Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Formation mechanisms of the alpine Erman’s birch (Betula ermanii) treeline on Changbai Mountain in Northeast China

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Trees Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Key message

The treeline on Changbai Mountain controlled by low temperature and water stress, has not reached the position most commonly expected.

Abstract

Treeline pattern is an important consideration in exploring the general mechanisms controlling the response of treelines to climatic change. However, most of the present conclusions were derived from evergreen and/or conifer treeline, it is still not clear about the deciduous treeline. This study analyzed concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) and their components (total soluble sugars and starch) in tree tissues of the deciduous species Erman’s birch (Betula ermanii) at four points along an elevational gradient ranging from 1,908–2,058 m a.s.l at the end of the growing season on Changbai Mountain in Northeast China. The mean 10-cm soil temperature of 8.2 °C under trees across the 129-day growing season at the treeline in this region was higher than that of the average threshold temperature found at treeline positions in the global and China’s climate studies. However, altitudinal trends of NSC concentrations increased significantly in all tissue types along the altitudinal gradients, revealing no depletion of carbon reserves at the treeline on Changbai Mountain. At the same time, the pronounced variation of δ13C in leaves and aged branches suggested that low temperature and water stress may simultaneously be operating at high altitudes to restrict the growth and NSC accumulation in trees above the treeline. In light of the above, we conclude that treeline formation on Changbai Mountain is no carbon depletion at the end of growing season, and most likely the result of sink limitation reflecting the combined effects of low temperature and water stress that determined the actual position of the treeline.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Berner TL, Beck PSA, Bunn AG, Goetz SJ (2013) Plant response to climate change along the forest-tundra ecotone in northeastern Siberia. Glob Change Biol 19(11):3449–3462

    Google Scholar 

  • Chapin ШFS, Schulze ED, Mooney HA (1990) The ecology and economics of storage in plants. Annu Rev Ecol Syst 21:423–447

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Chi ZW, Zhang FS, Li XY (1981) Preliminary study on water and temperature of forest ecosystem in the Northern slope of Changbai Mountain. Res For Ecosyst 2:167–178 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fajardo A, Piper FL, Cavieres LA (2011) Distinguishing local from global climate influences in the variation of carbon status with altitude in a tree line species. Global Ecol Biogeogr 20:307–318

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar GD, O’Leary MH, Berry JA (1982) On the relationship between carbon isotope discrimination and the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration in leaves. Aust J Plant Physiol 9:121–137

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Farquhar G, Ehleringer J, Hubick K (1989) Carbon isotope discrimination and photosynthesis. Annu Rev Plant Biol 40(1):503–537

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Feng Q, Mauro C, Cheng R, Liu S, Shi Z (2013) Leaf functional trait responses of Quercus aquifolioides to high elevations. Int J Agric Biol 15(1):69–75

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer C, Höll W (1992) Food reserves of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.)—II. Seasonal changes and radial distribution of carbohydrate and fat reserves in pine wood. Trees 6:147–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Francey R, Farquhar G (1982) An explanation of 13C/12C variations in tree rings. Nature 297:28–31

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Grace J, Norton DA (1990) Climate and growth of Pinus sylvestris at its upper altitudinal limit in Scotland—evidence from tree growth-rings. J Ecol 78:601–610

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harsch MA, Bader MY (2011) Treeline form—a potential key to understanding treeline dynamics. Global Ecol Biogeogr 20(4):582–596

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harsch MA, Hulme PE, McGlone MS, Duncan RP (2009) Are treelines advancing? A global meta-analysis of treeline response to climate warming. Ecol Lett 12(10):1040–1049

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoch G, Körner C (2005) Growth, demography and carbon relations of Polylepis trees at the world’s highest treeline. Funct Ecol 19(6):941–951

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoch G, Körner C (2012) Global patterns of mobile carbon stores in trees at the high-elevation tree line. Global Ecol Biogeogr 21:867–871

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoch G, Popp M, Körner C (2002) Altitudinal increase of mobile carbon pools in Pinus cembra suggests sink limitation of growth at the Swiss treeline. Oikos 98(3):361–374

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hoch G, Richter A, Körner C (2003) Non-structural carbon compounds in temperate forest trees. Plant Cell Environ 26(7):1067–1081

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Holtmeier FK (2009) Mountain timberlines: ecology, patchiness, and dynamics. Kluwer, Dordrecht

