Wang Lei, Guan Jinhong, Li Zongpei, Chen Zhijie, Yu Zaipeng, Xia Zhichao
Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Forest Resources and Silviculture, School of Forestry & Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, China.
College of Life Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810016, China.
Plants (Basel). 2024 Dec 24;14(1):4. doi: 10.3390/plants14010004.
Phosphorus (P) is essential for cellular processes, and P fractions within leaf tissues reflect distinct biochemical functions. However, the relationship among foliar P allocation, leaf functional traits, and soil properties in subtropical China remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated four tree species to examine the relationships among foliar P fractions (orthophosphate P, metabolic P, nucleic acid P, lipid P, and residual P), key leaf functional traits (LMA, A, and leaf [N], and P concentrations), and soil properties. A negative correlation between the relative allocation of metabolic P (rPM) and nucleic acid P (rPN) suggested a trade-off between metabolic activity and growth. LMA was positively correlated with rPM and residual P (rPR) but negatively associated with rPN and lipid P (rPL). Similarly, leaf [N] correlated positively with rPN and negatively with rPR. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that foliar P allocation was primarily driven by leaf functional traits independent of soil properties. These findings underscore the critical role of leaf functional traits in shaping P allocation patterns and highlight the adaptive strategies of tree species to cope with P-deficient environments in subtropical ecosystems.
磷（P）对于细胞过程至关重要，叶片组织中的磷组分反映了不同的生化功能。然而，中国亚热带地区叶片磷分配、叶片功能性状和土壤性质之间的关系仍知之甚少。在此，我们研究了四种树种，以探究叶片磷组分（正磷酸盐磷、代谢磷、核酸磷、脂质磷和残余磷）、关键叶片功能性状（叶面积质量比、光合速率以及叶片氮和磷浓度）和土壤性质之间的关系。代谢磷相对分配量（rPM）与核酸磷相对分配量（rPN）之间的负相关表明代谢活性与生长之间存在权衡。叶面积质量比与rPM和残余磷相对分配量（rPR）呈正相关，但与rPN和脂质磷相对分配量（rPL）呈负相关。同样，叶片氮含量与rPN呈正相关，与rPR呈负相关。结构方程模型（SEM）表明，叶片磷分配主要受叶片功能性状驱动，与土壤性质无关。这些发现强调了叶片功能性状在塑造磷分配模式中的关键作用，并突出了树种在亚热带生态系统中应对缺磷环境的适应策略。
