Abstract
Introduction Shrubs are key components of arid ecosystems, and their functional traits directly influence ecological adaptability and productivity. Current research pays insufficient attention to the synergistic relationship between the overall morphological structure and leaf physiological functions of shrubs. This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains, aiming to analyze interspecific differences in functional strategies from a “morphology–photosynthesis” synergy perspective. Methods We selected six typical shrub species (e.g., Cotoneaster multiflorus, Prunus pedunculata, Caragana arborescens , and Lonicera rupicola ) and comprehensively measured their morphological traits (plant height, basal diameter, root length, biomass allocation, etc.) and photosynthetic physiological parameters (net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, etc.). Results The results showed that: (1) Morphologically, C. arborescens exhibited significantly greater plant height (205.17 cm) and whole-plant dry weight (303.03 g), while L. rupicola had deeper root systems (>40 cm); (2) Photosynthetically, the diurnal net photosynthetic rate displayed unimodal and bimodal patterns, primarily driven by photosynthetically active radiation, with L. rupicola and C. arborescens showing the highest estimated daily leaf-level carbon assimilation potential (6.93 and 5.86 g·m⁻²·d⁻¹, respectively); (3) A “scale decoupling” existed between whole-plant carbon storage capacity and leaf-level carbon assimilation potential: C. arborescens had the highest whole-plant carbon storage (120.86 g/plant) but not the highest per-unit-leaf-area assimilation efficiency, whereas L. rupicola exhibited high leaf-level efficiency but moderate whole-plant storage; (4) The six shrubs were classified into three strategic types based on biomass allocation and carbon storage: C. arborescens as “high-accumulation, stem-dominated”; C. multiflorus, Lonicera ferdinandi, P. pedunculata, L. rupicola as “balanced investment”; Euonymus phellomanus as “conservative, belowground-investment”. Discussion By integrating leaf-scale carbon assimilation potential estimates with whole-plant carbon storage measurements, this study systematically revealed the scale-decoupling phenomenon and established a more rigorous framework for assessing shrub carbon sinks. The findings demonstrate significant diversity in the synergistic differentiation of morphological and photosynthetic traits as well as carbon accumulation strategies among arid-zone shrubs. Vegetation restoration should select corresponding functional species based on objectives such as rapid carbon accumulation or stress adaptation, providing theoretical support and practical guidance for ecological restoration and carbon sink enhancement in arid regions.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
C. arborescens had significantly greater plant height (205.17 cm) than the other shrubs studied
- Taxon
- C. arborescens
Caragana arborescense1 - Outcome
- plant heighte1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 205.17 cme1
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e1“C. arborescens exhibited significantly greater plant height (205.17 cm) and whole-plant dry weight (303.03 g)”
Claim · model-written summary
C. arborescens had significantly greater whole-plant dry weight (303.03 g)
- Taxon
- C. arborescensCaragana arborescense1
- Outcome
- whole-plant dry weighte1
- Direction
- greatere1
- Value
- 303.03 ge1
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e1“C. arborescens exhibited significantly greater plant height (205.17 cm) and whole-plant dry weight (303.03 g)”
Claim · model-written summary
L. rupicola had deeper root systems (>40 cm) than the other shrubs
- Taxon
- L. rupicola
Lonicera rupicolae2 - Outcome
- root systemse2
- Direction
- deepere2
- Value
- >40 cme2
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e2“L. rupicola had deeper root systems (>40 cm)”
Claim · model-written summary
The diurnal net photosynthetic rate of the shrubs showed unimodal and bimodal patterns driven mainly by photosynthetically active radiation
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e3“the diurnal net photosynthetic rate displayed unimodal and bimodal patterns, primarily driven by photosynthetically active radiation”
Claim · model-written summary
L. rupicola had the highest estimated daily leaf-level carbon assimilation potential (6.93)
- Taxon
- L. rupicolaLonicera rupicolae3
- Outcome
- leaf-level carbon assimilation potentiale1
- Direction
- higheste3
- Value
- 6.93e2
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e1“showing the highest estimated daily leaf-level carbon assimilation potential”
e2“(6.93 and 5.86”
e3“L. rupicola and C. arborescens showing the highest”
Claim · model-written summary
C. arborescens had the highest estimated daily leaf-level carbon assimilation potential (5.86)
- Taxon
- C. arborescensCaragana arborescense3
- Outcome
- leaf-level carbon assimilation potentiale1
- Direction
- higheste3
- Value
- 5.86e2
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e1“showing the highest estimated daily leaf-level carbon assimilation potential”
e2“(6.93 and 5.86”
e3“L. rupicola and C. arborescens showing the highest”
Claim · model-written summary
C. arborescens had the highest whole-plant carbon storage (120.86 g per plant)
- Taxon
- C. arborescensCaragana arborescense5
- Outcome
- whole-plant carbon storagee5
- Direction
- higheste5
- Value
- 120.86 g/plante5
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e5“C. arborescens had the highest whole-plant carbon storage (120.86 g/plant) but not the highest per-unit-leaf-area assimilation efficiency”
Claim · model-written summary
C. arborescens did not have the highest per-unit-leaf-area assimilation efficiency
- Taxon
- C. arborescensCaragana arborescense5
- Outcome
- per-unit-leaf-area assimilation efficiencye5
- Direction
- not the higheste5
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e5“C. arborescens had the highest whole-plant carbon storage (120.86 g/plant) but not the highest per-unit-leaf-area assimilation efficiency”
Claim · model-written summary
L. rupicola had high leaf-level efficiency but moderate whole-plant carbon storage
- Taxon
- L. rupicolaLonicera rupicolae6
- Outcome
- leaf-level efficiencye6
- Direction
- highe6
- Qualifier
- moderate whole-plant storagee6
- Setting
- arid zone of the Qilian Mountainse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e6“whereas L. rupicola exhibited high leaf-level efficiency but moderate whole-plant storage”
Claim · model-written summary
The six shrubs were classified into three strategic types based on biomass allocation and carbon storage
Verbatim
e1“The six shrubs were classified into three strategic types based on biomass allocation and carbon storage”
Claim · model-written summary
C. arborescens is a high-accumulation, stem-dominated strategy type
- Taxon
- C. arborescensCaragana arborescense1
- Outcome
- high-accumulation, stem-dominatede1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“C. arborescens as “high-accumulation, stem-dominated””
Claim · model-written summary
Euonymus phellomanus is a conservative, belowground-investment strategy type
- Taxon
- Euonymus phellomanus
Euonymus phellomanuse1 - Outcome
- conservative, belowground-investmente2
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“Euonymus phellomanus as”
e2““conservative, belowground-investment””
Claim · model-written summary
C. multiflorus and three other shrubs are a balanced-investment strategy type
- Taxon
- C. multiflorus
Cotoneaster multifloruse1 - Outcome
- balanced investmente1
- Qualifier
- Lonicera ferdinandi, P. pedunculata, L. rupicolae1
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e1“C. multiflorus, Lonicera ferdinandi, P. pedunculata, L. rupicola as “balanced investment””
Claim · model-written summary
Vegetation restoration should select functional shrub species according to objectives such as rapid carbon accumulation or stress adaptation
Verbatim
e0“This study focused on six typical shrub species in the arid zone of the Qilian Mountains”
e1“Vegetation restoration should select corresponding functional species based on objectives such as rapid carbon accumulation or stress adaptation”