The storage and utilization of carbohydrates in response to elevation mediated by tree organs in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests

Global climate change can affect tree growth and carbon sink function by influencing plant carbohydrate synthesis and utilization,while elevation can be used as an ideal setting under natural conditions to simulate climate change effects.The effect of elevation on tree growth may depend on organ type.However,the allocation patterns of nonstructural and structural carbohydrates(NSCs and SCs,respectively)in different tree organs and their response to elevation remain unclear.We selected four dominant tree species,Schima superba,Castanopsis eyrei,Castanopsis fargesii and Michelia maudiae,along an elevation gradient from 609 to 1,207 m in subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests and analyzed leaf,trunk,and fine root NSCs,carbon(C),nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)concentrations and the relative abundance of SCs.Leaf NSCs increased initially and then decreased,and trunk NSCs increased with increasing elevation.However,root NSCs decreased with increasing elevation.The relative abundance of SCs in leaves and trunks decreased,while the relative abundance of root SCs increased with increasing elevation.No significant correlations between SCs and NSCs in leaves were detected,while there were negative correlations between SCs and NSCs in trunks,roots,and all organs.Hierarchical partitioning analysis indicated that plant C/N and C/P were the main predictors of changes in SCs and NSCs.Our results suggest that tree organs have divergent responses to elevation and that increasing elevation will inhibit the aboveground part growth and enhance the root growth of trees.A tradeoff between the C distribution used for growth and storage was confirmed along the elevation gradient,which is mainly manifested in the"sink"organs of NSCs.Our results provide insight into tree growth in the context of global climate change scenarios in subtropical forest ecosystems.

Species divergence in seedling leaf traits and tree growth response to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in an evergreen broadleaved forest of subtropical China

Tree competitiveness generally depends on trait plasticity in response to environmental change.The effects of nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)on leaf trait variability by species is poorly understood,especially in China’s subtropical forests.This study examined the seedling leaf traits and net primary productivity of all trees>5 cm DBH of two dominant species,Schima superba and Castanopsis carlesii,in an evergreen broadleaved forest fertilized with nitrogen(+N),phosphorus(+P),and nitrogen plus phosphorus(N+P).The effect of N on seedling leaf traits was stronger than P,while fertilization in general was species dependent.Leaf mass per unit area decreased with N for S.superba seedlings but not for C.carlesii.Leaf N,P,and N/P ratios changed with N addition for both species.All four N fractions of carboxylation,bioenergetics,cell wall,and other N metabolites in C.carlesii leaves responded significantly to fertilization,while only the cell wall in S.superb a leaves responded.Other leaf functional traits,including light-saturated photosynthetic rates,water,N,and P use efficiencies,chlorophyll and non structural carbohydrate contents increased with N addition in S.superb a and by P addition in C.carlesii.Canopy closure at the stand-level increased due to N.Litter biomass and relative growth rate of S.superb a was not affected by any treatments,while both for C.carlesii significantly decreased with N+P addition.Collectively,nutrient limitation may vary at a small scale among species in a subtropical forest based on their responses of seedling traits and net primary productivity to fertilization.Seedling traits are not correlated with the net primary productivity of larger trees except for N fractions,because low light conditions induced by fertilization reduces the proportion of N allocated to photosynthesis in seedlings.In addition,acclimation differences of tree species may increase the uncertainty of community succession.

Temporal changes in mixing effects on litter decay and nitrogen release in a boreal riparian forest in northeastern China

In riparian forests,litter decay provides essential energy and nutrients for both terrestrial and fluvial ecosystems.Litter mixing effects(LMEs)are crucial in regulating litter decay and nutrient dynamics,yet how LMEs change over time is unclear in riparian forests.In this study,leaf litter of three common species(Alnus sibirica Fisch.ex Turcz,Betula platyphylla Sukaczev,and Betula fruticosa Pall.)were mixed in an equal mass ratio and LMEs were measured for mass and nitrogen(N)remaining in whole litter mixtures over a 3-year period in a boreal riparian forest,northeastern China.LMEs were also assessed for component litter mass and N remaining by separating litter mixtures by species.During the decay of litter mixtures,antagonistic effects on mass and N remaining were dominant after one and two years of decay,whereas only additive effects were observed after three years.LMEs correlated negatively with functional diversity after the first and two years of decay but disappeared after three years.When sorting litter mixtures by species,non-additive LMEs on mass and N remaining decreased over incubation time.Moreover,non-additive LMEs were more frequent for litter of both B.platyphylla and B.fruticosa with lower N concentration than for A.sibirica litter with higher N concentration.These results indicate that incubation time is a key determinant of litter mixing effects during decay and highlight that late-stage litter mixture decay may be predicted from single litter decay dynamics in boreal riparian forests.

