Awareness of local-scale variation in leaf traits for a single species and the relationships between these traits and their dependence on altitude might be essential for extrapolating ecophysiological processes from the leaf to the ecosystem level. While altitudinal patterns of leaf traits have been extensively studied in a number of species, little is known about such patterns in bamboos. We analyzed leaf functional traits and leaf allometric relationships of Pleioblastus amarus at three different altitudes (200, 400, and 800 m). With increasing altitude, most functional traits, including leaf length, width, perimeter, area, dry weight, and water content, decreased significantly, while the leaf length:width ratio exhibited a marked increase, resulting in a tendency toward narrow leaves. Specific leaf area first increased, and then decreased, while the change in leaf dry matter content showed the opposite trend. Leaf area was positively correlated with leaf length, leaf width and leaf perimeter, but negatively correlated with the leaf length:width ratio. With increasing altitude, the slopes of these relationships for leaf area first increased, and then decreased. Leaf biomass was positively correlated with leaf length, width, perimeter, and area, with the slopes of the relationships being the same at all altitudes. Thus, the leaves of this bamboo species at middle altitude have the highest specific leaf area and lowest leaf dry matter content. Our findings suggest that this bamboo species has a big potential of growth and morphological plasticity.

For their quality evaluation, it is essential to determine both bamboo shoot nutrition and palatability, which will have a decisive effect on their economic value and market potential. However, differences in shoot nutrition and flavor variation among bamboo species, positions, and components have not been scientifically validated. This study assessed nutritional and flavor differences in two components (i.e., shoot flesh (BSF) and diaphragm (BSD)) of two Phyllostachys species (i.e., Phyllostachys edulis and Phyllostachys violascens) and analyzed any positional variation. Results showed that BSF protein, starch, fat, and vitamin C contents were comparatively higher. Nutrient compounds in the upper shoot segment of Ph. edulis were higher and contained less cellulose and lignin. However, both species’ BSD total acid, oxalic acid, and tannin contents were comparable. BSD soluble sugar and sugar:acid ratio were higher than upper BSD total amino acid, four key amino acids (i.e., essential amino acid, bitter amino acid, umami amino acid, and sweet amino acid flavor compounds), and associated ratios were all higher than BSF while also being rich in amino acids. The content and proportion of BSF essential and bitter amino acid flavor compounds in Ph. edulis were high relative to Ph. violascens. Conversely, the content and proportion of BSD umami and sweet amino acid flavor compounds were comparable to that of Ph. edulis. Our results showed that bamboo shoot quality was affected by flavor compound differences and that interspecific and shoot components interact. This study offers a new perspective to determine the formative mechanisms involved in bamboo shoot quality while providing a basis for their different usages.

Water and nitrogen are two of the most important factors for plant growth and development. However, little is known about effects of N on water translocation between connected bamboo ramets. We performed experiment connected Indocalamus decorus ramets in adjacent pots with different soil water contents and three N levels. We determined antioxidase activities, concentration of osmotic adjustment products, O₂·⁻, MDA and photosynthetic pigments, and electrolyte leakage rate in paired unit. When N supply to supporting ramets increased, their electrolyte leakage rates and contents of O₂·⁻ and MDA significantly increased, while antioxidase activities and contents of osmotic adjustment products and photosynthetic pigments in connected dependent ramets increased markedly as their electrolyte leakage rates and contents of O₂·⁻ and MDA decreased greatly. When N addition to dependent ramets increased, antioxidant enzyme activity and contents of osmotic adjustment products and photosynthetic pigments decreased in both ramets, but electrolyte leakage rates and O₂·⁻ and MDA contents increased significantly. Therefore, N addition to either supporting or dependent ramets can improve water integration among I. decorus ramets. N addition to supporting ramets promotes water translocation and alleviates water stress of dependent ramets, but N addition to dependent ramets exacerbates drought stress damage to dependent ramets.

Rising CO₂ and O₃ concentrations significantly affect plant growth and can alter nutrient cycles. However, the effects of elevated CO₂ and O₃ concentrations on the nutrient dynamics of bamboo species are not well understood. In this study, using open top chambers (OTCs), we examined the effects of elevated CO₂ and O₃ concentrations on leaf biomass and nutrient (N, P, and K) dynamics in two bamboo species, Phyllostachys edulis (Carrière) J.Houz. and Oligostachyum lubricum (wen) King f. Elevated O₃ significantly decreased leaf biomass and nutrient uptake of both bamboo species, with the exception of no observed change in K uptake by O. lubricum. Elevated CO₂ increased leaf biomass, N and K uptake of both bamboo species. Elevated CO₂ and O₃ simultaneously had no significant influence on leaf biomass of either species but decreased P and N uptake in P. edulis and O. lubricum, respectively, and increased K uptake in O. lubricum. The results indicate that elevated CO₂ alleviated the damage caused by elevated O₃ in the two bamboo species by altering the uptake of certain nutrients, which further highlights the potential interactive effects between the two gases on nutrient uptake. In addition, we found differential responses of nutrient dynamics in the two bamboo species to the two elevated gases, alone or in combination. These findings will facilitate the development of effective nutrient management strategies for sustainable management of P. edulis and O. lubricum under global change scenarios.

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and ozone (O3) are important greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change. The effects of elevated CO2 and/or O3 on plants remain unclear. Plant responses to mixtures of the two gases at high concentrations are likely to be complex. Previous studies have shown that the ability to tolerate elevated levels of the two gases varies among plant species; physiological adaptability in the face of changing atmospheric composition also differs among taxa. However, the effects of mixtures of the two greenhouse gases on the growth and physiology of bamboo are largely unexplored, even though bamboos are important vegetation elements throughout tropical and subtropical regions of the planet. In this study, we used open-topped chambers (OTCs) to double the concentrations of atmospheric CO2 and O3, and examined changes in membrane lipid peroxidation, photosynthetic physiology, and antioxidase activities in Indocalamus decorus leaves. After 103 days of treatment, elevated O3 depressed net photosynthetic rate (Pn) without changing stomatal function, but caused no significant oxidative damage in the leaves. High levels of antioxidase activities were maintained in the leaves, indicating that this species had a strong tolerance to elevated O3. Decreases in reactive oxygen content and antioxidase activity in the leaves highlighted the significant positive effects of elevated CO2 on photosynthesis in I. decorus. When a mixture of both gases was supplied at high concentrations, we detected no oxidative damage, although photosynthetic capacity was reduced. Negative effects of O3 were very marked during the early part of the treatment period, but the effects of CO2 were positive. CO2 mitigated the oxidative damage caused by O3 and promoted the growth of I. decorus. Thus, I. decorus tolerated the two greenhouse gases, and was able to adapt to elevated CO2 and O3 levels. These findings contribute to the current knowledge base on the response of bamboo to global climate change.