Does Cathaya argyrophylla, an ancient and threatened Pinaceae species endemic to China, show eco-physiological outliers to its Pinaceae relatives?

ABSTRACT: Cathaya argyrophylla is an ancient and threatened Pinaceae species endemic to China, but its eco-physiological traits are rarely reported. We hypothesized that Cathaya showed eco-physiological outliers to its Pinaceae relatives, which lead to its current endangered status. Here we collected the photosynthetic capacity (P _n, maximum photosynthesis rate) and branchlet hydraulic safety (P ₅₀, the water potential at which a 50% loss in conductivity occurs) of Pinaceae species globally, including our measurements on Cathaya. We applied the phylogenetic comparative methods to investigate: (i) the phylogenetic signal of the two key traits across Pinaceae species, and (ii) the trait-climate relationships and the photosynthesis-cavitation res

SUBMITTER: Fan D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7566968 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature