National Engineering Research Center of Tree Breeding and Ecological Restoration, College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
BMC Plant Biol. 2023 Aug 15;23(1):394. doi: 10.1186/s12870-023-04410-9.
Quantifying intra-specific variation in leaf functional traits along environmental gradients is important for understanding species' responses to climate change. In this study, we assessed the degree of among and within populations variation in leaf functional traits and explored leaf response to geographic and climate change using Caryopteris mongholica as material, which has a wide range of distribution environments.
We selected 40 natural populations of C. mongholica, measured 8 leaf functional traits, analyzed the extent of trait variation among and within populations, and developed geographic and climatic models to explain trait variation between populations. Our results showed that the variation in leaf functional traits of C. mongholica was primarily lower within populations compared to among populations. Specifically, the leaf area (LA) exhibited higher variability both among and within populations, whereas leaf carbon content (LC) exhibited lower variation within populations but greater variation among populations. We observed a specific covariation pattern among traits and a strong linkage between morphological, economic, and mechanical traits. Increasing minimum temperature, precipitation of month, and seasonal precipitation differences all limited the growth and development of C. mongholica. However, it was observed that an increase in mean annual precipitation positively influenced the morphological development of its leaf.
These results demonstrate the response of intra-specific trait variation to the environment and provide valuable insights into the adaptation of intra-specific leaf functional traits under changing climatic conditions.
量化沿环境梯度的叶功能性状的种内变异对于理解物种对气候变化的响应非常重要。本研究以分布环境广泛的蒙古莸（Caryopteris mongholica）为材料，评估了叶功能性状在种群间和种群内的变异程度，并探讨了叶对地理和气候变化的响应。
我们选择了 40 个蒙古莸天然种群，测量了 8 个叶功能性状，分析了种群间和种群内性状变异程度，并建立了地理和气候模型来解释种群间性状变异。结果表明，蒙古莸叶功能性状的变异主要是种群内变异低于种群间变异。具体而言，叶面积（LA）在种群间和种群内均表现出较高的变异性，而叶碳含量（LC）在种群内变异较低，但在种群间变异较大。我们观察到性状之间存在特定的协同变异模式，以及形态、经济和机械性状之间的紧密联系。最低温度、月降水量和季节降水量差异的增加都限制了蒙古莸的生长和发育。然而，平均年降水量的增加被观察到对其叶片的形态发育有积极影响。
这些结果表明了种内性状变异对环境的响应，并为了解在气候变化条件下种内叶功能性状的适应提供了有价值的见解。
