Responses of plant growth and substance allocation of three dominant plant species to experimental warming in an alpine grassland, Northwestern Sichuan, China

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.05.002

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Plant growth and substance allocation are greatly affected by temperature change, and the response modes have been shown to vary for different functional groups (graminoids and forbs). Our main objective was to assess how experimental warming affects growth in different functional groups and how they adapt to experimental warming by different substance allocation and structural adjustment.

Methods We selected three dominant plant species, graminoid Elymus nutans and forbs Rumex acetosa and Potentilla anserina, in an alpine meadow in Northwestern Sichuan, and adapted open-top chambers as passive warming devices to generate an artificially warmed environment. After three years of warming, we measured biomass accumulation and substance allocation of the three species.

Important findings Compared to the control, experimental warming significantly increased SLA (specific leaf area) and biomass accumulation of E. nutans and R. acetosa and significantly decreased SLA and biomass accumulation of P. anserine. Warming significantly increased leaf biomass of R. acetosa, but its root biomass significantly decreased; however, warming significantly decreased leaf biomass and stem biomass of P. anserine and its root biomass significantly increased. Warming significantly increased root C concentration of R. acetosa, but decreased root N concentration. Warming significantly increased the LMR (leaf mass ratio), RMR (root mass ratio) and R/S (shoot/root biomass ratio) of R. acetosa, but its SMR (stem mass ratio) significantly decreased. For P. anserina, warming significantly increased its RMR and R/S, but its SMR and LMR significantly decreased. Warming significantly increased C and N allocation in leaves of R. acetosa, and also significantly increased C allocation in its roots, but C and N allocations in its stem were significantly decreased. For P. anserina, warming significantly decreased C allocation in its leaves, but C and N allocations in its roots were significantly increased.

Key words: alpine grassland, experimental warming, Northwestern Sichuan, plant growth, substance allocation

SHI Fu-Sun, WU Ning, WU Yan. Responses of plant growth and substance allocation of three dominant plant species to experimental warming in an alpine grassland, Northwestern Sichuan, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(5): 488-497.

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Figures/Tables 11

Table 1 Variation of temperature and mean soil relative water content in the open-top chamber (OTC) and in the control plot in the growing season (2006-2008)

月/年 Month/Year		温度 Temperature (℃)		土壤相对含水量 Soil relative water content (%)
月/年 Month/Year		土壤 Soil	空气 Air	0-5 cm	10-15 cm
6/2006-9/2006	OTC	12.01	8.87	36.17	45.76
	对照 Control	11.48	7.26	50.34	48.29
	差值 Difference	0.53	1.61	-14.17	-2.53
6/2007-9/2007	OTC	12.03	8.73	42.03	53.58
	对照 Control	11.56	7.33	55.52	54.18
	差值 Difference	0.46	1.40	-13.49	-0.60
6/2008-9/2008	OTC	12.27	9.07	38.58	46.22
	对照 Control	11.75	7.48	51.46	50.34
	差值 Difference	0.52	1.59	-12.88	-4.12

Table 2 Effects of temperature enhancement on plant growth and biomass accumulation of Elymus nutans (mean ± SD, n = 5)

生长参数 Growth parameter	OTC	对照 Control
株高 Plant height (cm)	31.18 ± 3.17^a	26.67 ± 2.36^b
比叶面积 Specific leaf area (cm²·g^-1)	82.89 ± 5.86^a	75.83 ± 3.61^b
地上生物量 Aboveground biomass (g·m^-2)	22.55 ± 4.19^a	7.49 ± 2.35^b

Table 3 Effects of temperature enhancement on plant growth and biomass accumulation of Rumex acetosa (mean ± SD, n = 5)

生长参数 Growth parameter	OTC	对照 Control
株高 Plant height (cm)	49.67 ± 5.76^a	49.09 ± 7.41^a
比叶面积 Specific leaf area (cm²·g^-1)	35.70 ± 3.01^a	33.76 ± 2.17^a
总生物量 Total biomass (g per unit)	3.93 ± 0.34^a	3.08 ± 0.22^b
叶生物量 Leaf mass (g)	0.63 ± 0.15^a	0.34 ± 0.11^b
茎生物量 Stem mass (g)	1.37 ± 0.31^a	1.43 ± 0.06^a
根生物量 Root mass (g)	1.93 ± 0.79^a	1.31 ± 0.13^b

Table 4 Effects of temperature enhancement on plant growth and biomass accumulation of Potentilla anserina (mean ± SD, n = 5)

生长参数 Growth parameter	OTC	对照 Control
株高 Plant height (cm)	9.67±3.64^a	10.38±2.85^a
比叶面积 Specific leaf area (cm²·g^-1)	83.65±5.36^a	95.11±6.13^b
总生物量 Total biomass (g per unit)	0.70±0.04^a	0.86±0.13^b
叶生物量 Leaf mass (g)	0.30±0.04^a	0.42±0.07^b
茎生物量 Stem mass (g)	0.17±0.06^a	0.26±0.04^b
根生物量 Root mass (g)	0.23±0.04^a	0.18±0.02^b

Fig. 1 Effects of temperature enhancement on biomass allocation of Rumex acetosa (mean ± SD, n = 5). Different letter denotes significantly different between open-top chambers (OTC) plot and the control plot at p < 0.05. LMR, leaf mass ratio; RMR, root mass ratio; R/S, root/shoot mass ratio; SMR, stem mass ratio.

Fig. 2 Effects of temperature enhancement on biomass allocation of Potentilla anserina (mean ± SD, n = 5). The notes are the same as in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 Effects of temperature enhancement on C and N content in Elymus nutans leaf (mean ± SD, n = 5). Different letter denotes significantly different between the open-top chamber (OTC) plot and the control plot at p < 0.05.

Fig. 4 Effects of temperature enhancement on C and N content in different parts of Rumex acetosa (mean ± SD, n = 5). Different letter denotes significantly different between the open-top chamber (OTC) plot and the control plot at p < 0.05.

Fig. 5 Effects of temperature enhancement on C and N content in different parts of Potentilla anserina (mean ± SD, n = 5). Different letter denotes significantly different between the open-top chamber (OTC) plot and the control plot at p < 0.05.

Fig. 6 Effects of temperature enhancement on C and N allocation in different parts of Rumex acetosa (mean ± SD, n = 5). Different letter denotes significantly different between the open-top chamber (OTC) plot and the control plot at p < 0.05.

Fig. 7 Effects of temperature enhancement on C and N allocation in different parts of Potentilla anserina (mean ± SD, n = 5). Different letter denotes significantly different between the open-top chamber (OTC) plot and the control plot at p < 0.05.

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