海拔梯度上的植物生长与生理生态特性. Responses of growth and ecophsiology of plants to altitude
摘要
环境是植物生存和发展的条件，在各种不同的生境中聚生着特定的植物种类。全球气候变化迅速而显著地改变着高海 拔地区的生态环境，这必将导致山地植物生理生态适应 性、分布界限等发生变化，这些变化反过来又会对气候变化造成深远 影响。因此，研究山地植物的生理生态特性，揭示其对全球气候变化的响应和适应性，具有重要的现实与科学意义。海拔梯 度由于包含了温度、湿度、光照等诸多环境因子的剧烈变化而成为了研究植物对全球气候变化响应的理想区域。随着海拔升 高，气温下降、大气压及 CO<sub>2</sub> 分压降低、光强增加等，植物的生态和生理特征将产生巨大的变化，可能影响到植物种类在 海拔梯度上的分布、植物群落的结构组成。一些亟待回答的问题包括：全球气候变化将如何影响高山植物的生长环境？环境 变化如何影响植物生理生态适应性？植物群落的分布、结构和组成将发生哪些变化？这些变化又将怎么样影响气候进一步变 化？众多的研究报导了树木的生理生态特征、生长速率和生产力等对海拔的响应。本文在总结前人研究的基础上，系统地综 述了海拔梯度上温度、水分、光照、土壤等环境因子的差异对高山植物的生长及生理生态特性的影响，以及植被分布的变化，旨在阐明植物对全球气候变化的行为与生理生态响应，以期为该领域的深入研究提供参考.<br /><br />\nClimate change alone, and in combination with other global environmental changes, will inevitably have considerable impact on existing ecosystems. Many recent papers have emphasized the unfortunate impacts of global climate change on plant migration. Global warming has been predicted to occur most rapidly at high altitude. In montane environment, climate and vegetation can change dramatically in short distances along an altitudinal gradient. Altitude is one of the most important factors determining microsite conditions that affect plant physiology and growth. Consequently, the physiological and ecological traits of subalpine and alpine plants are highly correlated with elevation along altitudinal gradients. For this reason, mountains provide unique and sometimes the best opportunities to study plant responses and adaptation to global climate change. The ecophysiology (e.g., morphology and growth) responses of plants to elevation have been extensively studied. The present paper systematically reviewed the potential altitudinal impacts on growth, eco-physiology, and distribution of forest plants, to better understand the responses of plants to global climate change. More effort should be made to explore the physiological and ecological mechanism of plants facing the global climate change and provide a clear perspective on mountain ecosystem in a changing world.