Plant metabolomic dimension and allocation strategies across organs and elevations

We found that plants systematically allocate metabolic resources between leaves and roots, with these allocation patterns shifting predictably along elevation. Investment in larger, more polar, hydrogen-bonding metabolites declines with increasing elevation, while aromatic and unsaturated metabolites increased. This indicates a shift from metabolically dynamic, interaction-driven strategies toward more chemically stable and persistent metabolites.

Herbivory was associated with these allocation patterns, potentially linking biotic pressure to metabolic investment across elevations. We also found leaf and root metabolic traits to align along a shared metabolic spectrum, indicating potentially coordinated chemical strategies at the whole-plant level. Our results suggest that plants may optimize metabolomic strategies across organs in response to environmental context, highlighting metabolic traits as a crucial dimension of plant functional diversity.