Leaf hydraulics coordinated with leaf economics and leaf size in mangrove species along a salinity gradient

Independence among leaf economics,leaf hydraulics and leaf size confers plants great capability in adapting to heterogeneous environments.However,it remains unclear whether the independence of the leaf traits revealed across species still holds within species,especially under stressed conditions.Here,a suite of traits in these dimensions were measured in leaves and roots of a typical mangrove species,Ceriops tagal,which grows in habitats with a similar sunny and hot environment but different soil salinity in southern China.Compared with C.tagal under low soil salinity,C.tagal under high soil salinity had lower photosynthetic capacity,as indicated directly by a lower leaf nitrogen concentration and higher water use efficiency,and indirectly by a higher investment in defense function and thinner palisade tissue;had lower water transport capacity,as evidenced by thinner leaf minor veins and thinner root vessels;and also had much smaller single leaf area.Leaf economics,hydraulics and leaf size of the mangrove species appear to be coordinated as one trait dimension,which likely stemmed from covariation of soil water and nutrient availability along the salinity gradient.The intraspecific leaf trait relationship under a stressful environment is insightful for our understanding of plant adaption to the multifarious environments.

The worldwide allometric relationship in anatomical structures for plant roots

The cortex(i.e.,absorptive tissue)and stele(transportive vascular tissue)are fundamental to the function of plant roots.Unraveling how these anatomical structures are assembled in absorptive roots is essential for our understanding of plant ecology,physiology,and plant responses to global environmental changes.In this review,we first compile a large data set on anatomical traits in absorptive roots,including cortex thickness and stele radius,across 698 observations and 512 species.Using this data set,we reveal a common root allometry in absorptive root structures,i.e.,cortex thickness increases much faster than stele radius with increasing root diameter(hereafter,root allometry).Root allometry is further validated within and across plant growth forms(woody,grass,and liana species),mycorrhiza types(arbuscular mycorrhiza,ectomycorrhiza,and orchid mycorrhizas),phylogenetic gradients(from ferns to Orchidaceae),and environmental change scenarios(e.g.,elevation of atmospheric CO_(2)concentration and nitrogen fertilization).These findings indicate that root allometry is common in plants.Importantly,root allometry varies greatly across species.We then summarize recent research on the mechanisms of root allometry and potential issues regarding these mechanisms.We further discuss ecological and evolutionary implications of root allometry.Finally,we propose several important research directions that should be pursued regarding root allometry.