| Abstract: | Six leaf traits,i.e.,fresh mass (FM),dry mass (DM),leaf dry matter content (DMC),area (AR),specific leaf area (SLA) and thickness (TH) from 23 plant species in the southeastern Keerqin Sandy Lands,China were measured.The results show that leaf traits of herbs were more diversified than those of shrubs and trees and aver-age SLA tended towards a decreasing trend from herbs to shrubs to trees.On the contrary,DMC and DM show an upward trend from herbs to shrubs to trees.No apparent difference was found in TH.Except for DM and TH,there were significant variations in SLA and DMC among three different growth forms.Moreover,a significant correla-tion was found between SLA and DMC.It is concluded that SLA and DMC could be used to predict species posi-tion along a resource use gradient. |
