植物根系吸水模型研究进展

植物根系吸水模型是当前生态水文和陆面过程建模领域最为活跃的研究方向,是研究流域水文、生态、环境以及水资源可持续利用等科学问题中最为关键的部分,研究植物根系吸水的物理和生理机制及其影响因素,是建立植物根系吸水模型的基础.本文通过对植物根系吸水模型研究的回顾,讨论了水分和盐分胁迫在根系吸水中的作用、根系吸水的多维模型、根系吸水在陆面过程中的作用等问题,指出植物根系吸水模型发展所面临的问题并展望了未来的发展方向.     

土壤植物系统中植物根系吸收土壤水份研究进展

土壤植物系统是土壤—植物—大气连续体中的一个重要的子系统,该系统中的植物根系吸收土壤水份的研究已受到国内外的普遍重视,成为旱地农业生态系统中最为活跃的研究课题之一。从土壤—植物—大气连续体入手,对植物根系吸收土壤水份的影响因素,植物根系吸收土壤水份的微观模型及宏观模型等,进行了介绍和评述     

塔里木盆地北缘典型荒漠植物根系化学计量特征及其与土壤理化因子的关系

荒漠植物根系直接与高度盐渍化、严重缺水的土壤环境接触,是执行物质吸h收的重要营养器官,对其化学计量的研究有助于深入了解旱生植物功能特征和生存策略。以塔里木盆地北缘6种典型荒漠植物:甘草、芦苇、花花柴、骆驼刺、柽柳、盐爪爪为研究对象,分析植物根系化学计量特征,结合冗余分析探索其与土壤理化因子的相关关系。结果表明,研究区植物根系C、N、P含量分别为(443.62±70.84)mg/g,(7.44±3.59)mg/g,(0.46±1.92)mg/g;其中P的变异系数最大,C的最小;C/N、C/P、N/P的值分别为63.37、964.39、15.22,C、N、P含量及N/P值低于全球平均水平,C/N高于全球平均水平。通过冗余分析得出土壤理化因子对植物根系化学计量特征影响的重要性排序为:土壤含水量土壤电导率土壤P含量土壤C含量土壤N含量,即研究区土壤含水量与电导率是影响植物根系化学计量的重要因子。     

植物根系吸水过程中根系水流阻力的变化特征

以植物根系吸水的人工模拟试验所测得的数据为依据,运用水流的电模拟原理,定理分析了不同土壤水分水平处理下植物根系吸水过程中根系水流阻力各主要分量的大小、变化规律及其相对重要性．结果表明,在同一水分水平处理中,植物根内木质部传导阻力（Ｒｃ）随生长时间的推移而减小,随土层深度的加深而增大,土根接触阻力（Ｒｓｒ）、植物根系吸收阻力（Ｒｒ）随生长时间表现出先下降后上升阶段的动态变化特征;在不同水分水平处理中,Ｒｃ、Ｒｓｒ、Ｒｒ均随土壤湿度减小而大幅度增大;在植物根系水流阻力各分量中,Ｒｒ占根系水流阻力的比例为５５％～９６％,Ｒｓｒ约占根系水流阻力的４％～４５％,而Ｒｃ仅占根系水流阻力的７×１０－６,故Ｒｒ是决定植物根系吸水速率的重要因素     

根系分泌物介导的植物对土传病害的抗性机制

根系分泌物作为地下防御物质越来越受到关注。近年来,研究逐渐揭示了植物在病原胁迫下根系分泌物的表达特征及其在植物抗病性中的作用,一些由根分泌物介导的抗性调节机制也已被模拟。鉴于土传病害造成的损失日益增加,了解根系分泌物如何抵抗各种病原菌已成为研究热点。本文全面综述了土壤病原胁迫下根系分泌物介导的植物抗性机制,研究病原胁迫下根系分泌物的表达特征,根系分泌物在植物抗病过程中的作用,以及抗性根介导的分泌物和植物抗性的功能。讨论了当前植物病害条件下根系分泌物对植物抗性的影响,旨在为今后土传病害抗性机制的研究提供思路。     

植物根系分泌及其在林业中的意义

本文简要介绍了植物根系分泌物的成分、数量, 充分讨论了根系分泌的影响因素、根系分泌的部位及根系分泌物在土壤中扩散的范围, 并阐明了树木通过根系分泌对土壤营养条件、土壤微生物及其它相邻植物均有显著的影响。     

