Scaling relationships between twig size and leaf size of Pinus hwangshanensis along an altitudinal gradient in Wuyi Mountains, China.

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201702.039

Abstract

Abstract: To analyze the tradeoff relationship between twigs and leaves, the traits of Pinus hwang-shanensis including leaf area, leaf number, twig length and twig diameter were investigated in Wuyi Mountains along an altitudinal gradient. The results indicated that leaf number, twig length, twig diameter, leafing intensity and twig stem cross-sectional area of P. hwangshanensis increased gra-dually with the increasing altitude, while individual leaf area decreased gradually. Leafing intensity of P. hwangshanensis at different altitudes had significant negative relationships with leaf area. The cross-sectional area of P. hwangshanensis had significant positive relationship with total leaf area. Twig length and twig diameter of P. hwangshanensis correlated negatively with leafing intensity, but positively with leaf area, leaf number and total leaf area. To enhance the competitiveness and resource utilization efficiency, P. hwangshanensis at low altitude tended to have relatively few large leaves on short twigs, and those at high altitude tended to have a large number of small leaves on long twigs. Such tradeoff between twigs and leaves reflected the strategy of resource utilization and the balance of biomass allocation mechanism of P. hwangshanensis responding to the altitudinal change.

LI Man, ZHENG Yuan, GUO Ying-rong, CHENG Lin, LU Hong-dian, GUO Bing-qiao, ZHONG Quan-lin, CHENG Dong-liang. Scaling relationships between twig size and leaf size of Pinus hwangshanensis along an altitudinal gradient in Wuyi Mountains, China.[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017, 28(2): 537-544.

