AUTHOR=Li Yiyong , Zhou Guoyi , Liu Juxiu TITLE=Different Growth and Physiological Responses of Six Subtropical Tree Species to Warming JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science VOLUME=Volume 8 - 2017 YEAR=2017 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2017.01511 DOI=10.3389/fpls.2017.01511 ISSN=1664-462X ABSTRACT=

Quantifying changes in interspecific plant growth and physiology under climate warming will facilitate explanation of the shifts in community structure in subtropical forest. We evaluated the effects of 3 years climate warming (ca. 1°C, 2012–2015) on plant growth and physiological parameters of six subtropical tree species by translocating seedlings and soil from a higher to a lower elevation site. We found that an increase in soil/air temperature had divergent effects on six co-occurring species. Warming increased the biomass of Schima superba and Pinus massoniana, whereas it decreased their specific leaf area and intrinsic water use efficiency compared to other species. Warming decreased the foliar non-structural carbohydrates for all species. Our findings demonstrated that a warmer climate would have species-specific effects on the physiology and growth of subtropical trees, which may cause changes in the competitive balance and composition of these forests.