CLONAL GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF THYMUS SERPYLLUM VAR. ASIATICUS

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2007.0081

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The relationship between clonal growth and ecological adaptation is a central issue in clonal plant population ecology, but few studies have examined of growth patterns of small half-shrubs. Thymus serpyllum var. asiaticus is a dwarf half-shrub with creeping stems. Soil erosion is a serious problem in the “pisha"-sandstone area, such as the Huangfuchuan watershed, where T. serpyllum var. asiaticus can form a mono-dominant community and help maintain ecosystem stability. Understanding clonal growth characteristics of T. serpyllum var. asiaticus, therefore, is potentially helpful for vegetation restoration in this area.
Methods We sampled T. serpyllum var. asiaticus clones consisting of mother, daughter and granddaughter ramets from May to September 2004 in Huangfuchuan watershed. For each clone, we counted numbers of roots, stems and branches and measured biomass of roots, stems, branches, leaves and flowers. We examined monthly changes in biomass allocation of the different ramets.
Important findings Compared with the daughter and granddaughter ramets, the mother ramets of T. serpyllum var. asiaticus were bigger with more complex structure, biomass and number of modules. Mother ramets had largest biomass allocation to roots and much smaller to leaves. For the daughter and granddaughter ramets, biomass allocation to leaves was largest and that to roots was smaller. Differences in biomass allocation patterns between mother and daughter (and granddaughter) ramets may reflect different ramet functions. Mother ramets may be specialized for water and nutrient absorption, while daughter and granddaughter ramets may be specialized for photosynthesis, a phenomenon called `division of labor'. According to changes in biomass allocation to branches, stems and flowers from May to September, the module growth of mother and daughter ramets was similar, but differed from that of granddaughter ramets. Findings may reflect different physiological integrations of ramets.

Key words: clone, ramet, Thymus serpyllum var. asiaticus, biomass allocation pattern, Huangfuchuan watershed

ZHANG Ying, JIA Zhi-Bin, YANG Chi. CLONAL GROWTH CHARACTERISTICS OF THYMUS SERPYLLUM VAR. ASIATICUS[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2007, 31(4): 630-636.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2007.0081

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2007/V31/I4/630

Figures/Tables 8

References 16

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	母株 Mother ramet			子1代 Daughter ramet			子2代 Granddaughter ramet
	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N
根生物量Biomass of roots (g)	0.442 9^a	0.038 9	110	0.195 4^b	0.028 9	102	0.115 4^b	0.018 8	104
茎生物量Biomass of stems (g)	0.370 0^a	0.047 1	107	0.189 4^b	0.021 1	107	0.113 4^b	0.016 3	104
叶生物量Biomass of leaves (g)	0.331 6^a	0.027 2	104	0.265 1^b	0.027 9	107	0.197 9^b	0.027 1	105
枝生物量Biomass of branches (g)	0.228 9^a	0.020 8	106	0.170 5^b	0.018 9	105	0.125 6^b	0.017 9	100
花生物量Biomass of flowers (g)	0.028 0^a	0.005 1	99	0.021 1^a	0.004 3	103	0.017 2^a	0.005 7	102
总生物量Total biomass (g)	1.414 9^a	0.117 5	91	0.819 0^b	0.085 2	89	0.563 7^b	0.082 6	88

	母株 Mother ramet			子1代 Daughter ramet			子2代 Granddaughter ramet
	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N
根生物量Biomass of roots (g)	0.442 9^a	0.038 9	110	0.195 4^b	0.028 9	102	0.115 4^b	0.018 8	104
茎生物量Biomass of stems (g)	0.370 0^a	0.047 1	107	0.189 4^b	0.021 1	107	0.113 4^b	0.016 3	104
叶生物量Biomass of leaves (g)	0.331 6^a	0.027 2	104	0.265 1^b	0.027 9	107	0.197 9^b	0.027 1	105
枝生物量Biomass of branches (g)	0.228 9^a	0.020 8	106	0.170 5^b	0.018 9	105	0.125 6^b	0.017 9	100
花生物量Biomass of flowers (g)	0.028 0^a	0.005 1	99	0.021 1^a	0.004 3	103	0.017 2^a	0.005 7	102
总生物量Total biomass (g)	1.414 9^a	0.117 5	91	0.819 0^b	0.085 2	89	0.563 7^b	0.082 6	88

	母株 Mother ramet			子1代 Daughter ramet			子2代 Granddaughter ramet
	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N
生殖枝的数量Numbers of branches with flowers	4.5^a	0.7	110	2.4^b	0.5	110	1.8^b	0.5	109
营养枝的数量Numbers of branches without flowers	33.5^a	3.9	110	15.8^b	2.2	110	12.9^b	1.9	109
根的数量Numbers of roots	4.6^a	0.7	110	3.1^b	0.3	110	2.9^b	0.2	109
茎长Length of stems(cm)	52.24^a	5.50	110	16.90^b	1.87	110	12.60^b	1.64	109
茎条数Numbers of stems	4.2^a	0.4	110	1.6^b	0.1	110	1.4^b	0.1	109

	母株 Mother ramet			子1代 Daughter ramet			子2代 Granddaughter ramet
	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N
生殖枝的数量Numbers of branches with flowers	4.5^a	0.7	110	2.4^b	0.5	110	1.8^b	0.5	109
营养枝的数量Numbers of branches without flowers	33.5^a	3.9	110	15.8^b	2.2	110	12.9^b	1.9	109
根的数量Numbers of roots	4.6^a	0.7	110	3.1^b	0.3	110	2.9^b	0.2	109
茎长Length of stems(cm)	52.24^a	5.50	110	16.90^b	1.87	110	12.60^b	1.64	109
茎条数Numbers of stems	4.2^a	0.4	110	1.6^b	0.1	110	1.4^b	0.1	109

	母株 Mother ramet			子1代 Daughter ramet			子2代 Granddaughter ramet
	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N	平均数 Mean	标准误 SE	样本数 N
根生物量分配Allocation to roots(%)	31.88^a	1.53	91	22.46^b	1.23	89	19.66^b	1.14	88
茎生物量分配Allocation to stems(%)	24.50^a	1.46	91	23.47^a	1.26	89	21.67^a	1.45	88
叶生物量分配Allocation to leaves(%)	24.43^a	1.14	91	31.56^b	1.31	89	34.36^b	1.50	88
枝生物量分配Allocation to branches(%)	17.23^a	0.91	91	20.17^ab	1.20	89	22.11^b	1.54	88
花生物量分配Allocation to flowers(%)	1.96^a	0.35	91	2.34^a	0.38	89	2.19^a	0.50	88