Replanting of broadleaved trees alters internal nutrient cycles of native and exotic pines in subtropical plantations of China

Background:The replanting of broadleaved trees in pure coniferous plantations is widely implemented,as mixed plantations are generally more stable and functional.However,the effect of interspecific interactions between broadleaved and coniferous trees on internal nutrient cycles of conifers remains unclear.Methods:We selected pure coniferous plantations of a native(Pinus massoniana)and an exotic(P.elliottii)pine species and their corresponding mixed plantations with broadleaved trees(Schima superba)in subtropical China,and measured the nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)contents in the rhizosphere soils,fine roots,twigs,needles and needle litter of pines.We calculated the root capture,needle resorption and translocation of N and P by pines to determine the mobility of nutrients in trees.Results:Although the N and P in the rhizosphere soils increased due to the replanting of broadleaved trees,the N and P contents in the aboveground tissues of the two pine species did not increase in mixed plantations.Mixed planting had a negative effect on the N and P capture of native pine and a positive effect on that of exotic pine.The N and P resorption efficiencies increased in native pine but were unchanged in exotic pine after the replanting of S.superba.Native pine preferentially employed an aboveground nutrient resorption strategy,whereas exotic pine tended to adopt a belowground nutrient capture strategy after replanting.Translocation of N and P in trees was detected,which reflected the trade-offs between root nutrient capture and needle nutrient resorption.Conclusions:The effect of mixed planting varied between the species of native and exotic pines,and the internal nutrient cycles of both pine species might be dominated by interspecific interaction effects on nutrients rather than soil nutrients.Our study highlights the importance of selecting suitable broadleaved species for replanting in coniferous plantations.

Phylogenetic conservatism in threatened species responses to climate change differs between functional types in the Gongga Mountains of China

Climate change has become one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity.However,whether phylogenetically related species respond to climate change in similar ways remains controversial.The answer to this question is crucial for understanding the impacts of climate change and the conservation on the tree of life.By integrating species distribution models with a molecular phylogeny of 50 threatened plant species from one of the global biodiversity hotspots,Gongga Mountains(Mt.Gongga)in southwest China,we evaluated the responses of threatened plant species to future climate change,and estimated whether species responses are phylogenetically conserved.Phylogenetic reconstruction was used to calculate the phylogenetic distance and null model to verify the reliability of the results.We found that correlations between responses of different species to future climate change decreased with the increase in their phylogenetic distance in the monocotyledonous or herbaceous species,but not in the dicotyledonous and woody species.Our results suggested that the responses of herbaceous and monocotyledonous threatened species in Mt.Gongga to future climate change tend to be phylogenetically conserved,while the responses of woody and dicotyledonous threatened species are not.Our study provides evidence for the existence of phylogenetically non-random extinction in the monocotyledonous herbs in Mt.Gongga and highlights the importance of integrating phylogenetic information and evolutionary history into conservation planning.We also provide theoretical basis and technical support for designing effective conservation schemes for the protection of biodiversity under anthropogenic climate change.

Effect of shrub encroachment on leaf nutrient resorption in temperate wetlands in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China

Background:Nutrient resorption is an important plant nutrient conservation strategy in wetlands.However,how shrub encroachment alters plant nutrient resorption processes is unclear in temperate wetlands.Here,we collected green and senesced leaves of common sedge,grass,and shrub species in wetlands with high(50–65%)and low(20–35%)shrub covers in the Sanjiang Plain of Northeast China,and assessed the impact of shrub encroachment on leaf nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)resorption efficiency and proficiency at both plant growth form and community levels.Results:The effects of shrub cover on leaf nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency were identical among shrubs,grasses,and sedges.Irrespective of plant growth forms,increased shrub cover reduced leaf N resorption efficiency and proficiency,but did not alter leaf P resorption efficiency and proficiency.However,the effect of shrub cover on leaf nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency differed between plant growth form and community levels.At the community level,leaf N and P resorption efficiency decreased with increasing shrub cover because of increased dominance of shrubs with lower leaf nutrient resorption efficiency over grasses and sedges.Accordingly,community‑level senesced leaf N and P concentrations increased with elevating shrub cover,showing a decline in leaf N and P resorption proficiency.Moreover,the significant relationships between leaf nutrient resorption efficiency and proficiency indicate that shrub encroachment increased senesced leaf nutrient concentrations by decreasing nutrient resorption efficiency.Conclusions:These observations suggest that shrub encroachment reduces community‑level leaf nutrient resorp‑tion efficiency and proficiency and highlight that the effect of altered plant composition on leaf nutrient resorption should be assessed at the community level in temperate wetlands.