不同坡位大针茅生长与生殖分配特征

比较了内蒙古锡林郭勒草原坡地地形中坡底和坡顶大针茅的营养生物量与生殖生物量,并采用关联度法与因子分析法分析了影响种子生物量的因子.结果表明：坡底与坡顶大针茅营养生长和生殖生长之间差异均显著.与坡顶相比,坡底大针茅种群未结实子株高和数目分别增加24.69%和35.37%,已结实子株数增加102.97%,其营养生物量、生殖生物量和总生物量分别增加44.14%、95.59%和47.45%,种子百粒重增加25.00%.坡顶大针茅种子生物量受土壤含水量的影响较大,而坡底受土壤pH的影响较大.坡地地形使土壤水分和土壤氮含量发生分异,坡底大针茅将更多的能量分配给有性生殖.     

Growth of clonal modules on <i>Agropyron michnoi</i> in the Songnen Plain of Northeast China

Spatial expansion of clonal plants and growth of their modules are of concern in the field of plant ecology. After measuring a large number of samples, we analyzed the module components and the growth patterns of vegetatively propagated Agropyron michnoi clones in the Songnen Plain on Northeast China. The results showed that the plasticity of clonal growth was large; the coefficients of variation of both extensive areas and the quantitative characters of modules were more than 20%. The numbers of ramets, seedlings, and buds and the cumulative length of the rhizomes showed exponentially and linearly increasing patterns with increases of the area and the total number of modules. The biomass of each module, total number of modules and total biomass showed an allometric growth pattern, which was best described by power functions. For A. michnoi, there was a relatively stable investment to sexual reproduction; it showed a priority for allocating biomass to reproductive ramets, and also to rhizomes and buds formation.     

Soil temperature drives elevational patterns of reproductive allometry in a biodiversity hotspot

Understanding the geographic patterns of reproductive allocation helps in clarifying the selective forces that shape the reproductive strategies of plants. However, studies on the elevational patterns of reproductive allocation remain limited. Moreover, although soil attributes have long been suspected to drive elevational patterns of reproductive allocation, few studies have explored this relationship. Delaying reproduction and allocating a high proportion of biomass to vegetative organs may be risky for plants living under high-elevation habitats, as these two processes can potentially lead to plant reproductive failure due to the low temperatures and short growing seasons at high elevations. Thus, we hypothesize that reproductive effort will increase with elevation and the elevational pattern of reproductive allocation will be largely driven by soil attributes, given their covariation with elevation. To test these hypotheses, we determined the vegetative and reproductive biomass of individual Impatiens arguta (Balsaminaceae) plants across 12 populations in the Gaoligong Mountains (China), and collected data on soil temperature, nutrients, moisture, and pH for each population. Based on standard major axis regression and linear regression models, we found that (1) both vegetative and reproductive biomass decreased with elevation; (2) all populations demonstrated significant allometric slopes (i.e., linear coefficients of log[reproductive biomass]???log[vegetative biomass] regressions)?>?1; (3) allometric slopes decreased with elevation; and (4) soil temperature was a better predictor of the allometric slope than elevation, i.e., the allometric slope decreased with soil temperature. These results suggest that plant species growing at high elevation invest proportionately more resources to reproduction as an adaptation to low-temperature environments, and reproductive output is heavily dependent on vegetative growth. This study provides the first evidence of soil temperature driving reproductive allocation patterns, which suggests that plant species will favor allocation to growth under increasing soil temperatures with climate warming.

