Table 1 Specific leaf area of dominant non-tree species.

From: Leaf adaptation strategy of non-tree plants altered by community structure implies vegetation degradation risk in alpine rocky desertification areas

Types

Altitude

Slope direction

Dominant non-tree species

Specific leaf area (cm2·g− 1)

Family

Life form

Grasslands

2221 ± 7.79

77 ± 7.07

Ischaemum ciliare Retz.

108.30 + 14.91f

Ericaceae

Herbaceous

Carex lanceolata Boott

148.11 + 10.56bc

Cyperaceae

Herbaceous

2389 ± 4.32

75 ± 3.74

Vaccinium fragile Franch.

130.18 + 27.91de

Poaceae

shrub

2408 ± 5.1

84 ± 2.94

Arundinella hookeri Munro ex Keng

125.79 + 12.86de

Poaceae

Herbaceous

2459 ± 6.38

85 ± 3.74

Elymus dahuricus var. violeus

150.91 + 7.53bc

Poaceae

Herbaceous

2650 ± 4.90

56 ± 4.55

Lyonia villosa (Wall. ex C. B. Clarke) Hand.-Mazz.

181.97 + 27.61a

Ericaceae

shrub

Lespedeza forrestii Schindl.

99.18 + 22.25 fg

Fabaceae

shrub

Arundinella hookeri Munro ex Keng

131.42 + 19.77de

Poaceae

Herbaceous

2761 ± 9.09

5 ± 1.41

Schizachyrium delavayi (Hack.) Bor

153.93 + 20.78b

Poaceae

Herbaceous

Leontopodium dedekensii (Bureau & Franch.) Beauverd

155.16 + 24.03b

Asteraceae

Herbaceous

2846 ± 4.32

2 ± 0.82

Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv.

88.9 + 9.92gh

Poaceae

Herbaceous

Lespedeza forrestii Schindl.

90.48 + 11.36 g

Fabaceae

shrub

2902 ± 80.13

33 ± 2.94

Viburnum cylindricum Buch.-Ham. ex D. Don

62.52 + 3.94j

Adoxaceae

shrub

Lespedeza forrestii Schindl.

83.71 + 8.99 h

Fabaceae

shrub

Viola delavayi Franch.

143.79 + 13.49c

Violaceae

Herbaceous

2983 ± 5.35

14 ± 3.74

Ophioglossum vulgatum L.

132.48 + 9.78d

Ophioglossaceae

Herbaceous

Ajuga forrestii Diels

75.78 + 8.98i

Lamiaceae

Herbaceous

Myriophyllum verticillatum L.

106.1 + 11.13f

Haloragidaceae

Herbaceous

2988 ± 11.43

80 ± 5.72

Saxifraga gemmipara Franch.

71.13 + 11.98ij

Saxifragaceae

Herbaceous

Arundinella hookeri Munro ex Keng

101.99 + 8.72 fg

Poaceae

Herbaceous

3022 ± 7.26

53 ± 2.16

Ischaemum ciliare Retz.

123.57 + 35.87de

Poaceae

Herbaceous

Leontopodium dedekensii (Bureau & Franch.) Beauverd

100.29 + 28.53 fg

Asteraceae

Herbaceous

3087 ± 7.35

28 ± 4.32

Pedicularis rex C. B. Clarke ex Maxim.

73.71 + 8.48i

Orobanchaceae

Herbaceous

Ajuga forrestii Diels

90.03 + 16.09gh

Lamiaceae

Herbaceous

Pinus yunnanensis Franch. forests

2714 ± 6.68

38 ± 5.1

Heteropogon contortus (L.) P. Beauv. ex Roem. et Schult.

107.26 + 9.76f

Poaceae

Herbaceous

Arundinella hookeri Munro ex Keng

117.93 + 8.86ef

Poaceae

Herbaceous

2886 ± 5.1

59 ± 3.56

Rhododendron capitatum Maxim.

95.44 + 12.96 g

Ericaceae

shrub

Ainsliaea yunnanensis Franch.

132.42 + 8.15d

Asteraceae

Herbaceous

2902 ± 9.20

85 ± 3.56

Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv.

99.75 + 12.93 fg

Poaceae

Herbaceous

Origanum vulgare L.

133.86 + 33.32 cd

Lamiaceae

Herbaceous

2993 ± 8.04

78 ± 7.35

Rhododendron capitatum Maxim.

76.85 + 13.82hi

Ericaceae

shrub

Amphicarpaea ferruginea Benth.

118.92 + 8.07ef

Fabaceae

Herbaceous

Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv.

88.22 + 5.37gh

Poaceae

Herbaceous

3043 ± 8.52

41 ± 1.63

Rhododendron capitatum Maxim.

71.35 + 7.73ij

Ericaceae

shrub

Amphicarpaea ferruginea Benth.

111.14 + 8.59f

Fabaceae

Herbaceous

Fragaria vesca L.

93.99 + 12.94 g

Rosaceae

Herbaceous

3052 ± 6.68

31 ± 4.32

Rhododendron capitatum Maxim.

86.20 + 14.73 g

Ericaceae

shrub

Rhododendron vernicosum Franch.

120.85 + 9.54e

Ericaceae

shrub

Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv.

93.47 + 8.45 g

Poaceae

Herbaceous

3107 ± 6.68

8 ± 3.56

Rhododendron capitatum Maxim.

76.21 + 11.37hi

Ericaceae

shrub

Geranium yunnanense Franch.

129.37 + 13.15de

Geraniaceae

Herbaceous

Viola delavayi Franch.

151.83 + 19.49b

Violaceae

Herbaceous

3166 ± 7.12

27 ± 1.63

Rhododendron decorum Franch.

64.05 + 1.78j

Ericaceae

shrub

Rubus fockeanus Kurz

104.79 + 14.18 fg

Rosaceae

shrub

Quercus rehderiana Hand.-Mazz. forests

2862 ± 10.68

16 ± 2.45

Ainsliaea yunnanensis Franch.

131.19 + 13.87de

Asteraceae

Herbaceous

Lespedeza forrestii Schindl.

87.98 + 13.95gh

Fabaceae

shrub

3018 ± 2.83

15 ± 0.82

Geranium yunnanense Franch.

119.76 + 11.21ef

Geraniaceae

Herbaceous

Poa annua L. Sp. Pl.

154.79 + 12.27b

Ericaceae

Herbaceous

3178 ± 10.8

15 ± 4.55

Brachypodium sylvaticum (Huds.) Beauv.

81.91 + 11.86hi

Poaceae

Herbaceous

Mirabilis jalapa L.

66.15 + 8.46j

Nyctaginaceae

Herbaceous

3232 ± 6.41

9 ± 4.97

Pedicularis gruina Franch. ex Maxim.

71.9 + 19.23ij

Orobanchaceae

Herbaceous

Roscoea tibetica Batalin

112.74 + 16.24ef

Zingiberaceae

Herbaceous

Carex chlorocephalula F. T. Wang & Tang ex P. C. Li

101.24 + 17.84 fg

Cyperaceae

Herbaceous

  1. Different lowercase letters indicate a significant difference in specific leaf area between the two different dominant non-tree species (P < 0.05). In the measurement of slope direction, 0° represents the true north direction.