苦瓜植株不同构件层次对支持物直径变化的行为反应

 采用实验生态学的方法,在提供不同直径支持物的情况下,对攀援植物苦瓜(Momordica charantia)不同构件层次的形态可塑性反应、生物量积累和生物量配置的变化进行了研究。结果表明：1)支持物直径对植株分枝出现的时机无明显影响,但分枝数量和分枝在主茎上的着生位置受支持物直径影响较大;2)植株个体水平比分枝水平对支持物直径的变化有更灵敏的反应,当支持物直径较大时,植株个体表现出对支持物较强的寻觅能力：主茎伸长受阻,比茎长变大,分枝数量和分枝率增大,分枝长度增加,比叶柄长度增加,根冠比减小;3)分枝形态特征和生物量特征对支持物直径的变化均无显著反应;4)苦瓜植株个体水平上的形态特征变化、生物量配置格局的改变以及分枝行为的变化是植株对支持物有效性变化的响应,有利于增强植株“寻觅”支持物的能力。     

不同生境下假臭草生长特征分析

通过测定庄稼地、弃耕地、桉树林、公路边4种生境下假臭草叶面积(LA)、比叶面积(SLA)、LDMC和株高等形态特征、植株各构件生物量及生物量分配比和假臭草种群盖度、密度等种群数量性状,研究不同生境类型下假臭草个体的形态特征、生物量及生物量分配和种群生长状况的差异。结果表明:光照和土壤养分对假臭草的形态特征、生物量及生物量分配和种群数量性状的影响显著;低光照、高土壤养分生境下假臭草的LA、SLA、株高较高,假臭草叶片的LDMC较小,植株的花序数较少,生物量主要向叶和茎器官进行分配,根和花果器官的生物量分配则受到限制;高光照、养分贫瘠生境下假臭草的LA、SLA、株高较低,假臭草叶片的LDMC较大,生物量主要向根和花果器官进行分配,种群的盖度、密度、生物量和高度等种群数量性状较低,种群生长状况较差;高光照、肥沃养分生境为假臭草的最适生境,假臭草构件的资源配置较为优化,株高、基径粗、冠宽和花序数等形态指标较大,种群盖度、密度、生物量等种群数量性状较大,种群生长较好。     

不同生境下入侵植物胜红蓟种群构件生物量分配特性

为探究入侵植物胜红蓟在种群构件水平上的生长特性,以更好地了解其整体的生存策略和入侵性,通过测定胜红蓟各构件的生物量、各构件生物量相关性、繁殖构件/营养构件比和根冠比,对Ⅰ房前屋后、Ⅱ菜园地、Ⅲ桔园和Ⅳ路边4种不同生境下的胜红蓟种群构件的生物量分配进行了分析研究。结果表明:不同生境下胜红蓟种群各构件的生物量既存在差异,又存在相同的趋势,即:茎生物量叶生物量根生物量花果生物量;生境Ⅱ胜红蓟总生物量、茎、叶和花果生物量均最大,生境Ⅳ的均最小,两者之间均存在显著差异(P0.05);不同生境中胜红蓟种群的根、茎、叶、花果生物量分配与其各构件生物量大小顺序并不一致,前者各生境间的差异小于后者各生境间的差异;4种生境下繁殖构件与营养构件生物量比大小顺序依次为ⅣⅢⅡⅠ,其值分别为0.069、0.061、0.050和0.042,根冠比大小顺序依次为ⅢⅠⅣⅡ,其值分别为0.211、0.179、0.154和0.090;胜红蓟植株株高与各构件及各构件之间存在极显著正相关(P0.01),株高与各构件的相关性中,株高与茎生物量的相关性最强,相关系数为0.525,各构件的相关性中,茎生物量与叶和花果生物量的相关性较强,其相关系数均大于0.900。胜红蓟种群在不同生境下各构件的生物量、繁殖构件/营养构件比和根冠比表现出的差异显示了其较强的表型可塑性和对异质环境的适应性,可能增强了其入侵性。不同生境下胜红蓟种群各构件生物量相同的趋势及生物量分配比间相对较小的差异显示了胜红蓟种群构件生物量分配模式的相对稳定性。胜红蓟种群各构件间的极显著相关性显示了其整体性的生存策略。     

