Active summer carbon storage for winter persistence in trees at the cold alpine treeline | |
Li, Mai-He1,2,3; Jiang, Yong3; Wang, Ao1,2; Li, Xiaobin4,5; Zhu, Wanze6![]() | |
Corresponding Author | Wang, Xue(wangxueiae@163.com) |
2018-09-01 | |
Source Publication | TREE PHYSIOLOGY
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ISSN | 0829-318X |
Volume | 38Issue:9Pages:1345-1355 |
Subtype | Article |
Contribution Rank | 1 |
Abstract | The low-temperature limited alpine treeline is one of the most obvious boundaries in mountain landscapes. The question of whether resource limitation is the physiological mechanism for the formation of the alpine treeline is still waiting for conclusive evidence and answers. We therefore examined non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and nitrogen (N) in treeline trees (TATs) and low-elevation trees (LETs) in both summer and winter in 11 alpine treeline cases ranging from subtropical monsoon to temperate continental climates across Eurasia. We found that tissue N concentration did not decrease with increasing elevation at the individual treeline level, but the mean root N concentration was lower in TATs than in LETs across treelines in summer. The TATs did not have lower tissue NSC concentrations than LETs in summer. However, the present study with multiple tree species across a large geographical scale, for the first time, revealed a common phenomenon that TATs had significantly lower NSC concentration in roots but not in the aboveground tissues than LETs in winter. Compared with LETs, TATs exhibited both a passive NSC storage in aboveground tissues in excess of carbon demand and an active starch storage in roots at the expense of growth reduction during the growing season. This starch accumulation disappeared in winter. Our results highlight some important aspects of the N and carbon physiology in relation to season in trees at their upper limits. Whether or to what extent the disadvantages of winter root NSC and summer root N level of TATs affect the growth of treeline trees and the alpine treeline formation needs to be further studied. |
Keyword | alpine treeline altitudinal gradient carbon balance nitrogen non-structural carbohydrates starch sugars |
DOI | 10.1093/treephys/tpy020 |
Indexed By | SCI |
WOS Keyword | PINUS-CEMBRA ; NITROGEN LIMITATION ; CARBOHYDRATE RESERVES ; SEASONAL-CHANGES ; HIGH-ALTITUDES ; SESSILE OAK ; GROWTH ; TEMPERATURE ; SYLVESTRIS ; ELEVATION |
Language | 英语 |
Funding Project | National Natural Science Foundation of China[41371076] ; National Natural Science Foundation of China[31570501] ; Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences[XDB15010302] ; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Nonprofit Research Institution of CAF[CAFYBB2014ZD001] ; Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation (SSSTC) program[EG 06-032015] |
WOS Research Area | Forestry |
WOS Subject | Forestry |
WOS ID | WOS:000452456200008 |
Funding Organization | National Natural Science Foundation of China ; Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences ; Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Nonprofit Research Institution of CAF ; Sino-Swiss Science and Technology Cooperation (SSSTC) program |
Publisher | OXFORD UNIV PRESS |
Citation statistics | |
Document Type | 期刊论文 |
Identifier | http://ir.imde.ac.cn/handle/131551/24720 |
Collection | 山地表生过程与生态调控重点实验室 |
Corresponding Author | Wang, Xue |
Affiliation | 1.Taizhou Univ, Zhejiang Prov Key Lab Plant Evolutionary Ecol &, Taizhou 318000, Peoples R China; 2.Swiss Fed Res Inst WSL, Forest Dynam, Zuercherstr 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland; 3.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Appl Ecol, Shenyang 110016, Liaoning, Peoples R China; 4.Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, State Key Lab Microbial Metab, Shanghai 200030, Peoples R China; 5.Shanghai Jiao Tong Univ, Sch Life Sci & Biotechnol, Shanghai 200030, Peoples R China; 6.Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Mt Hazard & Environm, Chengdu 610041, Sichuan, Peoples R China; 7.Chinese Acad Agr Sci, Inst Environm & Sustainable Dev Agr, Beijing 100081, Peoples R China; 8.China West Normal Univ, Coll Land & Resources, Nanchong, Sichuan 637002, Peoples R China; 9.Chinese Acad Forestry, Res Inst Forest Ecol Environm & Protect, Beijing 100091, Peoples R China; 10.Chinese Acad Forestry, Res Inst Forestry, Beijing 10091, Peoples R China; 11.Nanjing Forestry Univ, Coinnovat Ctr Sustainable Forestry Southern China, Nanjing 210037, Jiangsu, Peoples R China |
Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Li, Mai-He,Jiang, Yong,Wang, Ao,et al. Active summer carbon storage for winter persistence in trees at the cold alpine treeline[J]. TREE PHYSIOLOGY,2018,38(9):1345-1355. |
APA | Li, Mai-He.,Jiang, Yong.,Wang, Ao.,Li, Xiaobin.,Zhu, Wanze.,...&Wang, Xue.(2018).Active summer carbon storage for winter persistence in trees at the cold alpine treeline.TREE PHYSIOLOGY,38(9),1345-1355. |
MLA | Li, Mai-He,et al."Active summer carbon storage for winter persistence in trees at the cold alpine treeline".TREE PHYSIOLOGY 38.9(2018):1345-1355. |
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