     

Senescence in growth and reproductive allocation in a bunchgrass

• Senescence is a puzzling phenomenon. Few convincing studies of senescence in perennial herbaceous plants exist. While ramets are known to senesce, whether senescence of bunchgrasses actually occurs is not clear.
• In this study, we grew a set of plants of Elymus excelsus, a bunchgrass, to examine plant size, sexual reproduction and bud formation in individual plants in relation to their gradual ageing, in order to determine whether E. excelsus experiences senescence. We collected data in two consecutive years (2009 and 2010) from field samples of plants from 1 to 5 years old. Using regression models, we performed age‐related analyses of growth and reproduction parameters.
• Our results showed that individual plant size (diameter, individual biomass), total biomass of ramets, number and biomass of reproductive ramets, percentage of ramets that were reproductive, reproductive allocation, over‐wintering buds and juvenile ramets all declined with age. However, vegetative growth (number and biomass of vegetative ramets) did not decrease with age.
• Those plants that survived, dwindled in size as they aged. However, no plants shifted their resource allocation between growth and reproduction as they aged, so the shift in allocation did not account for the fall in size.

     

扎龙湿地不同生境芦苇分株的形态特征及生物量分配的异速关系

不同环境条件下的植物个体可以表现出形态特征的分异和物质分配的权衡与调整。采用大样本抽样调查与统计分析方法,比较研究扎龙湿地不同生境芦苇(Phragmites Australis)生殖株和营养株的形态特征以及生物量分配的异速关系。结果表明:在9月末,盐碱生境、旱生生境、湿生生境和水生生境芦苇分株的生长表现出较大的生态可塑性,株高和株重均以盐碱生境最小,水生生境最大,最大值与最小值的比值分别为1.3-3.3和1.8-5.1,分株生长在种群间的变异度高于种群内,与营养株相比,生殖株的变异度较低;分株的支持分配与生产分配的比值为1.8-4.2,生产分配以盐碱生境最高,以水生生境最低,而支持分配和生殖分配表现与生产分配相反的序位;生殖株的花序长和花序重与株高间呈直线函数形式增长,株高和株重低于种群平均值的20%和35%的分株不进行有性生殖;叶重、叶鞘和茎重以及分株重与株高间呈幂函数形式的异速生长关系。植物通过改变个体的形态特征以及调整构件间生物量分配适应不同环境,而受遗传因素控制的构件间生长关系却相对稳定。     

Genetic and phenotypic variation,dispersal limitation and reproductive success in the invasive herb Eschscholzia californica along an elevation gradient in central Chile

Background: Reductions of genetic diversity and phenotypic changes in invasive plants are often observed to occur at high elevations. Genetic/phenotypic changes of invasive plants along elevation help to understand mechanisms of the presumed resistance of mountain ecosystems to invasion.

Aims: To assess genetic variability and phenotypic plasticity along an elevation gradient of Eschscholzia californica in the Andes, central Chile.

Methods: Eleven microsatellites were used to describe the genetic structure and the allelic diversity individuals, distributed at three elevations and two sites. We assessed the number of flowers per plant, floral biomass, leaf area, number of leaves, vegetative biomass and plant height of plants at each elevation.

Results: Genetic diversity as genetic structure did not decrease with elevations. Plant height and flower numbers decreased while leaf number and vegetative biomass increased with elevation. The ratio of the number of flowers to vegetative biomass, decreased significantly with elevation.

Conclusions: Strong genetic differences among elevations and similar genetic diversity along elevation do not suggest dispersal limitation to higher elevation. Reduction of reproductive and vegetative traits concomitantly with an increase of the reproductive cost suggests reproductive stress with increasing elevation, reducing the invasiveness of this species to higher elevation.     

松嫩平原贝加尔针茅无性系构件的结构及生长规律

采用整个分蘖丛挖掘的取样方法,对松嫩平原栽培条件下贝加尔针茅无性系构件的结构,以及生长与生产规律进行了定量分析.结果表明,在9月末停止生长期,经过2个生长季的营养繁殖,贝加尔针茅无性系的丛径为9.4±3.24 cm.无性系的全体构件数为161.±8.2个.其中,生殖分蘖株为14.6±11.48个,占9.2%;营养分蘖株为146.9±78.70个,占90.7%.全体构件总生物量为3.8±34.22 g,其中生殖分蘖株生物量为2.0±20.34 g,占43.7%;营养分蘖株为28.8±19.43 g,占6.2%.随着丛径的增加,不同构件的数量均具有线性同速生长规律,而不同构件的生物量均具有幂函数异速增长规律.不同构件生物量与无性系全体构件的数量和生物量之间均呈显著(P<0.0)或极显著(P<0.01)的幂函数正相关关系.平均单个生殖分蘖株的生产力约为营养分蘖株的10倍.生殖分蘖株的数量和生物量的表型可塑性普遍大于营养分蘖株.     