植物根系分泌物生态效应及其影响因素研究综述

植物根系分泌物的形成是植物体代谢过程中重要的生理现象,为“植物-土壤”体系物质周转的重要环节.研究植物根系分泌物对于了解陆地生态系统质能过程、碳氮收支平衡及提高生态系统的初级生产具有重要意义.本文从植物根系分泌物对植物生理性状、土壤微生物、土壤物质周转及有机污染物降解影响等4个方面对植物根系分泌物的生态效应进行综述,并从重金属含量、营养元素水平、土壤水分和光热条件、物种基因型、土壤微生物状况和外源有机污染物添加的角度综述了影响植物根系分泌物的因素,旨在对植物根系分泌物的生态效应和影响因素进行总结,并根据目前的研究现状,从研究对象、研究方法和效应评估方面进行了展望.     

植物根系水力再分配模型参数分析与尺度转换

植物根系水力再分配(Hydraulic redistribution)是近几年提出的对植物根系水力提升现象一种更准确的描述。Ryel等(2002)建立的根系水力再分配模型(以下简称Ryel模型)模拟结果表明根系水力再分配是土壤水分动态的一个重要组成部分。该文基于Ryel模型,对模型中涉及的重要参数进行敏感性分析,更准确地阐述参数变化下根系水力再分配模型的行为动态,从而定量分析环境及植物自身等因素对根系水力再分配的影响。Ryel模型时间尺度和土层厚度的设定限制了模型的应用,该文通过参数调整,将模型从时间尺度为小时、土层厚度均一转换到时间尺度为天、土层厚度不等,并应用到内蒙古皇甫川流域。     

4种植物幼苗根茎叶及根系分泌物中低分子量有机酸的特征

该研究建立了植物根茎叶及根系分泌物中有机酸的离子色谱分析测定方法,并测定了4种不同植物幼苗根茎叶及根系分泌物中低分子量有机酸的组成,为揭示逆境胁迫下植物体内有机酸的作用提供依据。结果表明:离子色谱分析法对植物有机酸的加标回收率为91.10%~105.42%,检测限为0.12~0.36mg/L,方法线性关系良好(R2=0.965 3~0.998 8);4种植物根茎叶及根系分泌物中都可以检测出草酸、柠檬酸、苹果酸、丁二酸和酒石酸,其中草酸、柠檬酸和苹果酸为优势酸;有机酸的组成和含量具有物种以及器官的差异性;根系分泌物中的有机酸与根茎叶中有机酸的相关性也因种属差异而不同。这为研究逆境胁迫下植物器官及根系分泌物提供了可靠方法。     

生长素在微生物调控根发育过程中的作用

很多微生物通过分泌生长素和生长素前体与植物建立了有益的关系并改变植物根系的形态结构,此外,微生物分泌的其他代谢产物也能改变植物生长素信号通路。因此,生长素和生长素信号通路在微生物调控植物根系发育的过程中起着至关重要的作用。该文从生长素合成、生长素信号和生长素极性运输3个方面总结了生长素在微生物调控植物根系发育过程中的作用,主要包括微生物增加了植物内源生长素的含量、增强了生长素的信号和调控PIN蛋白的表达水平,进而如何调控植物生理和分子水平来适应微生物对其根系的改变,为进一步开展该方面的研究奠定了基础。     

Plant species control and soil faunal involvement in the processes of above‐ and below‐ground litter decomposition

Among the factors determining litter decomposition rates, the role of soil fauna as decomposers still remains unclear, especially for how they are involved in decomposing below‐ground root litter compared to their relatively‐known contributions to decomposing above‐ground leaf litter. We conducted a litterbag experiment using two sizes of meshes and pursued the leaf and root decomposition of six major tree species in a Japanese temperate forest over 411‐days to test the interactive effects of soil mesofauna and litter quality addressed based on two features (litter types and species) on the process. Moreover, given a possible correlation between litter traits of the leaves and roots, we examined whether soil mesofauna alters the relationship between leaf and root decomposition across species. We found that the effects of plant species identity was stronger than that of soil mesofauna for determining the litter mass loss rate and the microbial respiration rate in both above‐ground and below‐ground decomposition. In addition, we found a significant positive correlation between leaf and root litter decomposition processes, regardless of the involvement soil mesofauna. On the other hand, the presence of soil mesofauna increased microbial respiration rates in the early stage of leaf decomposition; however, soil mesofauna did not affect root microbial respiration rates during the experiment. Such differential involvement of mesofauna in the leaf and root litter decomposition may drive the general patterns of faster and slower decomposition of plant leaves and roots in the soil, respectively.     

