Skip to main content

Shoot growth and seasonal changes of nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations at the upper and lower distribution limits of three conifers

Landscape and Ecological Engineering volume 12, pages 239–245 (2016)Cite this article

Abstract

Nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) concentration in plant organs is an indicator of a balance between carbon sources (i.e., photosynthesis) and sinks (i.e., growth). Understanding how NSC concentrations change with altitude would help determine altitudinal changes in plant growth. This study compared shoot growth and seasonal changes in NSC concentrations of current-year and 1-year-old needles and branch woods between the upper and lower distribution limits of subalpine conifers Abies veitchii (1600–2000 m a.s.l.), A. mariesii (2000–2400 m a.s.l.), and Pinus pumila (2400–2800 m a.s.l.) in Japan. The lengths of 1-year-old shoots were shorter at the upper distribution limits for the three species, and concentrations and branch woods were all high in spring but decreased toward summer, increasing from summer to autumn. No clear difference was found for either parameter between upper and lower distribution limits for each species. Therefore, this study suggests that growth reduction at the upper distribution limits is due to reduction of both sink and source activities, with similar degrees for each species. However, further studies of sink and source activities, such as temperature-dependent photosynthesis and growth traits, are necessary to reveal clearly the cause of this growth reduction in high altitudes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

Access options

Buy single article

Instant access to the full article PDF.

USD 39.95

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

References

  • Adams HD, Kolb TE (2005) Tree growth response to drought and temperature in a mountain landscape in northern Arizona, USA. J Biogeogr 32:1629–1640

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chatterton NJ, Harrison PA, Bennett JH, Asay KH (1989) Carbohydrate partitioning in 185 accessions of gramineae grown under warm and cool temperatures. J Plant Physiol 134:169–179

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • DeLucia EH, Smith WK (1987) Air and soil temperature limitations on photosynthesis in Engelmann spruce during summer. Can J For Res 17:527–533

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • DuBois M, Gilles KA, Hamilton JK, Rebers PA, Smith F (1956) Colorimetric method for determination of sugars and related substances. Analyt Chem 28:350–356

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egger B, Einig W, Schlereth A, Wallenda T, Magel E, Loewe A, Hampp R (1996) Carbohydrate metabolism in 1- and 2-year-old spruce needles, and stem carbohydrates from 3 months before until 3 months after bud break. Physiol Plant 96:91–100

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer C, Höll W (1991) Food reserves of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) I. Seasonal changes in the carbohydrate and fat reserves of pine needles. Trees 5:187–195

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fosaa AM, Sykes MT, Lawesson JE, Gaard M (2004) Potential effects of climate change on plant species in the Faroe Islands. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 13:427–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gansert D, Sprick W (1998) Storage and mobilization of nonstructural carbohydrates and biomass development of beech seedlings (Fagus sylvatica L.) under different light regimes. Trees 12:247–257

    Google Scholar 

  • Hansen J, Beck E (1994) Seasonal changes in the utilization and turnover of assimilation products in 8-year-old Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees. Trees 8:172–182

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ida H, Ozeki M (2000) Shoot dynamics of Pinus pumila Regel along the road in Mt. Norikura, central Japan. Bull Nagano Nature Conserv Res Inst 3:1–7 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kabeya D, Sakai S (2003) The role of roots and cotyledons as storage organs in early stages of establishment in Quercus crispula: a quantitative analysis of the nonstructural carbohydrate in cotyledons and roots. Ann Bot 92:537–545

    CAS  Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Kibe T, Masuzawa T (1992) Seasonal changes in the amount of carbohydrates and photosynthetic activity of Pinus pumila Regel on alpine in central Japan. Proc NIPR Symp Polar Biol 5:118–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Kozlowski TT (1992) Carbohydrate sources and sinks in woody plants. Bot Rev 58:107–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kramer PJ, Kozlowski TT (1979) Physiology of woody plants. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Massaccesi G, Roig FA, Pastur GJM, Barrera MD (2008) Growth patterns of Nothofagus pumilio trees along altitudinal gradients in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina. Trees 22:245–255

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miyajima Y, Takahashi K (2007) Changes with altitude of the stand structure of temperate forests on Mount Norikura, central Japan. J For Res 12:187–192

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Miyajima Y, Sato T, Takahashi K (2007) Altitudinal changes in vegetation of tree, herb and fern species on Mount Norikura, central Japan. Veg Sci 24:29–40

    Google Scholar 

  • Peng J, Gou X, Chen F, Li J, Liu P, Zhang Y (2008) Altitudinal variability of climate-tree growth relationships along a consistent slope of Anyemaqen Mountains, northeastern Tibetan Plateau. Dendrochronologia 26:87–96

