松嫩草地66种草本植物叶片性状特征

植物叶片功能性状及其相互关系越来越受到关注.以松嫩草地66种草本植物为研究对象,测量叶片干物质含量、比叶面积、叶片厚度、叶片氮含量、叶片磷含量、叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量,检验性状间的相互关系,比较不同功能群(多年生根茎禾草,多年生丛生禾草,多年生杂类草,1年生或2年生草本)间性状的差异性.结果表明,叶片厚度变异系数最大,比叶面积、叶片氮含量、叶片磷含量、叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量之间存在显著的正相关关系;叶片于物质含量与叶片磷含量没有显著的相关关系,与其它叶片性状呈显著的负相关关系;叶片厚度只与叶片干物质含量和比叶面积呈显著的负相关关系,与其它叶片性状不相关.叶片干物质含量、比叶面积、叶片厚度、叶片氮、磷含量在4个功能群间差异显著,叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量在各个功能群间差异不显著;多年生根茎禾草和多年生丛生禾草叶片的7个性状差异不显著;多年生根茎禾草和多年生丛生禾草的叶片干物质含量高于多年生杂类草和1年生或2年生草本,其它性状小于这两个功能群.     

Relationships between leaf morphological traits, nutrient concentrations and isotopic signatures for Mediterranean woody plant species and communities

Background and aims

Soil factors are driving forces that influence spatial distribution and functional traits of plant species. We test whether two anchor morphological traits—leaf mass per area (LMA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC)—are significantly related to a broad range of leaf nutrient concentrations in Mediterranean woody plant species. We also explore the main environmental filters (light availability, soil moisture and soil nutrients) that determine the patterns of these functional traits in a forest stand.

Methods

Four morphological and 19 chemical leaf traits (macronutrients and trace elements and δ¹³C and δ¹⁵N signatures) were analysed in 17 woody plant species. Community-weighted leaf traits were calculated for 57 plots within the forest. Links between LMA, LDMC and other leaf traits were analysed at the species and the community level using standardised major axis (SMA) regressions

Results

LMA and LDMC were significantly related to many leaf nutrient concentrations, but only when using abundance-weighted values at community level. Among-traits links were much weaker for the cross-species analysis. Nitrogen isotopic signatures were useful to understand different resource-use strategies. Community-weighted LMA and LDMC were negatively related to light availability, contrary to what was expected.

Conclusion

Community leaf traits have parallel shifts along the environmental factors that determine the community assembly, even though they are weakly related across individual taxa. Light availability is the main environmental factor determining this convergence of the community leaf traits.     

胡杨叶功能性状特征及其对地下水埋深的响应

叶片性状反映了植物对环境的适应能力及其自我调控能力。以塔里木干旱荒漠区建群种胡杨（Populus euphratica）为研究对象,通过分析自然生长状况下胡杨叶功能性状对地下水埋深（GWD）的响应及功能性状间的权衡关系,揭示胡杨对极端干旱荒漠环境的生态适应策略。结果表明：胡杨7个叶功能性状种内变异程度不同（9.20%-40.02%）,叶面积（LA）变异程度最大,叶干物质含量（LDMC）与叶片含水量（LWC）变异程度较低,GWD梯度上表现出较大的分化变异特征。叶性状在不同GWD之间差异显著（P<0.05）,与GWD呈极显著相关（P<0.01）。比叶面积（SLA）、LA、LWC与叶干重（LDM）呈极显著正相关（P<0.01）,与叶厚度（LT）、叶组织密度（LTD）、LDMC呈极显著的负相关（P<0.01）;LDMC与LT、LTD,LWC与LA、SLA呈极显著正相关（P<0.01）,反映胡杨通过叶性状间的相互调节与权衡来适应干旱荒漠环境。逐步回归分析表明LA、LT对GWD变化最敏感,可间接借助这2个性状来预测干旱荒漠区地下水埋深变化。随GWD降低,胡杨SLA、LA、LDM、LWC减小,而LT、LTD、LDMC增大,其由高生长速率、资源利用能力的开拓型策略转变为以增强自身养分储存、防御能力的保守型策略,拓宽了生态幅和增强其在干旱逆境的适合度。可见,极端干旱荒漠区胡杨形成了小的LA、SLA、LDM,大的LT、LDMC、LTD等一系列有利于减少水分散失、储存养分和增强耐旱能力的干旱性状组合,这可能是其适应干旱贫瘠环境的生态策略。     