SEED AND VEGETATIVE REPRODUCTION IN RELATION TO DENSITY IN FRAGARIA VIRGINIANA (ROSACEAE)

Transplants of Fragaria virginiana Duchesne, the wild strawberry, from field and woods sites, were studied under controlled laboratory conditions to determine their seed and vegetative reproduction responses under different density conditions. The following results were obtained: (1) Increased competition among high density grown plants resulted in lower total biomass when compared to low density grown plants; (2) Increased shading in high density plots resulted in a greater percentage of biomass in leaves; (3) The percentage of total biomass in reproductive organs (seed and vegetative) was higher in low density grown plants; (4) Vegetative “reproductive effort” was higher in low density plots than in high density plots while seed “reproductive effort” remained constant between the two density treatments; (5) No significant difference between plants from habitats of different successional maturity was observed under the experimental treatments. These results are discussed in relation to reproductive density response models.     

Trade-offs among growth, clonal, and sexual reproduction in an invasive plant Spartina alterniflora responding to inundation and clonal integration

The purpose of this article was to study the trade-offs among vegetative growth, clonal, and sexual reproduction in an aquatic invasive weed Spartina alterniflora that experienced different inundation depths and clonal integration. Here, the rhizome connections between mother and daughter ramets were either severed or left intact. Subsequently, these clones were flooded with water levels of 0, 9, and 18 cm above the soil surface. Severing rhizomes decreased growth and clonal reproduction of daughter ramets, and increased those of mother ramets grown in shallow and deep water. The daughter ramets disconnected from mother ramets did not flower, while sexual reproduction of mother ramets was not affected by severing. Clonal integration only benefited the total rhizome length, rhizome biomass, and number of rhizomes of the whole clones in non-inundation conditions. Furthermore, growth and clonal reproduction of mother, daughter ramets, and the whole clone decreased with inundation depth, whereas sexual reproduction of mother ramets and the whole clones increased. We concluded that the trade-offs among growth, clonal, and sexual reproduction of S. alterniflora would be affected by inundation depth, but not by clonal integration.     

Cost of reproduction in the perennial herb Asphodelus albus (Liliaceae)

The cost of reproduction has been studied in two populations of the polycarpic herb Asphodelus albus under natural conditions The percentage of plants with flowers was determined in four sites and varied markedly among them The occurrence of reproduction was size-dependent, increasing flowering probability with plant size The cost of reproduction was assessed in terms of modular growth in reproductive plants relative to modular growth in vegetative ones I compared the modular growth of vegetative and reproductive plants considering two different densities m each of two populations Neither incidence of flowering nor modular growth were affected by density Flowering plants exhibited a withinramet demographic cost (in terms of modular growth) relative to non-flowering ramets in one population but not in the other This cost was greater in larger plants These results were concordant with the occurrence of flowering at both sites Both populations exhibited size-dependent patterns of allocation to reproduction, but no significant relationships were found between allocation to reproduction and cost of reproduction The data presented demonstrate differences in the cost of reproduction within a species This cost might determine whether a plant begins the reproduction, but probably have no effect on the reproductive allocation since the weight of the reproductive structures was not related to modular growth     

