Data from: Variation in leaf anatomical traits from tropical to cold-temperate forests and linkage to ecosystem functions

Leaf anatomical traits may reflect plants adaption to environmental changes and influence ecosystem functions, as they regulate light absorption and gas exchange to some extent. Here, we hypothesized that leaf anatomical traits were closely related to gross primary productivity (GPP) because photosynthesis commonly occurs in the chloroplasts of palisade and spongy tissues in leaf.
Eight leaf anatomical traits were measured in 916 plant species inhabiting from tropical to cold-temperate forests in eastern China: adaxial epidermis thickness (AD), abaxial epidermis thickness (AB), leaf thickness (LT), palisade tissue thickness (PT), and spongy tissue thickness (ST), palisade–spongy tissue ratio (PT/ST), palisade tissue–leaf thickness ratio (PT/LT), and spongy tissue–leaf thickness ratio (ST/LT).
Leaf anatomical traits showed significant latitudinal patterns at species, plant functional group (PFG), and community levels (p < .05), and they differed between PFG and community. Temperature and precipitation were the main factors influencing AD, AB, PT/ST, and PT/LT, explaining 33–72% of the total variation at large scale. Furthermore, AB, LT, PT/ST, and PT/LT were significantly correlated with the aridity index.
Our findings filled the data gap of plant anatomical traits at regional scales, and broadened current knowledge on the adaptation strategies of plant anatomical traits, which also provided new evidence for linkages of plant traits and functioning across natural communities.

叶片解剖性状（leaf anatomical traits）在一定程度上调控植物的光吸收与气体交换，因此可反映植物对环境变化的适应策略，并影响生态系统功能。本研究提出假说：叶片解剖性状与总初级生产力（gross primary productivity, GPP）密切相关，因为光合作用通常发生在叶片栅栏组织与海绵组织的叶绿体中。
本研究在中国东部从热带至寒温带森林的916种植物中测定了8项叶片解剖性状，分别为：上表皮厚度（adaxial epidermis thickness, AD）、下表皮厚度（abaxial epidermis thickness, AB）、叶片厚度（leaf thickness, LT）、栅栏组织厚度（palisade tissue thickness, PT）、海绵组织厚度（spongy tissue thickness, ST）、栅栏-海绵组织厚度比（palisade–spongy tissue ratio, PT/ST）、栅栏组织-叶片厚度比（palisade tissue–leaf thickness ratio, PT/LT）以及海绵组织-叶片厚度比（spongy tissue–leaf thickness ratio, ST/LT）。
叶片解剖性状在物种、植物功能群（plant functional group, PFG）以及群落水平上均呈现显著的纬度格局（p < 0.05），且不同植物功能群与群落间的性状存在显著差异。温度与降水是调控AD、AB、PT/ST及PT/LT的主要环境因子，在大尺度上可解释33%~72%的总变异。此外，AB、LT、PT/ST及PT/LT与干旱指数呈显著相关关系。
本研究的结果填补了区域尺度植物解剖性状的数据空白，拓展了学界对植物解剖性状适应策略的认知，同时为自然群落中植物性状与生态系统功能的关联研究提供了新的证据。