{"title":"Use of untargeted metabolomics to profile the foliar metabolome of Mitragyna speciosa under varying light and water conditions.","authors":"Nisa Leksungnoen, Tushar Andriyas, Yongkriat Ku-Or, Suthaporn Chongdi, Pichaya Pongchaidacha, Chatchai Ngernsaengsaruay, Suwimon Uthairatsamee, Rossarin Tansawat","doi":"10.1071/FP25150","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25150","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>We investigated the effects of varying light intensity and water availability on the foliar metabolome of Mitragyna speciosa (kratom) seedlings in a hydroponic settings. Untargeted liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) metabolomics integrated with hierarchical orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) was used to characterise the metabolite profiles. We obtained and annotated a total of 377 metabolites that spanned major ontologies such as alkaloids, flavonoids, terpenoids, phenolics/phenylpropanoids, and lipid derivatives. The highest number of unique metabolites was observed under high light (245), followed by low light (162), and medium light (110). Hierarchical OPLS-DA identified two significant splits within the metabolomic dataset, with light intensity as the primary determinant of metabolome variation (Split 1: Silhouette score = 0.52, P-value = 0.011), followed by water potential under low-light conditions (Split 2: Silhouette score = 0.51, P-value = 0.012). Exposure to high-light intensity lowered the abundance of nitrogen-based alkaloids like hirsuteine, corynoxeine, and ajmalicine, while increasing the abundance of photoprotective compounds like uncarine C, picrotin, and ursolic acid. Conversely, low light and low water availability resulted in a higher abundance of metabolites that included quercetin, alpha-tocopherol, magnoflorine, epigallocatechin, and curcumin, suggestive of a stress-induced antioxidant response. The findings can be used for optimizing bioactive metabolite production under controlled environments for pharmacological applications, though confirmation of certain compounds (e.g. magnoflorine and curcumin) in M. speciosa through future validation with authentic standards remains essential.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":"53 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147467567","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rona Joy Motas Hizon, Rolando O Torres, Venuprasad Ramaiah, B P Mallikarjuna Swamy, Shalabh Dixit, Pompe C Sta Cruz, Teresita H Borromeo, Antonio G Lalusin, Jose E Hernandez, Amelia Henry
{"title":"Associated physiological mechanisms during reproductive stage in lines of Swarna rice (Oryza sativa) pyramided with major drought yield quantitative trait loci qDTY1.1 and qDTY3.1.","authors":"Rona Joy Motas Hizon, Rolando O Torres, Venuprasad Ramaiah, B P Mallikarjuna Swamy, Shalabh Dixit, Pompe C Sta Cruz, Teresita H Borromeo, Antonio G Lalusin, Jose E Hernandez, Amelia Henry","doi":"10.1071/FP25062","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25062","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Drought is a major abiotic stress that limits rice (Oryza sativa) production. Millions of hectares of rainfed lowland and upland rice in Asia are affected by drought stress yearly, which results in considerable yield reduction. Evaluation of the physiological characteristics that aid rice plants in maintaining yield under drought stress conditions may contribute to the development of potential drought-tolerant varieties. This study assessed the physiological characteristics of drought-tolerant lines with different combinations of qDTY3.1 and qDTY1.1 in the genetic background of Swarna, a popular, high-yielding but drought susceptible rice variety. Specifically, these lines were 'qDTY3.1 lines' (introgressed with qDTY3.1 alone), 'qDTY1.1 lines' (introgressed with qDTY1.1 alone), and 'pyramided lines' (introgressed with both qDTY3.1 and qDTY1.1). qDTY3.1 lines exhibited faster peduncle elongation rate, lower peduncle elongation breakpoint values, and longer final peduncle length under drought stress. qDTY1.1 lines presented more negative leaf osmotic potential and cooler canopy temperatures than Swarna that indicated better leaf hydration under drought. Pyramided lines produced higher panicle numbers, longer mean peduncle length, and higher grain yield under drought. These characteristics associated with qDTY3.1 and qDTY1.1 indicated that the plants performed better under drought stress than would be expected from the sum of the individual qDTY effects.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145997709","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Genome-wide identification and characterisation of telomerase reverse transcriptase gene in Ammopiptanthus mongolicus and overexpression of AmTERT-mediated abiotic stress tolerance in Escherichia coli.","authors":"Weiwei Zhang, Mengyi Liu, Siyuan Gao, Yanjing Liu, Yuzhen Chen, Cunfu Lu","doi":"10.1071/FP25056","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25056","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein complex responsible for extending the telomeres. Telomerase reverse transcriptase (TERT) is the key component of telomerase. In this study, we characterised AmTERT in Ammopiptanthus mongolicus, a desert evergreen broadleaf shrub known for its high tolerance to harsh environments. AmTERT gene is located on chromosome 9, encoding 1153 amino acids with a molecular weight of 132.52 kDa, and is classified as a hydrophilic protein with relatively low stability. Synteny analysis was used to analyse the isogenic gene pairs of the TERT genes between A. mongolicus and three other species, suggesting that they descended from early dicotyledonous ancestors. Moreover, there are a large number of abiotic stress cis-elements in AmTERT promoter regions. To gain a deeper understanding of the abiotic stress capacity of AmTERT, it was transformed into Escherichia coli, and the fusion protein was purified. The overexpression of AmTERT enhanced tolerance to NaCl, mannitol, and hydrogen peroxide in E. coli. It is suggested that AmTERT is a candidate gene for genetic engineering of plant abiotic stress tolerance.