PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY OF THE CLONAL PLANT TRAPA BICORNIS IN RESPONSE TO SEDIMENT PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION AND PLANT DENSITY

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2007.0076

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Trapa bicornis is a clonal floating macrophyte that dominates several lakes in China. Due to eutrophication, the distribution of T. bicornis is shrinking, and T. bicornis has disappeared in some lakes. Our objectives were to investigate the effects of sediment phosphorus concentration (SP), plant density (PD) and their interaction on the plasticity of T. bicornis and examine whether plasticity could promote ecological adaptation in eutrophic environments.
Methods In a controlled factorial experiment, we grew artificial populations of T. bicornis in low, medium and high PD (4, 8 and 12 individuals per container, respectively) under low, medium and high SP. We harvested all plants after six weeks and measured the dry mass for each plant part.
Important findings SP significantly affected leaf, stem, green root, anchoring root and total plant phosphorus concentrations as well as number of main rosettes of trullate floating leaves, special green root length and special anchoring root length of T. bicornis, but PD did not significantly affect any growth or ecophysiological traits. With increasing SP, plant phosphorus concentration increased. Number of main rosettes of trullate floating leaves of T. bicornis was the largest at low SP and low PD, leaf mass ratio at medium SP and high PD, special green root length at high SP and medium PD, and special anchoring root length at high SP and high PD. SP, PD and their interaction altered some of the allometric relationships between leaf, stem, green root, anchoring root and total biomass. Morphological and ecophysiological traits mostly affected by SP and high PD may increase the ecological adaptability of T. bicornis under eutrophic conditions caused mainly by phosphorus.

Key words: phenotypic plasticity, sediment P concentration, plant density, Trapa bicornis, clonal plants, ecological adaptability

CAI Ying, GUAN Bao-Hua, AN Shu-Qing, SHEN Rui-Ling, JIANG Jin-Hui, DONG Lei. PHENOTYPIC PLASTICITY OF THE CLONAL PLANT TRAPA BICORNIS IN RESPONSE TO SEDIMENT PHOSPHORUS CONCENTRATION AND PLANT DENSITY[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2007, 31(4): 599-606.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2007.0076

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2007/V31/I4/599

Figures/Tables 4

Table 1 Experimental setup of sediment phosphorus concentration and plant density

植株密度 Plant density (PD)	底泥磷含量(SP) Sediment phosphorus concentration (SP) (mg·g^-1)
植株密度 Plant density (PD)	低磷SP Low SP (LSP) 27.56 ± 0.78	中磷SP Median SP (MSP) 52.85 ± 1.30	高磷SP High SP (HSP) 115.61 ± 2.72
4株/箱4 individuals per container (PD4)	LSP-PD4	MSP-PD4	HSP-PD4
8株/箱8 individuals per container (PD8)	LSP-PD8	MSP-PD8	HSP-PD8
12株/箱12 individuals per container (PD12)	LSP-PD12	MSP-PD12	HSP-PD12

Fig.1 The responses of the main growth variables of Trapa bicornis to sediment phosphorus concentration and plant density 平均值 ± 标准差Mean ± SE LSP:低底泥磷含量Low sediment phosphorus concentration MSP:中底泥磷含量Median sediment phosphorus concentration HSP:高底泥磷含量High sediment phosphorus concentration PD4:每箱4株4 individuals per container PD8:每箱8株8 individuals per container PD12:每箱12株12 individuals per container 图中上方不同的字母表示不同处理之间通过Duncan法进行多重检验得出的显著性差异 Different upper letters indicate significant differences between treatments according to the results of post-hoc with Duncan test

Fig.2 The responses of plant P concentration of Trapa bicornis to sediment phosphorus concentration and plant density Notes see Fig. 1

Fig.3 The mass-mass allometric relationships of Trapa bicornis Variables listed in the row were viewed as x-axis, while the variables listed in column were viewed as y-axis. Data were logged. Linear regression formulae are shown, followed with regression coefficients and statistical significance values of p. *: p<0.05; **: p<0.01; ***: p<0.001 LSP、MSP、HSP、PD4、PD8、PD12: See Fig. 1

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