Environmental and Experimental Botany最新文献

{"title":"Climate change-related deacclimation disrupts sugar allocation and transport in winter oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.)","authors":"Magdalena Rys ,&nbsp;Barbara Jurczyk ,&nbsp;Ewa Pociecha ,&nbsp;Pasquale Luca Curci ,&nbsp;Jan Bocianowski ,&nbsp;Maciej Szaleniec ,&nbsp;Piotr Waligórski ,&nbsp;Anna Janeczko","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Winter oilseed rape achieves frost tolerance through cold acclimation (CA). CA is a process usually naturally occurring in autumn and triggered by low but non-freezing temperatures. Among various metabolic adjustments, changes in sugar management are one of the more important ones. Due to climate changes, increasingly frequent temperature fluctuations and appearance of warm breaks in late autumn/winter may lead to deacclimation (DA). DA may lower the frost tolerance causing problems with winter survival of plants. Physiological/biochemical background of DA still requires explanation. The aim of these studies was to answer the question if and how deeply deacclimation (one week at 16 ℃/9 ℃ [d/n]) modifies sugar metabolism in leaves, root necks and roots of two cultivars of winter oilseed rape. The studies include analysis of the changes in the sugar content supported by analysis of activity of selected enzymes involved in sugar synthesis/degradation and analysis of expression of sugar transporters. Typical changes accompanying CA were observed, such as an increase in the content of glucose, fructose, sucrose and kestose, as well as an increase in the activity of sucrose synthase and sucrose phosphate synthase (SUS and SPS) enzymes in all tested plant tissues compared to the non-acclimated control. DA reversed all these changes. CA decreased, while DA increased again the relative expression of sugar transporters <em>BnSUC1</em> and <em>BnSWEET11</em>. The negative impact of warm breaks during the period of cold acclimation on sugar accumulation and transport is discussed in the light of resumption of plant growth and reduced frost tolerance induced by deacclimation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106332"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147403268","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Light quality affects diurnal gas exchange but not diurnal deacidification in CAM leaves","authors":"Stijn Daems ,&nbsp;Rune Keysers ,&nbsp;Bram Van de Poel ,&nbsp;Johan Ceusters","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106326","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106326","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>During the light period, crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM) plants remobilise malic acid from the vacuole and decarboxylate it to supply CO₂ for Rubisco behind closed stomata. Whilst it has been well documented that diurnal deacidification depends strongly on light availability, the impact of light quality on daytime leaf gas exchange and deacidification remains poorly understood. The obligate CAM model species <em>Kalanchoë fedtschenkoi</em> was subjected to either different monochromatic wavelengths (blue, green, red) or modified full-spectrum (white) light spectra with a particular waveband omitted (blue, orange, red, far-red, blue+red). Leaf gas exchange parameters and different biochemical parameters associated with diurnal deacidification [i.e., malate and starch content, <em>in vitro</em> activities of malic enzyme (ME), pyruvate orthophosphate dikinase (PPDK), and Rubisco] were measured at dawn, midday, and late afternoon. Under high light intensities of 300 µmol m⁻² s⁻¹, blue wavelengths were found to be a key determinant in promoting high daytime stomatal conductance (Phases II and IV), resulting in improved C₃ carboxylation. Furthermore, omitting red wavelengths from the light spectrum led to a substantially higher overall diel CO₂ uptake (+300 %) compared to plants subjected to spectra lacking either blue or both blue and red wavelengths. In contrast to the large impact on leaf gas exchange, light spectral composition had only a minor impact on diurnal changes in intrinsic enzyme activities of NAD(P)-ME, PPDK, and Rubisco. Consistent with these observations, the diurnal malate degradation and starch accumulation rates were remarkably similar under different spectral compositions. Our findings reveal that stomatal behavior and gas exchange are primarily influenced by light quality, with a more pronounced role for blue compared to red wavelengths. The core biochemical events associated with diurnal deacidification are mainly influenced by light intensity and rather insensitive to changes in spectral composition.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106326"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187078","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lichen symbiotic stress as a precursor to biodiversity loss – Rapid assessment using Evernia prunastri as a bioindicator for nitrogen pollution","authors":"Lumbani Mwafulirwa ,&nbsp;Ajinkya G. Deshpande ,&nbsp;Matthew R. Jones ,&nbsp;Mark A. Sutton ,&nbsp;Christopher J. Ellis","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106333","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106333","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Excess reactive nitrogen (N_r) emitted from farming (NH_x) and fossil fuels (NO_x) is a major global threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Environmental N_r is often monitored using bioindicators such as lichens, which provide valuable insights in the absence of instrumental monitoring stations. As key bioindicators, lichen responses to N_r have been