Study on Leaf Functional Traits of Main Tree Species in Songshan Mountain

摘要

The functional traits of plant leaves are closely related to the habitat environment of plants, which are the most sensitive organs to environmental changes. Through the study of plant leaf traits, we can understand the growth status of plant species and their tolerance to adverse environmental conditions such as barren and drought. The mixed artificial communities of Cotinus coggygria and Platycladus orientalis were investigated by transect method in Songshan Mountain. We selected three native plants (Rhamnus parvifolia, Lespedeza bicolor and Vitex negundo) and a kind of introduced tree C. coggygria as research objects. There were significant differences in leaf functional traits among these four plants. The leaf area of C. coggygria was much larger than that of the other three plants, while the specific leaf area (SLA) of L. bicolor and R. parvifolia was significantly larger than that of C. coggygria, which was a typical trait strategy to adapt to low light environment. The SLA of C. coggygria was smaller than that of other plants, which was beneficial to improve water use efficiency. But the difference of SLA between C. coggygria and other plants did not reach a significant level, which indicated that there were similarities in drought adaptability between the native plants and the introduced plants.