Physiological Characteristics and Cold Resistance of Five Woody Plants in Treeline Ecotone of Sygera Mountains

Abstract

Investigating the distribution of internal physiological indicators and the cold resistance of woody plants in the alpine treeline ecotone is of great ecological importance to explain the mechanism of alpine treeline formation. Less research has been conducted on the cold resistance mechanisms of alpine treeline woody plants than on commercial crops. In this paper, five different tree species in the alpine treeline ecotone of the Sygera Mountains were used as the research objects and the leaves, branches, and roots of 19 woody plants were collected in the non-growing season (November) of 2019. Their non-structural carbohydrate content (soluble sugar and starch), malondialdehyde, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), proline, superoxide dismutase, and peroxidase levels were measured. The contents of C, N, P, and K elements were analyzed, along with the distribution characteristics of physiological indices and organs of various woody plants and their relationship to plant nutrients. Results showed that the MDA (5.46 ± 1.95 μg·g−1) and H2O2 (4.11 ± 0.76 mmol·g−1) of tree root organs and the MDA (3.03 ± 2.05 μg·g−1) and H2O2 (4.25 ± 1.03 mmol·g−1) of shrub leaf organs were higher than those of other organs, indicating that under the stress of low temperatures, the root organ of arbor species and the leaf organ of shrub species experienced the most damage. Osmotic substances, particularly soluble sugars, play a crucial role in the response of the woody plants in Sygera Mountains to low-temperature stress. Plant nutrients could enhance plant stress resistance by further activating the activity of the antioxidant system and increasing the synthesis of osmotic substances. This study hypothesized that the stress on the root organs of the arbor species in the treeline ecotone may not be repaired in time, which may be a key mechanism for the formation of the alpine treeline in the Sygera Mountains.