ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Functional Plant Ecology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fpls.2025.1707246
Variation in leaf functional traits of Pinus armandii and their drivers along an altitudinal gradient in karst mountains
Provisionally accepted
- Guizhou University of Engineering Science, Bijie, China
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Leaf functional traits are pivotal indicators of plant ecological strategies, reflecting adaptations to environmental conditions and resource acquisition. However, the variation patterns of these traits across environmental gradients — particularly in fragile karst ecosystems — and their underlying mechanisms remain inadequately explored. In this study, we investigated 12 leaf functional traits (encompassing morphological and chemical traits) of Pinus armandii along an elevational transect from 2128 to 2509 m in the Karst mountainous region of southwestern China. Using correlation and redundancy analyses, we examined altitudinal trends in trait variation and their relationships with soil factors. Our results revealed substantial intraspecific variability in all leaf traits, with coefficients of variation ranging from 3.24% to 28.15%. Leaf carbon content exhibited the least variation (CV=3.24%), whereas leaf phosphorus content showed the highest (CV=28.15%). Significant altitudinal trends were observed: specific leaf area, leaf length, leaf thickness, leaf area, leaf carbon content, leaf potassium content, and the ratios of C:N, C:P, and N:P decreased significantly with increasing elevation. Conversely, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen content, and leaf phosphorus content increased significantly with elevation. We found notable coordination and trade-offs among traits along the gradient. Leaf dry matter content was negatively correlated with specific leaf area and C:N ratio (p<0.05), but positively correlated with leaf nitrogen content (p<0.05), forming an integrated trait network centered on the C:N ratio. Soil factors played a decisive role in shaping the variation in leaf functional traits of P. armandii, with soil organic carbon, pH, and available potassium identified as the primary drivers. In conclusion, P. armandii in karst mountainous regions adapts to elevational changes through coordinated adjustments in leaf functional traits, thereby optimizing resource acquisition and use strategies. These findings advance our understanding of plant adaptation mechanisms in heterogeneous karst ecosystems.
Keywords: Pinus armandii, Leaf functional trait, elevational gradient, Soil factors, Karstmountains
Received: 17 Sep 2025; Accepted: 21 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 He, Li, Xiao-Long, Zou and Li. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Bin He, hebin123kewen@163.com
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