Seasonal water uptake and movement in root systems of Australian phraeatophytic plants of dimorphic root morphology: a stable isotope investigation

A natural abundance hydrogen stable isotope technique was used to study seasonal changes in source water utilization and water movement in the xylem of dimorphic root systems and stem bases of several woody shrubs or trees in mediterranean-type ecosystems of south Western Australia. Samples collected from the native treeBanksia prionotes over 18 months indicated that shallow lateral roots and deeply penetrating tap (sinker) roots obtained water of different origins over the course of a winter-wet/summer-dry annual cycle. During the wet season lateral roots acquired water mostly by uptake of recent precipitation (rain water) contained within the upper soil layers, and tap roots derived water from the underlying water table. The shoot obtained a mixture of these two water sources. As the dry season approached dependence on recent rain water decreased while that on ground water increased. In high summer, shallow lateral roots remained well-hydrated and shoots well supplied with ground water taken up by the tap root. This enabled plants to continue transpiration and carbon assimilation and thus complete their seasonal extension growth during the long (4–6 month) dry season. Parallel studies of other native species and two plantation-grown species ofEucalyptus all demonstrated behavior similar to that ofB. prionotes. ForB. prionotes, there was a strong negative correlation between the percentage of water in the stem base of a plant which was derived from the tap root (ground water) and the amount of precipitation which fell at the site. These data suggested that during the dry season plants derive the majority of the water they use from deeper sources while in the wet season most of the water they use is derived from shallower sources supplied by lateral roots in the upper soil layers. The data collected in this study supported the notion that the dimorphic rooting habit can be advantageous for large woody species of floristically-rich, open, woodlands and heathlands where the acquisition of seasonally limited water is at a premium.     

RootAnalyzer: A Cross-Section Image Analysis Tool for Automated Characterization of Root Cells and Tissues

The morphology of plant root anatomical features is a key factor in effective water and nutrient uptake. Existing techniques for phenotyping root anatomical traits are often based on manual or semi-automatic segmentation and annotation of microscopic images of root cross sections. In this article, we propose a fully automated tool, hereinafter referred to as RootAnalyzer, for efficiently extracting and analyzing anatomical traits from root-cross section images. Using a range of image processing techniques such as local thresholding and nearest neighbor identification, RootAnalyzer segments the plant root from the image’s background, classifies and characterizes the cortex, stele, endodermis and epidermis, and subsequently produces statistics about the morphological properties of the root cells and tissues. We use RootAnalyzer to analyze 15 images of wheat plants and one maize plant image and evaluate its performance against manually-obtained ground truth data. The comparison shows that RootAnalyzer can fully characterize most root tissue regions with over 90% accuracy.     

Automated image analyses for separating plant roots from soil debris elutrated from soil cores

Historically, destructive root sampling has been labor intensive and requires manual separation of extraneous organic debris recovered along with the hydropneumatic elutriation method of separating plant roots from soils. Quantification of root system demographics by public domain National Institute of Health (NIH-Image) and Root Image Processing Laboratory (RIPL) image processing algorithms has eliminated much of the labor-intensive manual separation. This was accomplished by determining the best length to diameter ratio for each object during image analyses. Objects with a length to diameter ratio less than a given threshold are considered non-root materials and are rejected automatically by computer algorithms. Iterative analyses of length to diameter ratios showed that a 15:1 ratio was best for separating images of maize (Zea mays L.) roots from associated organic debris. Using this threshold ratio for a set of 24 soil cores, a highly significant correlation (r² = 0.89) was obtained between computer image processed total root length per core and actual root length. A linear relationship (r² = 0.80) was observed between root lengths determined by NIH-Image analyses and lengths determined independently by the RIPL imaging system, using the same maize root + debris samples. This correlation demonstrates that computer image processing provides opportunities for comparing root length parameters between different laboratories for samples containing debris.     

The relationships among root and leaf traits of 76 grassland species and relative abundance along fertility and disturbance gradients

For 76 annual, biennial, and perennial species common in the grasslands of central Minnesota, USA, we determined the patterns of correlations among seven organ-level traits (specific leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf tissue density, leaf angle, specific root length, average fine root diameter, and fine root tissue density) and their relationships with two traits relating to growth form (whether species existed for part of the growing season in basal, non-caulescent form and whether species were rhizomatous or not). The first correlation of traits showed that grasses had thin, dense leaves and thin roots while forbs had thick, low-density leaves and thick roots without any significant differences in growth form or life history. The second correlation of traits showed a gradient of species from those with high-density roots and high-density erect leaves to species with low-density roots and low-density leaves that were held parallel to the ground. High tissue density species were more likely to exist as a basal rosette for part of the season, were less likely to be rhizomatous, and less likely to be annuals. We examined the relationships between the two axes that represent the correlations of traits and previously collected data on the relative abundance of species across gradients of nitrogen addition and disturbance. Grasses were generally more abundant than forbs and the relative abundance of grasses and forbs did not change with increasing nitrogen addition or soil disturbance. High tissue density species became less common as fertility and disturbance increased.     

How plant diversity and legumes affect nitrogen dynamics in experimental grassland communities

Positive relationships between species richness and ecosystem processes such as productivity or nitrogen cycling can be the result of a number of mechanisms. We examined how species richness, biomass, and legume presence, diversity, and abundance explained nitrogen dynamics in experimental grassland plots in northern Sweden. Nitrogen concentrations and '¹⁵N values were measured in plants grown in 28 mixtures (58 plots) including 1, 2, 4, 8 or 12 local grassland species over four years. Values for '¹⁵N declined over time for all three functional groups (grasses, legumes, and non-leguminous forbs), suggesting greater reliance on N fixed by legumes over time by all species. Above ground percent nitrogen (%N) also declined over time but root %N and total N did not. Path analysis of above ground data suggested that two main factors affected %N and the size of the N pool. First, higher plant diversity (species richness) increased total N through increased biomass in the plot. Although in the first two years of the experiment this was the result of a greater probability of inclusion of at least one legume, in the last two years diversity had a significant effect on biomass beyond this effect. Second, percent legumes planted in the plots had a strong effect on above ground %N and '¹⁵N, but a much smaller effect on above ground biomass. In contrast, greater plant diversity affected N in roots both by increasing biomass and by decreasing %N (after controlling for effects mediated by root biomass and legume biomass). Increased legume biomass resulted in higher %N and lower '¹⁵N for both non-legume forbs and grasses in the first year, but only for grasses in the third year. We conclude that a sampling effect (greater probability of including a legume) contributed towards greater biomass and total N in high-diversity communities early on in the experiment, but that over time this effect weakened and other positive effects of diversity became more important.     

8种湿地植物不同苗龄植株的表型特征及相关性分析

对水葱(Scirpus validus Vahl)、香蒲(Typha orientalis Presl)、小香蒲(T.minima Funk.)、再力花(Thalia dealbata Fraser ex Roscoe)、黄菖蒲(Iris pseudacorus Linn.)、灯芯草(Juncus effusus Linn.)、梭鱼草(Pontederia cordata Linn.)和菖蒲(Acorus calamus Linn.)8种多年生湿地植物1年生和3年生植株的地上和地下部分干质量、株高(包括花序高和叶层高)、根长、根数和根粗进行了测定,并对各表型特征指标间以及苗龄与各表型特征指标间的相关性进行了分析。结果显示:8种湿地植物3年生植株的地上和地下部分干质量普遍高于1年生植株;从生长量分配情况看,除小香蒲外,其余种类3年生植株地下部分干质量所占比例均高于1年生植株。多数种类1年生和3年生植株的株高差异较小。从根系特征看,根数小于100、根粗1.0~2.0 cm的植株以1年生为主,而根数大于100、根粗1.0 cm以下和2.0~3.5 cm的植株以3年生为主;根长15~25 cm的植株以1年生所占比例较高(62.5%),而根长25~35 cm的植株1年生和3年生所占比例相等。相关性分析结果表明:1年生植株的地上部分干质量与株高、根长与根粗呈显著正相关(P<0.05),3年生植株的地下部分干质量与根粗也呈显著正相关;但不同苗龄植株的其他表型特征指标间的相关性均不显著。苗龄与植株地下部分干质量呈极显著正相关(P<0.01),但与地上部分干质量、株高、根长、根数和根粗的相关性不显著。总体而言,8种湿地植物3年生植株的表型特征优于1年生植株,更适用于污染水体及退化湿地生态系统的修复。     

Variation in root system traits among African semi‐arid savanna grasses: Implications for drought tolerance

In arid to semi‐arid grasslands and savannas, plant growth, population dynamics, and productivity are consistently and strongly limited by soil water and nutrient availability. Adaptive traits of the root systems of grasses in these ecosystems are crucial to their ability to cope with strong water and/or nutrient limitation and the increasing drought stress associated with ecosystem degradation or projected climate change. We studied 18 grass species in semi‐arid savanna of the Kalahari region of Botswana to quantify interspecific variation in three important root system traits including root system architecture, rhizosheath thickness and mycorrhizal colonization. Drought‐tolerant species and shorter‐lived species showed greater rhizosheath thickness and fine root development but lower mycorrhizal colonization compared to later successional climax grasses and those characteristic of wetter sites. In addition, there was a significant positive correlation between root fibrousness index and rhizosheath thickness among species and a weak negative correlation between root fibrousness index and mycorrhizal colonization. These patterns suggest that an extensive fine root system and rhizosheath development may be important complementary traits of grasses coping with drought conditions, the former aiding in the acquisition of water by the grass plant and the latter aiding in water uptake and retention, and reducing water loss in the rhizosphere. Within species, both rhizosheath development and mycorrhizal colonization were significantly greater in a wet year than in a year with below‐average precipitation. The observed patterns suggest that the primary benefit of rhizosheath development in African savanna grasses is improved drought tolerance and that it is a plastic trait that can be adjusted annually to changing environmental conditions. The functioning of mycorrhizal symbiosis is likely to be relatively more important in infertile savannas where nutrient limitation is higher relative to water limitation.     

Root proliferation strategies and exploration of soil patchiness in arid communities

Soil patchiness is a key feature of arid rangelands. As root proliferation contributes to soil exploration and resource uptake, it is ecologically relevant to understand how species respond to soil heterogeneity and coexist. Campbell et al.'s influential 1991 hypothesis proposes that dominant species deploy root systems (scale) that maximize soil volume explored. Instead, subordinate species show accurate root systems that exclusively proliferate in nutrient‐rich patches (precision). After many experiments under controlled conditions, the generality of this hypothesis has been questioned but a field perspective is necessary to increase realism in the conceptual framework. We worked with a guild of perennial graminoid species inside a grazing exclosure in an arid Patagonian steppe, a model system for ecological studies in arid rangelands for four decades. We buried root traps in bare ground patches with sieved soil, with or without a pulse of nitrogen addition, to measure specific root biomass and precision at 6 and 18 months after burial. We also estimated scale (root density) in naturally established plants, and root decomposition in litter bags. Several species grew in root traps. Dominant species showed the highest root biomass (in both harvests) and scale. Subordinate species grew more frequently with nitrogen addition and showed lower biomass and scale. Similar total root biomass was found with and without nitrogen addition. Species differed in root decomposition, but correcting species biomass by decomposition did not change our conclusions. We did not find a relation between scale and precision, indicating that Campbell's hypothesis is probably not supported in this Patagonian steppe. Soil resource acquisition differences probably do not utterly explain the coexistence of dominant and subordinate species because the steppe is also affected by large herbivore grazing. We propose that root proliferation in this steppe is the result of the interaction between individual density in the community and specific root growth rates.     

Evolving technologies for growing,imaging and analyzing 3D root system architecture of crop plants

A plant's ability to maintain or improve its yield under limiting conditions,such as nutrient de ficiency or drought,can be strongly in fluenced by root system architecture(RSA),the three-dimensional distribution of the different root types in the soil. The ability to image,track and quantify these root system attributes in a dynamic fashion is a useful tool in assessing desirable genetic and physiological root traits. Recent advances in imaging technology and phenotyping software have resulted in substantive progress in describing and quantifying RSA. We have designed a hydroponic growth system which retains the three-dimensional RSA of the plant root system,while allowing for aeration,solution replenishment and the imposition of nutrient treatments,as well as high-quality imaging of the root system. The simplicity and flexibility of the system allows for modi fications tailored to the RSA of different crop species and improved throughput. This paper details the recent improvements and innovations in our root growth and imaging system which allows for greater image sensitivity(detection of fine roots and other root details),higher ef ficiency,and a broad array of growing conditions for plants that more closely mimic those found under field conditions.