Chlorophyll (Chl) is an important photosynthetic pigment to the plant, largely determining capacity and hence plant growth. However, this concept has not been verified in natural forests, especially at a large scale. Furthermore, how Chl varies forests remains unclear. In study, leaves of 823 species were collected from nine typical forest communities, extending cold-temperate tropical zones China, determine main factors influencing leaf chlorophyll content different regions scales. We...

Abstract Leaf traits may reflect the adaptation mechanisms of plants to environment. In this study, we investigated leaf morphological and anatomical in nine cold-temperate tropical forests along a 4,200-km transect test how they vary across latitudinal gradients. The results showed that dry weight decreased ( P < 0.05), while specific area (SLA) increased 0.05) with increasing latitude. Stomatal length stomatal density did not change significantly, pore index palisade-leaf mesophyll...

Abstract Rising temperatures caused by climate change could negatively alter plant ecosystems if exceed optimal for carbon gain. Such changes may threaten temperature‐sensitive species, causing local extinctions and range migrations. This study examined the temperature of net photosynthesis ( T opt ) two boreal four temperate deciduous tree species grown in field northern Minnesota, United States under contrasting regimes. We hypothesized that would be higher than co‐occurring with...

Abstract Leaf anatomical traits may reflect plants adaption to environmental changes and influence ecosystem functions, as they regulate light absorption gas exchange some extent. Here, we hypothesized that leaf were closely related gross primary productivity ( GPP ) because photosynthesis commonly occurs in the chloroplasts of palisade spongy tissues leaf. Eight measured 916 plant species inhabiting from tropical cold‐temperate forests eastern China: adaxial epidermis thickness AD ),...

Abstract Nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and acid deposition are co‐occurring in many ecosystems, likely with complex interactive effects on litter decomposition. Few studies have been conducted to distinguish the of these three factors forest Thus, we performed a 5‐year decomposition experiment N, P, addition temperate Changbai Mountain China, including four types from Pinus koraiensis , Quercus mongolica Tilia amurensis their mixtures. Our results showed that consistently reduced rate,...

The stomata control carbon and water vapor exchange between the leaves atmosphere may reflect plant adaptation to climate change some extent. However, spatial variation of stomatal traits on different sides leaves' epidermis their response environmental changes remain unclear. Here, we measured density (SD), size (SS), relative area (SRA) both leaf surfaces 181 species across an gradient Loess Plateau. We calculated proportion (abaxial adaxial) total SD (SDtot), SS (SStot), SRA (SRAtot) as a...

Abstract Question: Are species-specific regeneration strategies and competition the dominant processes facilitating species coexistence in a Quercus liaotungensis dominated temperate deciduous forest? Location: Dongling Mountains, North China, 1300 m a.s.l. Methods: Ripley's K-function was used to characterize spatial patterns associations of two tree species, Betula dahurica, common subcanopy Acer mono, at different growth stages (adult, sapling, seedling). Results: Seedlings, saplings...

Climate change has been regarded as a primary threat to biodiversity at local, regional, and global scales. Populus euphratica Oliv. is one of the main constructive species in dryland regions key role regulating ecosystem processes services. However, there knowledge gap regarding spatial distribution habitat suitability P. how it will be affected by future climate change. Based on records collected from an online database specialized literature, we applied optimized MaxEnt model predict...

To study the response of Pinus tabulaeformis Carrière, an endemic species in China, to N deposition and adaptive mechanisms involved, leaves fine roots functional traits N:P stoichiometry Beijing provenances seeding (BY), Shanxi (SY), Inner Mongolia (NY) were investigated this study. Five levels artificial addition applied seedlings different provenance for 3 years. Our results showed that, at high-N levels, specific leaf area SY plants decreased significantly, while weight ratio increased,...

Abstract Stomata control carbon and water vapor exchange between the leaves atmosphere, thus influencing photosynthesis transpiration. Combinations of forest patches with different stand ages are common in nature, however, information which stomatal traits vary among these stands how, remains limited. Here, seven aged (6, 14, 25, 36, 45, 55, 100 years) were selected typical temperate, mixed broadleaf-conifer forests northeast China. Stomatal density, size relative area 624 species, including...