入侵植物印加孔雀草在不同生境的种群构件生物量及其分配特征

印加孔雀草是中国西藏新近入侵种,其危害已初见端倪,但我国鲜有对其入侵机理的研究。为探究印加孔雀草在异质环境下的种群构件生物量及其分配特征,进一步深入了解其生存策略和易入侵生境。该研究在菜园、果园、路边、荒地和河滩等五种典型入侵生境内对其花果期的种群构件生物量进行了测定和分析,计算了表型可塑性指标值。结果表明:(1)印加孔雀草种群各构件生物量的基本规律为茎>花果>叶>根,在路边最大,菜园最小,两地间各值均存在显著差异(P<0.05)。(2)印加孔雀草各构件生物量的总变异系数(CV)和可塑性指标(PI)的均值分别为46.93%和61.44%。(3)印加孔雀草繁殖与营养构件生物量比的关系为荒地>路边>果园>河滩>菜园,根冠比表现为菜园>荒地>河滩>路边>果园。(4)印加孔雀草各构件之间、各构件与总生物量间都存在显著的正相关关系,体现了其整体协调的生存策略。上述结果表明,印加孔雀草能通过各构件生物量的调整来适应异质生境,具有较高的可塑性;高繁殖输出和对异质环境的适应性可能是其成功入侵的重要原因。     

外来入侵植物大狼把草种群构件生物量结构研究

大狼把草是广泛分布于我国的外来入侵植物之一,通过样方调查,从构件水平定量分析了大狼把草种群各构件的结构特征及其生物量间的关系模型,并探讨了其与入侵性的关系。结果表明:大狼把草种群各构件生物量之间的关系为茎>花序>根>叶。各构件生物量所占比率表现为茎>花序>叶>根。大狼把草种群各构件生物量之间及各构件生物量与植株高度之间都呈显著正相关关系,均可用幂函数模型较好地表达。大狼把草种群各构件较强的表型可塑性及其在生殖器官中较高的生物量投资分配特性,极大地提高了其入侵能力。     

外来入侵植物牛膝菊种群构件生物量结构

牛膝菊原产南美洲,为沈阳地区爆发式入侵种．本文从构件水平研究了牛膝菊种群各构件生物量结构特征和各构件生物量间的关系模型,并进行了定量分析．结果表明,牛膝菊种群各构件生物量之间关系为茎〉叶〉花序〉根．各构件生物量在个体生物量中所占比率表现为茎〉叶〉根〉花序．牛膝菊种群茎生物量和叶生物量与植株高度、根生物量、花序生物量之间都呈显著的正相关关系,均可用幂函数模型较好地表达．     

外来入侵植物牛膝菊种群构件生物量结构

牛膝菊原产南美洲,为沈阳地区爆发式入侵种.本文从构件水平研究了牛膝菊种群各构件生物量结构特征和各构件生物量间的关系模型,并进行了定量分析.结果表明,牛膝菊种群各构件生物量之间关系为茎＞叶＞花序＞根.各构件生物量在个体生物量中所占比率表现为茎＞叶＞根＞花序.牛膝菊种群茎生物量和叶生物量与植株高度、根生物量、花序生物量之间都呈显著的正相关关系,均可用幂函数模型较好地表达.     