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Holtmeier FK, Broll G (2005) Sensitivity and response of northern hemisphere altitudinal and polar treelines to environmental change at landscape and local scales. Global Ecol Biogeogr 14(5):395–410

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hubick K, Farquhar G, Shorter R (1986) Correlation between water-use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination in diverse peanut (Arachis) germplasm. Aust J Plant Physiol 13:803–816

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hultine KR, Marshall JD (2000) Altitude trends in conifer leaf morphology and stable carbon isotope composition. Oecologia 123:32–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kabeya D (2010) Differentiating between the adverse effects of nutrient-limitation and direct-cold-limitation on tree growth at high altitudes. Arct Antarct Alp Res 42(4):430–437

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C (1998) A re-assessment of high elevation treeline positions and their explanation. Oecologia 115(4):445–459

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C (2003) Alpine plant life: functional plant ecology of high mountain ecosystems. Springer Berlin Heidelberg, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C, Paulsen J (2004) A world-wide study of high altitude treeline temperatures. J Biogeogr 31(5):713–732

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Körner C, Farquhar GD, Wong SC (1991) Carbon isotope discrimination by plants follows latitudinal and altitudinal trends. Oecologia 88(1):30–40

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li MH, Hoch G, Körner C (2002) Source/sink removal affects mobile carbohydrates in Pinus cembra at the Swiss treeline. Trees 16(4–5):331–337

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Li C, Liu S, Berninger F (2004) Picea seedlings show apparent acclimation to drought with increasing altitude in the eastern Himalaya. Trees 18(3):277–283

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li MC, Luo TX, Zhu JJ, Kong GQ (2008a) Advances in formation mechanism of alpine timberline and associated physioecological characteristics of plants. Acta Ecol Sinica 28(11):5583–5591 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li MH, Xiao WF, Wang SG, Cheng GW, Cherulini P, Cai XH, Liu XL, Wang XD, Zhu WZ (2008b) Mobile carbohydrates in Himalayan treeline trees I. Evidence for carbon gain limitation but not for growth limitation. Tree Physiol 28(8):1287–1296

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Li CY, Wu CC, Duan BL, Korpelainen H, Luukkanen O (2009) Age-related nutrient content and carbon isotope composition in the leaves and branches of Quercus aquifolioides along an altitudinal gradient. Trees 23(5):1109–1121

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu QJ (1989) Betula ermanii forest and its dynamics in Changbai Mountain. Ph.D. Thesis (in Chinese with English abstract), Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Science, Shenyang

  • Liu QJ, Wang Z (1992) Recent volcanic eruptions and the vegetation history of alpine and subalpine of Changbai Mountain. Res For Ecosyst 6:57–62 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lloyd AH, Fastie CL (2002) Spatial and temporal variability in the growth and climate response of treeline trees in Alaska. Clim Change 52(4):481–509

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Luo T, Zhang L, Zhu H, Daly C, Li M, Luo J (2009) Correlations between net primary productivity and foliar carbon isotope ratio across a Tibetan ecosystem transect. Ecography 32:526–538

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McDowell NG, Allen CD, Marshall L (2010) Growth, carbon-isotope discrimination, and drought-associated mortality across a Pinus ponderosa elevational transect. Glob Change Biol 16(1):399–415

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Molina-Montenegro MA, Gallardo-Cerda J, Flores TM, Atala C (2012) The trade-off between cold resistance and growth determines the Nothofagus pumilio treeline. Plant Ecol 213(1):133–142

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Muller B, Pantin F, Génard M, Turc O, Freixes S, Piques M, Gibon Y (2011) Water deficits uncouple growth from photosynthesis, increase C content, and modify the relationships between C and growth in sink organs. J Exp Bot 62(6):1715–1729

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oliva AG, Merino VB, Seco JIF, García MC, Prieto EH (2006) Effect of growth conditions on wood density of Spanish Pinus nigra. Wood Sci Technol 40(3):190–204

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Palacio S, Hoch G, Sala A, Körner C, Millard P (2014) Does carbon storage limit tree growth. New Phytol. doi:10.1111/nph.12602

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Petit G, Anfodillo T, Carraro V, Grani F, Carrer M (2011) Hydraulic constraints limit height growth in trees at high altitude. New Phytol 189:241–252

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Piispanen R, Saranpää P (2002) Neutral lipids and phospholipids in Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) sapwood and heartwood. Tree Physiol 22(9):661

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sala A, Woodruff DR, Meinzer FC (2012) Carbon dynamics in trees: feast or famine? Tree Physiol 32:764–775

