Table 1 Measured variables (means ± SE) of the four Anisodus species under each of the three soil water treatments: Low stress (80% of maximum field capacity, FC), Moderate stress (50% FC) and High stress (20% FC).

From: Differentiation in drought tolerance mirrors the geographic distributions of alpine plants on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and adjacent highlands

Variable and species

Water treatments (% of maximum FC)

High stress

Moderate stress

Low stress

(20% FC)

(50% FC)

(80% FC)

Aboveground biomass (g)

A. tanguticus

0.238 ± 0.017 A, X

0.339 ± 0.039 A, X

0.459 ± 0.053 A, Y

A. luridus

0.839 ± 0.092 B, X

1.306 ± 0.146 B, Y

1.380 ± 0.113 B, Y

A. carniolicoides

0.857 ± 0.111 B, X

1.185 ± 0.109 B, X

2.472 ± 0.293 C, Y

A. acutangulus

0.912 ± 0.075 B, X

1.436 ± 0.109 B, Y

2.187 ± 0.129 C, Z

Belowground biomass (g)

A. tanguticus

0.088 ± 0.010 A, X

0.101 ± 0.016 A, X

0.097 ± 0.017 A, X

A. luridus

0.115 ± 0.018 A, X

0.325 ± 0.088 B, Y

0.229 ± 0.037 AC, XY

A. carniolicoides

0.087 ± 0.018 A, X

0.116 ± 0.013 A, X

0.422 ± 0.116 B, Y

A. acutangulus

0.098 ± 0.011 A, X

0.180 ± 0.018 A, Y

0.314 ± 0.029 BC, Z

Total biomass (g)

A. tanguticus

0.326 ± 0.025 A, X

0.441 ± 0.053 A, XY

0.557 ± 0.067 A, Y

A. luridus

0.954 ± 0.108 B, X

1.632 ± 0.198 B, Y

1.609 ± 0.135 B, Y

A. carniolicoides

0.944 ± 0.127 B, X

1.301 ± 0.119 B, X

2.893 ± 0.387 C, Y

A. acutangulus

1.010 ± 0.086 B, X

1.616 ± 0.120 B, Y

2.500 ± 0.147 C, Z

Root:shoot ratio

A. tanguticus

0.371 ± 0.027 A, X

0.293 ± 0.030 A, Y

0.208 ± 0.018 A, Z

A. luridus

0.132 ± 0.008 B, X

0.242 ± 0.057 A, Y

0.163 ± 0.024 AB, XY

A. carniolicoides

0.094 ± 0.009 B, X

0.098 ± 0.006 B, X

0.156 ± 0.024 AB, Y

A. acutangulus

0.104 ± 0.005 B, X

0.127 ± 0.010 B, XY

0.144 ± 0.012 B, Y

Long-term water use efficiency (g∙kg−1)

A. tanguticus

5.710 ± 1.079 A, X

2.202 ± 0.522 A, Y

1.113 ± 0.147 A, Y

A. luridus

1.055 ± 0.128 B, X

1.192 ± 0.041 B, X

1.214 ± 0.074 AC, X

A. carniolicoides

2.117 ± 0.598 B, X

1.560 ± 0.124 B, X

2.838 ± 0.307 B X

A. acutangulus

1.217 ± 0.227 B, X

1.527 ± 0.069 B, X

1.629 ± 0.090 C, X

photosynthetic rate (μmol∙m−2 s−1)

A. tanguticus

11.874 ± 0.336 A, X

12.724 ± 0.519 A, X

14.742 ± 0.485 A, Y

A. luridus

9.763 ± 0.465 B, X

17.703 ± 0.431 B, Y

16.676 ± 0.202 B, Y

A. carniolicoides

10.792 ± 0.423 AB, X

12.793 ± 0.302 B, Y

14.710 ± 0.510 A, Z

A. acutangulus

10.555 ± 0.389 B, X

12.248 ± 0.283 B, Y

12.074 ± 0.293 C, Y

Stomatal conductance (mmol m−2 s−1)