References

[1] Diaz S, Cabido M, Zak M, et al. Plant functional traits, ecosystem structure and land-use history along a climatic gradient in central-western Argentina. Journal of Vegetation Science, 1999, 10: 651-660
[2] Yang S-J (杨士俊), Wen Z-M (温仲明), Miao L-P (苗连朋), et al. Responses of plant functional traits to micro-topographical changes in hilly and gully region of the Loess Plateau, China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2014, 25(12): 3413-3419 (in Chinese)
[3] Violle C, Navas ML, Vile D, et al. Let the concept of trait be functional! Oikos, 2007, 116: 882-892
[4] Yang Y, He X, Xu X, et al. Scaling relationships among twig components are affected by sex in the dioecious tree Populus cathayana. Trees, 2015, 29: 737-746
[5] Yang D-M (杨冬梅), Mao L-C (毛林灿), Peng G-Q (彭国全). Within-twig biomass allocation in evergreen and deciduous broad-leaved species: Allometric scaling analyses. Bulletin of Botanical Research (植物研究), 2011, 31(4): 472-477 (in Chinese)
[6] Cheng X-B (程徐冰), Han S-J (韩士杰), Zhang Z-H (张忠辉), et al. Nutrient dynamics in Quercus mongo-lica leaves at different canopy positions. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2011, 22(9): 2272-2278 (in Chinese)
[7] Liu Z-G (刘志国), Cai Y-L (蔡永立), Li K (李恺). Studies on the leaf size-twig size spectrum of subtropical evergreen broad-leaved woody species. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2008, 32(2): 363-369 (in Chinese)
[8] Westoby M, Falster DS, Moles AT, et al. Plant ecological strategies: Some leading dimensions of variation between species. Annual Review of Ecology and Systema-tics, 2002, 33: 125-159
[9] Niklas KJ, Enquist BJ. Canonical rules for plant organ biomass partitioning and annual allocation. American Journal of Botany, 2002, 89: 812-819
[10] Sun SC, Jin DM, Shi PL. The leaf size-twig size spectrum of temperate woody species along an altitudinal gradient: An invariant allometric scaling relationship. Annals of Botany, 2006, 97: 97-107
[11] Ogawa K. The leaf mass/number trade-off of Kleiman and Aarssen implies constancy of leaf biomass, its density and carbon uptake in forest stands: Scaling up from shoot to stand level. Journal of Ecology, 2008, 96: 188-191
[12] Olson ME, Aguirre-Hernández R, Rosell JA. Universal foliage-stem scaling across environments and species in dicot trees: Plasticity, biomechanics andCorner’s Rules. Ecology Letters, 2009, 12: 210-219
[13] Parkhurst DF, Loucks OL. Optimal leaf size in relation to environment. Journal of Ecology, 1972, 60: 505-537
[14] Givnish TJ, Vermeij GJ. Sizes and shapes of liane lea-ves. The American Naturalist, 1976, 110: 743-778
[15] Yang D-M (杨冬梅), Zhan F (占峰), Zhang H-W (张宏伟). Trade-off between leaf size and number in current-year twigs of deciduous broad-leaved woody species at different altitudes on Qingliang Mountain, sou-theastern China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2012, 36(4): 281-291 (in Chinese)
[16] Westoby M, Wright IJ. The leaf size-twig size spectrum and its relationship to other important spectra of variation among species. Oecologia, 2003, 135: 621-628
[17] Wright IJ, Falster DS, Melinda P, et al. Cross-species patterns in the coordination between leaf and stem traits, and their implications for plant hydraulics. Physiologia Plantarum, 2006, 127: 445-456
[18] Broeckx LS, Verlinden MS, Vangronsveld J, et al. Importance of crown architecture for leaf area index of different Populus genotypes in a high-density plantation. Tree Physiology, 2012, 32: 1214-1226
[19] Corner EJH. The Durian theory or the origin of the mo-dern tree. Annals of Botany, 1949, 13: 367-414
[20] Ågren GI. Stoichiometry and nutrition of plant growth in natural communities. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics, 2008, 39: 153-170
[21] Wright IJ, Reich PB, Westoby M, et al. The worldwide leaf economics spectrum. Nature, 2004, 428: 821-827
[22] Milla R. The leafing intensity premium hypothesis tested across clades, growth forms and altitudes. Journal of Ecology, 2009, 97: 972-983
[23] Yang XD, Yan ER, Chang SX, et al. Twig-leaf size relationships in woody plants vary intraspecifically along a soil moisture gradient. Acta Oecologica, 2014, 60: 17-25
[24] Xiang S, Wu N, Sun S. Within-twig biomass allocation in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved species along an altitudinal gradient: Allometric scaling analysis. Trees, 2009, 23: 637-647
[25] Warton DI, Wright IJ, Falster DS, et al. Bivariate line-fitting methods for allometry. Biological Reviews, 2006, 81: 259-291
[26] Pitman E. A note on normal correlation. Biometrika, 1939, 31: 9-12
[27] Warton DI, Weber NC. Common slope tests for bivariate errors-in-variables models. Biometrical Journal, 2002, 44: 161-174
[28] Silvertown J. Plant coexistence and the niche. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2004, 19: 605-611
[29] Guo R (郭茹), Wen Z-M (温仲明), Wang H-X (王红霞), et al. Relationships among leaf traits and their expression in different vegetation zones in Yanhe River basin, Northwest China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2015, 26(12): 3627-3633 (in Chinese)
