Data from: Leaf functional traits predict timing of nutrient resorption and carbon depletion in deciduous subarctic plants
Data files
Jul 31, 2024 version files 134.36 KB
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Hu_et_al_2024_Raw_leaf_nutrients.csv
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Hu_et_al_2024_Resorption_timing_and_traits.csv
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README.md
Abstract
Resorption of key elements promotes their conservation in plants in nutrient-poor ecosystems. In seasonal environments, the timing of resorption is expected to influence resorption efficiency and plant fitness due to the trade-off between maximizing photosynthetic carbon gain by late resorption and minimizing frost risks and nutrient loss by early resorption. Here, we hypothesize that (1) these alternative strategies with respect to the timing of element resorption both occur among summergreen species; (2) deciduous woody plants favour delayed resorption while herbaceous species benefit from gradual, early-onset resorption; (3) this pattern is part of a more general relationship in which species with conservative resource economic traits have more delayed resorption.
We measured nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and carbon (C) contents of mature, senescing and senesced leaves of 22 predominant plant species across four types of ecosystems in a subarctic region. We then calculated timing of resorption as the Julian calendar day of 50% of element resorption (T50), and examined its relationship with plant functional types and leaf resource economic traits (leaf mass per area [LMA], leaf C, N and P contents).
The timing of N resorption in subarctic plants ranged from day 213 to 254, while the timing of P resorption ranged from day 211 to 261 and of C from day 214 to 260 across species. On average, the resorption of N and P and depletion of C were 13, 12 and 19 days respectively earlier in herbaceous plants than in woody ones. For all the three elements, T50 of plants decreased significantly with increasing acquisitive economic traits.
Synthesis As hypothesized, we found that (1) both “steady-and-slow” and “late-and-fast” strategies of resorption timing co-occurred in a subarctic flora; consistent with these two strategies, herbaceous plants resorbed nutrients and carbon earlier than deciduous woody species; (2) relevant functional traits representing resource conservation were positively and linearly related to the timing of nutrient resorption and carbon depletion. These findings for element resorption timing have important implications for functional changes in the vegetation composition of seasonal regions in response to temperature fluctuations in a changing climate.
README: Data from: Leaf functional traits predict timing of nutrient resorption and carbon depletion in deciduous subarctic plants
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.zgmsbccmr
This dataset consists of two data files and R code for analysis. The data files contain the data of leaf nutrients and traits for 22 predominant plant species during leaf senscence in a subarctic region (Abisko, Sweden).
Description of the data and file structure
File list
File 1: Hu_et_al_2024_Data_analysis.R
File 2: Hu_et_al_2024_Raw_leaf_nutrients.csv
File 3: Hu_et_al_2024_Resorption_timing_and_traits.csv
File description
File 1: Hu_et_al_2024_Data_analysis.R
Description: This file includes all the R script used to perform data analysis in this study.
File 2: Hu_et_al_2024_Raw_leaf_nutrients.csv
Description: This file includes all the raw data used in this study. They are leaf mass per area, leaf carbon content, leaf nitrogen content and leaf phosphorus content for 22 predominant plant species across five sampling campaigns from July to September in Abisko, Sweden. We measured leaf length instead of leaf area for the species with long leaves due to inaccurate area measurement. Thus, leaf area or leaf mass per area (LMA) of these species is not available, which was filled with NA.
File 3: Hu_et_al_2024_Resorption_timing_and_traits.csv
Description: This file includes the species-ecosystem combination data for resorption timing and leaf traits. Leaf area or leaf mass per area (LMA) for the species with long leaves was not available, which was filled with NA.
Abbreviations
File 1: Hu_et_al_2024_Data_analysis.R
N/A; not applicable
File 2: Hu_et_al_2024_Raw_leaf_nutrients.csv
Abbreviations:
FT, functional type (herbaceous, woody)
DOY, day of year
LMA, leaf mass per area (g m-2)
C_area_length, carbon content on leaf area basis (mg cm-2) or on leaf length basis (ug mm-1)
N_area_length, nitrogen content on leaf area basis (mg cm-2) or on leaf length basis (ug mm-1)
P_area_length, phosphorus content on leaf area basis (mg cm-2) or on leaf length basis (ug mm-1)
StdC_all, standardized values of leaf carbon content
StdN_all, standardized values of leaf nitrogen content
StdP_all, standardized values of leaf phosphorus content
File 3: Hu_et_al_2024_Resorption_timing_and_traits.csv
Abbreviations:
FT, functional type (herbaceous, woody)
P_T50, resorption timing for phosphorus
N_T50, resorption timing for nitrogen
C_T50, resorption timing for carbon
LMA, leaf mass per area (g m-2)
se_mean, standard error for LMA across five sampling campaigns
sd_T0, standard deviation for LMA at the first sampling campaign (T0)
se_T0, standard error for LMA at the first sampling campaign (T0)
ci_T0, confidence interval for LMA at first sampling campaign (T0)
NP.mean, mean values for the ratio of nitrogen content to phosphorus content
NP.T0, the ratio of nitrogen content to phosphorus content for plants at the first sampling campaign
NP.T1, the ratio of nitrogen content to phosphorus content for plants at the second sampling campaign
Code/Software
Statistical analyses were conducted, and figures were created in RStudio version 1.2.5019 in combination with R version 3.6.1 (R Core Team, 2019).