A. tanguticus

0.152 ± 0.015 A, X

0.243 ± 0.023 A, Y

0.297 ± 0.020 A, Y

A. luridus

0.083 ± 0.006 B, X

0.382 ± 0.026 B, Y

0.400 ± 0.029 B, Y

A. carniolicoides

0.168 ± 0.008 A, X

0.215 ± 0.010 A, Y

0.270 ± 0.020 AC, Z

A. acutangulus

0.168 ± 0.018 A, X

0.208 ± 0.012 A, XY

0.234 ± 0.009 C, Y

Transpiration (mmol m−2 s−1)

A. tanguticus

4.866 ± 0.366 A, X

6.703 ± 0.447 AB, Y

7.553 ± 0.276 AB, Y

A. luridus

3.328 ± 0.232 B, X

9.913 ± 0.356 C, Y

10.026 ± 0.380 C, Y

A. carniolicoides

5.165 ± 0.225 A, X

7.184 ± 0.250 B, Y

8.180 ± 0.328 A, Z

A. acutangulus

5.055 ± 0.407 A, X

6.048 ± 0.240 A, Y

6.898 ± 0.149 B, Y

Instantaneous water use efficiency

A. tanguticus

2.498 ± 0.164 A, X

1.917 ± 0.059 AB, Y

1.954 ± 0.032 A, Y

A. luridus

2.972 ± 0.136 B, X

1.791 ± 0.037 A, Y

1.675 ± 0.063 B, Y

A. carniolicoides

2.097 ± 0.065 C, X

1.793 ± 0.079 A, Y

1.817 ± 0.018 C, Z

A. acutangulus

2.137 ± 0.140 AC, X

2.039 ± 0.082 B, XY

1.752 ± 0.042 BC, Y

Maximum quantum yield of PS II

A. tanguticus

0.817 ± 0.005 A, X

0.829 ± 0.002 AB, Y

0.823 ± 0.002 A, XY

A. luridus

0.830 ± 0.002 B, X

0.834 ± 0.001 A, X

0.831 ± 0.002 B, X

A. carniolicoides

0.824 ± 0.002 AB, X

0.823 ± 0.004 B, X

0.829 ± 0.003 B, X

A. acutangulus

0.827 ± 0.001 B, X

0.831 ± 0.001 A, Y

0.832 ± 0.001 B, Y

Carbon content

A. tanguticus

0.441 ± 0.006 A, XY

0.431 ± 0.008 A, X

0.455 ± 0.009 A, Y

A. luridus

0.424 ± 0.012 A, X

0.413 ± 0.006 AB, X

0.432 ± 0.007 BC, X

A. carniolicoides

0.399 ± 0.010 A, X

0.401 ± 0.011 B, X

0.424 ± 0.004 C, X

A. acutangulus

0.408 ± 0.029 A, X

0.423 ± 0.008 AB, X

0.437 ± 0.006 AC, X

Nitrogen use efficiency

A. tanguticus

15.038 ± 0.347 A, X

17.924 ± 0.255 A, X

16.794 ± 0.310 A, X

A. luridus

16.164 ± 0.494 A, X

17.839 ± 0.482 A, Y

18.115 ± 0.374 AC, Y

A. carniolicoides

16.094 ± 0.613 A, X

18.713 ± 0.565 A, Y

18.836 ± 1.019 BC, Y

A. acutangulus

17.570 ± 1.980 A, X

17.714 ± 0.466 A, X

16.983 ± 0.373 A, X

Carbon isotope composition

A. tanguticus

−29.583 ± 0.193 A, X

−30.572 ± 0.285 A, Y

−30.823 ± 0.504 A, Y

A. luridus

−28.675 ± 0.294 A, X

−30.173 ± 0.235 AB, Y

−30.191 ± 0.527 B, Y

A. carniolicoides

−28.630 ± 0.218 A, X

−29.555 ± 0.377 B, Y

−29.401 ± 0.581 C, XY

A. acutangulus

−26.793 ± 0.443 B, X

−28.600 ± 0.249 C, Y

−28.848 ± 0.406 C, Y

  1. Values with different letters (X, Y, Z) indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05) between water treatments, and those with different letters (A, B, C) indicate a significant difference (P < 0.05) between species, based on one-way ANOVA.
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