Response of photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency in Betula utilis to altitudinal variation along Balang Mountain, Sichuan, China

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201903.032

Abstract

Abstract: To better understand the response and adaptation of plants to altitudinal changes, four sites at the altitude of 2200 m, 2500 m, 3100 m and 3400 m on Balang Mountain were selected to test and calculate the eco-physiological parameters in leaves of Betula utilis, including photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency (PNUE), CO₂ diffusion conductance (stomatal conductance g_s and mesophyll conductance g_m) and nitrogen allocation in each component (fractions of leaf nitrogen allocated to Rubisco P_R, to bioenergetics P_B, to light-harvesting components P_L, and to cell wall P_CW). Their changes with altitudinal variations and the relationships between leaf PNUE and the other parameters were analyzed. The results showed that PNUE, P_R, and P_B of the leaves were relatively higher at 2500 m and 3100 m. With the increases of altitude, g_s and g_m increased and P_L decreased. The correlations between P_R,P_B and PNUE were significant, indicating that P_R and P_B were the main factors driving the changes in leaf PNUE in response to altitudinal variations. Besides, the fraction of leaf nitrogen allocated to photosynthetic apparatus (P_P) was relatively higher at 2500 m and 3100 m. With increasing altitude, P_CW decreased and the fraction of leaf nitrogen allocated to the other components (P_other) increased, which suggested that B. utilis leaves tended to allocate more nitrogen to the other components instead of the photosynthetic apparatus and cell wall with the increasing altitude to well adapt environmental changes.

Key words: photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency, nitrogen allocation fraction, CO₂ diffusion conductance, Betula utilis, altitude

WU Jia-mei, TANG Jing-chao, SHI Zuo-min, FENG Qiu-hong, ZHAO Guang-dong, LIU Shun, CAO Xiang-wen. Response of photosynthetic nitrogen use efficiency in Betula utilis to altitudinal variation along Balang Mountain, Sichuan, China[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2019, 30(3): 751-758.

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