民勤绿洲—荒漠过渡带植物叶性状的研究

以民勤绿洲—荒漠过渡带20种主要植物为研究对象,通过对叶片6个功能性状的测定,分析荒漠植物叶性状的变异及相关性,比较不同功能群植物叶性状的差异性,探讨荒漠植物对环境的适应性,为该地区植被的恢复和重建提供理论依据。结果表明：①叶性状存在种间差异且变异程度不同,变异范围为14.11%~47.63%,叶绿素含量（ChlC）变异系数最大,叶片全氮含量（LCC）变异系数最小。②叶干物质含量（LDMC）与ChlC、LCC均呈极显著正相关（P＜0.01）,ChlC与LCC呈极显著正相关（P＜0.01）,其他叶性状间相关性不显著。③不同功能群植物叶性状存在显著差异。其中,豆科植物叶片LDMC、ChlC、LCC极显著高于藜科植物（P＜0.01）。草本植物叶片比叶面积（SLA）极显著高于灌木植物叶片（P＜0.01）。一年生植物叶片SLA、LNC显著高于多年生植物（P＜0.05）;多年生植物叶片LDMC极显著高于一年生植物（P＜0.01）;多年生植物叶片C含量显著高于一年生植物（P＜0.05）。C₃植物叶片LDMC、ChlC显著高于C₄植物（P＜0.05）;C₄植物叶片δ¹³C极显著高于C₃植物 （P＜0.01）;C₃植物叶片LCC极显著（P＜0.01）高于C₄植物。     

黄土高原子午岭不同森林群落叶功能性状

对黄土高原子午岭地区5种主要森林群落中重要值>0.1的物种叶功能性状进行了比较,结果表明:1)叶干物质含量(LDMC)与比叶面积(SLA)呈负相关;SLA与叶厚度(LT)呈负相关,但与叶氮含量(LNC)和叶磷含量(LPC)呈正相关;LT与LNC、LPC和叶钾含量(LKC)呈负相关;LNC、LPC和LKC三者之间均呈正相关。2)坡位是影响叶大小(LS)、LT、LNC和LKC的主要地形因子,海拔对LPC和SLA的影响最大,而坡向则是影响LDMC的主要因子。因此,叶功能性状之间所呈现的特征及其对立地条件的适应都表现出了植物的生态策略。3)各群落间的乔木层叶功能性状均有显著差异,灌木层的叶功能性状无显著差异,而草本层除了LDMC无显著差异(P>0.05)外,其他叶功能性状均有显著差异,说明群落的叶功能性状的大小取决于群落内物种的叶功能性状及其重要值。     

Is leaf dry matter content a better predictor of soil fertility than specific leaf area?

Background and Aims

Specific leaf area (SLA), a key element of the ‘worldwide leaf economics spectrum’, is the preferred ‘soft’ plant trait for assessing soil fertility. SLA is a function of leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and leaf thickness (LT). The first, LDMC, defines leaf construction costs and can be used instead of SLA. However, LT identifies shade at its lowest extreme and succulence at its highest, and is not related to soil fertility. Why then is SLA more frequently used as a predictor of soil fertility than LDMC?

Methods

SLA, LDMC and LT were measured and leaf density (LD) estimated for almost 2000 species, and the capacity of LD to predict LDMC was examined, as was the relative contribution of LDMC and LT to the expression of SLA. Subsequently, the relationships between SLA, LDMC and LT with respect to soil fertility and shade were described.

Key Results

Although LD is strongly related to LDMC, and LDMC and LT each contribute equally to the expression of SLA, the exact relationships differ between ecological groupings. LDMC predicts leaf nitrogen content and soil fertility but, because LT primarily varies with light intensity, SLA increases in response to both increased shade and increased fertility.

Conclusions

Gradients of soil fertility are frequently also gradients of biomass accumulation with reduced irradiance lower in the canopy. Therefore, SLA, which includes both fertility and shade components, may often discriminate better between communities or treatments than LDMC. However, LDMC should always be the preferred trait for assessing gradients of soil fertility uncoupled from shade. Nevertheless, because leaves multitask, individual leaf traits do not necessarily exhibit exact functional equivalence between species. In consequence, rather than using a single stand-alone predictor, multivariate analyses using several leaf traits is recommended.     

