Leaf traits of 66 herbaceous species in Songnen grassland in Northeast China

植物叶片功能性状及其相互关系越来越受到关注。以松嫩草地66种草本植物为研究对象,测量叶片干物质含量、比叶面积、叶片厚度、叶片氮含量、叶片磷含量、叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量,检验性状间的相互关系,比较不同功能群(多年生根茎禾草,多年生丛生禾草,多年生杂类草,1年生或2年生草本)间性状的差异性。结果表明,叶片厚度变异系数最大,比叶面积、叶片氮含量、叶片磷含量、叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量之间存在显著的正相关关系;叶片干物质含量与叶片磷含量没有显著的相关关系,与其它叶片性状呈显著的负相关关系;叶片厚度只与叶片干物质含量和比叶面积呈显著的负相关关系,与其它叶片性状不相关。叶片干物质含量、比叶面积、叶片厚度、叶片氮、磷含量在4个功能群间差异显著,叶绿素含量和类胡萝卜素含量在各个功能群间差异不显著;多年生根茎禾草和多年生丛生禾草叶片的7个性状差异不显著;多年生根茎禾草和多年生丛生禾草的叶片干物质含量高于多年生杂类草和1年生或2年生草本,其它性状小于这两个功能群。;Leaf traits such as specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf nitrogen concentration (LNC) play important roles in plant functioning and are affected strongly by ecosystem properties and local environmental conditions. Quantifying the relationships between leaf traits and traits differences among plant functional groups has received increasing attentions in plant functional ecology over the past two decades. We measured in total 7 leaf traits: SLA, LNC, leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf thickness (LT), leaf phosphorus concentration (LPC), leaf chlorophyll (a+b) content (Chl) and leaf carotenoid content (Cd) among 66 herbaceous species. And we analyzed the correlation between leaf traits and the traits difference among perennial rhizome grass (PR), perennial bunchgrasses (PB), perennial forbs (PF) and annuals/biannuals (AB) in Songnen grassland, Northeast China. The results showed that LT variation (59.1%) was the highest among the 7 leaf traits measured. Pearson correlation showed that SLA, LNC, LPC, Chl and Cd were positively correlated with each other significantly. There was no significant correlation between LDMC and LPC, however, LDMC was negatively correlated with all other leaf traits significantly. LT was only negatively correlated to LDMC and SLA significantly, but not with others. LDMC, SLA, LT, LNC, LPC were significantly different among the 4 plant functional groups analyzed by one-way ANOVA (P<0.05). There was no difference between Chl and Cd. PR and PB had no difference among the 7 leaf traits. The LDMC of PR and PB were significantly higher than PF and AB. SLA, LNC, LPC of PR and PB were lower than PF and AB.