Foliar stable carbon isotope composition and water use efficiency of plant in the Karst seasonal rain forest.

Abstract

To enrich niche partition and species coexistence theory in karst seasonal rain forest, and provide reference for species selection and configuration for rocky desertification control, we exami-ned foliar stable carbon isotope composition (δ13C) and water use efficiency (WUE) of the representative species in different habitats and the same tree species in different habitats. The results showed that foliar δ13C value in karst seasonal rain forest ranged from -34.13‰ to -29.69‰, with a mean value of (-31.40±1.19)‰. WUE ranged from 9.08-58.76 μmol·mol-1, with a mean value of 41.79 μmol·mol-1. Both of them were lower than subtropical and warm temperate forests at higher latitude, but higher than tropical rain forests at lower latitude and non-karst seasonal rain forests at the same latitude. The foliar δ13C value and WUE of representative species gradually increased with the increases of drought index from the depression to the top of the mountain. The foliar δ13C value and WUE of the same tree species increased with altitude. These results indicated that water use efficiency of tree species was not only related to climate factors, but also related to the geological background and water availability of the habitat. The water use efficiency of plants in karst area was higher than that in non-karst area, and was higher in dry habitat than in wet habitat under the same climatic condition. It showed that having different water use efficiencies was one of the strategies for plants in karst area to adapt to different habitats and maintain species coexistence.