Leaf nutrient resorption traits are regarded as important indicators reflecting the strategy of plant nutrient conservation, yet the mechanism underlying the variation of resorption traits in different plant growth forms (PGFs) remains unclear. In order to untangle the phylogenetic and environmental influences on leaf nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) resorption traits between woody and herbaceous plants, we investigated N and P contents of green and senesced leaves in 53 species along an altitudinal gradient (1374–3649 m) in the Taibai Mountain of central China and estimated leaf N and P resorption efficiency and proficiency. Our results show that leaf N and P resorption efficiency (NRE and PRE) had significant positive trends with altitude in both woody and herbaceous plants (all p < 0.05); however, their altitudinal patterns of N and P resorption proficiency (NRP and PRP) were different. For woody plants, leaf NRP and NRE:PRE first decreased and then increased with altitude (p < 0.05), while NRP:PRP had the opposite trend (p < 0.05). In herbaceous plants, leaf NRP and PRP decreased but NRP:PRP increased with altitude (p < 0.05). Climatic factors exerted the major influences on the variation in leaf NRE and PRE (18.5–24.8% explained variation). However, phylogenetic taxonomy mainly affected the variation of leaf PRP and NRP:PRP (45.2% and 41.4% explained variation) in all species, NRP:PRP in woody plants (37.8% explained variation), and NRE:PRE in herbaceous plants (49.7% explained variation). In addition, leaf NRP:PRP showed a significant phylogenetic signal (Blomberg’s p < 0.05). These results highlight the importance of taking PGFs and phylogenetic information into consideration when examining the interspecies variation in leaf resorption under environmental changes, which can advance our knowledge of plant nutrient utilization strategies in response to fluctuating environments and lay the groundwork for the development of complex element biogeochemical models.

Leaf C:N:P stoichiometry provides a functional link between plant nutrient composition and environmental adaptation. However, whether widely distributed tree species maintain consistent leaf stoichiometric patterns across contrasting vegetation zones remains unclear. Here, we investigated the leaf C:N:P stoichiometry of Quercus variabilis, a widely distributed tree species in China, across the subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest zone (SEF) and the warm-temperate deciduous broad-leaved forest zone (WDF). We aimed to clarify between-zone differences in leaf stoichiometric traits and the role of climate and soil constraints in shaping vegetation-zone-dependent stoichiometric variation. Our results showed that leaf C:N:P stoichiometry of Q. variabilis differed between the SEF and WDF, with significant differences detected only for leaf N and leaf C:N. Overall, leaf C varied little across zones (CV = 3.13–3.42%), leaf N and leaf C:N showed moderate variation (CV = 10.07–13.26%), whereas leaf P, leaf C:P, and leaf N:P showed greater variability (CV = 33.28–39.93%). Environmental analyses further indicated contrasting patterns between zones: leaf stoichiometry in the SEF was jointly associated with climate and soil factors and showed a positive leaf C–N relationship, whereas that in the WDF showed a stronger soil association and a negative leaf N–P relationship. These findings suggest that Q. variabilis may adjust its leaf stoichiometry in a zone-dependent manner in response to contrasting climate and soil conditions. This study provides a theoretical basis for understanding nutrient-use strategies and environmental adaptation of widely distributed tree species under heterogeneous climate and soil conditions.