北京西部山区胡枝子种群研究: 个体和构件生物量

通过对北京西部山区胡枝子(Lespedeza bicolor Turcz.)种群个体和构件地上生物量进行系统研究。结果表明, 种群(总和)个体和各构件地上生物量积累与年龄的关系均可用方程式Y=axb表示。不同种群的植株个体和构件生物量有显著性不同(P<0.05), 在海拔910-1 100 m的山脊林缘的种群个体和构件地上生物量较其它种群大, 植株地上营养构件的生物量比率较小, 而繁殖构件生物量比率较大; 不适生境中的种群则反之。种群个体生长和各构件生物量动态与环境条件关系密切。构件生物量比率也随着年龄的增长而有所变化。叶生物量比率随年龄增加而减小; 枝构件生物量比率随年龄增加而增大; 繁殖构件的生物量比率随年龄增加先增后减。依据相关指数R2, 筛选各构件生物量估计的最优模型: 枝、枝叶生物量和地上生物量均为m(DW)= a(D2H1)b, 叶生物量和花果生物量均为m(DW)=a(D)b。     

北京西部山区胡枝子种群研究:个体和构件生物量

通过对北京西部山区胡枝子(Lespedeza bicolor Turcz.)种群个体和构件地上生物量进行系统研究。结果表明,种群(总和)个体和各构件地上生物量积累与年龄的关系均可用方程式Y=axb表示。不同种群的植株个体和构件生物量有显著性不同(P<0.05),在海拔910-1100m的山脊林缘的种群个体和构件地上生物量较其它种群大,植株地上营养构件的生物量比率较小,而繁殖构件生物量比率较大;不适生境中的种群则反之。种群个体生长和各构件生物量动态与环境条件关系密切。构件生物量比率也随着年龄的增长而有所变化。叶生物量比率随年龄增加而减小;枝构件生物量比率随年龄增加而增大;繁殖构件的生物量比率随年龄增加先增后减。依据相关指数R2,筛选各构件生物量估计的最优模型:枝、枝叶生物量和地上生物量均为m(DW)=a(D2H1)b,叶生物量和花果生物量均为m(DW)=a(D)b。     

Effects of Spatial Scale of Soil Heterogeneity on the Growth of a Clonal Plant Producing Both Spreading and Clumping Ramets

Soil nutrients are commonly heterogeneously distributed at different spatial scales. Although numerous studies have tested the effects of soil nutrient heterogeneity on growth of clonal plants producing either spreading ramets or clumping ramets, no study has examined the effects on the growth of clonal plants producing both spreading and clumping ramets and how spatial scale affects such effects. To test these effects, clones of Buchloe dactyloides, a stoloniferous clonal plant that produces both clumping and spreading ramets, were grown in six heterogeneous environments with different patch sizes and one homogeneous environment containing the same quantity of nutrients. Total biomass, total number of ramets, number of clumping ramets, number of spreading ramets, spacer length, or root:shoot ratio of the whole plants did not differ significantly among the seven treatments. However, at the patch level there were significant effects of patch size by nutrient level on biomass, number of ramets, number of spreading ramets, and number of clumping ramets, and these four variables were significantly larger in the nutrient-rich patches than in the nutrient-poor patches in the heterogeneous treatment with the largest patch size, but not in the other five heterogeneous treatments with smaller patch sizes. Neither nutrient level nor patch size significantly affected spacer length or root:shoot ratio. Based on our results, we propose that B. dactyloides can efficiently exploit nutrient-rich patches by a plastic response of clumping ramets and spreading ramets at larger spatial scales of soil heterogeneity but not at smaller ones.     

松嫩平原栽培条件下羊草无性系构件的结构

羊草是长根茎型禾草,是典型的无性系植物,在松嫩平原的生长季末期,栽培条件下羊草无性系分株由分蘖株和分蘖苗组成,在具有充分生长空间而又没有种间竞争的风沙土上,羊草分株的分蘖节在一个生长季内可以繁殖4个世代,按分蘖节的繁殖世代划分龄级,现实与潜在无性系构件的年龄谱均以1龄级比重最大,随着龄级的增加明显减少,呈增长型的年龄结构,羊草无性系分株的生产力主要与分株形成及生长的时间长短有关,形成时间越早、生长时间越长的分蘖株对无性系的物质生产和营养繁殖的贡献越大,羊草无性系在空间扩展与物质贮存上具有一定的可调节性。     

