Leaf Trait Variation with Environmental Factors at Different Spatial Scales: A Multilevel Analysis Across a Forest-Steppe Transition

doi:10.3390/f9030122

ISWC OpenIR > 水保所科研产出--SCI > 2018--SCI

	Leaf Trait Variation with Environmental Factors at Different Spatial Scales: A Multilevel Analysis Across a Forest-Steppe Transition
	Haijing Shi; Zhongming Wen; Minghang Guo; Wen, ZM (reprint author), Northwest A&F Univ, Inst Soil & Water Conservat, 26 Xinong Rd, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, Peoples R China.
文章类型	Article
	2018
发表期刊	FORESTS
ISSN	1999-4907
通讯作者邮箱	shihaijingcn@nwsuaf.edu.cn ; zmwen@ms.iswc.ac.cn ; mhguo@ms.iswc.ac.cn
卷号	9 期号:3
摘要	In mountain areas, the distribution of plant communities is affected by both regional and microhabitat conditions. The degree to which these different spatial factors contribute to plant communities is not well understood, because few studies have used a uniform sampling methodology to measure trait variation across the range of ecological scales. In this study, a stratified sampling method was used to study community weighted leaf traits and environment factors at different spatial (transect and plot) scales. We measured 6 leaf traits (specific leaf area, leaf tissue density, leaf thickness, leaf carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus content) in 258 communities from 57 sites in 9 transects nested within 3 vegetation zones. These communities are located in the loess hilly and gully area of the Yanhe river watershed. We coupled climatic factors at the transect scale with topographic and edaphic factors at the plot scale using multilevel regression modeling to analyze the trait variation associated with spatial scales. At the transect scale, the mean annual rainfall showed a highly significant positive effect on the leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) (p < 0.01), while it had a highly significant negative effect on leaf thickness (LT) and leaf tissue density (LTD) (p < 0.001) and a significant negative effect on leaf carbon concentration (LCC) (p < 0.05), explaining 10.91%, 36.08%, 57.25% and 66.01% of LTD, LT, LCC and LNC variation at transect scale respectively. At a plot scale, the slope aspect showed a highly significant positive effect on specific leaf area (SLA) and LNC but a highly significant negative effect on LT and LTD. The soil water content had a significant negative effect on LT (p < 0.05) and LTD (p < 0.001) while soil organic matter showed a positive effect on SLA (p < 0.001) and LNC (p < 0.01). Totally, plot scale variables explained 7.28%, 43.60%, 46.43%, 75.39% and 81.17% of LCC, LT, LNC, LTD and SLA variation. The elevation showed positive effect only on LCC (p < 0.05). The results confirmed the existence of consistent trait-environment relationships at both transect and plot scales. These trait-environment relationships at different spatial scales will provide mechanistic understanding on the vegetation community assembly in the study area. Practically, ignoring trait variation within transects will underestimate roles of microhabitat filters in community assembly, and leads to the homogenization of restoration species. This will be like the past restoration plans and programs, causing serious environmental problems such as dwarf trees and soil desiccation.
关键词	Environmental Filtering Community Traits Multilevel Model Spatial Scale
学科领域	Forestry
DOI	10.3390/f9030122
收录类别	SCI
出版地	ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND
语种	英语
WOS记录号	WOS:000428508200025
出版者	MDPI
项目资助者	National Natural Science Foundation of China [41501055, 41671289] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China [41501055, 41671289] ; CAS "light of West China" program [XAB2015B08] ; CAS "light of West China" program [XAB2015B08] ; PhD Start-up Fund of Northwest A F University [2452015342] ; PhD Start-up Fund of Northwest A F University [2452015342]
引用统计	被引频次：1[WOS] [WOS记录] [WOS相关记录]
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	sbir.nwafu.edu.cn/handle/361005/8283
专题	水保所科研产出--SCI_2018--SCI
通讯作者	Wen, ZM (reprint author), Northwest A&F Univ, Inst Soil & Water Conservat, 26 Xinong Rd, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, Peoples R China.
作者单位	Northwest A&F Univ, Inst Soil & Water Conservat, 26 Xinong Rd, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Haijing Shi,Zhongming Wen,Minghang Guo,et al. Leaf Trait Variation with Environmental Factors at Different Spatial Scales: A Multilevel Analysis Across a Forest-Steppe Transition[J]. FORESTS,2018,9(3).
APA	Haijing Shi,Zhongming Wen,Minghang Guo,&Wen, ZM .(2018).Leaf Trait Variation with Environmental Factors at Different Spatial Scales: A Multilevel Analysis Across a Forest-Steppe Transition.FORESTS,9(3).
MLA	Haijing Shi,et al."Leaf Trait Variation with Environmental Factors at Different Spatial Scales: A Multilevel Analysis Across a Forest-Steppe Transition".FORESTS 9.3(2018).

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