From Conservativeness to Acquisitiveness: Adaptation Strategy Transitions in Aquatic Plants Based on Specific Leaf Area
Hao Wang, Jiahui Zhang, Zimo Li, Nianpeng HeABSTRACT
Aim
Aquatic plants cover approximately one‐third of the global lake surface area and play a critical role in maintaining healthy aquatic ecosystems. This study analysed spatiotemporal patterns and environmental determinants of specific leaf area (SLA) in aquatic plants across China and tested the proposed resource response hypothesis (RRH) which links SLA strategies to resource availability.
Location
China.
Time Period
From 2008 to 2025.
Major Taxa Studied
Three major functional groups of aquatic plants were investigated: emergent, floating‐leaved, and submerged species.
Method
A comprehensive SLA database for aquatic plants in China was compiled and conducted comparative analyses were conducted among functional groups, regions, and environmental gradients.
Results
The overall mean SLA of aquatic plants was 87.33 cm 2 g −1 , with significant differences among regions and functional groups. Emergent plants exhibited higher SLA than submerged and floating‐leaved plants. The findings support the proposed RRH, indicating that aquatic plants adopt acquisitive strategies under resource‐rich conditions with high light availability, and conservative strategies under resource‐poor, low‐light, or high‐water‐stress environments. Emergent plants evolved toward higher SLA, reflecting a shift from survival‐oriented (conservative) to growth‐oriented (acquisitive) adaptation strategies, whereas the SLA of submerged and floating‐leaved plants remained evolutionarily stable. Hydrological factors (shoreline length and water depth) primarily determined SLA variation in emergent and submerged plants, respectively, whereas climatic factors, particularly wind speed, influenced the SLA in floating‐leaved plants. Large‐scale SLA mapping revealed higher SLA values in southern and eastern China, corresponding to warm and nutrient‐rich conditions.
Main Conclusions
These findings provide new insights into the adaptive strategies of aquatic plants and establish a foundation for integrating aquatic‐plant functional traits into ecological and climate models.