内蒙古锡林郭勒高原大针茅种群分株构件数量性状的地理变异研究

采用单因素方差分析、变异组分分析和分形几何学的原理和方法,对内蒙古锡林郭勒盟不同气候条件下的三个大针茅种群分株构件数量性状进行了研究,并结合它们所在生境特点对所得结果进行了分析。结果显示：（1）整个生长季内,不同种群大针茅营养枝高度的生长模式不同;营养枝高度和生殖枝高度在种群间差异显著,且多数变异存在于种群之间;（2）在不同生长期内,大针茅种群地上部干重与植株高度之间存在显著的分形关系;在无强度干扰的情况下,大针茅种群营养枝分形维数的大小与大针茅营养枝地上部干重的累积程度是一致的;但在长期严重干旱条件下,分形维数值表现为快速增加;（3）整个生长季内,同一生境条件下大针茅种群营养枝地上部干重与植株高度之间也存在显著的分形关系,且不同样地间分形维数值差异显著。不同生境条件下大针茅种群分株构件数量性状的差异是对所在生境长期适应、自然选择的结果。     

SEASONAL MODULE DYNAMICS IN SARGASSUM SUBREPANDUM (FUCALES,PHAEOPHYTA)1

Module dynamics of the fucoid alga SARGASSUM SUBREPANDUM (Forssk.) C. Agardh was studied in the southern Red Sea. Seasonal variation in thallus density and size was determined, and the initiation, growth, reproduction, and shedding of modules (primary laterals) were ascertained, using a tagging approach. Possible effects of different size‐related parameters on module initiation, growth, reproduction, and shedding were analyzed in the context of contradicting results for other macroalgae, in comparison with terrestrial plants. Thallus density varied little; most of the seasonal variation occurred at the modular level. A restricted period of new module formation early in the cooler season was followed by fast growth and reproduction. Massive shedding of modules occurred toward the end of the cooler season leading to strongly reduced biomass in summer. There was some evidence that high module numbers inhibited new module formation and enhanced the maximum module elongation rate (fastest‐growing module per thallus). On the other hand, elongation rates generally decreased, and apical tissue losses increased with increasing module length. This response was observed over a wide size range, suggesting grazing losses. There was no evidence of suppressed growth in small modules due to intraspecific competition. Elongation rates remained unaffected by reproductive status, indicating that there was no direct trade‐off between growth and reproduction. Module survivorship was independent of module number and size, but fertile modules were more persistent than vegetative ones. We conclude that module dynamics are determined by seasonal changes in the environment, size‐dependent processes, and interactions among the modules.     

The Influence of Light Quality on Levels of Ahscisic Acid in Tomato Plants, and Evidence for a Novel Abscisic Acid Metabolite

Tomato plants were grown in growth cabinets under two different light sources. One source consisted of white and red fluorescent tubes (Red cabinet), while the second consisted of both tungsten filament and fluorescent lamps (Far red cabinet). Energy fluence rates were adjusted to give equal photosynthetic rates in the two cabinets. Extension growth was approximately three times greater in the Far-red cabinet. No difference could be detected in abscisic acid (ABA) levels in leaves or petioles of plants grown under the two light regimes, but levels were 40–90% greater in stems of the slower growing plants illuminated with fluorescent light only. Exogenously applied ABA effectively reduced the growth rate of the plants in the Far-red cabinet to that of plants in the Red cabinet. However, it was shown that light-induced changes in growth rates occurred before any change in endogenous ABA could be demonstrated, thus precluding a role for ABA in the initial response to a change in light quality. The changed ABA levels appeared to be the result of a modified pathway of ABA degradation. Evidence is presented for a novel metabolite of ABA which yields free ABA on basic hydrolysis.     

