Integrating functional traits and carbon partitioning to productivity and adaptive resilience in bamboo clones for climate change mitigation: a trait-based approach

Bamboo is a key component of nature-based solutions for carbon sequestration and climate change mitigation. However, clone- or species-specific mechanisms regulating biomass production, carbon allocation, and adaptive resilience under changing climatic conditions remain inadequately understood. This study employed a trait-based approach that integrated physiological, morphometric, and structural attributes, along with their temporal dynamics, to evaluate the productivity and resilience of Dendrocalamus strictus clones (DMH and PNT) under subtropical conditions. Significant seasonal variability (p < 0.05) was observed in functional traits across both clones. Photosynthetic carbon assimilation peaked during the monsoon (DMH: 14.86 ± 0.28; PNT: 13.25 ± 0.28 µmol CO 2 m - ² s - ¹) and declined markedly in winter (DMH: 4.89 ± 0.42; PNT: 4.08 ± 0.48), reflecting strong climatic regulation of physiological processes. In contrast, transpiration rates were higher during the pre-monsoon, whereas water-use efficiency (WUE) was higher in winter, indicating adaptive optimization of water-carbon trade-offs. Growth and structural traits, including culm height, diameter, leaf area index (LAI) (DMH: 4.48 ± 0.10; PNT: 4.10 ± 0.09 m² m - ²), and absolute growth rate (AGR) (DMH: 7.86 ± 0.21; PNT: 6.48 ± 0.13 mm day - ¹), were maximized during the monsoon. Biomass accumulation was significantly higher in DMH (75.01 ± 2.04 g) than in PNT (63.67 ± 2.47 g), while carbon content remained relatively stable (~46–47%) across plant components. Structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed that photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) was the primary driver of productivity, followed by temperature and humidity, which indirectly regulated biomass through physiological pathways (R² = 0.78–0.93). Overall, DMH exhibited superior productivity and carbon sequestration potential, whereas PNT demonstrated greater adaptive resilience, highlighting the importance of trait-based clone selection for climate-resilient bamboo systems.