Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity
Study region: Typical karst landscapes in southwest China with differing lithologies: dolomite and limestone. Study focus: Karst landscapes, characterized by thin soils atop soluble carbonate bedrock, exhibit rapid hydrological dynamics. Lithology is known to influence vegetation growth by affecting...
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Elsevier
2025-10-01
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| Series: | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825004665 |
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| author | Yali Ding Yunpeng Nie Wei Zhang Kelin Wang Li Wen Hongsong Chen |
| author_facet | Yali Ding Yunpeng Nie Wei Zhang Kelin Wang Li Wen Hongsong Chen |
| author_sort | Yali Ding |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Study region: Typical karst landscapes in southwest China with differing lithologies: dolomite and limestone. Study focus: Karst landscapes, characterized by thin soils atop soluble carbonate bedrock, exhibit rapid hydrological dynamics. Lithology is known to influence vegetation growth by affecting regolith water retention, but the impact of lithological composition on plant adaptation strategies and fluctuations in water availability remains poorly understood. New hydrological insights for the region: We sampled 13 dominant woody plant species (8 on dolomite and 9 on limestone), including 4 overlapping species, on a monthly basis. Key functional traits, including leaf water content (LWC), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), chlorophyll, and hydrogen (δD) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios of xylem water, were measured to assess plant adaptation strategies to their respective lithologies. Plants on dolomite exhibited significantly lower LWC and smaller LA (P < 0.01), indicating limited access to root-zone water. Dolomite plants had lower SLA and chlorophyll (P < 0.01), and showed shifts in water source use between dry and wet seasons, whereas limestone plants exhibited fewer variations in traits beyond water source shifts. The findings suggest that species in limestone-derived forests may be more resilient to water stress and climate variability, benefiting from a more stable water supply compared to species in dolomite habitats. This research underscores the importance of considering lithological variations in predicting the vulnerability of karst ecosystems to climate change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-306342dee64c4b108e4191949f00d886 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2214-5818 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-10-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies |
| spelling | doaj-art-306342dee64c4b108e4191949f00d8862025-08-20T03:42:03ZengElsevierJournal of Hydrology: Regional Studies2214-58182025-10-016110264110.1016/j.ejrh.2025.102641Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacityYali Ding0Yunpeng Nie1Wei Zhang2Kelin Wang3Li Wen4Hongsong Chen5School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi 547100, China; Correspondence to: Beijing Forestry University, No.35 Qinghua East Road, Haidian District, Beijing, China.Guangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi 547100, ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi 547100, ChinaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi 547100, ChinaScience and Insights Division, NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Parramatta, NSW 2150, AustraliaGuangxi Key Laboratory of Karst Ecological Processes and Services, Huanjiang Observation and Research Station for Karst Ecosystems, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Huanjiang, Guangxi 547100, China; Correspondence to: Institute of Subtropical Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Mapoling of Changsha City, Hunan, China.Study region: Typical karst landscapes in southwest China with differing lithologies: dolomite and limestone. Study focus: Karst landscapes, characterized by thin soils atop soluble carbonate bedrock, exhibit rapid hydrological dynamics. Lithology is known to influence vegetation growth by affecting regolith water retention, but the impact of lithological composition on plant adaptation strategies and fluctuations in water availability remains poorly understood. New hydrological insights for the region: We sampled 13 dominant woody plant species (8 on dolomite and 9 on limestone), including 4 overlapping species, on a monthly basis. Key functional traits, including leaf water content (LWC), leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), chlorophyll, and hydrogen (δD) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope ratios of xylem water, were measured to assess plant adaptation strategies to their respective lithologies. Plants on dolomite exhibited significantly lower LWC and smaller LA (P < 0.01), indicating limited access to root-zone water. Dolomite plants had lower SLA and chlorophyll (P < 0.01), and showed shifts in water source use between dry and wet seasons, whereas limestone plants exhibited fewer variations in traits beyond water source shifts. The findings suggest that species in limestone-derived forests may be more resilient to water stress and climate variability, benefiting from a more stable water supply compared to species in dolomite habitats. This research underscores the importance of considering lithological variations in predicting the vulnerability of karst ecosystems to climate change.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825004665LithologyWater supplyIsotope ratiosSpecific leaf areaWater-use strategyKarst |
| spellingShingle | Yali Ding Yunpeng Nie Wei Zhang Kelin Wang Li Wen Hongsong Chen Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity Journal of Hydrology: Regional Studies Lithology Water supply Isotope ratios Specific leaf area Water-use strategy Karst |
| title | Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity |
| title_full | Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity |
| title_fullStr | Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity |
| title_short | Unveiling plant adaptations: How limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity |
| title_sort | unveiling plant adaptations how limestone outperforms dolomite in water supply capacity |
| topic | Lithology Water supply Isotope ratios Specific leaf area Water-use strategy Karst |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214581825004665 |
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