Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits
Disturbance alters environmental conditions in forests. Plants growing in forests with different disturbance histories in diverse environments may adopt varying life history strategies, but few studies focus on this effect. This study comprehensively investigated plant biodiversity, biomass, and fun...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1230149/full |
| _version_ | 1797359947694997504 |
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| author | Julian Liu Haojun Xia Zihong Zheng Yunquan Wang Yunquan Wang Yunquan Wang Jianhua Chen Jian Ni Mingjian Yu Weicheng Zheng Libin Liu Libin Liu |
| author_facet | Julian Liu Haojun Xia Zihong Zheng Yunquan Wang Yunquan Wang Yunquan Wang Jianhua Chen Jian Ni Mingjian Yu Weicheng Zheng Libin Liu Libin Liu |
| author_sort | Julian Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Disturbance alters environmental conditions in forests. Plants growing in forests with different disturbance histories in diverse environments may adopt varying life history strategies, but few studies focus on this effect. This study comprehensively investigated plant biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits in subtropical forests with two different disturbance histories in east China to explore differences in life history strategies. Biodiversity was slightly higher in disturbed compared to conserved forests. Significantly higher biomass was measured in conserved relative to disturbed evergreen broadleaved forests (P < 0.05). In conserved forests, leaf tissue density (LTD) was significantly higher and leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), twig tissue density (TTD), twig dry matter content (TDMC), bark tissue density (BTD) and dry matter content (BDMC), and stem tissue density (STD) and dry matter content (SDMC) were significantly lower than in disturbed forests (P < 0.05). In terms of associated plant biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits, conserved forests adopted a resource acquisition strategy, reducing biodiversity and developing multiple functional traits such as high leaf area and specific leaf area and low LT, LDMC, TTD, TDMC, BTD, BDMC, STD, and SDMC to support a high biomass accumulation rate. Disturbed forests adopted a resource conservation strategy, enhancing biodiversity and developing converse trait combinations to lower the rate of biomass accumulation. A comprehensive investigation of plant biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits and subsequent assessment of plant life history strategies in conserved and disturbed forests will aid investigations of regional biodiversity and carbon reserves, contribute data to the TRY and Chinese plant trait databases, and improve ecological management and restoration efforts in east China. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:31:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-152d47f4287f40c297bf7f1f8c095621 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T15:31:19Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-152d47f4287f40c297bf7f1f8c0956212024-01-10T04:29:47ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2024-01-011410.3389/fpls.2023.12301491230149Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traitsJulian Liu0Haojun Xia1Zihong Zheng2Yunquan Wang3Yunquan Wang4Yunquan Wang5Jianhua Chen6Jian Ni7Mingjian Yu8Weicheng Zheng9Libin Liu10Libin Liu11The Administration Center of Zhejiang Jiulong Mountain National Nature Reserve, Lishui, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, ChinaThe Administration Center of Zhejiang Jiulong Mountain National Nature Reserve, Lishui, ChinaThe Administration Center of Zhejiang Jiulong Mountain National Nature Reserve, Lishui, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaSuichang Ecological Forestry Development Center, Lishui, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang Normal University, Jinhua, ChinaCollege of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, ChinaDisturbance alters environmental conditions in forests. Plants growing in forests with different disturbance histories in diverse environments may adopt varying life history strategies, but few studies focus on this effect. This study comprehensively investigated plant biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits in subtropical forests with two different disturbance histories in east China to explore differences in life history strategies. Biodiversity was slightly higher in disturbed compared to conserved forests. Significantly higher biomass was measured in conserved relative to disturbed evergreen broadleaved forests (P < 0.05). In conserved forests, leaf tissue density (LTD) was significantly higher and leaf thickness (LT), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), twig tissue density (TTD), twig dry matter content (TDMC), bark tissue density (BTD) and dry matter content (BDMC), and stem tissue density (STD) and dry matter content (SDMC) were significantly lower than in disturbed forests (P < 0.05). In terms of associated plant biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits, conserved forests adopted a resource acquisition strategy, reducing biodiversity and developing multiple functional traits such as high leaf area and specific leaf area and low LT, LDMC, TTD, TDMC, BTD, BDMC, STD, and SDMC to support a high biomass accumulation rate. Disturbed forests adopted a resource conservation strategy, enhancing biodiversity and developing converse trait combinations to lower the rate of biomass accumulation. A comprehensive investigation of plant biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits and subsequent assessment of plant life history strategies in conserved and disturbed forests will aid investigations of regional biodiversity and carbon reserves, contribute data to the TRY and Chinese plant trait databases, and improve ecological management and restoration efforts in east China.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1230149/fullspecies compositionbiomass accumulationmorphological traitsadaptation strategydisturbance historysubtropical forests |
| spellingShingle | Julian Liu Haojun Xia Zihong Zheng Yunquan Wang Yunquan Wang Yunquan Wang Jianhua Chen Jian Ni Mingjian Yu Weicheng Zheng Libin Liu Libin Liu Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits Frontiers in Plant Science species composition biomass accumulation morphological traits adaptation strategy disturbance history subtropical forests |
| title | Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits |
| title_full | Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits |
| title_fullStr | Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits |
| title_full_unstemmed | Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits |
| title_short | Plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories: an assessment of biodiversity, biomass, and functional traits |
| title_sort | plant life history strategies vary in subtropical forests with different disturbance histories an assessment of biodiversity biomass and functional traits |
| topic | species composition biomass accumulation morphological traits adaptation strategy disturbance history subtropical forests |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1230149/full |
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