widely studied using either short-term highly controlled laboratory experiments or field sampling, linking functional aspects of lichen biology with real-world outcomes. However, a missing component in the available evidence base could be provided by field-scale experiments to isolate the response of lichens to contrasting N_r levels over longer time periods. Here, we investigated the response of the bioindicator lichen <em>Evernia prunastri</em> to contrasting ammonia (NH₃) concentrations within a novel field-scale experiment and over a 12-week period. We measured fungal cell membrane damage and algal chlorophyll content as markers related to lichen tissue nitrogen accumulation, revealing impacts on the fungal and algal symbionts and explaining net outcomes on lichen relative growth rates. We compared the results of the field-scale experiment to trends observed in the real world. Our results suggest that <em>E. prunastri</em> tissue nitrogen content becomes saturated at 1.3 % with long-term NH₃ concentrations of c. 2 μg m⁻³, beyond which the species experiences unmitigated physiological damage. This response is however critically dependent on the exposure duration, which interacts with atmospheric NH₃ to constrain acclimation through increased chlorophyll content, while causing accumulative damage to fungal cell membranes that compromises growth and leads to eventual mortality.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106333"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147402634","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Stomatal, mesophyll, and biochemical limitation to photosynthesis of soybeans under waterlogging and reoxygenation","authors":"Shigehiro Kubota ,&nbsp;Gaku Yokoyama ,&nbsp;Toshimune Shibata ,&nbsp;Daisuke Yasutake ,&nbsp;Tomoyoshi Hirota","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106325","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106325","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>While waterlogging stress slows photosynthetic rate (<em>A</em>_sat), the underlying processes remain poorly understood. Here, we aimed to characterize the limitations to photosynthesis imposed by stomatal conductance (<em>g</em>_s), mesophyll conductance (<em>g</em>_m), and biochemical processes during waterlogging and after drainage of excess water from the soil, i.e., during reoxygenation. Two soybean cultivars (<em>Glycine max</em> L. cv. Fukuyutaka and Iyodaizu) were subjected to 6 days of waterlogging, after which excess water was drained. The responses of <em>A</em>_sat, <em>g</em>_s, <em>g</em>_m, and the maximum carboxylation rate (<em>V</em>_cmax) were investigated. In both cultivars, <em>A</em> declined significantly within 4 days of waterlogging and did not recover completely by two weeks of reoxygenation. During waterlogging, CO₂ concentration at carboxylation site decreased in parallel with <em>g</em>_s and <em>g</em>_m, indicating that photosynthesis was mainly limited by diffusional factors (combination of <em>g</em>_s and <em>g</em>_m). After drainage, diffusional limitation persisted for 3 days after drainage, whereas biochemical limitation due to reduced <em>V</em>_cmax became dominant after 7 days of reoxygenation. Therefore, maintaining high diffusional conductances and <em>V</em>_cmax during waterlogging and reoxygenation, respectively, is important for enhancing photosynthetic tolerance to waterlogging stress. Overall, our results demonstrate that <em>A</em>_sat under waterlogging and reoxygenation is dynamically constrained by multiple factors, emphasizing the need for comprehensive assessment of gas diffusion and carbon assimilation processes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106325"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Morpho-physiological and ionic trait-based multi-index integrative salt tolerance assessment of rice genotypes from Pokkali and pan-Indian saline ecologies","authors":"T.V. Vineeth ,&nbsp;G.K. Krishna ,&nbsp;K.T. Ravikiran ,&nbsp;P.P. Gopinath ,&nbsp;Nitish Ranjan Prakash ,&nbsp;R.M. Francies ,&nbsp;K. Rajesh ,&nbsp;P.S. Philip ,&nbsp;V. Vighneswaran ,&nbsp;K. Bhrundha ,&nbsp;A.G. Kiran ,&nbsp;M.S. Parvathi","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106316","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106316","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Salinity stress imposes severe limitations on rice productivity, necessitating a mechanistic dissection of tolerance traits for robust identification of elite donors. We collected an extensive array of 335 genotypes from the inland and coastal saline tracts in India. The salinity tolerance potential of the diverse rice germplasm was evaluated at the seedling stage under moderate (8 dS m⁻¹) and high (12 dS m⁻¹) stress levels. A systematic trait-based screening was carried out using 13 morpho-physiological and 7 ionic parameters under control and two stress levels. Subsequently, salt tolerance indices (STI) calculated from the recorded traits were subjected to principal component analysis, which displayed near-identical correlation across both stress levels. It was observed that biomass traits clustered together and diverged from linear growth traits. Using the principal component traits thus identified, mean membership function values (MMFV) and Multi-trait genotype–ideotype distance index (MGIDI) were deployed for integrative tolerance ranking of genotypes. Regression analyses converged on root and shoot K⁺/Na⁺ ratios, and shoot dry weight as the most robust predictors of salt tolerance. Consequently, the developed ‘SalTol Reg’ model was reiterative in predicting a comprehensive salt tolerance index such as MMFV. Integration of multiple selection indices identified four previously unreported novel salt tolerant landraces, namely Neta, Arjunsal, Chovvaryan and Orthadiyan. These genotypes demonstrated superior biomass traits, tissue-specific Na⁺ exclusion and enhanced selective K⁺ translocation over Na⁺ to shoot tissues. Unraveling the molecular physiology underlying their tolerance will be a prudent step towards delivering promising salt tolerant donors.