Growth response of Abies spectabilis to climate along an elevation gradient of the Manang valley in the central Himalayas

The Himalayas are characterized by a broad gradient of bioclimatic zones along their elevation.However,less is known how forest growth responds to climatic change along elevation.In this study,four standard treering width chronologies of Himalayan fir(Abies spectabilis)were developed,spanning 142–649 years along an elevation gradient of 3076–3900 m a.s.l.Principal component analysis classified the four chronologies into two groups;the ones at lower elevations(M1 and M2)and higher elevations(M3 and M4)show two distinct growth trends.Radial growth is limited by summer(June–August)precipitation at M3,and by precipitation during spring(March–May)and summer at M4.It is limited by spring temperatures and winter precipitation(December–February)at M1.Tree-ring width chronologies also significantly correlate with winter and spring Palmer Drought Severity Index(PDSI)at M1,and with summer PDSI at M3 and M4.Thus,Himalayan fir growth at high elevations is mainly limited by moisture stress rather than by low temperatures.Furthermore,the occurrence of missing rings coincides with dry periods,providing additional evidence for moisture limitation of Himalayan fir growth.

喜马拉雅山不同森林群落主要树种叶片元素性状与生物量之间的关系

植物需要多种基本元素调节并保持其特定比例以维持生长发育,叶片元素含量反映了植物的功能及其对环境的适应性.然而,在森林海拔梯度上,我们对于资源获取、光合作用和生长相关的叶片元素如何调节森林生物量仍知之甚少.本研究在喜马拉雅山干城章嘉峰地区沿热带森林(海拔80m)至高山树线(海拔4200m)设置海拔梯度样带,每间隔海拔100m设置一个样点,对116个树种的1859个个体测定了叶片中10种元素(C、N、P、K、Ca、Mg、Zn、Fe、Cu和Mn)的含量,通过计算叶片元素含量的群落加权平均值(反映优势物种的性状优势度,表征质量比效应)和功能离散度(反映物种在生态位空间内的聚集或者离散程度,表征互补效应),探究叶片元素含量及其离散程度沿海拔梯度分异特征,解析其对森林群落生物量的影响.研究结果表明,较强的叶片元素质量比效应和较弱的互补效应有利于森林群落生物量的积累.叶片元素性状多样性与海拔的共同作用对生物量的解释量(解释方差:52.2%)高于元素性状多样性的解释量(解释方差:0.05%~21%).海拔调节了树种性状多样性在生物量积累中的作用,互补效应在低海拔和高海拔地区对生物量的影响分别体现为积极和消极作用,这表明海拔和互补效应之间也存在交互作用.此外,海拔和质量比效应的交互作用对海拔梯度上生物量的影响也存在异质性.本研究表明,不同森林群落生物量的积累可能受到由海拔调控的性状多样性的影响.尽管较高的性状分异不利于生物量的积累,但能增强高海拔地区树种对胁迫环境的适应性.

Linking leaf elemental traits to biomass across forest biomes in the Himalayas

Plants require a number of essential elements in different proportions for ensuring their growth and development.The elemental concentrations in leaves reflect the functions and adaptations of plants under specific environmental conditions.However,less is known about how the spectrum of leaf elements associated with resource acquisition,photosynthesis and growth regulates forest biomass along broad elevational gradients.We examined the influence of leaf element distribution and diversity on forest biomass by analyzing ten elements(C,N,P,K,Ca,Mg,Zn,Fe,Cu,and Mn)in tree communities situated every 100 meters along an extensive elevation gradient,ranging from the tropical forest(80 meters above sea level)to the alpine treeline(4200 meters above sea level)in the Kangchenjunga Landscape in eastern Nepal Himalayas.We calculated communityweighted averages(reflecting dominant traits governing biomass,i.e.,mass-ratio effect)and functional divergence(reflecting increased trait variety,i.e.,complementarity effect)for leaf elements in a total of 1,859 trees representing 116 species.An increasing mass-ratio effect and decreasing complementarity in leaf elements enhance forest biomass accumulation.A combination of elements together with elevation explains biomass(52.2%of the variance)better than individual elemental trait diversity(0.05%to 21%of the variance).Elevation modulates trait diversity among plant species in biomass accumulation.Complementarity promotes biomass at lower elevations,but reduces biomass at higher elevations,demonstrating an interaction between elevation and complementarity.The interaction between elevation and mass-ratio effect produces heterogeneous effects on biomass along the elevation gradient.Our research indicates that biomass accumulation can be disproportionately affected by elevation due to interactions among trait diversities across vegetation zones.While higher trait variation enhances the adaptation of species to environmental changes,it reduces biomass accumulation,especially at higher elevations.

喜马拉雅山区高山冰缘植物并不能从变暖中受益

普遍认为变暖有利于高山植被生态系统,并已经导致冰缘植物向高海拔的扩张.珠峰山谷金字塔气象站(海拔5050 m)1994~2018的气象记录显示,高海拔山区呈显著的暖干化趋势.然而,我们依然不清楚暖干化是否对冰缘植被更新和分布造成显著影响?本研究在喜马拉雅山中段3个山谷建立了8块(30 m×120 m)滇藏方枝柏(Juniperus indica)和高山柏(Juniperus squamata)灌木线样地(海拔介于4344~5074 m之间).样地调查揭示,自20世纪90年代之前所有样地种群更新呈增加的趋势,然而90年代以来更新持续下降.种群更新与春季、夏季温度之间呈现显著的负相关关系,暗示了暖干化加剧了水分胁迫,并限制了种群的更新.另外,近60年来所有灌木线位置稳定.近30年遥感数据也证实,研究区冰缘植被无变绿趋势,甚至出现2%-6%的植被生长减弱现象.因此,进一步研究应该探讨冰缘植被生长减弱对喜马拉雅山区水循环和生物多样性的影响.

Strong link between large tropical volcanic eruptions and severe droughts prior to monsoon in the central Himalayas revealed by tree-ring records

Large tropical volcanic eruptions can cause short-term global cooling. However, little is known whether large tropical volcanic eruptions, like the one in Tambora/Indonesia in 1815, cause regional hydroclimatic anomalies. Using a tree-ring network of precisely dated Himalayan birch in the central Himalayas, we reconstructed variations in the regional pre-monsoon precipitation back to 1650 CE. A superposed epoch analysis indicates that the pre-monsoon regional droughts are associated with large tropical volcanic eruptions, appearing to have a strong influence on hydroclimatic conditions in the central Himalayas. In fact, the most severe drought since 1650 CE occurred after the Tambora eruption. These results suggest that dry conditions prior to monsoon in the central Himalayas were associated with explosive tropical volcanism. Prolonged La Ni?a events also correspond with persistent pre-monsoon droughts in the central Himalayas. Our results provide evidence that large tropical volcanic eruptions most likely induced severe droughts prior to monsoon in the central Himalayas.