Trade-off between root forks and link length of Melica przewalskyi on different aspects of slopes

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2015.0055

Abstract

Abstract: Aims

The number of root forks and link length influence distribution patterns of plant roots. The trade-off between root forks and link length has an important meaning for comprehending ecological adaptation strategy of root architecture. Our objective was to study the relationship between root forks and link length of Melica przewalskyi population in response to slope aspects in the northwest of China.

Methods

The study site was located in a degraded alpine grassland on the northern slope of Qilian Mountains, Gansu Province, China. Survey and sampling were carried out in 80 plots that were set up along four aspect transects of a hill with 20 m distance between adjacent plots. A handheld GPS was used to record latitude, longitude and altitude of each plot. ArcGIS was used to set up digital elevation model (DEM) to extract the information of elevation, aspect, and slope for each plot. The traits of plant communities were investigated and three individual samplings of M. przewalskyi were collected randomly in each plot. The samples were cleaned and divided into different organs. The roots were scanned with the Win-RHIZO for measurements of root forks and link length in laboratory, and biomass of different organs was measured after being dried at 80 °C in an oven. The 240 plots were categorized into groups of north, east, west and south aspects of slopes, and the linear regression analysis was then used to examine the trade-off relationship between root forks and link length in different groups.

Important findings

With a change of the aspect from north to east, west and south, the density, aboveground biomass, height and soil moisture content of the plant community displayed a pattern of steadily declining, while the density, height, root link length of M. przewalskyi increased, and the root forks decreased. The number of root forks was negatively correlated with the link length in all aspects, but the relationship varied along the aspect gradient (p < 0.05). There was a highly significant negative correlation (p < 0.01) between the root forks and link length on north slope and south slope, whereas less significant (p < 0.05) on the east slope and west slope, all indicating a trade-off relationship between the root forks and link length. Consequently, the patterns of resource allocation between root forks and link length in different slope habitats reflected the response and adaption of plant root functional traits to their biotic and abiotic environments and the investment balance mechanism for root architecture construction.

Key words: aspect, Melica przewalskyi, root architecture, root forks, root link length, trade-off

SONG Qing-Hua,ZHAO Cheng-Zhang,SHI Yuan-Chun,DU Jing,WANG Ji-Wei,CHEN Jing. Trade-off between root forks and link length of Melica przewalskyi on different aspects of slopes[J]. Chin J Plan Ecolo, 2015, 39(6): 577-585.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2015.0055

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2015/V39/I6/577

Figures/Tables 5

References 48

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坡向 Aspect	甘肃臭草密度 Density of M. przewalskyi (株·m^-2)	甘肃臭草高度 Height of M. przewalskyi (cm)	根冠比 Root-shoot ratio
北 North	55.83 ± 4.31^c	15.61 ± 0.14^c	2.09 ± 0.22^b
东 East	94.00 ± 3.91^b	18.30 ± 0.26^b	2.58 ± 0.16^a
西 West	98.17 ± 3.26^b	18.63 ± 0.32^b	2.63 ± 0.31^a
南 South	14.50 ± 12.27^a	21.80 ± 0.87^a	2.14 ± 0.24^ab

坡向 Aspect	甘肃臭草密度 Density of M. przewalskyi (株·m^-2)	甘肃臭草高度 Height of M. przewalskyi (cm)	根冠比 Root-shoot ratio
北 North	55.83 ± 4.31^c	15.61 ± 0.14^c	2.09 ± 0.22^b
东 East	94.00 ± 3.91^b	18.30 ± 0.26^b	2.58 ± 0.16^a
西 West	98.17 ± 3.26^b	18.63 ± 0.32^b	2.63 ± 0.31^a
南 South	14.50 ± 12.27^a	21.80 ± 0.87^a	2.14 ± 0.24^ab

坡向 Aspect	群落特征 Community properties			土壤水分含量 Soil moisture content (%)
	群落密度 Community density (株·m^-2)	群落高度 Community height (cm)	地上生物量 Aboveground biomass (g·m^-2)
	北 North	260.67 ± 18.54^a	34.50 ± 1.74^a		100.18 ± 2.13^a	12.30 ± 0.56^a
东 East	214.17 ± 17.42^b	27.80 ± 1.32^b	97.66 ± 2.28^b	8.90 ± 0.38^b
西 West	191.67 ± 16.17^c	25.80 ± 1.16^b	94.78 ± 1.49^c	8.50 ± 0.37^b
南 South	147.33 ± 12.46^d	21.80 ± 0.87^c	92.23 ± 1.74^d	6.70 ± 0.24^c

坡向 Aspect	群落特征 Community properties			土壤水分含量 Soil moisture content (%)
	群落密度 Community density (株·m^-2)	群落高度 Community height (cm)	地上生物量 Aboveground biomass (g·m^-2)
	北 North	260.67 ± 18.54^a	34.50 ± 1.74^a		100.18 ± 2.13^a	12.30 ± 0.56^a
东 East	214.17 ± 17.42^b	27.80 ± 1.32^b	97.66 ± 2.28^b	8.90 ± 0.38^b
西 West	191.67 ± 16.17^c	25.80 ± 1.16^b	94.78 ± 1.49^c	8.50 ± 0.37^b
南 South	147.33 ± 12.46^d	21.80 ± 0.87^c	92.23 ± 1.74^d	6.70 ± 0.24^c

	群落密度 Community density (株·m^-2)	群落高度 Community heigh (cm)	地上生物量 Aboveground biomass (g·m^-2)	土壤含水量 Soil moisture content (%)
分叉数 Root forks	0.999^**	0.977^*	0.967^*	0.974^*
连接长度 Link length	-0.997^**	-0.957^*	-0.933	-0.956^*