Temperature explains intraspecific functional trait variation in Phragmites australis more effectively than soil properties

Zhichao Xu; Huamin Liu; Lu Wen; Jinghui Zhang; Xiaoyun Xin; Jinpeng Hu; Xin Kou; Dongwei Liu; Yi Zhuo; Lixin Wang

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1285588

Temperature explains intraspecific functional trait variation in Phragmites australis more effectively than soil properties

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Nov 24:14:1285588. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1285588. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Zhichao Xu^{1

2

3}, Huamin Liu^{1

2

3}, Lu Wen^{1

2

3}, Jinghui Zhang^{1

2

3}, Xiaoyun Xin¹, Jinpeng Hu¹, Xin Kou¹, Dongwei Liu^{1

2

3}, Yi Zhuo^{1

2

3}, Lixin Wang^{1

2

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China.
² Collaborative Innovation Center for Grassland Ecological Security (Jointly Supported by the Ministry of Education of China and Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region), Hohhot, China.
³ Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau, Hohhot, China.

Abstract

Common reed (Phragmites australis) is a widespread grass species that exhibits a high degree of intraspecific variation for functional traits along environmental gradients. However, the mechanisms underlying intraspecific variation and adaptation strategies in response to environmental gradients on a regional scale remain poorly understood. In this study, we measured leaf, stem, and root traits of common reed in the lakeshore wetlands of the arid and semi-arid regions of the Inner Mongolia Plateau aiming to reveal the regional-scale variation for functional traits in this species, and the corresponding potentially influencing factors. Additionally, we aimed to reveal the ecological adaptation strategies of common reed in different regions using the plant economics spectrum (PES) theory. The results showed that functional-trait variation followed significant latitudinal and longitudinal patterns. Furthermore, we found that these variations are primarily driven by temperature-mediated climatic differences, such as aridity, induced by geographical distance. In contrast, soil properties and the combined effects of climate and soil had relatively minor effects on such properties. In the case of common reed, the PES theory applies to the functional traits at the organ, as well as at the whole-plant level, and different ecological adaptation strategies across arid and semi-arid regions were confirmed. The extent of utilization and assimilation of resources by this species in arid regions was a conservative one, whereas in semi-arid regions, an acquisition strategy prevailed. This study provides new insights into intraspecific variations for functional traits in common reed on a regional scale, the driving factors involved, and the ecological adaptation strategies used by the species. Moreover, it provided a theoretical foundation for wetland biodiversity conservation and ecological restoration.

Keywords: functional traits; Phragmites australis; intraspecific variation; lakeshore wetland; plant economics spectrum; spatial scales.

Grants and funding

The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The research was supported by National Natural Science Fund, P.R. China (No. 32160279, 3211101852, and 31960249) and the Science and Technology Major Project of Inner Mongolia (No. 2022YFHH0017, 2021ZD0011) and the Funds of Yinshanbeilu Grassland Eco-hydrology National Observation and Research Station (No. YSS2021007) and Ordos Science and Technology Plan (No. 2022EEDSKJZDZX010, 2022EEDSKJXM005).