茂兰喀斯特森林不同演替阶段植物叶片功能性状与土壤因子的关系

植物如何改变功能性状来适应环境一直是生态学的研究征点。为探究茂兰喀斯特森林不同演替阶段植物叶片的适应策略，该文以茂兰自然保护区5个不同演替阶段(草本、灌木、灌乔、乔木和顶极群落阶段)优势种为研究对象，测定不同演替阶段的优势植物叶片功能性状与土壤理化性质。结果表明：(1)随着植被正向演替的进行，土壤全氮(STN)含量、土壤有机质(SOM)含量、土壤含水量(SWC)逐渐增加，土壤全磷(STP)含量和土壤全钾(STK)含量先增加后减少，土壤pH值整体呈减小的趋势。(2)随着植被演替的进行，叶面积(LA)、叶干物质含量(LDMC)、叶厚度(LT)和叶片碳含量(LCC)逐渐上升，比叶面积(SLA)与叶片钾含量(LKC)则与之相反，叶片氮含量(LNC)呈先升后降的趋势，叶片磷含量(LPC)呈先降后升的趋势。(3)冗余分析表明，演替初期植物主要分布在土壤pH值高而STK、STP、SWC、SOM、STN相对低的环境中，群落内植物叶片采取高SLA、LNC、LPC,低LA、LDMC、LT、LWC的性状组合，演替晚期植物主要分布在土壤水分和养分含量较高的环境，LDMC、LT、LA、LWC与演替初期相比呈上升...     

Coordination between leaf and stem traits related to leaf carbon gain and hydraulics across 32 drought-tolerant angiosperms

We examined 15 traits in leaves and stems related to leaf C economy and water use for 32 co-existing angiosperms at ridge sites with shallow soil in the Bonin Islands. Across species, stem density was positively correlated to leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf lifespan (LLS), and total phenolics and condensed tannins per unit leaf N (N-based), and negatively correlated to leaf osmotic potential and saturated water content in leaves. LMA and LLS were negatively correlated to photosynthetic parameters, such as area-, mass-, and N-based assimilation rates. Although stem density and leaf osmotic potential were not associated with photosynthetic parameters, they were associated with some parameters of the leaf C economy, such as LMA and LLS. In the principal component (PCA) analysis, the first three axes accounted for 74.4% of total variation. Axis 1, which explained 41.8% of the total variation, was well associated with parameters for leaf C and N economy. Similarly, axis 2, which explained 22.3% of the total variation, was associated with parameters for water use. Axis 3, which explained 10.3% of the total variation, was associated with chemical defense within leaves. Axes 1 and 2 separated functional types relatively well, i.e., creeping trees, ruderal trees, other woody plants, C₃ shrubs and forbs, palms, and CAM plants, indicating that plant functional types were characterized by similar attributes of traits related to leaf C and N economy and water use. In addition, when the plot was extended by two unrelated traits, leaf mass-based assimilation rates and stem density, it also separated these functional types. These data indicate that differences in the functional types with contrasting plant strategies can be attributed to functional integration among leaf C economy, hydraulics, and leaf longevity, and that both leaf mass-based assimilation rates and stem density are key factors reflecting the different functions of plant species.     

环境因子对海岛植物茎、叶功能性状的影响

植物功能性状与环境之间的关系是功能性状研究的重点,海岛作为独特的生态系统,其植物功能性状必然和大陆存在差异。为了明确海岛植被的生态适应机制,该文以平潭岛森林群落为研究对象,通过测定茎、叶10个功能性状,以及地形和土壤9个环境因子,探讨了植物功能性状之间的权衡关系,分析了环境因子对海岛植物功能性状的影响。结果表明:(1)比叶面积(SLA)与叶氮含量(LNC)、叶磷含量(LPC)呈正相关,与叶厚度(LT)、叶干物质含量(LDMC)、茎组织密度(STD)、叶碳含量(LCC)呈负相关; LDMC与LNC、茎氮含量(SNC)呈负相关; LT与STD呈正相关,与LNC和LPC呈负相关; LPC与LNC、SNC呈正相关;茎和叶C、N含量均呈正相关。(2)土壤有机质和TN是海岛植物功能性状的主要土壤影响因子。然而,由于土壤中磷含量的缺乏,LNC、茎磷含量(SPC)、SNC均与土壤全磷呈正相关; LDMC与土壤全氮呈正相关;STD与土壤有机质呈正相关; SLA随着土壤pH的增加而增加。(3)坡位和坡度是海岛植物功能性状的主要地形影响因子。SLA、SPC随着海拔上升而下降; STD、LDMC随着海拔和坡度增大而增大; LNC、LPC阴坡大于阳坡。该研究为海岛植被修复和重建提供了参考依据。     

