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The natural abundance of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ13C and δ15N) in leaves can provide comprehensive information on the physiological and ecological processes of plants and has been widely used in ecological research. However, recent studies on leaf δ13C and δ15N have focused mainly on woody species, few studies have been conducted on herbs in different vegetation types, and their differences and driving factors are still unclear. In this study, we focused on the herbs in subalpine coniferous forests, alpine shrublands, and alpine meadows on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and investigated the differences in leaf δ13C and δ15N of herbs and the driving factors. The results showed that there were significant differences in leaf δ13C and δ15N values of herbs among different vegetation types, with the highest δ13C and δ15N values in alpine meadows, followed by alpine shrublands, and the lowest in subalpine coniferous forests. Using variation partitioning analysis, we revealed that differences in leaf δ13C and δ15N of herbs among various vegetation types were driven by both leaf functional traits and climate factors, with the contribution of leaf functional traits being relatively higher than that of climate factors. Hierarchical partitioning results indicated that mean annual temperature (MAT), chlorophyll content index, leaf nitrogen content per unit area (Narea), and leaf mass per area were the main drivers of leaf δ15N variations of herbs across different vegetation types, while the relative importance of Narea and MAT for variation in leaf δ15N of herbs was much higher than those other variables. There was a strong coupling relationship between leaf δ15N and δ15N as indicated by the result of the ordinary least squares regression. Our findings could provide new insights into under-standing the key drivers of leaf δ15N and δ15N variations in herbs across different vegetation types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes relate to soil carbon and nitrogen budgets and have a significant impact on climate change. Nevertheless, the temporal variation and magnitude of the fluxes of all three major GHGs (CO2, CH4 and N2O) and their influencing factors have not been elucidated clearly in primary forests on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Herein, field chamber GHG fluxes from May to November, soil microbial community and enzyme activity were analyzed in a fir-dominated (Abies fargesii var. faxoniana) primary forest. The emission rates of CO2 and N2O ranged between 64.69–243.22 mg CO2 m−2 h−1 and 1.69–5.46 ug N2O m−2 h−1, exhibiting a temporally unimodal pattern with a peak in July. The soil acted as a CH4 sink, and the uptake rate varied between 52.96 and 84.67 μg CH4 m−2 h−1 with the higher uptake rates in June and November. The temporal variation in the CO2 flux was significantly correlated with the geometric mean of enzyme activities, suggesting that the soil CO2 flux was determined by microbial activity rather than soil microbial biomass. The soil N2O flux was positively related to nitrate concentration with marginal significance, probably because N2O was a byproduct of nitrification and denitrification processes. The soil CH4 uptake was closely associated with methanotrophic biomass (18:1ω7c). The results highlight divergent temporal dynamics of GHG fluxes owing to different driving mechanisms and an important CH4 sink in the primary forest soil, helping to evaluate the carbon and nitrogen budgets of primary forests on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rate of photosynthesis (A) of plants exposed to water deficit is a function of stomatal (gs) and mesophyll (gm) conductance determining the availability of CO2 at the site of carboxylation within the chloroplast. Mesophyll conductance often represents the greatest impediment to photosynthetic uptake of CO2, and a crucial determinant of the photosynthetic effects of drought. Abscisic acid (ABA) plays a fundamental role in signalling and co-ordination of plant responses to drought; however, the effect of ABA on gm is not well-defined. Rose, cherry, olive and poplar were exposed to exogenous ABA and their leaf gas exchange parameters recorded over a four hour period. Application with ABA induced reductions in values of A, gs and gm in all four species. Reduced gm occurred within one hour of ABA treatment in three of the four analysed species; indicating that the effect of ABA on gm occurs on a shorter timescale than previously considered. These declines in gm values associated with ABA were not the result of physical changes in leaf properties due to altered turgor affecting movement of CO2, or caused by a reduction in the sub-stomatal concentration of CO2 (Ci). Increased [ABA] likely induces biochemical changes in the properties of the interface between the sub-stomatal air-space and mesophyll layer through the actions of cooporins to regulate the transport of CO2. The results of this study provide further evidence that gm is highly responsive to fluctuations in the external environment, and stress signals such as ABA induce co-ordinated modifications of both gs and gm in the regulation of photosynthesis.

Elevational variations in the growing environment and sex differences in individuals drive the diversification of photosynthetic capacity of plants. However, photosynthetic response of dioecious plants to elevation gradients and the mechanisms that cause these responses are poorly understood. We measured foliar gas exchange, chlorophyll fluorescence and nitrogen allocations of male and female Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) at the elevation of 1900–3700 m above sea level (a.s.l.) on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. Male and female plants showed increased leaf photosynthetic capacity at higher elevation generally with no sex-specific difference. Photosynthetic photon flux density-saturated photosynthesis (A sat) was limited mostly by diffusional components (77 ± 1%), whereas biochemical components contributed minor limitations (22 ± 1%). Mesophyll conductance (g m) played an essential role in A sat variation, accounting for 40 ± 2% of the total photosynthetic limitations and had a significant positive correlation with A sat. Leaf nitrogen allocations to Rubisco (P R) and bioenergetics (P B) in the photosynthetic apparatus were major drivers for variations in photosynthetic nitrogen-use efficiency. The increase of these resource uptake capacities enables H. rhamnoides to maintain a high level of carbon assimilation and function efficiently to cope with the harsh conditions and shorter growing season at higher elevation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]