种长势的新疆野苹果茎的边材比导水率和叶比导水率呈下降趋势,但差异不显著;傍晚时的栓塞程度、栓塞脆弱性呈显著增加的趋势,其中Ⅰ、Ⅱ和Ⅲ级长势个体的导水率损失50%时木质部水势分别为-1.87、-1.35和-0.53 MPa;黎明前和正午叶水势、水力安全边际均为Ⅰ级>Ⅱ级>Ⅲ级;与水力学相关的木质部解剖结构以及枝叶性状在3种长势个体之间存在显著差异。相关性分析表明,新疆野苹果茎木质部水分运输的有效性和安全性之间存在弱的权衡关系。新疆野苹果茎的水力结构变化伴随着新疆野果林的衰退过程。野果林的退化会加剧新疆野苹果木质部导管的栓塞化程度,降低其抵抗空穴化栓塞的能力,新疆野苹果面临水力失衡的威胁更大。     

浙江天童木本植物小枝的“大小-数量”权衡

枝条大小和数量关系反映了植物适应环境胁迫的构型和生物量分配策略。该研究以浙江天童木本植物为对象, 通过对小枝大小(横截面积)与数量(稠密度)关系的研究发现: 1)小枝稠密度与枝截面积显著负相关(斜率为-1.32, CI = -1.48- -1.17; p < 0.05); 2)在相同曝光度, 在II级曝光环境(植株40%-80%暴露在直射光中)中常绿植物比落叶植物单位小枝截面积的小枝稠密度高, 而在I级(植株<40%暴露在直射光中)和III级(>80%暴露在直射光中)曝光环境中, 小枝稠密度在两种生活型间无显著差异; 3)在不同曝光度下, 常绿植物单位枝条在I和II级比III级曝光水平具有更高的小枝稠密度; 但落叶植物单位枝条的小枝稠密度在3个曝光水平相同; 4)相同枝条大小下, 4 m以下灌木比4 m以上的亚乔木和乔木具有更高的小枝稠密度。总之, 天童地区木本植物的小枝“大小-数量”关系符合Corner法则(描述枝叶“大小-数量”关系的法则), 且在不同生活型间存在差异, 常绿植物相对于落叶植物, 灌木相对于乔木具有较高的小枝稠密度, 从而有利于它们适应光资源的限制。     

Correlated evolution of stem and leaf hydraulic traits in Pereskia (Cactaceae)

Recent studies have demonstrated significant correlations between stem and leaf hydraulic properties when comparing across species within ecological communities. This implies that these traits are co-evolving, but there have been few studies addressing plant water relations within an explicitly evolutionary framework. This study tests for correlated evolution among a suite of plant water-use traits and environmental parameters in seven species of Pereskia (Cactaceae), using phylogenetically independent contrasts. There were significant evolutionary correlations between leaf-specific xylem hydraulic conductivity, Huber Value, leaf stomatal pore index, leaf venation density and leaf size, but none of these traits appeared to be correlated with environmental water availability; only two water relations traits - mid-day leaf water potentials and photosynthetic water use efficiency - correlated with estimates of moisture regime. In Pereskia, it appears that many stem and leaf hydraulic properties thought to be critical to whole-plant water use have not evolved in response to habitat shifts in water availability. This may be because of the extremely conservative stomatal behavior and particular rooting strategy demonstrated by all Pereskia species investigated. These results highlight the need for a lineage-based approach to understand the relative roles of functional traits in ecological adaptation.     

Size-dependent mortality in a Neotropical savanna tree: the role of height-related adjustments in hydraulic architecture and carbon allocation

Size-related changes in hydraulic architecture, carbon allocation and gas exchange of Sclerolobium paniculatum (Leguminosae), a dominant tree species in Neotropical savannas of central Brazil (Cerrado), were investigated to assess their potential role in the dieback of tall individuals. Trees greater than ∼6-m-tall exhibited more branch damage, larger numbers of dead individuals, higher wood density, greater leaf mass per area, lower leaf area to sapwood area ratio (LA/SA), lower stomatal conductance and lower net CO₂ assimilation than small trees. Stem-specific hydraulic conductivity decreased, while leaf-specific hydraulic conductivity remained nearly constant, with increasing tree size because of lower LA/SA in larger trees. Leaves were substantially more vulnerable to embolism than stems. Large trees had lower maximum leaf hydraulic conductance ( K _leaf) than small trees and all tree sizes exhibited lower K _leaf at midday than at dawn. These size-related adjustments in hydraulic architecture and carbon allocation apparently incurred a large physiological cost: large trees received a lower return in carbon gain from their investment in stem and leaf biomass compared with small trees. Additionally, large trees may experience more severe water deficits in dry years due to lower capacity for buffering the effects of hydraulic path-length and soil water deficits.     

天童国家森林公园常绿阔叶林不同演替阶段群落光环境特征比较

常绿阔叶林是我国中亚热带东部典型植被类型,根据野外踏查和固定样地调查发现,天童国家森林公园内发育着常绿阔叶林一个完整的演替系列,包含着6个不同演替阶段。应用W inScanopy For C anopy A na lys is软件对研究区内不同演替阶段群落冠层进行分析,得到不同群落冠层和林下的光环境特征指标:PPFD(光合光量子通量密度)和相关的冠层结构形态学指标G ap fraction(空隙度)、LA I(叶面积指数)、M LA(平均叶倾角),通过对这些指标的分析比较,得到的基本规律大致是林冠层的光合有效光量子通量密度随演替逐渐降低,林冠下面的光合有效光量子通量密度随着群落演替的进展变化更为明显。马尾松林的林冠空隙度明显高于其他阶段的群落,总的趋势是随群落演替的进展而降低。叶面积指数随演替的进展而呈增加趋势。平均叶倾角随演替的进展先增大而后减小。这些结果反映了常绿阔叶林不同演替阶段群落由于不同树种树冠形态学结构的差异和微环境的不同,形成了特定群落内的特定光环境。