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106316"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Jasmonate promotes tuber formation under elevated temperatures by repressing SP5G","authors":"Jinxiang Tang ,&nbsp;Yi Li ,&nbsp;Shijun Ma ,&nbsp;Xiaohang Su ,&nbsp;Jinsong Wu ,&nbsp;Lei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106338","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106338","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High temperatures strongly suppress potato tuber formation, and the role of the phytohormone jasmonate (JA) in this temperature response remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that JA positively regulates potato thermotolerance during tuber formation. When tuber formation-stage potato plantlets were exposed to elevated temperatures (30/26 °C, day/night) for three weeks, wild-type plants incurred a 25% yield loss. In contrast, JA-deficient irAOC lines exhibited enhanced heat sensitivity (45% yield loss), while JA-elevated irCYP94B3s lines displayed robust heat resistance (only 5% yield loss). Reciprocal grafting confirmed aerial tissue-derived JA is sufficient for this thermotolerance. During tuber initiation, heat stress reduced leaf JA accumulation, which correlated with upregulated expression of the tuberization repressor <em>SP5G</em>. This implies JA may facilitate tuberization under elevated temperature, likely by suppressing <em>SP5G</em>. Transcriptomic analysis and electrophoretic mobility shift assays suggested JA regulates <em>SP5G</em> transcription via a heat-responsive MYB transcription factor in the JA signaling pathway. Our findings establish JA promotes potato tuber formation under elevated temperatures and identify CYP94B3 family genes as targets for breeding thermotolerant potato cultivars.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106338"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147402636","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Going underground: The importance of soil heterogeneity in shaping plant productivity and responses to saline soils","authors":"Hannah M. Schneider ,&nbsp;Alon Ben-Gal ,&nbsp;Bliss Furtado ,&nbsp;Nuray Cicek ,&nbsp;Eleftheria Dalmaris ,&nbsp;Giulia Atzori ,&nbsp;Nadia Bazihizina","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106321","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106321","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Plants have to cope and respond to an ever-changing environment, including in soils. Their performance thus depends on their ability to perceive changes in the root zone and to adapt by altering resource allocation to growth, reproduction, or defense. With the majority of physiological and molecular research adopting a reductionist approach, which oversimplifies salinity as a single and uniform factor, conclusions drawn from these studies are likely to have underestimated the complex interactions that shape plant responses in field conditions. In this viewpoint, we argue that understanding root (and whole-plant) responses to soil heterogeneity, intended as the results of dynamic and multiple jointly acting abiotic stressors in saline environments, is central to salinity research. In particular, we introduce a conceptual agenda for studying roots under the dynamic and heterogeneous conditions found at the soil–root interface in saline soils, and its potential to provide new knowledge on how to deal with and adapt in a saltier world, with benefits for agriculture and natural resource management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106321"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146122700","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Co-expression of GTP cyclohydrolase I and aminodeoxychorismate synthase from alfalfa improves folate accumulation and plant growth in Lotus corniculatus","authors":"Shan Feng ,&nbsp;Ya-Ping Lin ,&nbsp;Yi-Jun Cao ,&nbsp;Ai-Ke Bao","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106335","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Folate (vitamin B9) is an essential nutrient for livestock. However, natural folate levels in forage crops are often insufficient to meet livestock nutritional requirements. Metabolic engineering offers a promising solution by enhancing folate biosynthesis in plants. In this study, we engineered <em>Lotus corniculatus</em>, an important legume forage, to enhance folate biosynthesis by co-expressing GTP cyclohydrolase I and aminodeoxychorismate synthase genes <em>MsGCHI</em> and <em>MsADCS</em> from alfalfa (<em>Medicago sativa</em>). In T₀ transgenic plants grown under greenhouse conditions, total folate levels reached 2.1-fold higher in leaves and 1.7-fold higher in stems compared to WT, with similar trends in field trials, corresponding increases of 1.2-fold and 1.6-fold were observed. The elevated folate was accompanied by increased pools of biosynthetic precursors (pteridines and free p-ABA) and multiple folate derivatives, including 5-methyltetrahydrofolate (5-M-THF), 5,10-Methylenetetrahydrofolate (5,10-CH=THF), 5-Formyltetrahydrofolate (5-F-THF), tetrahydrofolate (THF)-related pool, and dihydrofolate (DHF). Furthermore, RT-qPCR analysis revealed that the co-expression of <em>MsGCHI</em> and <em>MsADCS</em> up-regulated