Coupled hydrological niche segregation and the leaf economic spectrum explain coexistence of woody species in a natural secondary forest
Data files
Feb 06, 2026 version files 32.02 KB
Abstract
By contrasting water sources and diverging in leaf economic traits, plants regulate and balance their use of water, carbon, and nutrient resources, thereby potentially promoting species coexistence. However, how these strategies affect species coexistence is unclear.
We quantified the relative contributions of different water sources (topsoil water, 0–20 cm; subsoil water, 20–200 cm), intrinsic water use efficiency (WUEi), key LES traits, and the importance value index (a proxy for species dominance), across the ten coexisting plant species in a natural secondary forest at Ziwuling Mountains of the Loess Plateau (LP), Northwest China.
Our results showed the large variability in water source utilisation, WUEi, leaf N, P contents, and specific leaf area (SLA) among species, indicating diverse resource use strategies. Differences in water sources resulting in varying degrees of water competition between species, ranging from 47 to 81%.
The water source utilised by plants was coordinated with the LES. Species that relied on topsoil water, characterised by nutrient-rich but variable water supply, adopted acquisitive strategies, exhibiting high leaf N, P contents and SLA. In contrast, species relying on subsoil water, which provides relatively low-nutrient availability but a stable water supply, adopted conservative strategies, displaying opposite traits. Notably, species with conservative strategies dominated in the community.
Synthesis. Our findings highlight a tight coupling between plant water sources and the LES, which jointly influence species coexistence and dominance. Our study evaluated the persistence and coexistence strategies of the ten species in a natural secondary forest, which serves as a reference for the tree species selection of afforestation in the LP, or similar regions.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.hhmgqnkwk
Description of the data and file structure
This study was conducted in a natural secondary forest located in the Ziwuling Mountains of the Loess Plateau, Northwest China. From May to September 2023, monthly field sampling was carried out. We collected xylem water samples from the ten woody species branches, along with soil samples from eight depths (10, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 150, and 200 cm) for stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope analysis (δ2H and δ18O). We also measured leaf δ13C and wood density (WD) to analyse the physiological regulation and hydraulic trait of plant species. In addition, we measured leaf nutrients (N, P), the specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) known to be key functional traits in the leaf economic spectrum.
Files and variables
File: Coupled_hydrological_niche_segregation_and_the_leaf_economic_spectrum_explain_coexistence_of_woody_species_in_a_natural_secondary_forest_data_for_Dryad.xlsx
Description: This dataset comprises three primary data sheets documenting stable isotope measurements in soil-plant systems and plant functional traits. The “data description" sheet provides a comprehensive overview of the dataset. The "Isotopic data" sheet is divided into two subsections: "Soil water" and "Plant xylem water." The soil water data includes monthly mean δ²H and δ¹⁸O values (‰) with their corresponding standard deviations (SD) across eight soil depths (10, 20, 30, 50, 80, 100, 150, and 200 cm) from May to September. The plant xylem water data provides δ²H and δ¹⁸O values (‰) with SDs for ten woody species (abbreviated as QW, PT, PO, PD, CP, VS, RX, CZ, AG, LF) during the same period, along with the calculated percentage contributions of topsoil and subsoil water to plant root uptake. The "Functional traits" sheet contains mean values and SDs for key leaf and wood traits measured across species, including Leaf Nitrogen (Leaf N) and Phosphorus (Leaf P) content (mg/g), Intrinsic Water Use Efficiency (WUEi, μmmol/mol), Leaf Dry Matter Content (LDMC, mg/g), Specific Leaf Area (SLA, m²/kg), and Wood Density (WD, cm/g). All data are presented as mean values with associated standard deviations to indicate variability.
Variables
- Species：(Quercus wutaishanica Mayr, QW; Pinus tabuliformis Carr, PT; Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco, PO; Populus davidiana, PD; Cerasus pseudocerasus, CP; Viburnum schensianum Maxim, VS; Rosa xanthina Lindl; RX; Cotoneaster zabelii C. K. Schneid; CZ; Acer ginnala Maxim, AG; Lonicera ferdinandii Franch, LF)
- Month (May -September)
Code/software
Excel
Access information
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