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145965870","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Maria Feka, Myrto Tsiknia, Georgios Leventis, Constantinos Ehaliotis, Victor Flors, Kalliope K Papadopoulou
{"title":"Microbial synergies enhance tomato tolerance to abiotic stress via hormonal and physiological modulation.","authors":"Maria Feka, Myrto Tsiknia, Georgios Leventis, Constantinos Ehaliotis, Victor Flors, Kalliope K Papadopoulou","doi":"10.1071/FP25249","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25249","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Fusarium solani strain K (FsK) and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are soilborne symbionts that colonize plant roots and modulate stress responses. While most studies focus on individual microbial partners, understanding multipartite microbial interactions under realistic conditions is essential for designing effective inoculants. Here, we investigated the individual and combined effects of FsK, Funneliformis mosseae (F. mosseae) and Rhizophagus irregularis (R. irregularis) on tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) performance under drought and salinity stress in a greenhouse experimental set up. Under stress conditions, each endophyte showed enhanced root colonization. Co-inoculation with multiple microbes diminished this effect, however the functional outcomes were not directly dependent on the extent of microbial establishment. Under drought, FsK consistently promoted shoot growth, water retention and abscisic acid accumulation, while AMF improved nutrient status. Co-inoculation with FsK and F. mosseae led to synergistic improvements in physiological traits, but only under drought conditions. In contrast, salinity responses were less consistent and revealed functional divergence among microbial partners. These findings demonstrate that context-specific microbial combinations can enhance stress resilience in tomato.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146061472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"OsFWL5 limits cadmium accumulation in rice through a proposed vascular-dependent interception and retrieval mechanism.","authors":"Wentao Xiong, Jun Xu, Yumin Shen, Shiyou Luo, Xiaoyan Wu, Huanjin Xiong, Mingliang Chen","doi":"10.1071/FP25311","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25311","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cadmium (Cd) is a harmful heavy metal that significantly endangers agricultural output and human well-being. This study unveils a novel mechanism by which the rice gene OsFWL5 modulates Cd accumulation and tolerance. We demonstrate that OsFWL5 is transcriptionally induced by Cd and that its encoded protein forms homooligomers. Most importantly, through a detailed histochemical analysis, we show that OsFWL5 exhibits a unique complementary vascular localization: in the root xylem and the shoot phloem. Loss-of-function osfwl5 mutants hyperaccumulated Cd in roots and exhibited heightened sensitivity to Cd stress. Conversely, OsFWL5-overexpressing plants accumulated less Cd and were more tolerant. Based on these findings, we propose a dual 'Interception and Retrieval' model, in which OsFWL5 is posited to intercept Cd loading into the root xylem (limiting its upward transport) and to potentially retrieve Cd from shoots via the phloem, which would promote its redirection to roots. Our results suggest that OsFWL5 is a key regulator of Cd partitioning and a promising candidate for developing low-Cd rice varieties.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146009682","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Overexpression of TaCYP2 from winter wheat confers tolerance to freezing stress in Arabidopsis thaliana.","authors":"Qiaoxia Han, Xiaoyu Yong, Aoshen Zhang, Huaping Tang, Gezi Li, Guozhang Kang","doi":"10.1071/FP24271","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP24271","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) is a key global crop threatened by freezing stress, which limits growth and productivity. Cyclophilins regulate critical plant processes, but their role in freezing tolerance remains unclear. In this study, functional assays were conducted exclusively in Arabidopsis thaliana to evaluate cold tolerance. Controlled freezing stress simulations (-5°C) revealed improved stress tolerance traits in transgenic overexpression (OE) plants. TaCYP2-OE lines had significantly improved survival rates (56-60%) in comparison to wild-type line (WT, 33%) after 2 days of stress. Physiological analyses revealed that TaCYP2-OE lines had reduced membrane damage (32-33% lower relative electrolyte leakage and 32-38% lower malondialdehyde content) and elevated proline accumulation (27-31% higher), whereas the superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), catalase (CAT), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activities were significantly higher in TaCYP2-OE lines compared to WT under 2 days stress. Reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) showed that the expression of antioxidant genes, AtSOD, AtPOD, AtCAT, and ascorbate peroxidase (AtAPX), as well as the stress regulatory genes dehydration-responsive element-binding protein 1a (AtDREB1a) and late embryogenesis abundant protein (AtLEA) of TaCYP2-OE lines were significantly higher than those of WT at 1 day stress. Therefore, TaCYP2 enhances freezing tolerance via membrane protection, osmotic balance, and reactive oxygen species (ROS) detoxification. These findings confirm that TaCYP2 positively regulates freezing stress tolerance and contributes to enhanced cold tolerance in Arabidopsis, with implications for wheat improvement.