Effects of root-cutting in the vegetative phase on plant functional traits of Leymus chinensis

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2021.0230

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims We investigated root-cutting impacts on functional traits of leaves and stems of Leymus chinensis in the vegetative phase in a meadow in Hulun Buir. The aims are to understand the response mechanism of L. chinensis under the disturbance and to provide a references for the restoration of natural mowing grasslands.

Methods A ground intrusive root-cutting machine (9QP-830) was used to cut roots of L. chinensis in May 2014. Since July 2015, we took plants to measure single plant height, leaf length, natural leaf width, spread leaf width, stem diameter, stem length, leaf mass and stem mass at an interval of 15 days until the end of August. Then statistical analysis was applied for the impacts of the treatment on the traits and driving factors to affect phenotypic and qualitative traits of the plant.

Important findings (1) Root-cutting significantly decreased specific leaf area, total leaf mass, stem length/stem diameter, stem dry matter fraction, and significantly increased average leaf length and leaf area. Therefore, it increased individual plant mass, dry matter fraction and height. (2) Dynamics of the traits for both control and treatment followed a quadratic curve. (3) All the phenotypic traits except for the number of leaves in a plant were significantly positively correlated with each other. Leaf mass, stem mass and individual plant mass were significantly positively correlated with each other, whilst specific leaf area was not significantly correlated with the rest of the quantitative traits. (4) Total leaf length and total leaf mass were the greatest driving factors for aboveground biomass among the phenotypic and quantitative traits, respectively. Root-cutting can advance the life history of plant aboveground to some extent.

Key words: root-cutting, Leymus chinensis, functional traits, vegetative phase, driving factor, life history

DAI Jing-Zhong, BAI Yu-Ting, WEI Zhi-Jun, ZHANG Chu, YAN Rui-Rui. Effects of root-cutting in the vegetative phase on plant functional traits of Leymus chinensis[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2021, 45(12): 1292-1302.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2021.0230

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2021/V45/I12/1292

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Dynamics of different leaf functional traits of Leymus chinensis without (CK) and with root-cutting (CR)(mean ± SE). LA, leaf area; LDMC, leaf dry matter fraction; LL, average leaf length; LTL, total leaf length; SLA, specific leaf area; TLM, total leaf mass. y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for CK; Y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for root-cutting. ** and * indicate differences at the 0.01 and 0.05 level, respectively.

Fig. 2 Dynamics of leaf width of Leymus chinensis (mean ± SE). ALW, spread leaf width; AMN, difference between spread leaf width and natural leaf width; LW, leaf width. NLW, natural leaf width. y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for control (CK): y1, spread leaf width; y2, difference between spread leaf width and natural leaf width; y3, natural leaf width. Y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for root-cutting (CR): Y1, spread leaf width; Y2, difference between spread leaf width and natural leaf width; Y3, natural leaf width. * indicate differences at the 0.05 level.

Fig. 3 Dynamics of different stem functional traits of Leymus chinensis (mean ± SE). SDMC, stem dry matter fraction; SL, stem length; SLWR, stem length/stem diameter; SW, stem diameter. y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for control (CK); Y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for root-cutting (CR). ** and * indicate differences at the 0.01 and 0.05 level, respectively.

Fig. 4 Dynamics of plant functional traits of Leymus chinensis (mean ± SE). AB, aboveground biomass; PDMC, aboveground dry matter fraction; PH, plant height; SLR, stem mass/total leaf mass. y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for control (CK); Y, the quadratic curve fitting equation for root-cutting (CR). * indicate significant correlation at the 0.05 level.

Table 1 Regression coefficients between phenotypic traits of Leymus chinensis

	LN	LL	LTL	NLW	ALW	AMN	LA	SW	SL	PH
LN	1
LL	0.01	1
LTL	0.21	0.72^**	1
NLW	0.01	0.79^**	0.72^**	1
ALW	-0.01	0.88^**	0.76^**	0.91^**	1
AMN	-0.02	0.88^**	0.74^**	0.82^**	0.98^**	1
LA	-0.03	0.96^**	0.77^**	0.89^**	0.97^**	0.95^**	1
SW	0.11	0.80^**	0.73^**	0.84^**	0.83^**	0.78^**	0.85^**	1
SL	0.14	0.63^**	0.89^**	0.61^**	0.63^**	0.60^**	0.66^**	0.68^**	1
PH	0.12	0.90^**	0.81^**	0.79^**	0.82^**	0.78^**	0.89^**	0.87^**	0.81^**	1

Table 2 Regression coefficients between quantitative traits of Leymus chinensis

	LWM	TLM	SM	AB	LDMC	SDMC	PDMC	SLA
LWM	1
TLM	0.87^**	1
SM	0.73^**	0.76^**	1
AB	0.87^**	0.98^**	0.88^**	1
LDMC	0.01	0.27	-0.01	0.19	1
SDMC	-0.48^**	-0.23	-0.30	-0.27	0.594^*	1
PDMC	-0.14	0.14	-0.11	0.07	0.97^**	0.78^**	1
SLA	0.09	0.04	0.22	0.10	0.20	-0.09	0.13	1

Fig. 5 Effects of phenotypic and mass traits of Leymus chinensis. CK, control; CR, root-cutting. ALR, LL/ALW; ALW, spread leaf width; AMN, difference between spread leaf width and natural leaf width; LA, spread leaf area; LDMC, leaf dry matter fraction; LL, average leaf length; LN, leaf number; LTL, total leaf length; LWM, average leaf mass; NLR, LL/NLW; NLW, natural leaf width; PDMC, plant dry matter fraction; PH, plant height; SDMC, stem dry matter fraction; SL, stem length; SLA, specific leaf area; SLR, SM/TLM; SLWR, SL/SW; SM, stem mass; SW, stem diameter; TLM, total leaf mass.

Fig. 6 Weighting factors of phenotypic functional traits to plant mass of Leymus chinensis on different measurement dates. CK, control; CR, root-cutting. ALR, LL/ALW; ALW, spread leaf width; AMN, difference between spread leaf width and natural leaf width; LA, spread leaf area; LL, average leaf length; LN, leaf number; LTL, total leaf length; NLR, LL/NLW; NLW, natural leaf width; PH, plant height; SL, stem length; SLWR, stem length/stem diameter; SW, stem diameter.

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