Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest Ecosystem
Habitat fragmentation threatens the sustainability of ecological restoration. Understanding the variation in intraspecific traits helped to reveal the functional resource-use strategies of plants in response to environmental changes. We sampled different landscape types of forest configurations, whe...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Forests |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1875 |
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| author | Huifeng Guo Dantong Duan Hangyu Lei Yi Chen Jiangtao Li Gadah Albasher Xiang Li |
| author_facet | Huifeng Guo Dantong Duan Hangyu Lei Yi Chen Jiangtao Li Gadah Albasher Xiang Li |
| author_sort | Huifeng Guo |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Habitat fragmentation threatens the sustainability of ecological restoration. Understanding the variation in intraspecific traits helped to reveal the functional resource-use strategies of plants in response to environmental changes. We sampled different landscape types of forest configurations, where the most widespread species was <i>Robinia pseudoacacia.</i> From each plot, from two to five <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> individuals were selected for further examinations. Plant development and leaf traits—leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and leaf thickness (Lth)—were measured in 135 individuals in total. The effects of plant development and landscape fragmentation on <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> leaf traits were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. The environmental factors explained the changes in leaf traits of <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> individuals, and the effect of stand type was the most significant. Compared with continuous forests, <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> individuals in fragmented forests adopted a more conservative resource-use strategy, with smaller LA and SLA and larger Lth and LDMC values. With an increase in landscape heterogeneity, SLA increased and LDMC decreased. In conclusion, the occurrence of landscape fragmentation plays a substantial role in inducing changes in leaf characteristics. The restoration of fragmented forests to continuous forests requires the appropriate addition of land-use types and systematic adjustment of landscape configurations. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:44:49Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-e3f0f2925b1043a7b3bd11286afeb69e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4907 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T22:44:49Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Forests |
| spelling | doaj.art-e3f0f2925b1043a7b3bd11286afeb69e2023-11-19T10:47:15ZengMDPI AGForests1999-49072023-09-01149187510.3390/f14091875Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest EcosystemHuifeng Guo0Dantong Duan1Hangyu Lei2Yi Chen3Jiangtao Li4Gadah Albasher5Xiang Li6College of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xi’an 712100, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xi’an 712100, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xi’an 712100, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xi’an 712100, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xi’an 712100, ChinaDepartment of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 712100, Saudi ArabiaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xi’an 712100, ChinaHabitat fragmentation threatens the sustainability of ecological restoration. Understanding the variation in intraspecific traits helped to reveal the functional resource-use strategies of plants in response to environmental changes. We sampled different landscape types of forest configurations, where the most widespread species was <i>Robinia pseudoacacia.</i> From each plot, from two to five <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> individuals were selected for further examinations. Plant development and leaf traits—leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and leaf thickness (Lth)—were measured in 135 individuals in total. The effects of plant development and landscape fragmentation on <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> leaf traits were assessed using linear mixed-effects models. The environmental factors explained the changes in leaf traits of <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> individuals, and the effect of stand type was the most significant. Compared with continuous forests, <i>R. pseudoacacia</i> individuals in fragmented forests adopted a more conservative resource-use strategy, with smaller LA and SLA and larger Lth and LDMC values. With an increase in landscape heterogeneity, SLA increased and LDMC decreased. In conclusion, the occurrence of landscape fragmentation plays a substantial role in inducing changes in leaf characteristics. The restoration of fragmented forests to continuous forests requires the appropriate addition of land-use types and systematic adjustment of landscape configurations.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1875<i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> plantationlandscape heterogeneitylandscape structureresource-use strategiesspecific leaf arealeaf dry matter content |
| spellingShingle | Huifeng Guo Dantong Duan Hangyu Lei Yi Chen Jiangtao Li Gadah Albasher Xiang Li Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest Ecosystem Forests <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> plantation landscape heterogeneity landscape structure resource-use strategies specific leaf area leaf dry matter content |
| title | Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest Ecosystem |
| title_full | Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest Ecosystem |
| title_fullStr | Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest Ecosystem |
| title_full_unstemmed | Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest Ecosystem |
| title_short | Environmental Drivers of Landscape Fragmentation Influence Intraspecific Leaf Traits in Forest Ecosystem |
| title_sort | environmental drivers of landscape fragmentation influence intraspecific leaf traits in forest ecosystem |
| topic | <i>Robinia pseudoacacia</i> plantation landscape heterogeneity landscape structure resource-use strategies specific leaf area leaf dry matter content |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4907/14/9/1875 |
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