Open AccessCuticular waxes in alpine meadow plants: climate effect inferred from latitude gradient in Q inghai‐ T ibetan P lateau
Author(s) -
Guo Yanjun,
Guo Na,
He Yuji,
Gao Jianhua
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
ecology and evolution
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.17
H-Index - 63
ISSN - 2045-7758
DOI - 10.1002/ece3.1677
Subject(s) - wax , arid , precipitation , latitude , environmental gradient , botany , ecosystem , aridity index , ecology , biology , horticulture , habitat , geography , biochemistry , geodesy , meteorology
Alpine meadow ecosystems are susceptible to climate changes. Still, climate impact on cuticular wax in alpine meadow plants is poorly understood. Assessing the variations of cuticular wax in alpine meadow plants across different latitudes might be useful for predicting how they may respond to climate change. We studied nine alpine meadows in a climate gradient in the east side of Q inghai‐ T ibetan P lateau, with mean annual temperature ranging from −7.7 to 3.2°C. In total, 42 plant species were analyzed for cuticular wax, averaged 16 plant species in each meadow. Only four plant species could be observed in all sampling meadows, including K obresia humilis , P otentilla nivea , A naphalis lacteal , and L eontopodium nanum . The amounts of wax compositions and total cuticular wax in the four plant species varied among sampling meadows, but no significant correlation could be observed between them and temperature, precipitation, and aridity index based on plant species level. To analyze the variations of cuticular wax on community level, we averaged the amounts of n ‐alkanes, aliphatic acids, primary alcohols, and total cuticular wax across all investigated plant species in each sampling site. The mean annual temperature, mean temperature in J uly, and aridity index were significantly correlated with the averaged amounts of wax compositions and total cuticular wax. The average chain length of n ‐alkanes in both plant and soil linearly increased with increased temperature, whereas reduced with increased aridity index. No significant correlation could be observed between mean annual precipitation and mean precipitation from J une to A ugust and the cuticular wax amounts and average chain length. Our results suggest that the survival of some alpine plants in specific environments might be depended on their abilities in adjusting wax deposition on plant leaves, and the alpine meadow plants as a whole respond to climate change, benefiting the stability of alpine meadow ecosystem.