SOIL-NUTRIENT PATCH CONTRAST MODIFIES INTENSITY AND DIRECTION OF CLONAL INTEGRATION IN GLECHOMA LONGITUBA

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2007.0079

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The connected fragments of clonal plants often grow in different soil-nutrient patches, and clonal integration can modify the plasticity of these connected clonal fragments in diverse ways. We address how nutrient patch contrast modifies intensity and direction of clonal integration.
Methods In a common garden experiment, we planted clonal fragments of Glechoma longituba in four nutrient-patch contrast conditions: no (control), low, medium and high contrast. Water was supplied when necessary. We measured physiological traits at peak growth and harvested all plant materials at the end of the experiment, which ran from July 19 through September 30, 2005. Data were analyzed with SPSS software.
Important findings Clonal integration in gas exchange, water potential, fluorescence, growth and biomass allocation differed among nutrient patch contrast treatments. Higher contrast had smaller integration in both gas exchange and dark fluorescence response and greater integration in leaf water potential. Direction of clonal integration for some characteristics also different among treatments, indicating that the threshold of soil-nutrient patch contrast might play a fundamental role in determining integration direction. Clonal integration had far broader effects on growth and allocation than physiological traits. We infer that nutrient-patch contrast may modify the intensity and direction of clonal integration, which in turn can shape the phenotypic plasticity of clonal plants.

Key words: clonal plasticity, fluorescence, gas exchange, growth and allocation, nutrient patches, physiological integration

ZHANG Li-Li, DONG Ming, LI Ren-Qiang, WANG Yan-Hong, CUI Qing-Guo, HE Wei-Ming. SOIL-NUTRIENT PATCH CONTRAST MODIFIES INTENSITY AND DIRECTION OF CLONAL INTEGRATION IN GLECHOMA LONGITUBA[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2007, 31(4): 619-624.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2007.0079

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2007/V31/I4/619

Figures/Tables 4

Fig.1 Layout of the experiment (The four different patterns stand for four different nutrient patches) C: Control LC: Low contrast MC: Medium contrast HC: high contrast

Table 1 Total amount of nutrients used in the four contrasting nutrient patches

	养分总量 Total amount of nutrients (g·m^-3)
	对照 Control (C)		低对比强度 Low contrast (LC)		中对比强度 Medium contrast (MC)		高对比强度 High contrast (HC)
	O	T	O	T	O	T	O	T
N	1 125	1 125	1 125	1 000	1 125	875	1 125	750
P	1 125	1 125	1 125	1 000	1 125	875	1 125	750
K	1 125	1 125	1 125	1 000	1 125	875	1 125	750

Fig.2 Clonal integration (I) in physiological function along a nutrient-patch contrast gradient Pn:叶片净光合速率 Net photosynthetic rate Gs:气孔导度 Stomatal conductance Ci/Ca:胞内外CO2浓度比 Ratio of substomatal CO2 to atmospheric CO2 E:蒸腾速率 Transpiration rate F:最小荧光Minimal fluorescence in the light conditions Fm:最大荧光 Maximal fluorescence in the light conditions Yield:最大光化学量子产量 Fluorescence efficiency of PSⅡ in the light conditions qP:光化学淬灭系数 Photochemical quenching in the light conditions NPQ:非光化学淬灭系数 Nonphotochemical quenching in the light conditions F':最小荧光 Minimal fluorescence in the dark conditions Fm':最大荧光 Maximal fluorescence in the dark conditions Yield':最大光化学量子产量 Fluorescence efficiency of PSⅡin the dark conditions C、LC、MC、HC:同图1 See Fig.1

Fig.3 Clonal integration (I) in biomass growth and allocation (A) and specific biomass allocation (B) along a nutrient-patch contrast gradient F:克隆片段生物量 Fragment biomass LWR:叶片生物量比 Lamina weight ratio PWR:叶柄生物量比 Petiole weight ratio SWR:匍匐茎生物量比 Stolon weight ratio RWR:根生物量比 Root weight ratio R/S:根冠比 Root/shoot ratio SLA:比叶面积 Specific lamina area SPL:比叶柄长 Specific petiole length SSL:比茎长 Specific stolon length SRL:比根长 Specific root length C、LC、MC、HC:同图1 See Fig.1

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