Parasitism by Cuscuta chinensis is associated with changes in leaf functional traits and hyperspectral characteristics of Eunymus japonicas

Cuscuta chinensis have a significant regulatory effect on plant growth, but the response mechanism of functional traits to the parasitism of C. chinensis and the trade-off relationship between traits and hyperspectral characteristics are not clear. We investigated the functional trait response and hyperspectral characteristics of Euonymus japonicus, the most common urban hedge plant in China, to the parasitism of C. chinensis. The results showed that the parasitism of C. chinensis led to the difference of leaf functional traits: the leaf thickness, stomatal density, and leaf dry matter content were significantly increased, whereas the leaf area, leaf weight, specific leaf area, chlorophyll content index, and leaf tissue density were significantly decreased. Notably, the parasitism of C. chinensis changed the spatial distribution pattern of stomata and promoted the stomata to be evenly distributed. Furthermore, the spectral reflectance of leaves treated with the parasitism of C. chinensis tended to increase. The parasitism of C. chinensis led to the "blue shift" of hyperspectral reflectance of leaves. There was a significant correlation between spectral parameters and leaf functional traits, and leaf biomass accounted for 83% of the variation in reflectance of the water stress band. In general, the parasitism of C. chinensis determines the strategic way of plant utilization of resources and affects the change of plant strategy by affecting the difference of traits. Urban plants were more inclined to invest resources in nutrient storage capacity at the expense of resources investment in photosynthetic capacity and defense mechanism. The plant ecological strategy changed from resource acquisition to resource conservation. This finding comes up with a new strategy that urban tree species can modify the plasticity of functional traits for survival and growth under the interference of parasitic plants.