Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests
Leaf nutrient content (nitrogen, phosphorus) and their stoichiometric ratio (N/P) as key functional traits can reflect plant survival strategies and predict ecosystem productivity responses to environmental changes. Previous research on leaf nutrient traits has primarily focused on the species level...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1372530/full |
| _version_ | 1797258609854251008 |
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| author | Xing Zhang Mengyao Yu Jianxiao Su Jiali Xu Xueting Zhang Jinlong Shang Jie Gao Jie Gao |
| author_facet | Xing Zhang Mengyao Yu Jianxiao Su Jiali Xu Xueting Zhang Jinlong Shang Jie Gao Jie Gao |
| author_sort | Xing Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Leaf nutrient content (nitrogen, phosphorus) and their stoichiometric ratio (N/P) as key functional traits can reflect plant survival strategies and predict ecosystem productivity responses to environmental changes. Previous research on leaf nutrient traits has primarily focused on the species level with limited spatial scale, making it challenging to quantify the variability and influencing factors of forest leaf nutrient traits on a macro scale. This study, based on field surveys and literature collected from 2005 to 2020 on 384 planted forests and 541 natural forests in China, investigates the differences in leaf nutrient traits between forest types (planted forests, natural forests) and their driving factors. Results show that leaf nutrient traits (leaf nitrogen content (LN), leaf phosphorus content (LP), and leaf N/P ratio) of planted forests are significantly higher than those of natural forests (P< 0.05). The impact of climatic and soil factors on the variability of leaf nutrient traits in planted forests is greater than that in natural forests. With increasing forest age, natural forests significantly increase in leaf nitrogen and phosphorus content, with a significant decrease in N/P ratio (P< 0.05). Climatic factors are key environmental factors dominating the spatial variability of leaf nutrient traits. They not only directly affect leaf nutrient traits of planted and natural forest communities but also indirectly through regulation of soil nutrients and stand factors, with their direct effects being more significant than their indirect effects. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:56:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ad4474be39294d388adff93864dd1a88 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T22:56:16Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-ad4474be39294d388adff93864dd1a882024-03-18T04:53:51ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2024-03-011510.3389/fpls.2024.13725301372530Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forestsXing Zhang0Mengyao Yu1Jianxiao Su2Jiali Xu3Xueting Zhang4Jinlong Shang5Jie Gao6Jie Gao7Key Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory for the Conservation and Regulation Biology of Species in Special Environments, College of Life Science, Xinjiang Normal University, Urumqi, ChinaKey Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes of Ministry of Education, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, ChinaLeaf nutrient content (nitrogen, phosphorus) and their stoichiometric ratio (N/P) as key functional traits can reflect plant survival strategies and predict ecosystem productivity responses to environmental changes. Previous research on leaf nutrient traits has primarily focused on the species level with limited spatial scale, making it challenging to quantify the variability and influencing factors of forest leaf nutrient traits on a macro scale. This study, based on field surveys and literature collected from 2005 to 2020 on 384 planted forests and 541 natural forests in China, investigates the differences in leaf nutrient traits between forest types (planted forests, natural forests) and their driving factors. Results show that leaf nutrient traits (leaf nitrogen content (LN), leaf phosphorus content (LP), and leaf N/P ratio) of planted forests are significantly higher than those of natural forests (P< 0.05). The impact of climatic and soil factors on the variability of leaf nutrient traits in planted forests is greater than that in natural forests. With increasing forest age, natural forests significantly increase in leaf nitrogen and phosphorus content, with a significant decrease in N/P ratio (P< 0.05). Climatic factors are key environmental factors dominating the spatial variability of leaf nutrient traits. They not only directly affect leaf nutrient traits of planted and natural forest communities but also indirectly through regulation of soil nutrients and stand factors, with their direct effects being more significant than their indirect effects.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1372530/fullleaf nutrient traitsclimate changesoil nutrientsforest ageplanted forestnatural forest |
| spellingShingle | Xing Zhang Mengyao Yu Jianxiao Su Jiali Xu Xueting Zhang Jinlong Shang Jie Gao Jie Gao Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests Frontiers in Plant Science leaf nutrient traits climate change soil nutrients forest age planted forest natural forest |
| title | Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests |
| title_full | Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests |
| title_fullStr | Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests |
| title_full_unstemmed | Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests |
| title_short | Leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests |
| title_sort | leaf nutrient traits of planted forests demonstrate a heightened sensitivity to environmental changes compared to natural forests |
| topic | leaf nutrient traits climate change soil nutrients forest age planted forest natural forest |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2024.1372530/full |
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