the expression of key genes (<em>ADCL</em>, <em>HPPK/DHPS</em>, <em>DHFR</em>, <em>DHFS</em>, <em>DHNA</em>) involved in folate biosynthesis pathway of transgenic <em>L. corniculatus</em>, indicating a coordinated metabolic response to increased precursor availability. In addition to biochemical modifications, phenotypic characterization of transgenic plants revealed enhanced vegetative growth, including increased plant height, leaf area, branches, and biomass under greenhouse and/or field conditions. This study demonstrates the feasibility of folate biofortification in a forage legume and provides a proof of concept for linking enhanced folate metabolism with improved crop productivity in an agronomic context. These findings offer a foundational reference for future efforts toward developing biofortified forage as a potential nutritional supplementation strategy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106335"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147403270","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"NLP7-HSFA2 module regulates acquired thermotolerance in Arabidopsis","authors":"Shiyun Zhao,&nbsp;Kexin Zhang,&nbsp;Hong Li","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106320","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2026.106320","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change, characterized by increasing global temperatures and a higher frequency of extreme heat events, is adversely affecting crop productivity and threatening global food security and agricultural sustainability. Heat Shock Transcription Factors (HSFAs) have been established as key regulators of thermotolerance in plants. Our previous studies have demonstrated that the transcription factor NIN-Like Protein 7 (NLP7) modulates the expression of HSFA3 in regulating basal thermotolerance. However, the involvement of NLP7 in acquired thermotolerance remains poorly understood. In this study, we demonstrate that NLP7 positively regulates plant acquired thermotolerance through directly binding to the HSFA2 promoter. These findings provide novel insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying heat adaptation, offering potential strategies for enhancing crop resilience in a warming climate.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"243 ","pages":"Article 106320"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146187079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Climate-mediated trade-offs between nutrient allocation and resorption efficiency in Phragmites australis along moisture gradients: A case study from an arid wetland in China","authors":"Jian Zhang ,&nbsp;Yixian Chen ,&nbsp;Asim Biswas ,&nbsp;Jiayi Zhang ,&nbsp;Yao Zhang ,&nbsp;Shuzhi Ji","doi":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106305","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106305","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Arid wetland ecosystems face unprecedented challenges under accelerating climate change, yet the mechanistic understanding of how dominant species adapt their nutrient strategies remains critically limited. In this study, we use spatial moisture gradients as a proxy for long-term plant adaptation to differing water regimes, and interannual climate data to assess short-term modulation of nutrient strategies within these established gradients. Here, we present the comprehensive multi-year analysis of nutrient allocation and resorption trade-offs mediated by climatic variability in <em>Phragmites australis</em>, the keystone species of arid wetlands globally. Through three years (2021–2023) of field observations across spatial moisture gradients in China's Dunhuang wetland, we reveal fundamental trade-offs between belowground nutrient allocation and aboveground resorption efficiency that determine ecosystem functioning. Our results demonstrate that interannual precipitation variability regulates nutrient resorption strategies along spatial moisture gradients, while simultaneously exerting indirect effects through leaf N:P ratios and soil available phosphorus modifications. Specifically, leaf nitrogen resorption efficiency decreased significantly with increasing soil moisture across sites (from 75 % in low moisture to 66 % in high moisture), while phosphorus allocation to rhizomes increased under elevated moisture conditions. Structural equation modelling revealed that precipitation influences these responses through dual pathways: direct physiological effects and indirect modifications of leaf nitrogen-to-phosphorus ratios and soil available phosphorus. Critically, we discovered a negative correlation between rhizome-to-leaf nutrient ratios and leaf resorption efficiency (path coefficient = −0.53 and −0.27 for nitrogen and phosphorus, respectively), indicating that <em>Phragmites australis</em> employs contrasting nutrient conservation strategies depending on resource availability. Under water-limited conditions, plants prioritize leaf nutrient resorption, while under favourable moisture conditions, they enhance belowground nutrient allocation. These findings provide a conceptual framework for predicting plant nutrient responses to interannual climate variability as expressed through spatial moisture conditions in arid wetland ecosystems and offer insights that may inform wetland conservation strategies in water-limited regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":11758,"journal":{"name":"Environmental and Experimental Botany","volume":"242 ","pages":"Article 106305"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-02-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145969410","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}