| Optimal balance of water use efficiency and leaf construction cost with a link to the drought threshold of the desert steppe ecotone in northern China | |
| Wei, HX (Wei, Haixia)1; Luo, TX (Luo, Tianxiang)1; Wu, B (Wu, Bo)2; Wei, HX | |
| Source Publication | ANNALS OF BOTANY
 |
| 2016 | |
| Volume | 118Issue:3Pages:541-553 |
| DOI | 10.1093/aob/mcw127 |
| Abstract | Background and Aims In arid environments, a high nitrogen content per leaf area (Narea) induced by drought can enhance water use efficiency (WUE) of photosynthesis, but may also lead to high leaf construction cost (CC). Our aim was to investigate how maximizing Narea could balance WUE and CC in an arid-adapted, widespread species along a rainfall gradient, and how such a process may be related to the drought threshold of the desert-steppe ecotone in northern China. Methods Along rainfall gradients with a moisture index (MI) of 0 center dot 17-0 center dot 41 in northern China and the northern Tibetan Plateau, we measured leaf traits and stand variables including speciinot signc leaf area (SLA), nitrogen content relative to leaf mass and area (N-mass, N-area) and construction cost (CCmass, CCarea), delta C-13 (indicator of WUE), leaf area index (LAI) and foliage N-pool across populations of Artemisia ordosica. Key Results In samples from northern China, a continuous increase of N-area with decreasing MI was achieved by a higher N-mass and constant SLA (reduced LAI and constant N-pool) in high-rainfall areas (MI > 0 center dot 29), but by a lower SLA and N-mass (reduced LAI and N-pool) in low-rainfall areas (MI a parts per thousand currency sign 0 center dot 29). While delta C-13, CCmass and CCarea continuously increased with decreasing MI, the low-rainfall group had higher N-area and delta C-13 at a given CCarea, compared with the high-rainfall group. Similar patterns were also found in additional data for the same species in the northern Tibetan Plateau. The observed drought threshold where MI = 0 center dot 29 corresponded well to the zonal boundary between typical and desert steppes in northern China. Conclusions Our data indicated that below a climatic drought threshold, drought-resistant plants tend to maximize their intrinsic WUE through increased N-area at a given CCarea, which suggests a linkage between leaf functional traits and arid vegetation zonation. |
| Subject Area | 自然地理学 |
| WOS ID | WOS:000383591200014 |
| Language | 英语 |
| Indexed By | SCI |
| Keyword | Chemical-composition Nitrogen-content Energetic Cost Low-rainfall Carbon Gain Photosynthesis Nutrient Area Productivity Assimilation |
| Cooperation Status | 国内 |
| Department | 环境 |
| Subtype | Article |
| Citation statistics | |
| Document Type | 期刊论文 |
| Identifier | http://ir.itpcas.ac.cn/handle/131C11/7609 |
| Collection | 图书馆 |
| Corresponding Author | Wei, HX |
| Affiliation | 1.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Tibetan Plateau Res, Key Lab Alpine Ecol & Biodivers, Beijing 100101, Peoples R China 2.Chinese Acad Forestry, Inst Desertificat Studies, Beijing 100091, Peoples R China |
| Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Wei, HX ,Luo, TX ,Wu, B ,et al. Optimal balance of water use efficiency and leaf construction cost with a link to the drought threshold of the desert steppe ecotone in northern China[J]. ANNALS OF BOTANY,2016,118(3):541-553. |
| APA | Wei, HX ,Luo, TX ,Wu, B ,&Wei, HX.(2016).Optimal balance of water use efficiency and leaf construction cost with a link to the drought threshold of the desert steppe ecotone in northern China.ANNALS OF BOTANY,118(3),541-553. |
| MLA | Wei, HX ,et al."Optimal balance of water use efficiency and leaf construction cost with a link to the drought threshold of the desert steppe ecotone in northern China".ANNALS OF BOTANY 118.3(2016):541-553. |
| Files in This Item: | ||||||
| File Name/Size | DocType | Version | Access | License | ||
| V.118(3) 541-553 201（1015KB） | 期刊论文 | 作者接受稿 | 开放获取 | CC BY-NC-SA | View Application Full Text | |
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