Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2007, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (6): 1174-1180.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2007.0146

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

ECOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SPRING AND AUTUMN PLANTS OF TWO DESERT EPHEMERALS

ZHANG Tao1,2, SUN Yu3, TIAN Chang-Yan1,*(), FENG Gu3   

  1. 1Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
    2Graduate University of Chinese Academe of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
    3National Resources and Environment College, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100094, China
  • Received:2006-10-07 Accepted:2007-03-03 Online:2007-10-07 Published:2007-11-30
  • Contact: TIAN Chang-Yan

Abstract:

Aims Ephemerals are important in desert ecosystems, playing a key role in ecosystem stabilization. Previous research has concentrated on spring ephemerals. Little is known about biological and ecological characteristics of ephemerals that germinate in spring and autumn and about the significance of autumn ephemerals in stabilizing desert ecosystems.

Methods We marked plants of Plantago minuta and Erodium oxyrrhynchum, species that germinate in spring and autumn. We investigated their crowns, leaves and phenological characteristics in the field during their growing seasons and measured their dry weights and mean arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization rates in the laboratory.

Important findings Leaves, flowers, fruits, seeds and dry weights of autumn plants are larger than those of spring plants. For example, in autumn P. minuta and E. oxyrrhynchum produced 13.0 and 4.4 times as many seeds and flowered 14 and 7 days earlier, respectively, than spring plants. In addition, mean arbuscular mycorrhizal colonization rates were higher in autumn than spring plants, accelerating the absorption of phosphorus. Autumn plants had greater capability of reproduction and ecosystem stabilization, allowing them to play an important role in stabilizing the desert ecosystem.

Key words: spring ephemeral plant, autumn ephemeral plant, ecological and biological characteristics, arbuscular mycorrhizae