星斗山常绿落叶阔叶混交林木本植物叶功能性状及其多样性特征分析

为探究亚热带常绿落叶阔叶混交林中木本植物叶功能性状的变异特征,以及群落功能多样性在海拔梯度下的响应规律。该研究以鄂西南地区的星斗山国家级自然保护区海拔1 200～1 700 m的常绿落叶阔叶混交林为研究对象,对群落内木本植物的叶面积(LA)、比叶面积(SLA)、叶干物质含量(LDMC)、叶厚度(LT)、叶氮含量(LNC)、叶磷含量(LPC)6种叶功能性状的变异特征进行了分析,并分析了群落水平下木本植物叶功能性状和功能多样性对海拔变化的响应。结果表明:(1)星斗山保护区内木本植物叶面积、比叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶厚度、叶氮含量和叶磷含量平均值分别为151.49 cm~2、247.98 cm~2/g、34.08%、0.21 mm、16.59 mg/g和0.04 mg/g,其变异幅度依次为206.96%、57.00%、28.15%、52.38%、24.83%和76.92%。(2)在植物科、叶习性、生活型和树高4个因素中,科类群对6种叶功能性状的影响最大,其次为叶习性。(3)海拔对叶面积、叶干物质含量、叶磷含量影响极显著(P0.001),但对比叶面积、叶厚度和叶氮含量无显著影响(P0.05)。(4)不同海拔梯度上群落生物承载量、功能丰富度、功能分离度和功能离散度均达到显著差异(P0.05),仅功能均匀度在海拔梯度上差异不显著。     

Leaf trait co‐variation,response and effect in a chronosequence

Question: Is there any generality in terms of leaf trait correlations and the multiple role of leaf traits (response to and/or effect on) during secondary succession? Location: A secondary successional sere was sampled at four different ages since abandonment from several years to nearly 150 years on the Loess Plateau of northwestern China. Method: Specific leaf area (SLA), leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf nitrogen (N_mass, N_area), leaf phosphorus (P_mass, P_area) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) were measured for all species recorded in the successional sere. Above‐ground net primary productivity (ANPP) and specific rate of litter mass loss (SRLML) were measured as surrogates for ecosystem properties. Soil total carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were measured in each stage. Leaf traits were related to ecosystem properties and soil nutrient gradients, respectively. Results: LMA is correlated with N_area and P_area' and negatively with N_mass. Correlation between N_area and P_area was higher than between N_mass and P_mass. At the community level, field age, community hierarchy and their interaction explain 64.4 ‐ 93.5% of the variation in leaf traits. At the species level, field age explains 22.4 ‐ 45.5% of the variation in leaf traits (excl. P_area) while plant functional group has a significant effect only for N_mass. LDMC is correlated with ANPP and negatively with SRLML; P_mass is correlated with SRLML. Conclusions: Mean values of LMA, N_mass and N_area are close to the worldwide means, suggesting that large‐scale climate has a profound effect on leaf mass and leaf nitrogen allocation, while environmental gradients represented by succession have little influence on leaf‐trait values. Correlations between leaf traits, such as LMA‐N_area, LMA‐P_area and LMA‐N_mass shown in previous studies, are confirmed here. Although none of the leaf traits is proved to be both a response trait and an effect trait independent of time scale and community hierarchy, mass‐based leaf N is likely a sensitive response trait to soil C and N gradients. In addition, LDMC can be a marker for ANPP and SRLML, while mass‐based leaf P can be a marker for SRLML.     

