Specific Leaf Area and Leaf Moisture Content of Four Common Plants in Mount Kuizu,Lhasa,Tibet:Enclosure and Altitude Effects
Objective Specific leaf area and leaf moisture content are key physiological indicators to measure plant adaptation strategies,which can reveal the responses mechanism of plants to altitude change and grazing pressure.In this study,four common plants in Mount Kuizu,Lhasa,namely Potentilla saundersiana,Leontopodium pusillum,Bis-torta macrophylla,and Aster souliei were selected as research objects to compare and analyze the specific leaf area and leaf moisture content of the plants.The aim of this studywas to explore the physiological and ecological adapta-tion strategies of these four plants at different altitudes and enclosed habitats.Methods The specific leaf area and leaf moisture content of the four plants were measured and analyzed under different altitude gradients,grassland types(alpine steppe,alpine shrub meadow,alpine meadow),and grazing patterns(enclosure and natural grazing).Results In the enclosed plots,there was no significant change in the specific leaf area of Potentilla saundersiana and Bistorta macrophylla with altitude.In the free-grazing plots,the specific leaf area of Potentilla saundersiana and Leon-topodium pusillum showed an opposite trend with altitude.In enclosed plots,the leaf moisture content of Leontopodi-um pusillum and Bistorta macrophylla decreased with the increase of altitude,while the in free grazing plots,the leaf moisture content of Potentilla saundersiana,Leontopodium pusillum,and Bistorta macrophylla all decreased with the increase of altitude.The leaf moisture content of Aster souliei decreased with the increase of altitude in both grazing plots.There were significant differences in specific leaf area and leaf moisture content among the four plants at differ-ent altitudes.Free grazing and enclosure treatments had significant effects on the two traits,which were found as that the specific leaf area and leaf moisture content of the four plants in the enclosure plots were generally higher than those in the free-grazing plots.The specific leaf area and leaf moisture content of plants of different grassland types changed regularly.There was a negative correlation between the specific leaf area and altitude of the four plants,while Bistorta macrophylla showed a significant negative correlation.There was also a negative correlation between the leaf mosture content and altitude,while Aster souliei showed a significant negative correlation.Conclusion The four plants adapted to the ecological environment at different altitudes by adjusting their specific leaf area and leaf moisture content,especially in the two different grazing modes of enclosure and free grazing.These findings provide important an important scientific basis for understanding how plants respond to and adapt to environmental changes.
Specific Leaf AreaLeaf Moisture ContentAltitude GradientEnclosure
万方数据
维普