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Scheidegger Y, Saurer M, Bahn M, Siegwolf R (2000) Linking stable oxygen and carbon isotopes with stomatal conductance and photosynthetic capacity: a conceptual model. Oecologia 125:350–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi PL, Li WH (2000) Boundary form effects of timberline ecotone on coloization of woody plants and timberline dynamics in Changbai Mountain. Acta Ecologica Sinica 20(4):573–580 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shi PL, Körner C, Hoch G (2006) End of season carbon supply status of woody species near the treeline in western China. Basic Appl Ecol 7(4):370–377

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Shi PL, Körner C, Hoch G (2008) A test of the growth-limitation theory for alpine tree line formation in evergreen and deciduous taxa of the eastern Himalayas. Funct Ecol 22(2):213–220

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silim S, Guy R, Patterson T, Livingston NJ (2001) Plasticity in water-use efficiency of Picea sitchensis, P. glauca and their natural hybrids. Oecologia 128(3):317–325

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith WK, Germino MJ, Hancock TE, Johnson DM (2003) Another perspective on altitudinal limits of alpine timberlines. Tree Physiol 23:1101–1112

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Stevens GC, Fox JF (1991) The causes of treeline. Annu Rev Ecol Sys 22:177–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tranquillini W (1979) Physiological ecology of the alpine timberline: tree existence at high altitude with special reference to the european alps. Ecological Studies. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Vágújfalvi A, Kerepesi I, Galiba G, Tischner T, Sutka J (1999) Frost hardiness depending on carbohydrate changes during cold acclimation in wheat. Plant Sci 144(2):85–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang XP, Zhang L, Fang JY (2004) Geographical differences in alpine timberline and its climatic interpretation in China. Acta Geographica Sinica 59(6):871–879 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wiley E, Helliker B (2012) A re-evaluation of carbon storage in trees lends greater support for carbon limitation to growth. New Phytol 195(2):285–289

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wiley E, Huepenbecker S, Casper BB, Helliker B (2013) The effects of defoliation on carbon allocation: can carbon limitation reduce growth in favour of storage? Tree Physiol 33(11):1216–1228

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Xu WD (1982) Preliminary study of correlations between distribution of main forests trees and thermal climate in North-east China. J Northeast For Univ 4:1–10 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xu WD, Lin CQ (1981) Preliminary study of relations between vertical distribution of vegetation and thermal climate in Changbai Mountain. Res For Ecosyst 2:88–95 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Yan C, Han S, Zhou Y, Zheng X, Yu D, Zheng J, Dai G, Li M (2013) Needle δ13C and mobile carbohydrates in Pinus koraiensis in relation to decreased temperature and increased moisture along an elevational gradient in NE China. Trees 27:389–399

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yao J (1970) Influence of growth rate on specific gravity and other selected properties of loblolly pine. Wood Sci Technol 4(3):163–175

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu DP, Wang GG, Dai LM, Wang QL (2007) Dendroclimatic analysis of Betula ermanii forests at their upper limit of distribution in Changbai Mountain, Northeast China. For Ecol Manag 240(1–3):105–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao DC (1981) Preliminary investigation on relation between volcano eruptions on its vegetation. Res For Ecosyst 2:81–87 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu WZ, Cao M, Wang SG, Xiao WF, Li MH (2012) Seasonal dynamics of mobile carbon supply in Quercus aquifolioides at the upper elevational limit. PLoS One 7(3):e34213

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This project was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41071036 & 40601102). We thank Dr. Bernard J. Lewis, Dr. G. Geoff Wang and Dr. Kouki Hikosaka for their insightful comments and language improvement.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110164, China

    Dapao Yu, Jiaqing Liu, Wangming Zhou, Lin Qi, Xiaoyu Wang, Li Zhou & Limin Dai

  2. Graduate School of Life Sciences, Tohoku University, Sendai, 9808578, Japan

    Qingwei Wang

Authors
  1. Dapao Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Qingwei Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jiaqing Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wangming Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Lin Qi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Xiaoyu Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Li Zhou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Limin Dai
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dapao Yu.

Additional information

Communicated by G. Wieser.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yu, D., Wang, Q., Liu, J. et al. Formation mechanisms of the alpine Erman’s birch (Betula ermanii) treeline on Changbai Mountain in Northeast China. Trees 28, 935–947 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1008-z

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00468-014-1008-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation