PurposeTo study the effects of different habitats on the variation and correlation of functional traits of Crotalaria spectabilis, and to provide basic data for revealing the internal correlation and covariation of functional traits of various organs in plants.
MethodThe morphological characteristics, water content portioning relationship, allometric relationship and their differences between different habitats of C. spectabilis were compared and analyzed by field investigation and sampling in two habitats, namely understory and bare land.
ResultsThe individual morphological parameters (plant height, root length, crown diameter, base diameter, inflorescence length, flower stalk diameter, and flower stalk length) of C. spectabilis in understory habitat were less than those in bare land habitat, but the water content of each organ showed the opposite trend. The flowers had the highest water content (82.42% in understory habitat and 78.70% in bare land habitat), while the root water content was the lowest (62.29% in understory habitat and 57.59% in bare land habitat). Most of the organ traits of exhibited allometric relationship in both habitats, but the overall correlation (i.e., the number of trait pair with significant correlation) between the modular morphological parameters and water contents in understory habitat was higher than that in bare land habitat. The isometric relationships were detected between leaf and stem water contents in understory habitat and between leaf and aboveground water contents in bare land habitat (the slopes were 1.110 and 0.854, respectively), but the water portioning rates of plant leaves and roots in both habitats were higher than those in other organs, which was compatible with their physiological functions.
ConclusionC. spectabilis have obviously covariant characteristics of functional traits and resource adjustment strategy facing varied environment.
DownLoad: