Wang Yang, Zhang Limin, Feng Ling, Fan Zuhong, Deng Ying, Feng Tu
School of Ecological Engineering, Guizhou University of Engineering Science, Bijie 551700, China.
Guizhou Province Key Laboratory of Ecological Protection and Restoration of Typical Plateau Wetlands, Bijie 551700, China.
Plants (Basel). 2024 Aug 28;13(17):2407. doi: 10.3390/plants13172407.
Assessing the functional traits and ecological stoichiometric characteristics of dominant species across different life forms within plant communities in karst environments and investigating the inherent connection between them can provide insights into how species adjust their functional attributes in response to habitat heterogeneity. This approach offers a more comprehensive understanding of ecosystem processes and functions in contrast to examination of the taxonomic diversity of species. This study examines the relationship between the functional characteristics of dominant species in plant communities of various life forms in karst environments, focusing on deciduous leaf-soil ecological stoichiometry. The investigation relies on community science surveys, as well as the determination and calculation of plant functional traits and ecological stoichiometries, in plant communities of various life forms in Guizhou (a province of China). The findings of our study revealed considerable variability in the functional trait characteristics of dominant species across different plant-community life forms. Specifically, strong positive correlations were observed among plant height (PLH), leaf area (LA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and specific leaf area (SLA) in the dominant species. Additionally, our results indicated no significant differences in leaf ecological stoichiometry among different life forms. However, we did observe significant differences and strong positive correlations between soil N:P, withered material C:N, and apomictic C:P. Furthermore, our study found that plant height (PLH), leaf area (LA), and specific leaf area (SLA) were particularly sensitive to the ecological stoichiometry of soil and apomixis. The results of our study suggest that the functional traits of diverse plant-community life forms in karst regions are capable of adapting to environmental changes through various expressions and survival strategies. The development of various plant-community life forms in karst areas is particularly vulnerable to phosphorus limitation, and the potential for litter decomposition and soil nutrient mineralization is comparatively weaker. The functional traits of various plant-community life forms in karst regions exhibit greater sensitivity to both the soil's C:N ratio and the C:N ratio of apomictic material. Habitat variations may influence the ecological stoichiometric characteristics of the plant leaf-apomictic soil continuum.
评估喀斯特环境中植物群落内不同生活型优势种的功能性状和生态化学计量特征，并探究它们之间的内在联系，能够为物种如何响应生境异质性来调整其功能属性提供见解。与研究物种分类多样性相比，这种方法能更全面地理解生态系统过程和功能。本研究考察喀斯特环境中不同生活型植物群落优势种的功能特征之间的关系，重点关注落叶-土壤生态化学计量。该调查依赖于社区科学调查，以及对中国贵州省不同生活型植物群落中植物功能性状和生态化学计量的测定与计算。我们的研究结果显示，不同植物群落生活型的优势种在功能性状特征上存在显著差异。具体而言，优势种的株高（PLH）、叶面积（LA）、叶干物质含量（LDMC）和比叶面积（SLA）之间呈现出强烈的正相关。此外，我们的结果表明不同生活型之间的叶片生态化学计量没有显著差异。然而，我们确实观察到土壤N:P、凋落物C:N和无融合生殖C:P之间存在显著差异和强烈的正相关。此外，我们的研究发现株高（PLH）、叶面积（LA）和比叶面积（SLA）对土壤和无融合生殖的生态化学计量特别敏感。我们的研究结果表明，喀斯特地区不同植物群落生活型的功能性状能够通过各种表现形式和生存策略适应环境变化。喀斯特地区不同植物群落生活型的发育特别容易受到磷限制的影响，凋落物分解和土壤养分矿化的潜力相对较弱。喀斯特地区不同植物群落生活型的功能性状对土壤的C:N比和无融合生殖物质的C:N比表现出更大的敏感性。生境变化可能会影响植物叶片-无融合生殖土壤连续体的生态化学计量特征。