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145911269","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Muhammad Jamil, Waseem Ahmad, Liaqat Ali, Nimra Ilyas, Muhammad Faisal Maqsood, Shazia Parveen, Yasmeen Saleem, Muhammad Akram
{"title":"Elucidating the growth dynamics of Triticum aestivum through quantitative analysis of chlorophyll fluorescence.","authors":"Muhammad Jamil, Waseem Ahmad, Liaqat Ali, Nimra Ilyas, Muhammad Faisal Maqsood, Shazia Parveen, Yasmeen Saleem, Muhammad Akram","doi":"10.1071/FP25075","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25075","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>A comprehensive understanding of the quantitative relationship among phenotypic and photosynthetic traits at key growth stages in wheat can guide trait selection and management strategies that can contribute to increased productivity. In this study, we quantified the physiological basis of morphological and phenological attributes of wheat using chlorophyll fluorescence analysis. Chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured using a handheld MultispeQ V2.0 device, connected to a PhotosynQ platform, for 72 genotypes grown in a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Days to heading (DH), percentage digital ground cover (DGC%), and flag leaf length and width were recorded at specific individual growth stages, and chlorophyll fluorescence parameters were measured at 95, 103, and 108 days after sowing to the grain filling stage. Variance analysis revealed a significant difference among the three measurement time points in the fluorescence parameters. A notable increase in relative chlorophyll content was observed in the flag leaf, which plays a central role in photosynthesis; higher chlorophyll levels enhance light capture capacity and thereby support greater photosynthetic activity. The DGC% played a vital role in radiation absorption and photosynthesis. Significant positive correlations were observed among most fluorescence and physiological traits, although some traits showed negative correlations. Path analysis revealed that leaf temperature and ambient temperature indirectly affected morphophysiological traits via DH. Such relationships may assist breeders in selecting elite genotypes.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145767691","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Muhammad Arif, Ayesha Fazal Nawaz, Muhammad Amir Zia, Sumaira Maqsood, Hina Safdar, Muhammad Awais Zahid, Shahid Ullah Khan, Noman Mahmood
{"title":"Morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars to drought stress at different growth stages.","authors":"Muhammad Arif, Ayesha Fazal Nawaz, Muhammad Amir Zia, Sumaira Maqsood, Hina Safdar, Muhammad Awais Zahid, Shahid Ullah Khan, Noman Mahmood","doi":"10.1071/FP25116","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25116","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Drought is a major abiotic stress and a global threat to sustainable agriculture, severely constraining maize (Zea mays L.) productivity. It is estimated that drought stress can cause up to 15-20% grain yield losses in maize worldwide. Understanding the morpho-physiological and biochemical responses of different maize cultivars under drought conditions is essential for developing drought-tolerant varieties.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study investigated the impact of drought stress on two maize cultivars, Haq Nawaz (drought-sensitive) and CIMMYT PAK (drought-tolerant), at three developmental stages: seedling, flowering, and grain filling. Morphological parameters (plant height, leaf length), physiological traits (chlorophyll a and b, proline, membrane stability index, soluble sugars), and biochemical components (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and potassium (K)) were analyzed under well-watered and drought-stressed conditions using standard protocols.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Drought stress significantly reduced plant height, leaf length, and chlorophyll content at all growth stages, with the greatest reduction observed during grain filling. Under drought, chlorophyll a and b were markedly affected, particularly in the sensitive cultivar. Proline, membrane stability index, soluble sugars, and potassium levels increased by 23.34%, 2.67%, 18.24%, and 5.72% in CIMMYT PAK, and by 24.09%, 9.05%, 22.97%, and 6.77% in Haq Nawaz, respectively. Conversely, nitrogen and phosphorus contents decreased by 5.88% and 6.19% in CIMMYT PAK, and by 6.29% and 19.34% in Haq Nawaz, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The results demonstrate that drought stress negatively affects maize growth and metabolism, with more pronounced impacts on the sensitive cultivar. The higher accumulation of osmolytes (proline and soluble sugars) and better maintenance of K⁺ content in CIMMYT PAK indicate its superior adaptive mechanisms to drought-induced oxidative stress. These findings highlight the importance of screening drought-responsive morpho-physiological and biochemical traits to identify tolerant genotypes. The insights gained could support breeding programs aimed at enhancing drought tolerance in maize grown under water-limited environments.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145762814","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Qiong-Mei Wang, Ning-Jiao Ma, Ying-Qian Zhang, Jiayin Pang, Yinglong Chen, Qian Xu, Jin He, Hans Lambers
