Leaf Morphological and Nutrient Traits of Common Woody Plants Change Along the Urban-Rural Gradient in Beijing, China.

ABSTRACT: An increasing number of studies have found differences in the diversity of plant functional traits between urban and rural sites as a result of urbanization. However, the results remain inconsistent. In this study, we measured morphological and nutrient traits of 11 common woody plants along a continuous urban-rural gradient in Beijing, China. Leaf size (e.g., length, width, and area), specific leaf area, and leaf nitrogen and potassium contents decreased gradually and significantly along the urban-rural gradient, indicating that urbanization can enhance the capacity of plants to acquire resources for growth and production. Furthermore, soil nutrients and air temperature decreased along the urban-rural gradient, while air relative humidity increased. A structural equation model showed that

SUBMITTER: Su Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8427184 | biostudies-literature | 2021

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature