Variations of water use efficiency and foliar nutrient concentrations in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations at different ages

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201704.038

Abstract

Abstract: We studied water use efficiency (WUE_i), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) status of leaves at different leaf ages (current year, 1-, 2-, and 3-year-old foliage) as well as their relationships in a subtropical chronosequence of Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata) forests (3-, 8-, 14-, 21- and 46-year-old). The results showed that foliar WUE_i varied significantly with foliar age in the order of current year foliage > 1-year-old foliage > 2-year-old foliage > 3-year-old foliage, while stand age had no significant impact on foliar WUE_i. Foliar N/P ranged from 11.4 to 19.6 and was higher in younger and older stands than in stands at the fast-growing stage. The foliar N and P concentrations tended to display similar trends with foliar ages in the order of current year foliage>1-year-old foliage>2-year-old foliage>3-year-old foliage. WUE_i did not change significantly with stand ages, probably because the photosynthetic rates and stomatal conductance decreased simultaneously with stand age. There was no relationship between WUE_i and foliar N. WUE_ihad significant positive correlation with foliar P and significant negative correlation with foliar N/P. It is indicated that foliar P concentration would be a key factor affecting WUE_i with increasing atmospheric N deposition in subtropical forests.

KONG Ling-lun, HUANG Zhi-qun, HE Zong-ming, ZHENG Lu-jia, LIU Zhuo-ming, WANG Min-huang. Variations of water use efficiency and foliar nutrient concentrations in Cunninghamia lanceolata plantations at different ages[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017, 28(4): 1069-1076.

References

[1] IPCC. Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis. Cambrige: Cambrige University Press, 2007,
[2] Guo S, Zhou Y, Song N, et al. Some physiological processes related to water use efficiency of higher plants. Agricultural Sciences in China, 2006, 5: 403-411
[3] Cowan I. Regulation of Water Use in Relation to Carbon Gain in Higher Plants. Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, 1982
[4] Zhan X-Y (展小云), Yu G-R (于贵瑞), Sheng W-P (盛文萍), et al. Foliar water use efficiency and nitrogen use efficiency of dominant plant species in main forests along the North-South Transect of East China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2012, 23(3): 587-594 (in Chinese)
[5] Jacob J, Lawlor D. Stomatal and mesophyll limitations of photosynthesis in phosphate deficient sunflower, maize and wheat plants. Journal of Experimental Botany, 1991, 42: 1003-1011
[6] Li C, Wu C, Duan B, et al. Age-related nutrient content and carbon isotope composition in the leaves and branches of Quercus aquifolioides along an altitudinal gradient. Trees, 2009, 23: 1109-1121
[7] Ren S-J (任书杰), Yu G-R (于贵瑞), Jiang C-M (姜春明), et al. Stoichiometric characteristics of leaf carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus of 102 dominant species in forest ecosystems along the North-South Transect of East China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2012, 23(3): 581-586 (in Chinese)
[8] Aerts R, Chapin III FS. The mineral nutrition of wild plants revisited: A re-evaluation of processes and patterns. Advances in Ecological Research, 1999, 30: 1-67
[9] Vitousek PM, Stephen P, Houlton BZ, et al. Terrestrial phosphorus limitation: Mechanisms, implications, and nitrogen-phosphorus interactions. Ecological Applications, 2010, 20: 5-15
[10] Sterner RW, Elser JJ. Ecological Stoichiometry: The Bio-logy of Elements from Molecules to the Biosphere. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2002
[11] Evans JR. Photosynthesis and nitrogen relationships in leaves of C₃ plants. Oecologia, 1989, 78: 9-19
[12] Talbi Zribi O, Abdelly C, Debez A. Interactive effects of salinity and phosphorus availability on growth, water relations, nutritional status and photosynthetic activity of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.). Plant Biology, 2011, 13: 872-880
[13] Garrish V, Cernusak LA, Winter K, et al. Nitrogen to phosphorus ratio of plant biomass versus soil solution in a tropical pioneer tree, Ficus insipida. Journal of Experimental Botany, 2010, 61: 3735-3748
[14] Huang Z, Liu B, Davis M, et al. Long-term nitrogen deposition linked to reduced water use efficiency in forests with low phosphorus availability. New Phytologist, 2015, 210: 431-442
[15] Wu Z-L (吴中伦). Cunninghamia lanceolata. Beijing: China Forestry Press, 1984 (in Chinese)
[16] Kikuzawa K, Lechowicz MJ. Quantifying Leaf Longevity. Tokyo, Japan: Springer, 2011
[17] Farquhar GD, Ehleringer JR, Hubick KT. Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annual Review of Plant Biology, 1989, 40: 503-537
[18] Feng X. Trends in intrinsic water-use efficiency of natural trees for the past 100-200 years: A response to atmospheric CO₂ concentration. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1999, 63: 1891-1903
[19] Ehleringer JR, Hall AE, Farquhar GD. Stable Isotopes and Plant Carbon-water Relations. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, 1993
[20] Waring RH, Silvester WB. Variation in foliar δ¹³C values within the crowns of Pinus radiata trees. Tree Physiology, 1994, 14: 1203-1213
[21] Delzon S, Bosc A, Cantet L, et al. Variation of the photosynthetic capacity across a chronosequence of maritime pine correlates with needle phosphorus concentration. Annals of Forest Science, 2005, 62: 537-543
[22] Hubbard RM, Bond BJ, Ryan MG. Evidence that hydraulic conductance limits photosynthesis in old Pinus ponderosa trees. Tree Physiology, 1999, 19: 165-172
[23] Ryan MG, Yoder BJ. Hydraulic limits to tree height and tree growth: What keeps trees from growing beyond a certain height? Bioscience, 1997, 47: 235-242
[24] McDowell N, Brooks J, Fitzgerald S, et al. Carbon isotope discrimination and growth response of old Pinus ponderosa trees to stand density reductions. Plant, Cell and Environment, 2003, 26: 631-644
[25] Fan S-H (范少辉), Shen G-F (沈国舫). Study on physiological characteristics of Chinese fir plantation at different ages in different site conditions. Ⅱ. Photosynthesis characteristics. Forest Research (林业科学研究), 1996, 9(suppl.): 60-65 (in Chinese)
[26] Latham P, Tappeiner J. Response of old-growth conifers to reduction in stand density in western Oregon forests. Tree Physiology, 2002, 22: 137-146
[27] Martin TA, Jokela EJ. Stand development and production dynamics of loblolly pine under a range of cultural treatments in north-central Florida USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 2004, 192: 39-58
[28] Sayer MS, Goelz J, Chambers J, et al. Long-term trends in loblolly pine productivity and stand characteristics in response to thinning and fertilization in the West Gulf region. Forest Ecology and Management, 2004, 192: 71-96
[29] Vitousek PM, Field CB, Matson PA. Variation in foliar δ¹³C in Hawaiian Metrosideros polymorpha: A case of internal resistance? Oecologia, 1990, 84: 362-370
[30] Williams DG, Ehleringer JR. Carbon isotope discrimination and water relations of oak hybrid populations in southwestern Utah. Western North American Naturalist, 2000, 60: 121-129
[31] Cernusak LA, Winter K, Aranda J, et al. Transpiration efficiency of a tropical pioneer tree (Ficus insipida) in relation to soil fertility. Journal of Experimental Botany, 2007, 58: 3549-3566
[32] Cernusak LA, Winter K, Turner BL. Leaf nitrogen to phosphorus ratios of tropical trees: Experimental assessment of physiological and environmental controls. New Phytologist, 2010, 185: 770-779
[33] Singh DK, Sale PW, Pallaghy CK, et al. Phosphorus concentrations in the leaves of defoliated white clover affect abscisic acid formation and transpiration in drying soil. New Phytologist, 2000, 146: 249-259
[34] Van den Boogaard R, Alewijnse D, Veneklaas E, et al. Growth and water-use efficiency of 10 Triticum aestivum cultivars at different water availability in relation to allocation of biomass. Plant, Cell and Environment, 1997, 20: 200-210
[35] Güsewell S. N:P ratios in terrestrial plants: Variation and functional significance. New Phytologist, 2004, 164: 243-266
[36] Townsend AR, Cleveland CC, Asner GP, et al. Controls over foliar N:P ratios in tropical rain forests. Ecology, 2007, 88: 107-118
[37] Domingues TF, Ishida FY, Feldpausch TR, et al. Bio-me-specific effects of nitrogen and phosphorus on the photosynthetic characteristics of trees at a forest-savanna boundary in Cameroon. Oecologia, 2015, 178: 659-672
[38] Raven JA, Handley LL, Wollenweber B. Plant nutrition and water use efficiency// Bacon MA, ed. Water Use Efficiency in Plant Biology. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Publishing, 2004: 171-197
[39] Qin J, Xi W, Rahmlow A, et al. Effects of forest plantation types on leaf traits of Ulmus pumila and Robinia pseudoacacia on the Loess Plateau, China. Ecological Engineering, 2016, 97: 416-425
[40] Gower ST, McMurtrie RE, Murty D. Aboveground net primary production decline with stand age: Potential causes. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 1996, 11: 378-382
[41] Niinemets Ü. Distribution patterns of foliar carbon and nitrogen as affected by tree dimensions and relative light conditions in the canopy of Picea abies. Trees, 1997, 11: 144-154
[42] Schoettle AW. Influence of tree size on shoot structure and physiology of Pinus contorta and Pinus aristata. Tree Physiology, 1994, 14: 1055-1068
[43] Doucet A, Savard MM, Bégin C, et al. Tree-ring δ¹⁵N values to infer air quality changes at regional scale. Chemical Geology, 2012, 320/321: 9-16
[44] Couto-Vázquez A, González-Prieto SJ. Effects of climate, tree age, dominance and growth on delta ¹⁵N in young pinewoods. Trees: Structure and Function, 2010, 24: 507-514
[45] Meerts P. Mineral nutrient concentrations in sapwood and heartwood: A literature review. Annals of Forest Science, 2002, 59: 713-722