Leaf functional traits have been widely used to characterize plant responses and adaptations to environ-mental changes.Rhododendron spp.are important horticultural and ecologically valuable species,the heat sensitivi-ty of which limits their survival in low-altitude areas.However,few studies have examined the response of Rhodo-dendron to climate warming based on functional traits.In this study,we compared the differences in leaf morphology[leaf mass(LM),leaf area(LA),leaf thickness(LT),specific leaf area(SLA)],leaf dry matter content(LDMC),nutrients[leaf nitrogen(N),phosphorus(P),nitrogen-phosphorus ratio(N/P)]and net photosyn-thetic rate(Pn)of saplings of six Rhododendron species at two altitudes in Dujiangyan area of Sichuan Province.The results showed that:(1)There were significant differences in leaf morphology(except SLA),nutrient concen-trations(except leaf P),and Pn among the six Rhododendron species at high altitude(1800 m),but no significant difference in LMDC and Pn between species after transplantation at low altitude(550 m).(2)In general,low-alti-tude transplantation significantly increased SLA,Pn,N and P,and decreased LM,LA,LT and LDMC.The re-sponse magnitudes of these traits were different among different species.(3)For the trait correlations,Pn was sig-nificantly positively correlated with SLA,N content and N/P in high-altitude habitats,but not significantly after low-altitude transplantation.These results implied inconsistent sensitivity of different Rhododendron species to tem-perature increases.Our results can provide a scientific basis for understanding the responses and adaptation of Rho-dodendron species in the context of global warming.
climate warmingleaf functional traitelevationspecific leaf area
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