Life Forms and Mycorrhizal Types Shape Resource‐Use Strategies Reflected by Different Functional Traits in Woody Plants of the Qinling Mountains
Bingxiang Xue, Meiping Gao, Na Liu, Ranran Cheng, Lishunan Yang, Zihan Zhou, Chunmei He, Xiaochao Yang, Shihong Jia, Zuoqiang Yuan, Zhanqing Hao, Qiulong YinABSTRACT
Plant functional traits are influenced by both mycorrhizal types and life forms, yet the interactive effects of these two factors on functional trait regulation remain poorly understood. This study aimed to explore variation patterns and key drivers of leaf functional traits in temperate woody plants. We surveyed 113 woody species at the Qinling Huangguan Forest Dynamics Plot, comprising 96 arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) and 17 ectomycorrhizal (ECM) species, as well as 62 trees and 51 shrubs. We compared trait disparities and correlations across the two grouping factors: mycorrhizal type and life form. Our results showed that AM species possessed higher specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC), whereas ECM species had greater leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and wood density (WD). Shrubs displayed higher SLA than trees, and principal component analysis (PCA) clearly segregated AM–ECM and tree–shrub groups in multidimensional trait space. No significant interactive effect existed between mycorrhizal type and life form. This study reveals that distinct mycorrhizal types and life forms can produce divergent plant functional traits, and the two factors independently mediate differentiated ecological adaptation strategies of woody plants.