Seasonal dynamics of biomass and nitrogen in canopies of Solidago altissima and effects of a yearly mowing treatment

Seasonal dynamics of biomass and nitrogen allocation in ramets of the clonal perennial Solidago altissima in response to yearly mowing were assessed in a field experiment. Final biomass of all component organs of the ramets was lower in mown than in unmown plots. Except for a negative effect on rhizome nitrogen concentration, mowing did not influence tissue nitrogen concentrations but, as a consequence of the reduced biomass accumulation, pools of standing-crop nitrogen were reduced in all organs. At all times during the annual stand development, the nitrogen concentration in the leaf canopies declined exponentially from the top downwards. The gradient of this decline was most marked at the beginning of the season and then became less apparent. In the mature stands, the area-based nitrogen contents of `upper-canopy' leaves (receiving > 50 % of incoming light), for a given light availability, on average were greater in mown than in unmown plots. About half of the nitrogen still remaining in pre-senescent leaves sampled in July was re-absorbed before leaf death. Nevertheless, the decreases in the absolute leaf- and stem-nitrogen pools per ramet during reproductive growth were much lower than the concomitant nitrogen gains of the developing inflorescences, implying that more than half of the nitrogen allocated to reproductive structures was taken up from the soil. On the other hand, there was evidence for nitrogen re-allocation from old to new leaves during vegetative growth which apparently enabled individual ramets to maintain an exponential nitrogen profile even during the phase of rapid leaf production in spring, thus using nitrogen efficiently.     

新疆伊犁河谷平原狗牙根无性系构件的生长

采用随机挖掘整个无性系的方法,在新疆伊犁河谷平原2年无人工管理的葡萄园撂荒地,对狗牙根无性系进行了大样本取样,定量分析了构件生长的规律.结果表明：在30个狗牙根无性系中,分株数平均为（272.6±186.6）个,其中营养分株占总分株数的82.3%,是生殖分株的4.3倍;无性系总生物量为(45.4±40.0) g,其中根茎占总生物量的54.4%,营养分株占21.0%,匍匐茎占14.8%,生殖分株占9.4%;根茎与匍匐茎的累计长度分别为(5.1±4.7) m和(3.3±3.4) m、着生的芽数分别为(291.5±246.8)和(78.8±87.4)个.根茎和匍匐茎芽数与无性系的营养分株、生殖分株、根茎和匍匐茎的数量性状之间均呈极显著的正相关关系(P<0.01),表明在新疆伊犁河谷平原,狗牙根无性系主要以根茎芽实现其持续更新.     

The effects of physiological integration on biomass partitioning in plant modules: an experimental study with the stoloniferous herb Glechoma hederacea

Morphological and physiological plasticity are crucial attributes enabling plants to acquire resources from heterogeneous habitats. Although physiological integration can modify biomass partitioning in modules, especially when connected modules experience different conditions, its ecological importance has been largely overlooked. This experiment examined its effects on above- and belowground biomass partitioning by modules in the stoloniferous herb Glechoma hederacea. We studied how biomass allocation to roots by younger ramets was affected by connection to older ramets, and by nutrient conditions. A lower proportion of biomass was allocated to roots by younger ramets growing under low nutrient (LN) conditions when connected to older ramets in high nutrient (HN) conditions than when they were isolated, demonstrating localised modification of biomass partitioning due to physiological integration. The proportion of biomass allocated to roots by younger ramets was also lower when connected to older ramets in HN conditions than when connected to older ramets in LN conditions. Thus, the effect of integration on biomass partitioning depended on the nutrient conditions experienced by connected ramets. Such changes in biomass partitioning would result in more extensive stolon growth, and greater lateral displacement of new ramets. Understanding the ecological implications of phenotypic plasticity in plants will require further examination of the effects of physiological integration when connected modules experience contrasting growing conditions. This study demonstrates that such integration affects the biomass allocation strategy of connected ramets, enhancing resource acquisition in heterogeneous habitats. The widespread success of clonality in many communities is likely to be strongly promoted by this characteristic.