SCIENCE@home

Altered Functional Traits in Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr Seedlings: Responses and Divergence Across Altitudes

Jiayi Deng,Jiangkai Xie,Tairui Liu,Jinping Guo,Yunxiang Zhang,Meng Yang

Published 2025 in Forests

ABSTRACT

To elucidate the adaptive strategies of leaf functional traits of Larix principis-rupprechtii in the context of climate change, this study chose 2 and 3 year-old seedlings of Larix principis-rupprechtii as the focal research objects. The experiment entailed transplanting seedlings obtained from different sources into high and low altitudes: 1600 m, 1900 m, 2100 m, and 2400 m, respectively. With changes in transplant elevation, seedlings showed variable responses in photosynthesis, water-use efficiency, and leaf morphology, depending on the altitude. High-altitude seedlings transplanted to low altitudes increased SLA and branch extension, enhancing photosynthesis and C-N metabolism. Conversely, low-altitude seedlings transplanted to high altitudes improved cold resistance primarily via leaf thickening, adjusting the chlorophyll a/b ratio, and enhancing the redistribution of soluble proteins. For high-altitude sources, water-use efficiency and transpiration rate were strongly linked to leaf nitrogen and the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio, respectively, indicating the optimisation of photosynthetic and water-use efficiency through modulation of chlorophyll-a content and branch extension. Low-altitude seedlings chiefly adjusted the chla/b ratio, leaf morphological traits, and soluble protein to cope with altitudinal change. In summary, variation in leaf functional traits among seedlings of Larix principis-rupprechtii across elevational gradients did not reflect isolated changes in individual traits but rather arose from integrated adjustments of photosynthetic capacity, resource allocation, and metabolic coupling, thereby optimising the balance between light capture, water usage, and stress tolerance. These results, therefore, offer insights into adaptive strategies under climate change.

PUBLICATION RECORD

CITATION MAP

EXTRACTION MAP

CLAIMS

  • No claims are published for this paper.

CONCEPTS

  • No concepts are published for this paper.

REFERENCES

Showing 1-43 of 43 references · Page 1 of 1

CITED BY