Elevational variation in anatomical traits of the first-order roots and their adaptation mechanisms

doi:10.1016/j.pld.2024.09.008

Plant Diversity ›› 2025, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (02): 291-299.DOI: 10.1016/j.pld.2024.09.008

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Elevational variation in anatomical traits of the first-order roots and their adaptation mechanisms

Xue Wang^a, Xinrui Liu^a, Shuang Chen^a, Jiang Zhu^a, Yanqi Yuan^a, Rong Zhu^a, Kaixi Chen^a, Xue Yang^a, Xiaochun Wang^a, Weiyi Mo^a, Ruili Wang^a,b, Shuoxin Zhang^a,b

a. College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China;
b. Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Huoditang, Ningshan 711600, Shaanxi, China

Received:2024-03-06 Revised:2024-09-10 Online:2025-04-03 Published:2025-03-25
Contact: Ruili Wang,E-mail:wangrl@nwafu.edu.cn;Shuoxin Zhang,E-mail:sxzhang@nwsuaf.edu.cn
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32271611), Functional traits of plant communities at different elevation gradients in the Taibai Mountain of Qinling Mountains financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2016YFC0500202) and 245 Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station in 2022 financed by Ministry of Education of China.

Elevational variation in anatomical traits of the first-order roots and their adaptation mechanisms

Xue Wang^a, Xinrui Liu^a, Shuang Chen^a, Jiang Zhu^a, Yanqi Yuan^a, Rong Zhu^a, Kaixi Chen^a, Xue Yang^a, Xiaochun Wang^a, Weiyi Mo^a, Ruili Wang^a,b, Shuoxin Zhang^a,b

a. College of Forestry, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, Shaanxi, China;
b. Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station, Huoditang, Ningshan 711600, Shaanxi, China

通讯作者: Ruili Wang,E-mail:wangrl@nwafu.edu.cn;Shuoxin Zhang,E-mail:sxzhang@nwsuaf.edu.cn
基金资助:
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 32271611), Functional traits of plant communities at different elevation gradients in the Taibai Mountain of Qinling Mountains financed by the Ministry of Science and Technology of China (No. 2016YFC0500202) and 245 Qinling National Forest Ecosystem Research Station in 2022 financed by Ministry of Education of China.

Abstract

Abstract: Root anatomical traits play an important role in understanding the link between root physiological function and ecological process. To determine how plants change root anatomical traits to adapt to distinct environments, we measured four key root anatomical traits—stele diameter (SD), cortex thickness (CT), root diameter (RD), and the stele to root diameter ratio (SDRD)—of first-order roots of 82 species collected from different vegetation zones along a 2000 m altitudinal gradient on the northern slope of Taibai Mountain. Compared with other altitudes, plants located in temperate birch and fir forests had thinner SD, CT, RD, and SDRD. We found that elevational variation in root anatomical traits could largely be explained by phylogenetic taxonomy (clade). In addition, changes in SD were driven by soil bulk density, whereas variations in CT and RD were influenced by soil available nitrogen. When phylogenetic factors were removed from our analysis, allometric relationships between RD and root anatomical traits (SD and CT) were observed across different altitudes. Our study reveals the influence of phylogeny and environment on the elevational variation in root anatomical traits and further supports the allometric relationship between root anatomical traits (SD and CT) and RD. These findings enhance our understanding of the evolutionary and adaptive mechanisms of root anatomical structures, providing a basis for predicting how root anatomical traits respond to global changes.

Key words: Allometric relationship, Altitude, Phylogeny, Root anatomical traits, Stressful environment

摘要： Root anatomical traits play an important role in understanding the link between root physiological function and ecological process. To determine how plants change root anatomical traits to adapt to distinct environments, we measured four key root anatomical traits—stele diameter (SD), cortex thickness (CT), root diameter (RD), and the stele to root diameter ratio (SDRD)—of first-order roots of 82 species collected from different vegetation zones along a 2000 m altitudinal gradient on the northern slope of Taibai Mountain. Compared with other altitudes, plants located in temperate birch and fir forests had thinner SD, CT, RD, and SDRD. We found that elevational variation in root anatomical traits could largely be explained by phylogenetic taxonomy (clade). In addition, changes in SD were driven by soil bulk density, whereas variations in CT and RD were influenced by soil available nitrogen. When phylogenetic factors were removed from our analysis, allometric relationships between RD and root anatomical traits (SD and CT) were observed across different altitudes. Our study reveals the influence of phylogeny and environment on the elevational variation in root anatomical traits and further supports the allometric relationship between root anatomical traits (SD and CT) and RD. These findings enhance our understanding of the evolutionary and adaptive mechanisms of root anatomical structures, providing a basis for predicting how root anatomical traits respond to global changes.

关键词: Allometric relationship, Altitude, Phylogeny, Root anatomical traits, Stressful environment

Xue Wang, Xinrui Liu, Shuang Chen, Jiang Zhu, Yanqi Yuan, Rong Zhu, Kaixi Chen, Xue Yang, Xiaochun Wang, Weiyi Mo, Ruili Wang, Shuoxin Zhang. Elevational variation in anatomical traits of the first-order roots and their adaptation mechanisms[J]. Plant Diversity, 2025, 47(02): 291-299.

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Elevational variation in anatomical traits of the first-order roots and their adaptation mechanisms

Elevational variation in anatomical traits of the first-order roots and their adaptation mechanisms

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