Responses of leaf functional traits to different hydrological regimes and leaf economics spectrum in the water level fluctuation zone of Three Gorges Reservoir, China

• DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.939452
• Publication Date: 2022-09-02T07:00:05Z
• Authors: Xiaoling Li; Di He; Gong Chen; Jin Yang; Zhengjian Yang; Xiao juan Guo; Congfeng Wang; Shijiang Zhu; Yingping Huang; Hongfeng Chen; Guiyun Huang; Dingjun Zhang; Chen Ye
• Keywords: Functional ecology; Specific leaf area; Photosynthetic capacity; Annual plant

A unique riparian ecosystem has been created as a result of anti-seasonal flooding after reservoir operations, which notably influences the distribution patterns plant communities and their functional characteristics in zone. Plant traits reflect physiological ecological processes plants particular ecosystems are crucial for indicating variations structure function. To better understand adaptation strategies to hydrological changes provide scientific basis selection species re-vegetation newly formed ecosystems, 14 leaf economics spectrum (LES) 19 dominant under different conditions were investigated water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). The results showed that significant effects on (P < 0.05). net photosynthetic rate annual was significantly higher than perennial 0.05), there correlation between phenotypic Canonical correspondence analysis soil content available phosphorus main factors affecting function species, hydrologic still important environmental WLFZ. And annuals from WLFZ have thick leaves, high rate, short lifespan, nutrient concentrations, make them close fast investment-return end LES. On contrary, perennials slow productivity investment is defense adapting special habitats These indicated TGR regimes can adopt by weighing associations trade-offs economic traits.