Due to the complexity of extremely high altitude, topography, and climate, accurately estimating regional biomass is essential yet challenging in alpine regions such as Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). Here, we conducted an intensive grid-field survey using a matched-measured dataset 2,040 field plots on QTP obtain high-resolution estimates their unique response environment. The differed significantly among different vegetation types was highest evergreen coniferous forests lowest grasslands. In...

Abstract Nitrogen deposition has increased rapidly in eastern China, which can affect the stoichiometric characteristics of plants. However, effects N addition on nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) allocation strategies for various plant life forms (e.g. trees, shrubs herbs) have rarely been studied. In this study, we evaluated P stoichiometry their scaling exponents leaves fine roots different form groups. concentrations herbs under treatments, whereas tree exhibited a more stable response....

Functional trait diversity is an integrative plant index that represents emerging and promising approach for exploring gross primary productivity (GPP); however, it necessary to determine how these indices vary at large scales in natural forests establish their linkage GPP. Here, we explored spatial variation functional underlying linkages GPP the of China. Specifically, consistently measured 10 leaf traits related 366 tree species nine typical along North-South Transect Eastern China...

Most vascular plants acclimate respiration to changes in ambient temperature, but explicit tests of these responses field settings are rare, and how acclimation vary space time is relatively unstudied, hindering our ability predict respiratory release carbon under future climatic conditions. We measured temperature response curves leaf for three deciduous tree species from 2009 2012 a warming experiment (+3.4 °C above ambient) both open understory conditions at two sites the southern boreal...

Abstract The relationship between plants and the environment is a core area of research in ecology. Owing to differences plant sensitivity at different life history stages, adaptive strategies are cumulative result both their environment. Previous on adaptation has focused adult plants, neglecting saplings or seedlings, which more sensitive largely affect growth strategy subsequent stages. We compared leaf N P stoichiometric traits saplings, trees Acer mono Maxim altitudes found significant...

Regional differences and regulatory mechanisms of vegetation productivity response to changing environmental conditions constitute a core issue in macroecological researches. To verify the main limiting factors different macrosystems [temperature-limited Tibetan Plateau (TP), precipitation-limited Mongolian (MP), nutrient-limited Loess (LP)], we conducted comparative survey east-west grassland transects on three plateaus explored regional their underlying mechanisms. The results showed that...

Analysis of functional diversity, based on plant traits and community structure, provides a promising approach for exploration the adaptive strategies plants relationship between ecosystem functioning. However, it is unclear how number included influences whether or not there are quantitatively dependent traits. This information fundamental to correct use diversity metrics. Here, we measured 34 366 species in nine forests from tropical boreal zones China. These were used calculate seven...

Abstract Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) deposition have increased rapidly during the past decades, which likely changes soil N P availability. These resource variations will further affect N, concentration N:P ratio in different ecosystem pools (i.e., soil, leaf, litter, root, microbe). Various may show stoichiometric responses to nutrient enrichment, with a influence on cycling. However, few studies been conducted fully examine of their relationships given ecosystem. Here we established...

Abstract Leaf caloric value (LCV) is a useful index to represent the conversion efficiency of leaves for solar energy. We investigated spatial pattern LCV and explored factors (phylogeny, climate, soil) that influence them at large scale by determining standardized leaf area in 920 plant species from nine forest communities along 3700 km North-South Transect Eastern China. ranged 0.024 1.056 kJ cm −2 with an average 0.151 . declined linearly increasing latitude transect. Altogether, 57.29%...

Abstract Plants often adjust their leaf mitochondrial (“dark”) respiration ( R d ) measured at a standardized temperature such as 20°C 20 downward after experiencing warmer temperatures and upward cooler temperatures. These responses may help leaves maintain advantageous photosynthetic capacity and/or be response to recent photosynthate accumulation, can occur within days change in thermal regime. It is not clear, however, how the sensitivity magnitude of this over time, or which time period...