Adaptation of biomass allocation patterns of wild Fritillaria unibracteata to alpine environment in the eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00019

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Under different selection stresses, alpine plants tend to adjust their biomass investments to different functions and/or organs, and this biomass allocation strategy presents different patterns during different life history stages of plants. Our objective is to address three hypotheses regarding Fritillaria unibracteata: 1) elevation gradients impact individual bulb biomass and individual total biomass; 2) biomass allocation adapts to the elevational change of environmental factors; and 3) biomass allocation at different life history stages show different patterns.

Methods We collected wild F. unibracteata at different elevations in the alpine belt of Songpan County in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The samples were cleaned and divided into different organs, the biomasses of which were then weighed after being dried in the oven.

Important finding Elevation significantly affected individual bulb biomass (IBB) and individual total biomass (ITB), both of which decreased gradually with increased elevation. Elevation representing the heat factor was the pivotal factor limiting the growth of alpine plants such as F. unibracteata. For plants with different life history stages, their biomass allocation presented diverse patterns. First, the bulb biomass allocation (BBA) of 2-year-old F. unibracteata significantly decreased with increased elevation, but its leaf biomass allocation (LBA) increased. Second, both BBA and LBA of 3- and 4-year-old F. unibracteata were relatively stable at different elevations, but their stem biomass allocation (SBA) significantly decreased with increased elevation. In contrast, the sexual reproductive (flower) allocation (SRA) significantly increased with increased elevation. Third, at different life history stages, the root biomass allocation (RBA) of F. unibracteata was relatively stable at different elevations. Both RBA and SBA showed an increasing trend with the growth of plants, but BBA and LBA showed a decreasing trend. Three- year-old individuals normally had the maximum IBB.

Key words: alpine environment, biomass allocation, elevation gradient, Fritillaria unibracteata, life history stage

XU Bo, WANG Jin-Niu, SHI Fu-Sun, GAO Jing, WU Ning. Adaptation of biomass allocation patterns of wild Fritillaria unibracteata to alpine environment in the eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2013, 37(3): 187-196.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2013.00019

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2013/V37/I3/187

Figures/Tables 6

References 31

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地点 Location	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	海拔 Elevation (m)	群落类型 Community type	采样时间 Sampling date (year-month-day)
七让山 Qirang Mt.	103°41′52″ E, 32°59′3″ N	3 400-3 500	窄叶鲜卑花-蒙古绣线菊-羊茅高山灌丛草甸 Sibiraea angustata-Spiraea mongolica-Festuca ovina alpine shrub meadow	2012-7-14
弓杠岭 Gonggang Mt.	103°42′57″ E, 33°1′48″ N	3 500-3 600	窄叶鲜卑花-蒙古绣线菊-珠芽蓼高山灌丛草甸 Sibiraea angustata-Spiraea mongolica-Polygonum vivipar- um alpine shrub meadow	2012-7-15
卡卡山 Kaka Mt.	103°42′35″ E, 32°59′12″ N	3 600-4 000	金露梅-窄叶鲜卑花-暗褐薹草高山灌丛草甸 Potentilla fruticosa-Sibiraea angustata-Carex atrofusca alpine shrub meadow	2012-7-16- 2012-7-18

地点 Location	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	海拔 Elevation (m)	群落类型 Community type	采样时间 Sampling date (year-month-day)
七让山 Qirang Mt.	103°41′52″ E, 32°59′3″ N	3 400-3 500	窄叶鲜卑花-蒙古绣线菊-羊茅高山灌丛草甸 Sibiraea angustata-Spiraea mongolica-Festuca ovina alpine shrub meadow	2012-7-14
弓杠岭 Gonggang Mt.	103°42′57″ E, 33°1′48″ N	3 500-3 600	窄叶鲜卑花-蒙古绣线菊-珠芽蓼高山灌丛草甸 Sibiraea angustata-Spiraea mongolica-Polygonum vivipar- um alpine shrub meadow	2012-7-15
卡卡山 Kaka Mt.	103°42′35″ E, 32°59′12″ N	3 600-4 000	金露梅-窄叶鲜卑花-暗褐薹草高山灌丛草甸 Potentilla fruticosa-Sibiraea angustata-Carex atrofusca alpine shrub meadow	2012-7-16- 2012-7-18

海拔梯度与群落特征 Elevation gradient and community characters	单株鳞茎生物量 Individual bulb biomass			单株总生物量 Individual total biomass
海拔梯度与群落特征 Elevation gradient and community characters	df	F	p	df	F	p
海拔梯度 Elevation gradient	5	19.65	<0.000 1	5	20.75	<0.000 1
群落类型 Community type	1	0.05	0.82	1	0.09	0.77
群落盖度 Community coverage	3	0.74	0.53	3	0.96	0.41
群落透光率 Community transmittance	4	1.68	0.16	4	1.52	0.20
海拔×群落类型 Elevation × community type	5	1.52	0.18	5	1.33	0.25
海拔×群落盖度 Elevation × community coverage	13	1.24	0.25	13	0.98	0.48
海拔×群落透光率 Elevation × community transmittance	18	1.17	0.29	18	0.99	0.47
群落类型×群落盖度 Community type × community coverage	3	1.58	0.20	3	1.31	0.27
群落类型×群落透光率 Community type × community transmittance	4	1.87	0.12	4	3.47	0.01
群落盖度×群落透光率 Community coverage × community transmittance	12	1.21	0.28	12	0.64	0.80

海拔梯度与群落特征 Elevation gradient and community characters	单株鳞茎生物量 Individual bulb biomass			单株总生物量 Individual total biomass
海拔梯度与群落特征 Elevation gradient and community characters	df	F	p	df	F	p
海拔梯度 Elevation gradient	5	19.65	<0.000 1	5	20.75	<0.000 1
群落类型 Community type	1	0.05	0.82	1	0.09	0.77
群落盖度 Community coverage	3	0.74	0.53	3	0.96	0.41
群落透光率 Community transmittance	4	1.68	0.16	4	1.52	0.20
海拔×群落类型 Elevation × community type	5	1.52	0.18	5	1.33	0.25
海拔×群落盖度 Elevation × community coverage	13	1.24	0.25	13	0.98	0.48
海拔×群落透光率 Elevation × community transmittance	18	1.17	0.29	18	0.99	0.47
群落类型×群落盖度 Community type × community coverage	3	1.58	0.20	3	1.31	0.27
群落类型×群落透光率 Community type × community transmittance	4	1.87	0.12	4	3.47	0.01
群落盖度×群落透光率 Community coverage × community transmittance	12	1.21	0.28	12	0.64	0.80