[30] Shi Y-C (史元春), Zhao C-Z (赵成章), Song Q-H (宋清华), et al. Slope-related variations in twig and leaf traits of Robinia pseudoacacia in the northern mountains of Lanzhou. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2015, 39(4): 362-370 (in Chinese)
[31] Normand F, Bissery C, Damour G, et al. Hydraulic and mechanical stem properties affect leaf-stem allometry in mango cultivars. New Phytologist, 2008, 178: 590-602
[32] Yan ER, Wang XH, Chang SX, et al. Scaling relationships among twig size, leaf size and leafing intensity in a successional series of subtropical forests. Tree Physiology, 2013, 33: 609-617
[33] Huang YX, Lechowicz MJ, Price CA, et al. The underlying basis for the trade-off between leaf size and leafing intensity. Functional Ecology, 2015, 30: 1-7
[34] Shi Q-R (史青茹), Xu M-S (许洺山), Zhao Y-T (赵延涛), et al. Testing of Corner’s rules across woody plants in Tiantong region, Zhejiang Province: Effects of micro-topography. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2014, 38(7): 665-674 (in Chinese)
[35] Zhang J-H (章建红), Shi Q-R (史青茹), Xu M-S (许洺山), et al. Testing of Corner’s rules across woody plants in Tiantong region, Zhejiang Province: Effects of individual density. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2014, 38(7): 655-664 (in Chinese)
[36] Wright IJ, Reich PB, Cornelissen JHC, et al. Modulation of leaf economic traits and trait relationships by climate. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 2005, 14: 411-421
[37] Wright IJ, Westoby M, Reich PB. Convergence towards higher leaf mass per area in dry and nutrient-poor habitats has different consequences for leaf life span. Journal of Ecology, 2002, 90: 534-543
[38] Li T, Deng J, Wang G, et al. Isometric scaling relationship between leaf number and size within current-year shoots of woody species across contrasting habitats. Polish Journal of Ecology, 2009, 57: 659-667
[39] Dudley SA. Differing selection on plant physiological traits in response to environmental water availability: A test of adaptive hypotheses. Evolution, 1996, 50: 92-102
[40] Ackerly D, Knight C, Weiss S, et al. Leaf size, speci-fic leaf area and microhabitat distribution of chaparral woody plants: Contrasting patterns in species level and community level analyses. Oecologia, 2002, 130: 449-457
[41] Bragg JG, Westoby M. Leaf size and foraging for light in a sclerophyll woodland. Functional Ecology, 2002, 16: 633-639
[42] McDonald PG, Fonseca CR, Overton J, et al. Leaf-size divergence along rainfall and soil-nutrient gradients: Is the method of size reduction common among clades? Functional Ecology, 2003, 17: 50-57
[43] Moles AT, Westoby M. Do small leaves expand faster than large leaves, and do shorter expansion times reduce herbivore damage? Oikos, 2000, 90: 517-524
[44] Cavender-Bares J, Holbrook NM. Hydraulic properties and freezing-induced cavitation in sympatric evergreen and deciduous oaks with contrasting habitats. Plant, Cell & Environment, 2001, 24: 1243-1256
[45] McCulloh KA, Sperry JS. Patterns in hydraulic architecture and their implications for transport efficiency. Tree Physiology, 2005, 25: 257-267
[46] Woodward FI, Lomas MR, Kelly CK. Global climate and the distribution of plant biomes. Philosophical Tran-sactions of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences, 2004, 359: 1465-1476
[47] Liu M-H (刘明虎), Xin Z-M (辛智鸣), Xu J (徐军), et al. Influence of leaf size of plant on leaf transpiration and temperature in arid regions. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2013, 37(5): 436-442 (in Chinese)
[48] Scott SL, Aarssen LW. Within-species leaf size-number trade-offs in herbaceous angiosperms. Botany, 2012, 90: 223-235
[49] Kleiman D, Aarssen LW. The leaf size/number trade-off in trees. Journal of Ecology, 2007, 95: 376-382
[50] Hilbert DW. Optimization of plant root:shoot ratios and internal nitrogen concentrations. Annals of Botany, 1990, 66: 91-99
[51] Dewar RC. A root-shoot partitioning model based on carbon-nitrogen-water interactions and Munch phloem flow. Functional Ecology, 1993, 7: 356-368
[52] Niklas KJ. Plant Biomechanics: An Engineering Approach to Plant form and Function. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1992
[53] Niklas KJ. A mechanical perspective on foliage leaf form and function. New Phytologist, 1999, 143: 19-31
[54] Bell AD. Plant Form: An Illustrated Guide to Flowering Plant Morphology. New York: Oxford University Press, 1993
[55] Bonser SP, Aarssen LW. Meristem allocation: A new classification theory for adaptive strategies in herbaceous plants. Oikos, 1996, 77: 347-352
[56] Maherali H, Delucia EH. Influence of climate-driven shifts in biomass allocation on water transport and sto-rage in ponderosa pine. Oecologia, 2001, 129: 481-491
[57] Qi D-H (戚德辉), Wen Z-M (温仲明), Yang S-J (杨士俊), et al. Trait-based responses and adaptation of Artemisia sacrorum to environmental changes. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2015, 26(7): 1921-1927 (in Chinese)