Variation and trade-offs of twig and leaf traits among different broadleaved life form plants in the primitive broadleaved-Korean pine forest

doi:10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202403012

JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY ›› 2025, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (3): 163-171.doi: 10.12302/j.issn.1000-2006.202403012

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Variation and trade-offs of twig and leaf traits among different broadleaved life form plants in the primitive broadleaved-Korean pine forest

HOU Xuanzhu¹(), LI Nan²^,^*()

1. University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL, The United Kingdom
2. College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China

Received:2024-03-07 Accepted:2024-04-24 Online:2025-05-30 Published:2025-05-27
Contact: LI Nan E-mail:attitude36@163.com;linan1550@163.com

Abstract

Abstract:

【Objective】The trade-off between twig and leaf traits is crucial for understanding how plants allocate resources under various environmental stresses. This study focused on 12 dominant or common broadleaved plants in a natural broadleaved-Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) forest. 【Method】We used one-way ANOVA or non-parametric rank-sum tests to analyze trait differences among different life forms or species. Standardized major axis estimation (SMA) was employed to investigate correlations between twig and leaf traits. 【Result】Broadleaved plants of different life forms exhibited similar trends in twig and leaf traits. Specifically, variation in twig cross-sectional area and volume-based leafing intensity were greater than 30%, twig mass variation exceeded 20%, while individual leaf mass, total leaf area, and individual leaf area variations were below 15%. Trees had significantly higher individual leaf area, total leaf area, and individual leaf mass compared to shrubs. There was a positive allometric relationship between twig cross-sectional area and individual leaf area in trees, while shrubs showed a positive isometric relationship. Both trees and shrubs exhibited positive isometric relationships between twig cross-sectional area and total leaf area, with only some species showing positive allometric relationships. Both tree and shrub species demonstrated negative allometric relationships between volume-based leafing intensity and individual leaf area or mass, with some tree species showing negative isometric relationships. 【Conclusion】The results suggest that twig and leaf traits across different plant life forms generally follow allometric relationships. Allometric growth enhances plant survival strategies, and the trade-off model of twig and leaf traits is influenced by growth patterns.

Key words: broad leaved-Korean pine forest, trade-off relationship, life form, trait variation, volume-based leafing intensity, functional traits

CLC Number:

S718.5

HOU Xuanzhu, LI Nan. Variation and trade-offs of twig and leaf traits among different broadleaved life form plants in the primitive broadleaved-Korean pine forest[J]. JOURNAL OF NANJING FORESTRY UNIVERSITY, 2025, 49(3): 163-171.

Figures/Tables 5

Fig. 1

Fig. 2

Table 1

Standardized major axis estimation among traits of twig-leaf size relationships of different living broadleaf plants in northeast China"

