Co-ordinated performance of leaf hydraulics and economics in 10 Chinese temperate tree species

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (11) ◽  
pp. 1082 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ying Jin ◽  
Chuankuan Wang ◽  
Zhenghu Zhou ◽  
Zhimin Li

Exploring relationships between leaf hydraulics and economic traits is important in understanding the carbon–water coupling and in extending the leaf economics spectrum. In this study, leaf hydraulics, photosynthesis, structural and nutrient traits and photosynthetic resource use efficiency were measured for 10 temperate tree species in the north-eastern China. Leaf hydraulic conductance was positively correlated with photosynthetic traits, specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen concentration, photosynthetic water and nitrogen use efficiencies, suggesting co-ordination between leaf hydraulics and economic traits. Principal component analysis revealed that significant correlations existed among leaf hydraulic, photosynthetic and resource use traits (axis 1), and axis 2 was strongly associated with leaf structural and nutrient traits. The 10 species were distributed along the diagonal line between axis 1 and axis 2. Species displaying the ‘fast’ strategy tended to have higher photosynthetic rates, leaf hydraulic conductance and photosynthetic water and nutrient use efficiencies; however, they also had lower carbon investment and faced a greater risk of embolism. These findings indicate that leaf hydraulics, economics and resource uses together play an important role in determining species ecological strategies, and provide supports for the ‘fast–slow’ leaf economics spectrum.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clay J. Morrow ◽  
Samuel J. Jaeger ◽  
Richard L. Lindroth

Abstract Patterns of trait expression within some plant species have recently been shown to follow patterns described by the leaf economics spectrum paradigm. Resistance to herbivores is also expected to covary with leaf economics traits. We selected multiple mature Populus tremuloides genotypes from a common garden to assess whether aspen leaf economics patterns follow those observed among species globally. We also evaluated leaf economics strategies in the context of insect resistance by conducting bioassays to determine the effects of plant traits on preference and performance of Lymantria dispar. We found that: 1) intraspecific trait patterns of P. tremuloides parallel those exhibited by the interspecific leaf economics spectrum, 2) herbivores preferred leaves from genotypes with resource-acquisitive strategies, and 3) herbivores also performed best on genotypes with resource-acquisitive strategies. We conclude that a leaf economics spectrum that incorporates defense traits is a useful tool for explaining intraspecific patterns of variation in plant strategies, including resistance to herbivores.


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