井冈山鹿角杜鹃群落灌木层植物叶功能性状对海拔梯度的响应

为揭示鹿角杜鹃(Rhododendron latoucheae)群落灌木层植物叶功能性状及其对环境变化的响应趋势,对分布于井冈山不同海拔梯度鹿角杜鹃群落灌木层植物的叶功能性状进行了研究。结果表明,海拔梯度对灌木植物的叶功能性状有显著影响。随海拔的升高,叶片的干物质含量(LDMC)、厚度(LT)、氮含量(LNC)、磷含量(LPC)呈显著上升趋势,比叶面积(SLA)和N/P呈显著下降趋势,而叶大小(LS)呈先上升后下降的变化趋势;灌木植物叶片的LDMC与SLA、LS呈负相关,与LT、LNC、LPC呈正相关;SLA与LT、LNC呈负相关;LS与LT呈负相关;LNC与LPC呈正相关;N/P与LPC呈负相关;环境因子对灌木植物叶功能性状有重要影响,除受海拔的影响外,LPC、N/P还受坡位的影响,LS、LNC则分别还受到坡向和坡度的影响。因此,井冈山地区鹿角杜鹃群落灌木层植物通过改变叶功能性状来适应海拔和其它环境因子的变化。     

油松叶功能性状分布特征及其控制因素

植物叶功能性状能够直接或间接反应植物对环境的适应策略,这种适应策略会间接影响植物的生长、繁殖和生存。目前已有大量关于植物叶功能性状与环境间关系的研究,但这些研究多使用性状平均值代替物种,忽略了性状的种内变化。油松是我国重要的造林树种,对我国陆地生态系统起着重要的作用,研究其叶功能性状与环境的关系有助于更好的的理解种内功能性状与环境间的关系。于2014年6—9月对辽宁、内蒙、北京、山西、陕西、宁夏、青海等地天然油松进行采样并对其重要的8个叶功能性状的分布特征及主控环境因子进行了研究,结果表明:1)油松各叶性状值存在较大的种内变异系数(4.82%—25.85%),除1年生叶碳含量(LCC)油松各叶功能性状值在不同研究地点间差异显著(P0.05);2)油松叶长(LL)、叶厚(LT)、比叶面积(SLA)、气孔密度(SD)、叶氮含量(LNC)存在较弱的经度格局,LT、SD、LNC存在较弱的纬度格局(0.05R~20.3),水热条件的变化以及较大的局部效应是造成这种格局的可能原因;3)控制油松各叶性状分布的主要环境因子各不相同,其中LL主要受到年平均降水量和海拔高度的影响;LT主要受到年均温和土壤体积含水率的影响;SLA主要受到年平均降水量和土壤氮含量的影响;叶干物质含量(LDMC)主要受到水因子的影响;SD主要受到海拔高度的影响;LNC主要受到海拔和水因子的影响;叶磷含量(LPC)主要受到土壤磷含量的影响。     

重庆石灰岩地区主要木本植物叶片性状及养分再吸收特征

以重庆石灰岩地区15种常绿木本植物和14种落叶木本植物为研究对象,对两种生活型植物叶片衰老前后叶干物质含量(LDMC)、比叶面积(SLA)和叶片厚度(LT)进行了比较,并采用不同的计算方法(单位质量叶片养分含量、单位面积叶片养分含量)分析了两类植物叶片衰老前后养分含量及再吸收特征,最后对养分再吸收效率与其他叶性状因子之间的关系进行了相关分析。结果表明:常绿植物成熟叶LDMC、LT及衰老叶LT显著低于落叶植物,落叶植物成熟叶和衰老叶SLA均显著高于常绿植物(P0.05);基于单位质量叶片计算的养分含量,常绿植物成熟和衰老叶N、P量均低于落叶植物,而基于单位面积叶片计算的N、P含量则表现出相反的趋势;基于不同方法计算的N、P再吸收效率差异不明显,其中常绿植物基于单位质量叶片养分含量计算的N、P平均再吸收效率为39.42%、43.79%,落叶植物的为24.08%、33.59%;常绿和落叶植物N、P再吸收效率与LDMC、SLA、LT和成熟叶N、P含量之间没有显著相关性,但与衰老叶养分含量存在显著负相关(P0.05)。研究发现,无论是常绿植物还是落叶植物,衰老叶N、P含量均较低,表明石灰岩地区植物具有较高的养分再吸收程度。     

