Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 2015, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (7): 762-772.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2015.0073

• Orginal Article • Previous Articles    

Divergent ramet ratio affects water physiological integration in Indocalamus decorus: Activity of antioxidant system and photosynthetic pigment content

HU Jun-Jing1,2, CHEN Shuang-Lin1, GUO Zi-Wu1,*(), CHEN Wei-Jun2, YANG Qing-Ping1, LI Ying-Chun1   

  1. 1Research Institute of Subtropical Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Hangzhou 311400, China
    2College of Forestry, Central South University of Forestry and Technology, Changsha 410000, China
  • Online:2015-07-01 Published:2015-07-22
  • Contact: Zi-Wu GUO
  • About author:

    # Co-first authors

Abstract: Aims Physiological integration of clonal plants allows resources to transport and share among ramets to enhance plant adaptability to a dynamic habitat. Water physiological integration is an important part of physiological integration of clonal plants. Comprehensive understanding of the integration in bamboo is especially important because of the diverse ramet organizations. To provide scientific basis for effective management of water supply for bamboo forests, this study aims to explore the direction and the magnitude of ramet distribution in water physiological integration. Methods Our experiment was designed for clonal ramets of Indocalamus decorus with two levels of water content (high water potential at 90% ± 5% and low water potential at 30% ± 5%) and five ramet ratios (1:3, 1:2, 1:1, 2:1, 3:1). Each manipulation was replicated in 12 strains of ramets. We measured the antioxidant enzyme activity, content of soluble protein, malondialdehyde, and photosynthetic pigment. Important findings Water physiological integration existed in I. decorus clonal system under different water conditions, allowing water to transfer from high to low water potential ramets. With ramet ratio increase, integration intensity was enhanced, suggesting that the benefit of receptor ramet from the donor ramet increased. Water integration intensity between connected clonal ramets was high in early stage but decreased over time, which reflected that the consumption-benefit effect of donor and receptor ramets. These results indicated that ramet ratio of clonal system has a major impact on water physiological integration. We conclude that water gradient among the ramets is a potential driving force for water transport. The direction and the magnitude of physiological integration seemed determined by the status of water supply and demand in our intra-clonal system.

Key words: Indocalamus decorus, antioxidant system, photosynthetic pigment, ramet ratio, water physiological integration