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piper FI, Cavieres LA, Reyes-Díaz M, Corcuera LJ (2006) Carbon sink limitation and frost tolerance control performance of the tree Kageneckia angustifolia D. Don (Rosaceae) at the treeline in central Chile. Plant Ecol 185:29–39

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Raven PH, Evert RF, Eichhorn SE (1991) Biology of plants, 6th edn. W. H. Freeman and Company/Worth Publishers, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Rufty TW Jr, Huber S (1983) Changes in starch formation and activities of sucrose phosphate synthase and cytoplasmic fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase in response to source-sink alterations. Plant Physiol 72:474–480

    CAS  Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Sauter JJ (1988) Seasonal changes in the efltux of sugars from parenchyma cells into the apoplast in poplar stems (Populus x canadensis ≪ robusta ≫). Trees 2:242–249

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaberg PG, Snyder MC, Shane JB, Donnelly JR (2000) Seasonal patterns of carbohydrate reserves in red spruce seedlings. Tree Physiol 20:549–555

    CAS  Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shi P, Köner C, Hoch G (2008) A test of the growth-limitation theory for alpine tree line formation in evergreen and deciduous taxa of the eastern Himalayas. Funct Ecol 22:213–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K (2003) Effects of climatic conditions on shoot elongation of alpine dwarf pine (Pinus pumila) at its upper and lower altitudinal limits in central Japan. Arc Antarc Alp Res 35:1–7

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K (2005) Effects of artificial warming on shoot elongation of alpine dwarf pine (Pinus pumila) on Mt. Shogigashira, central Japan. Arc Antarc Alp Res 37:620–625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Goto A (2012) Morphological and physiological responses of beech and oak seedlings to canopy conditions: why does beech dominate the understory of unmanaged oak fuelwood stands? Can J For Res 42:1623–1630

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Koike S (2014) Altitudinal differences in bud burst and onset and cessation of cambial activity of four subalpine tree species. Landscape Ecol Eng 10:349–354

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Miyajima Y (2010) Effects of roads on alpine and subalpine plant species distribution along an altitudinal gradient on Mount Norikura, central Japan. J Plant Res 123:741–749

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Yoshida S (2009) How the scrub height of Pinus pumila decreases at the treeline. Ecol Res 24:847–854

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Azuma H, Yasue K (2003) Effects of climate on the radial growth of tree species in the upper and lower distribution limits of an altitudinal ecotone on Mt. Norikura, central Japan. Ecol Res 18:549–558

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Okada J, Urata E (2006) Relative shoot height and light intensity and shoot and leaf properties of Quercus serrata saplings. Tree Physiol 26:1035–1042

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Okuhara I, Tokumitsu Y, Yasue K (2011) Responses to climate by tree-ring widths and maximum latewood densities of two Abies species at upper and lower altitudinal distribution limits in central Japan. Trees 25:745–753

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Takahashi K, Hirosawa T, Morishima R (2012) How the timberline formed: altitudinal changes in stand structure and dynamics around the timberline in central Japan. Ann Bot 109:1165–1174

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • R development core team (2009) R: A language and environment for statistical computing. R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna. ISBN 3-900051-07-0, http://www.R-project.org

  • Wang T, Ren H, Ma K (2005) Climatic signals in tree ring of Picea schrenkiana along an altitudinal gradient in the central Tianshan Mountains, northwestern China. Trees 19:735–741

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wong BL, Baggett KL, Rye AH (2003) Seasonal patterns of reserve and soluble carbohydrates in mature sugar maple (Acer saccharum). Can J Bot 81:780–788

    CAS  Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yoshida S, Sakai A (1967) The frost-hardening process of woody plant XII. Relation between frost resistance and various substaces in stem bark of black locust trees. Low Temp Sci Hokkaido Univ Ser B 25:29–44 (in Japanese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. D. Kabeya for advice on the total nonstructural carbohydrate analysis. This study was partially supported by grants from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Shinshu University, Asahi 3-1-1, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan

    Koichi Takahashi & Kei Furuhata

  2. Institute of Mountain Science, Shinshu University, Asahi 3-1-1, Matsumoto, 390-8621, Japan

    Koichi Takahashi

Authors
  1. Koichi Takahashi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kei Furuhata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Koichi Takahashi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Takahashi, K., Furuhata, K. Shoot growth and seasonal changes of nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations at the upper and lower distribution limits of three conifers. Landscape Ecol Eng 12, 239–245 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-016-0294-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11355-016-0294-6

Keywords

  • Distribution limit
  • Nonstructural carbohydrate
  • Seasonal change
  • Sink
  • Source
  • Tree line