Abstract
Global warming affects plant growth and leaf nutrient concentrations in temperate forests. However, the effects of warming on plants in tropical forests are poorly understood. We investigated the effects of experimental warming on the growth of four native tree species and one shrub in the model tropical forest ecosystems and evaluated leaf concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) from 2013 to 2017. We increased the temperature by translocating model forest ecosystems along two altitudinal gradients. Our results showed that, in the model tropical forests, warming increased the vertical and radial growth of Schima superba, Syzygium rehderianum, Myrsine seguinii (shrub), and Itea chinensis. However, it did not affect the vertical growth of Machilus breviflora. The radial growth of Machilus breviflora was even significantly decreased by translocation from 600 m altitude to 300 and 30 m at the end of the experiment. Warming decreased leaf N concentrations in all plant species. However, there was no consistent pattern for the effects of warming on P, K, Ca, and Mg concentrations in the leaves of all plant species. Therefore, we conclude that warming can change leaf nutrient concentrations and plant growth in tropical forests, but the responses are species-specific. Plant growth might slow down due to reduced N concentrations in the future.
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