Trees under different environmental conditions can show vast diversity in crown architectures. Understanding patterns and proximate causes of such diversity is a central question in plant ecology, with important implications for predicting future vegetation dynamics with climate change. Here, we combined the cutting-edge terrestrial laser scanning technology and field measurements to investigate the role of crown architecture in the evolutionary strategy development of Quercus mongolica trees in northern China with large climate gradients. Our findings provide new insights on the hypothesis of how crown architecture traits coordinated with trunk and leaf traits to balance the light and water demands of a tree, and highlight the significance of long-neglected crown architecture in tree evolutionary strategy, with important implications in future vegetation dynamic prediction studies. The uploaded datasets include the data for Figure 4-8, Figure S2 and Figure S4 in the paper.

Trees under different environmental conditions can show vast diversity in crown architectures. Understanding patterns and proximate causes of such diversity is a central question in plant ecology, with important implications for predicting future vegetation dynamics with climate change. Here, we combined the cutting-edge terrestrial laser scanning technology and field measurements to investigate the role of crown architecture in the evolutionary strategy development of Quercus mongolica trees in northern China with large climate gradients. Our findings provide new insights on the hypothesis of how crown architecture traits coordinated with trunk and leaf traits to balance the light and water demands of a tree, and highlight the significance of long-neglected crown architecture in tree evolutionary strategy, with important implications in future vegetation dynamic prediction studies. The uploaded datasets include the data for Figure 4-8, Figure S2 and Figure S4 in the paper.

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Summary of covariance components for the random effects of site and species on leaf trait relationship, based on restricted maximum-likelihood analysis of covariance.

Summary of decomposition of covariance in general linear model, using sum of products for the effects of climate, soil fertility, other site effects, and phylogenetic variation on the relationships of LMA-Amass, LMA-N, LMA-P, and LMA-PNUE.

Summary of decomposition of covariance in general linear model, using sum of products for the effects of climate, soil fertility, other site effects, and phylogenetic variation on the relationships of LMA-Amass, LMA-N, LMA-P, and LMA-PNUE.

Pearson correlations between leaf traits across all species within growth forms, and species from different regions.

Combined effects of cumulative nutrient inputs and biogeochemical processes that occur in freshwater under anthropogenic eutrophication could lead to myriad shifts in nitrogen (N):phosphorus (P) stoichiometry in global freshwater ecosystems, but this is not yet well-assessed. Here we evaluated the characteristics of N and P stoichiometries in bodies of freshwater and their herbaceous macrophytes across human-impact levels, regions and periods. Freshwater and its macrophytes had higher N and P concentrations and lower N:P ratios in heavily than lightly human-impacted environments, further evidenced by spatiotemporal comparisons across eutrophication gradients. N and P concentrations in freshwater ecosystems were positively correlated and N:P was negatively correlated with population density in China. These results indicate a faster accumulation of P than N in human-impacted freshwater ecosystems, which could have large effects on the trophic webs and biogeochemical cycles of estuaries and coastal areas by freshwater loadings, and reinforce the importance of rehabilitating these ecosystems.

R and Genstat code used in the analyses.

R and Genstat code used in the analyses.