{"title":"Legume crops exhibited high P-acquisition capacity under low soil phosphorus conditions.","authors":"Qiong-Mei Wang, Ning-Jiao Ma, Ying-Qian Zhang, Jiayin Pang, Yinglong Chen, Qian Xu, Jin He, Hans Lambers","doi":"10.1071/FP25149","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25149","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Phosphorus (P) acquisition in plants involves a range of strategies, with differences between legume and non-legume crop species. We studied 11 legume and 11 non-legume crop species under two P levels for P acquisition strategies related to root morphological and physiological traits and their roles in biomass accumulation and P content. We hypothesise that the legume crops species used a P-mining strategy related to carboxylates and non-legume crop species used a P-scavenging strategy related to root morphological trait, contributing to differences in P-acquisition strategies between legume and non-legume crop species. Legume crop species demonstrated higher P concentrations and greater biomass than non-legume under both P conditions. Legume crop species relied on root morphological traits and carboxylate release, while non-legume crop species relied on arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) colonisation and acid phosphatase activity. Legume crop species exhibited a lower response ratio for AM colonisation and acid phosphatase activity but a higher response ratio for rhizosheath carboxylate release than non-legume crop species. Legume crop species utilised a P-scavenging strategy, characterised by enhanced root length and a P-mining strategy through carboxylate release; legume crop species exhibited greater plasticity in carboxylate release but lower plasticity in AM colonisation and acid phosphatase activity than non-legume crop species did, indicating a trade-off between different P-acquisition strategies. These results provide insights into the P-acquisition strategies of crop species adapted to low soil P conditions, offering valuable ecological insights for sustainable intercropping systems and strategies to enhance P-use efficiency in low-input agricultural system.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145810109","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Xinyue Zhang, Xiawei Zhao, Chengzhang Zhao, Wenhao Shi, Enqi Wang
{"title":"Stem-leaf tradeoff of Kobresia tibetica in alpine peat swamp study on the relationship of water use efficiency.","authors":"Xinyue Zhang, Xiawei Zhao, Chengzhang Zhao, Wenhao Shi, Enqi Wang","doi":"10.1071/FP25142","DOIUrl":"10.1071/FP25142","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Water use efficiency (WUE) is a key index to predict the impact of climate change on ecosystem carbon and water cycles; the tradeoff of stem and leaf traits determine the WUE and resource competitiveness of individual plants. Four altitudinal gradients of 3400 m, 3500 m, 3600 m, and 3700 m were selected as experimental sites in Gahai Wetland on the Ruoerge Plateau. The Mantel Test method and the standardized major axis estimation (SMA) method were employed to examine the relationship between stem-leaf tradeoff and WUE of Kobresia tibetica in alpine peat swamps at different elevations. The results showed that with the increase of altitude, the surface water area decreased gradually, and the height and fractional vegetation cover of wetland community, stomatal conductance (Gs), and transpiration rate (Tr) of Kobresia tibetica showed a decreasing trend (P < 0.05).WUE, photosynthetically active radiation (PAR), vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and the height, fractional vegetation cover, and root-shoot ratio of Kobresia tibetica showed an increasing trend (P < 0.05). The leaf area (LA), leaf thickness (LT), specific leaf area (SLA), stem length (SL), and WUE of Kobresia Tibetica showed different correlations at different elevations. With the increase of altitude, the tradeoff between stems and leaves of Kobresia tibetica changed from stems to leaves, the tradeoff between LA and LT changed from favoring LA to LT, stem and leaf configuration changed from long stem-large LA to short stem-small LA, the net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and WUE increased, and the structural cost and photosynthetic efficiency return of Kobresia tibetica leaves changed from 'high-input-slow return' to 'low-input-fast return'. It reflects the ecological strategy of synergistic adaptation between stem and leaf morphology and photosynthetic characteristics of plants in alpine peat swamp in a heterogeneous habitat.</p>","PeriodicalId":12483,"journal":{"name":"Functional Plant Biology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2026-01-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145603390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}