外来入侵植物小飞蓬种群构件生物量结构特征

小飞蓬是我国分布最广的外来入侵物种之一,通过样方调查,从构件水平研究了小飞蓬各构件的结构特征及其生物量间的关系模型,并进行了定量分析。结果表明小飞蓬各构件生物量间的关系表现为茎>叶>根>花;各构件生物量在个体生物量中所占比率也表现为茎>叶>根>花;小飞蓬根、茎、叶生物量与植株高度及各构件生物量间均呈正相关关系。     

喜旱莲子草沿河岸带不同生境的盖度变化及形态可塑性

 喜旱莲子草（Alternanthera philoxeroides）原产南美洲,是中国国家环保总局公布的9种危害最大的外 来入侵植物之一。该文比较了分布于河岸带4种小生境中,喜旱莲子草和它的同属土著植物莲子草 （Alternanthera sessilis）的盖度和生长特征变化,以了解影响喜旱莲子草入侵的生境和生长特征。按 照距水体的距离远近,这些小生境依次为：废弃农田、沼泽、河边沙石滩及河间卵石滩。 结果表明,这4 种生境在基质性质、土壤养分和生产力方面存在显著的差异。在生产力较高的生境中（如废弃地和沼泽） ,喜旱莲子草是优势种,但在生产力较低的生境中（即河边砾石滩及河间卵石滩）土著种莲子草的相对盖 度大于喜旱莲子草。随着生境土壤养分的增加,喜旱莲子草表现出明显的形态可塑性。喜旱莲子草与觅光 相关的几个形态指标,如茎的长度、节间长度和节的 数目以及单叶面积都显著增加;同时,那些着生叶 片的分枝也从匍匐状转变成直立生长。在生产力较高的生境中,喜旱莲子草的植冠高度和茎干密度成正相 关,表明喜旱莲子草对极度密集的种群环境有很强的适应能力。这些结果说明,较高的形态可塑性和优先 占据具有较高土壤养分的小生境是喜旱莲子草沿河岸带入侵的基本特征,可能也是促成其入侵的重要的内 部（植物自身）和外部（生境）条件。     

松嫩草原不同种群密度羊草草地生态系统有机碳分配

以松嫩草原自然生长状态下不同种群密度羊草生态系统为研究对象,采用野外取样与室内分析相结合的方法,研究其生物量分配、各构件有机碳含量及贮量、土壤有机碳含量及储量的变化特征。结果表明:随着种群密度的增加,羊草群落的根、茎、叶、根茎生物量以及根冠比无显著差异,而生殖构件生物量显著减少(P0.05);种群密度对羊草构件的有机碳含量无显著影响;随着种群密度的增加,羊草生殖构件有机碳贮量显著降低(P0.05),而对羊草非生殖构件无显著影响;种群密度影响土壤碳截获能力,低种群密度羊草生态系统碳截获能力更强,在土壤深层(20~100 cm)则更为显著(P0.05)。     

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。     

Phenotypic plasticity of four Chenopodiaceae species with contrasting saline–sodic tolerance in response to increased salinity–sodicity

It is unknown whether phenotypic plasticity in fitness‐related traits is associated with salinity–sodicity tolerance. This study compared growth and allocation phenotypic plasticity in two species with low salinity–sodicity tolerance (Chenopodium acuminatum and C. stenophyllum) and two species with high salinity–sodicity tolerance (Suaeda glauca and S. salsa) in a pot experiment in the Songnen grassland, China. While the species with low tolerance had higher growth and allocation plasticity than the highly tolerant species, the highly tolerant species only adjusted their growth traits and maintained higher fitness (e.g., plant height and total biomass) in response to increased soil salinity–sodicity, with low biomass allocation plasticity. Most plasticity is “apparent” plasticity (ontogenetic change), and only a few traits, for example, plant height:stem diameter ratio and root:shoot biomass ratio, represent “real” plasticity (real change in response to the environment). Our results show that phenotypic plasticity was negatively correlated with saline–sodic tolerance and could be used as an index of species sensitivity to soil salinity–sodicity.     

Phenotypic plasticity of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Chenopodium murale</Emphasis> across contrasting habitat conditions in peri-urban areas in Indian dry tropics: Is it indicative of its invasiveness?

