Summary Variation in resource availability can lead to phenotypic plasticity in the traits comprising the world‐wide leaf economics spectrum (LES), potentially impairing plant function and complicating the use of tabulated values for LES traits in ecological studies. We compared 14 Carex (Cyperaceae) species in a factorial experiment (unshaded/shaded × sufficient/insufficient P) to analyze how changes in the network of allometric scaling relationships among LES traits influenced growth under favorable and resource‐limited conditions. Changes in leaf mass per area (LMA) shifted the scaling relationships among LES traits expressed per unit area vs mass in ways that helped to sustain growth under resource limitation. Increases in area‐normalized photosynthetic capacity and foliar nitrogen (N) were correlated with increased growth, offsetting losses associated with mass‐normalized dark respiration and foliar N. These shifts increased the contributions to growth associated with photosynthetic N‐use efficiency and the N : P ratio. Plasticity in LMA is at the hub of the functional role of the LES as an integrated and resilient complex system that balances the relationships among area‐ and mass‐based aspects of gas exchange and foliar nutrient traits to sustain at least some degree of plant growth under differing availabilities of above‐ and below‐ground resources.
The fast urban development leads to many complex problems. A smart city aims to solve these problems using scientific approaches. Urban Green Space (UGS) is a fundamental component of urban infrastructure. It needs to be upgraded simultaneously with the concept of the smart city. Methods of smart UGS planning and sustainable landscape design help integrate ecological performance and other functions of UGS. Smart UGS planning is a technical management tool and a human-centered smart application. A novel UGS classification method based on function combinations is proposed in the present work. Five types of UGS (Scenic UGS, Residential UGS, Commercial UGS, Office UGS, and Road UGS) in Baqiao District of Xi’an, Shaanxi Province, are selected as sample sites. Interviewees’ socio-economic attributes, visiting frequencies, and differences in demands are investigated. Eventually, the UGSs researched in this work are optimized based on public preferences and the current conditions of the sites. Results demonstrate the following. (1) The public’s preference for different types of UGS is different considerably. (2) Based on the public’s preference, Scenic UGS is improved in terms of quantity, function, and management; Residential UGS is upgraded regarding quantity and accessibility; and Commercial UGS, Office UGS, and Road UGS are improved in terms of quality. The results could provide methodological references for planning different types of UGS and innovative insights for smart UGS planning and sustainable landscape design.
Research Highlights: To demonstrate the effectiveness of configuration modes and tree types in regulating local microclimate. Background and Objectives: Urban trees play an essential role in reducing the city’s heat load. However, the influence of urban trees with different configurations on the urban thermal environment has not received enough attention. Herein we show how spatial arrangement and foliage longevity, deciduous versus evergreen, affect transpiration and the urban microclimate. Materials and Methods: We analyzed the differences between physiological parameters (transpiration rate, stomatal conductance) and meteorological parameters (air temperature, relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit) of 10 different species of urban trees (five evergreen and five deciduous tree species), each of which had been planted in three configuration modes in a park and the campus green space in Xi’an. By manipulating physiological parameters, crown morphology, and plant configurations, we explored how local urban microclimate could be altered. Results: (1) Microclimate regulation capacity: group planting (GP) > linear planting (LP) > individual planting (IP). (2) Deciduous trees (DT) regulated microclimate better than evergreen trees (ET). Significant differences between all planting configurations during 8 to 16 h were noted for evergreen trees whereas for deciduous trees, all measurement times were significantly different. (3) Transpiration characteristics: GP > LP > IP. The transpiration rate (E) and stomatal conductance (Gs) of GP were the highest. Total daily transpiration was ranked as group planting of deciduous (DGP) > linear planting of deciduous (DLP) > group planting of evergreen (EGP) > linear planting of evergreen (ELP) > isolated planting of deciduous (DIP) > isolated planting of evergreen (EIP). (4) The microclimate effects of different tree species and configuration modes were positively correlated with E, Gs, and three dimensional green quantity (3DGQ), but weakly correlated with vapor pressure deficit (VpdL). (5) A microclimate regulation capability model of urban trees was developed. E, Gs, and 3DGQ could explain 93% variation of cooling effect, while E, Gs, VpdL, and 3DGQ could explain 85% variation of humidifying effect. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the urban heat island could be mitigated by selecting deciduous broadleaf tree species and planting them in groups.
To adapt to environmental diversity, all plants face the challenge to balance their competing needs with limited resources. As a result, diverse life strategies are shaped, which can be quantified by multiple functional trait dimensions (Reich, 2014). Functional traits of plants usually show a common pattern of co-variation rather than varying independently, through which plants adjust their strategies of resource
In the past few years, deciduous landscape conservation has become a trend in China; however, the theoretical support is still limited, and the impact of demographic characteristics on people’s attitude toward deciduous landscape still needs to be explained. This study aimed at exploring the differences among demographic groups through Likert scale questionnaires of 981 respondents. The results show that of all characteristics, only age has a significant influence on deciduous landscape preference. However, there is a paradox for elderly people: they have the highest preference for deciduous landscape and the lowest intention to keep deciduous landscape in their lives at the same time. Moreover, the elderly tend to care about the underlying surface of deciduous landscape while the reliable predictor for other age groups is the color of fallen leaves. These findings can be useful for practical applications, which might guide future development of deciduous landscape planning and maintenance.
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