桂林岩溶石山青冈群落植物功能性状的种间和种内变异研究

研究植物功能性状的种间和种内变异,有助于揭示植物对环境的适应策略及其群落构建机制研究。以桂林岩溶石山青冈群落主要木本植物为研究对象,选取叶干物质含量（LDMC）、叶厚度（LT）、比叶面积（SLA）和木材密度（WD）4个功能性状,采用混合线性模型结合方差分解方法对其在种内和种间尺度的变异程度和相对贡献进行分析,同时运用零模型方法探讨驱动岩溶石山青冈群落构建的潜在机制。结果表明：（1） LDMC,LT,SLA和WD这4个性状在种内和种间水平上均存在不同程度的变异幅度,种间变异大于种内变异,但种内变异亦不容忽略。（2）零模型检验表明,将种内变异纳入考虑的环境过滤检测得到改善,基于个体性状值的尺度考虑群落构建机制研究是必要的。（3）对于桂林岩溶石山青冈群落,环境过滤作用确实是群落构建的重要驱动机制,与相似性限制作用和随机作用共同塑造了以青冈为优势物种的群落构建。     

东灵山地区不同森林群落叶功能性状比较

植物功能性状(plant functional trait)是近年来生态学研究的热点.其中叶功能性状(leaf functional trait)与植株生物量和植物对资源的获得、利用及利用效率的关系最为密切.研究了东灵山地区叶功能性状之间的关系、叶功能性状与地形因子的关系,并对不同群落叶功能性状进行了比较.通过Pearson相关分析发现,叶干物质含量(LDMC)与比叶面积(SLA)、叶氮浓度(LNC)、叶磷浓度(LPC)、叶钾浓度(LKC)负相关;叶大小与叶厚度正相关;SLA与 LNC、LPC、LKC正相关;LNC与LPC、LKC正相关;LPC与LKC正相关.通过灰色关联度分析发现,对叶大小、LNC、LKC来讲,海拔是各项地形因子中的首要影响因子;对LDMC、叶厚度来讲,坡度对其影响最大;对SLA、LPC来讲,坡位是其首要影响因子.依据乔木层的SLA和LDMC将5种群落分成3类,第一类是黑桦林和山杨林,第二类是辽东栎林,第三类是胡桃楸林和糠椴林.群落的分类情况符合该地带性植被优势度类型的分类情况,LDMC和SLA是最能体现群落间差异的叶功能性状.     

Specific leaf area and dry matter content estimate thickness in laminar leaves

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Leaf thickness plays an important role in leaf and plant functioning, and relates to a species' strategy of resource acquisition and use. As such, it has been widely used for screening purposes in crop science and community ecology. However, since its measurement is not straightforward, a number of estimates have been proposed. Here, the validity of the (SLA x LDMC)(-1) product is tested to estimate leaf thickness, where SLA is the specific leaf area (leaf area/dry mass) and LDMC is the leaf dry matter content (leaf dry mass/fresh mass). SLA and LDMC are two leaf traits that are both more easily measurable and often reported in the literature. METHODS: The relationship between leaf thickness (LT) and (SLA x LDMC)(-1) was tested in two analyses of covariance using 11 datasets (three original and eight published) for a total number of 1039 data points, corresponding to a wide range of growth forms growing in contrasted environments in four continents. KEY RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The overall slope and intercept of the relationship were not significantly different from one and zero, respectively, and the residual standard error was 0.11. Only two of the eight datasets displayed a significant difference in the intercepts, and the only significant difference among the most represented growth forms was for trees. LT can therefore be estimated by (SLA x LDMC)(-1), allowing leaf thickness to be derived from easily and widely measured leaf traits.     

海岛植物不同演替阶段植物功能性状与环境因子的变化规律

植物功能性状与环境之间的关系是功能性状研究的重点,环境因子驱使植物功能性状发生变化,进而推动群落发生演替。以平潭岛4个不同演替阶段的森林植被(灌草丛、针叶林、针阔混交林、常绿阔叶林)为研究对象,结合不同群落演替阶段的物种特征和群落结构,分析海岛不同演替阶段茎、叶功能性状的变化规律,以及功能性状与环境因子的关系。结果表明:(1)随着演替的进行,土壤养分和水分逐渐增加,土壤pH逐渐下降。比叶面积(SLA)、叶片氮含量(LNC)、叶片磷含量(LPC)、茎氮含量(SNC)、茎磷含量(SPC)下降后上升,叶厚度(LT)、叶片碳含量(LCC)、茎碳含量(SCC)与之相反,叶干物质含量(LDMC)、茎组织密度(STD)逐渐上升。(2)冗余分析表明,演替早期植物主要分布在土壤pH、容重高的贫瘠环境,拥有较高SLA、SNC、SPC、LPC的性状组合;演替后期植物主要分布在土壤养分和水分高的肥沃环境,拥有较高的STD、LDMC、LCC、LNC的性状组合。其中,土壤有机质和全氮含量是影响海岛植物演替过程中功能性状变化的关键环境因子。研究海岛植物功能性状与环境之间的关系随演替的变化规律,探讨各演替阶段功能性状和环境特征,以及功能性状如何响应环境变化。旨在为今后选择合适的树种进行海岛植被修复和重建提供依据。     

Congruency analysis of species ranking based on leaf traits: which traits are the more reliable?

Nine leaf traits (area, fresh weight, dry weight, volume, density, thickness, specific leaf area (SLA), dry matter content (LDMC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC)) from ten plant species at eight sites in southern mediterranean France were investigated in order to assess their variability along a climatic gradient and their ranking congruency power. After examination of trait correlation patterns, we reduced the nine initial leaf traits to four traits, representative of three correlation groups: allometric traits (dry weight), functional traits (SLA and dry matter percentage) and Leaf Thickness. We analysed the variability of these four leaf traits at species and site level. We observed that between species variation (between 64.5 for SLA and 91% for LDMC) is higher than within species variation. Allowing a good congruency of species ranking assessed by spearman rank correlation () and a good reallocation of individuals to species by discriminant analysis. A site level variability (between 0.7% for Dry weight and 6.9% for SLA) was identified and environmental parameters (altitude, temperature, precipitation, nitrogen, pH) were considered as probable control factors. We found significant correlation between SLA, LDMC and the average minimum temperature (respectively r=0.87 and r=-0,9) and no correlation for the other traits or environmental parameters. Furthermore, we conclude that two leaf traits appear to be central in describing species: specific leaf area (SLA), percentage of dry matter (LDMC. While, SLA and LDMC are strongly correlated, LDMC appears to be less variable than SLA. According to our results the Dry Matter Content (or its reversal Leaf Water Content) appears the best leaf trait to be quantified for plant functional screening. Leaf thickness appeared to be rather uncorrelated with other leaf traits and show no environmental contingency; its variability could not have been explained in this study. Further studies should focus on this trait. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

How do functional traits syndromes covary with growth and reproductive performance in a water‐stressed population of Fagus sylvatica?

A central issue in plant evolutionary ecology is to understand how several coordinated suites of traits (i.e. traits syndrome) may be jointly selected within a single species. This study aims to describe patterns of variation and co‐variation of functional traits in a water‐stressed tree population and test their relationships with performance traits. Within a Mediterranean population of Fagus sylvatica experiencing recurrent summer droughts, we investigated the phenotypic variation of leaf unfolding phenology, leaf area (LA), leaf mass per area (LMA), leaf water content (LWC), water use efficiency (WUE) estimated by carbon isotopic discrimination (d13C), twig Huber‐value (HV: the stem cross‐section divided by the leaf area distal to the stem), wood density (WDens), and leaf nitrogen content (N_mass). First, a principal component analysis revealed that two main axes structured the phenotypic variability: the first axis opposed leaf unfolding earliness and LWC to LMA and WUE; the second axis opposed LA to HV. These two axes can be interpreted as the opposition of two strategies (water economy versus water uptake) at two distinct scales (leaf for the first axis and branches for the second axis). Second, we found that LMA, LA, leaf unfolding and LWC responded differently to competition intensity, while WUE, WDens and HV did not correlate with competition. Third, we found that all studied functional traits were related to growth and/or reproductive performance traits and that these relationships were frequently non‐linear, showing strong interactions between traits. By highlighting phenotypic clustering of functional traits involved in response to water stress and by evidencing antagonistic selection favouring intermediate trait values as well as trait combinations, our study brought new insights on how natural selection operates on plant functional traits in a stressful environment.