指标(y-x) index	生活型/物种 life form/species	样本 sample	决定系数 R²	P	斜率(95%置信区间) slope(95% confidence interval,95% CI)
单叶面积-枝横截面积 individual leaf area-twig cross-sectional area	乔木	99	0.088	0.003	0.520(0.492,0.629)
	灌木	63	0.091	0.017	0.825(0.648,1.051)
	T1	18	0.351	0.010	0.868(0.573,1.315)
	T2	18	0.226	0.046	0.505(0.322,0.792)
	T5	17	0.527	0.001	0.471(0.325,0.682)
	S4	9	0.746	0.003	0.498(0.378,0.631)
总叶面积-枝横截面积 total leaf area-twig cross- sectional area	乔木	99	0.788	<0.001	1.029(0.948,1.118)
	灌木	63	0.469	<0.001	1.029(0.948,1.118)
	T1	18	0.481	0.001	1.051(0.724,1.526)
	T2	18	0.487	0.001	0.726(0.501,1.052)
	T5	17	0.551	0.001	0.490(0.342,0.703)
	T6	17	0.351	0.012	1.059(0.689,1.629)
	S2	9	0.635	0.010	0.710(0.550,0.904)
	S4	9	0.720	0.004	0.710(0.550,0.904)
出叶强度-枝横截面积 volume-based leafing intensity-twig cross- sectional area	乔木	99	0.085	0.004	-1.175(-1.316,-1.051)
	灌木	63	0.706	<0.001	-1.175(-1.316,-1.051)
	T1	18	0.806	<0.001	-1.545(-1.947,-1.225)
	T2	18	0.741	<0.001	-1.408(-1.839,-1.079)
	T3	15	0.518	0.002	-1.556(-2.333,-1.038)
	T4	14	0.868	<0.001	-2.071(-2.597,-1.651)
	T5	17	0.902	<0.001	-2.515(-2.984,-2.119)
	T6	17	0.567	<0.001	-3.419(-4.873,-2.398)
	S1	11	0.576	0.007	-1.368(-1.621,-1.174)
	S2	9	0.858	<0.001	-1.368(-1.621,-1.174)
	S3	8	0.895	<0.001	-1.368(-1.621,-1.174)
	S4	9	0.925	<0.001	-1.368(-1.621,-1.174)
	S5	8	0.884	0.001	-1.368(-1.621,-1.174)
	S6	18	0.735	<0.001	-1.368(-1.621,-1.174)
单叶干质量-枝干质量 individual leaf mass-twig mass	乔木	99	0.218	<0.001	0.376(0.315,0.448)
	灌木	63	0.269	<0.001	0.548(0.441,0.681)
	T1	18	0.645	<0.001	0.673(0.494,0.919)
	T2	18	0.252	0.034	0.438(0.281,0.683)
	T5	17	0.709	<0.001	0.350(0.261,0.468)
	T6	17	0.439	0.004	0.300(0.201,0.449)
	S1	11	0.625	0.004	0.382(0.333,0.442)
	S2	9	0.787	0.001	0.382(0.333,0.442)
	S4	9	0.930	<0.001	0.382(0.333,0.442)
	S5	8	0.649	0.016	0.382(0.333,0.442)
	S6	18	0.670	<0.001	0.382(0.333,0.442)

Table 1

Fig. 3

Table 2

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指标(y-x) index	生活型/物种 life form/ species	决定系数 R²	P	斜率(95%置信区间) slope(95% CI)	指标(y-x) index	生活型/物种 life form/ species	决定系数 R²	P	斜率(95%置信区间) slope(95% CI)
单叶面积- 出叶强度 individual leaf area- volume-based leafing intensity	乔木	0.045	0.035	-0.412(-0.501,-0.339)	单叶干质量- 出叶强度 individual leaf mass-volume- based leafing intensity	乔木	0.161	<0.001	-0.405(-0.486,-0.337)
	灌木	0.277	<0.001	-0.728(-0.904,-0.587)		灌木	0.305	<0.001	-0.672(-0.830,-0.543)
	T1	0.590	<0.001	-0.562(-0.784,-0.403)		T1	0.497	0.001	-0.754(-1.089,-0.522)
	T2	0.422	0.004	-0.358(-0.531,-0.242)		T2	0.301	0.018	-0.434(-0.667,-0.282)
	T5	0.561	0.001	-0.187(-0.268,-0.131)		T5	0.566	<0.001	-0.271(-0.386,-0.190)
	S2	0.547	0.023	-0.338(-0.412,-0.272)		T6	0.375	0.009	-0.263(-0.402,-0.173)
	S4	0.841	0.001	-0.338(-0.412,-0.272)		S2	0.864	<0.001	-0.409(-0.487,-0.341)
	S6	0.261	0.030	-0.338(-0.412,-0.272)		S4	0.813	0.001	-0.409(-0.487,-0.341)
						S6	0.428	0.003	-0.409(-0.487,-0.341)

Variation and trade-offs of twig and leaf traits among different broadleaved life form plants in the primitive broadleaved-Korean pine forest

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