Phylogenetic signals of plant leaf traits and their correlation analysis in the karst region of southwestern Guangxi
[Objective]Exploring the differences in leaf traits and phylogenetic conservatism of karst plants of different life types can help to deeply understand the adaptive mechanisms of plants to highly heterogeneous habitat,and provide scientific basis for the conservation and restoration of karst vegetation.[Method]Twenty common broad-leaved woody plants in a karst region of southwestern Guangxi were studied.The Phylogenetic signals and correlations among leaf traits were tested by using Blomber's K value,phylogenetic independent contrast(PIC)and standardized major axis estimation(SMA).[Result]1)None of the studied ten leaf traits showed strong phylogenetic conservatism,and the phylogenetic structure was not fully consistent with the trait structure.2)Overall,there were allometric growth relationship between leaf area(LA)and leaf length(LL)and width(LW),and between leaf tissue density(LTD)and leaf length(LL)and volume(LV).In contrast,the isokinetic growth relationship were found between leaf length and leaf width,and between leaf area and leaf mass.Except that the growth relationship between LTD and LL shifted from allometric to isokineticin the deciduous plant,the growth relationship between other trait combinations didn't differ between life forms,which indicated that ever-green plant tends to limit LL growth for adapting the environment changes.3)The slopes between LA and LL and LW,as well as between LTD and LL and LV for both of ever-green and deciduous plant significantly along the direction of the common principal axis(P<0.05),suggesting a change of adaptive strategies of evergreen and deciduous plants to their environment.The ever-green plant tended to choose the resource-conserving growth strategy with smaller leaf area and higher leaf tissue density,whereas the deciduous plant tends to choose the resource-acquiring growth strategy with larger leaf area and lower leaf tissue density.[Conclusion]Ecological niche differentiation is largely an important mechanism to promote species coexistence and biodiversity maintenance in broadleaf forest communities in subtropical regions.
leaf traitstandardized major axis estimationphylogenetic independent contrastallometric growthphylogenetic signalkarst