Loess Plateau Meridian Hill Group Of Deciduous Forest Functional Traits And Functional Diversity Research

The study of plant functional traits and functional diversity has become a hot issues of these years in zoologist. Leaf functional traits in the study of plant functional traits were first studied as a starting point. The research of plant functional diversity concentrated on the relationship among plant functional traits, as well as the relationship between species diversity and functional diversity. In this study, we selected Quercus wutaishanica forest, Betula platyphylla forest, Robinia pseudoacacia forest, P. tabulaeformis in forest and Pinus tabulaeformis+Quercus wutaishanica mixed five main types of forest communities in Ziwuling forest region of the Loess Plateau. The seven index of leaf area (SLA), leaf size (LS), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf thickness (LT), leaf nitrogen content (of LNC), leaf phosphorus content (LPC), leaf potassium content (LKC) as leaf functional traits index and four index of FDSLT, FDLAMC, FDLS, FDLNC and FDLPC calculated by specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf size, leaf nitrogen content and leaf phosphorus content as functional diversity index were studied for leaf functional traits and functional diversity traits in Ziwuling. This study aims to explore the six issues:(1) Clarify the relationship among the four forest communities of species leaf functional traits on Loess Plateau,(2) terrain factor whether impacts on the four forest communities of leaf functional traits,(3) The leaf function of variations between different four forest communities,(4) The characteristics of species diversity between the mian four forest communities on the Loess Plateau,(5) The characteristics of the functional diversity between the main forest communities.(6) The relationship between the species diversity and functional diversity and among functional diversity. The following main conclusions:(1) Leaf functional traits:leaf dry matter content (LDMC) was significantly negatively correlated with specific leaf area (SLA), The SAL was significant negatively correlated with leaf thickness (LT). but it was significantly positively correlated with leaf nitrogen content (LNC), leaf phosphorus content (LPC), LT was significant negatively correlated with LNC, LPC and leaf potassium content (LKC). There was significant positively correlation among the LKC, LPC and LNC.(2) SLA and LPC were affected by the elevation mostly, and the slope position was the most influential topographic factor for LS, LT, LNC and LKC, and the LDMC was mostly affected by slope direction. The relationship among the different leaf functional traits and the adaptation between leaf functional trait and terrain factors of main species in different communities show the ecology strategy.(3) For tree layer, there were significant differences in the leaf functional traits, and there were no notable differences among these communities, in shrub layer. For herbage layer, there were significant differences in the other leaf functional traits except LDMC (P>0.05). Our results suggested that the leaf functional traits and important value of the population in community determined leaf functional traits of the community.(4) The diversity index and Pielou index and richness index measure results showed consistency between the four main forest species diversity in the Ziwuling:the diversity index of P. tabulaeformis+Quercus wutaishanica mixed forest community is hightest. The diversity index of Quercus wutaishanica and Betula platyphylla forest communities are second. The diversity index of P. tabulaeformis forest community is the lowest, the lowest species diversity of its community.(5) The four kinds communities of t species diversity in the vertical structure showed a consistent trend, the shrub layer> herb layer> tree layer. Theses were no significant differences in the Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index and richness index between the four different forest communities of the tree layer, shrub layer and herb layer, expect for P. tabulaeformis+Quercus wutaishanica mixed forest and P. tabulaeformis forest in Pielou index.(6) Theses were no significant differences (P>0.05) in the functional diversity: FDSLA, FDLDMC, FDLS, FDLNC and FDLPC, these index were calculated by the specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf size, leaf nitrogen content and leaf phosphorus content between the four different forest communities of the tree layer, shrub layer and herb layer. And functional diversity of the shrub layer is higher than the trees and herb layers.(7) There were two forms in the four kinds of forest communities of relationship in species diversity and functional diversity in Ziwuling on the Loess Plateau:a manifestation of species diversity and functional diversity was positively correlated. The functional diversity index of FDSLA, FDLS, FDLNC were positively correlated with the species diversity index of Shannon-Wiener and Simpson in tree, the functional diversity index of FDSLA, FDLDMC, FDLS, FDLNC and FDLpc were positively correlated with the species diversity index of Shannon-Wiener Simpson and species richness in the shrub, the functional diversity index of FDSLA FDLDMC, FDLS, FDLNC and FDLPC were positively correlated with the species diversity index of Shannon-Wiener Simpson and Pielou in herb layer. Another manifestation of species diversity and functional diversity were related. the functional diversity index of FDLDMC, FDLPC and species diversity index of Shannon-Wiener index, Simpson index and richness were related, the functional diversity index of FDSLA, FDLS and species diversity index of Pielou and richness were related in tree layer, the functional diversity index of FDSLA, FDLDMC, FDLS, FDLNC and FDLPC and species diversity index of Pielou were related in the shrub layer, the functional diversity index of FDSLA, FDLDMC, FDLS, FDLNC and FDLPC and species diversity index of richness were related in herb layer.