Phenotypic plasticity is an important plant trait associated with invasiveness of alien plants that reflects its ability to occupy a wide range of environments. We investigated the phenotypic response of Chenopodium murale to resource variability and ontogeny. Its plant-level and leaf-level traits were studied at high-resource (HR) and low-resource (LR) sites in peri-urban areas in Indian dry tropics. Plants at LR had significantly higher root length, root/shoot biomass ratio, stem mass and root mass fractions. Plants at HR had higher shoot length, basal diameter, leaf mass fraction and leaf area ratio. Leaf-level traits like leaf area and chlorophyll a were also higher here. Mean plasticity indices for plant- and leaf-level traits were higher at HR. With increasing total plant biomass, there was significant increase in the biomass of leaf, stem, root, and reproductive parts, and root and shoot lengths, whereas root/shoot length ratio, their biomass ratio, and leaf and root mass fractions declined significantly. Allocation to roots and leaves significantly decreased with increasing plant size at both sites. But, at any size, allocation to roots was greater at LR, indicative of optimization of capture of soil nutrients, whereas leaf allocation was higher at HR. Consistently increasing stem allocation equaled leaf allocation at comparatively higher shoot lengths at HR. Reproductive biomass comprised 10–12% of the plant’s total biomass. In conclusion, the success of alien weed C. murale across environmentally diverse habitat conditions in Indian dry tropics can be attributed to its high phenotypic plasticity, resource utilization capability in low-resource habitats and higher reproductive potential. These characteristics suggest that it will continue to be an aggressive invader.     

Dynamic phenotypic plasticity for root growth in Polygonum: a comparative study

Species differences in patterns of phenotypic plasticity may be an important aspect of adaptive diversity. Plasticity for functionally important root traits was studied in inbred field lineages of Polygonum persicaria and P. cespitosum (Polygonaceae). Replicate seedlings were grown in plexiglass rhizotrons under a range of constant and temporally variable moisture treatments. Plasticity was determined for final whole-plant biomass, root biomass allocation, and absolute and proportional root length. The dynamic aspect of root plasticity was examined by digitizing weekly tracings of the proportional deployment of each plant's root system to different vertical soil layers. Plants of both species expressed significant functionally adaptive phenotypic plasticity in the relative allocation, length, and vertical deployment of root systems in response to contrasting moisture conditions. Plasticity patterns in these closely related species were in general qualitatively similar, but for most traits differed in the magnitude and/or the timing of the plastic response. Dynamic changes in root deployment were more marked as well as faster in P. persicaria. Species differences in patterns of individual plasticity were generally consistent with the broader ecological distribution of P. persicaria in diverse as well as temporally variable moisture habitats.     

Phenotypic plasticity to light of two congeneric trees from contrasting habitats: Brazilian Atlantic Forest versus cerrado (savanna)

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest is a typically multi-layer tropical forest, while cerrado (savanna) is a patchy habitat with different physiognomy. Despite these differences, both habitats have high light heterogeneity. Functional traits of Dalbergia nigra and D. miscolobium from the Atlantic Forest and cerrado, respectively, were evaluated under shade (25% of full sunlight) and full sunlight in a nursery experiment. We hypothesised that both species should benefit from high phenotypic plasticity in relation to light. Plasticity was estimated using the relative distance phenotypic index (RDPI). D. miscolobium had lower shoot growth under both light conditions, suggesting it has low competitive capacity in the forest environment, which could explain its limited ability to expand over areas of Atlantic Forest. The studied species exhibited photoprotection strategies under high light and improved light capture under low light. Stomatal conductance, ETR(max) (maximum electron transport rate), PPFD(sat) (saturating photosynthetically active photon flux density), chlorophyll and carotenoid content had higher RDPI than stem morphological traits. Although both species showed considerable phenotypic plasticity, D. miscolobium had higher RDPI for eight of 11 evaluated traits. This high plasticity could be one of the factors that explain the occurrence of this species in a wide range of environmental conditions, from open grassland to dense woodlands, and it could also reflect its adaptation to high light. D. nigra also had considerable plasticity and good growth performance in both shade and full sunlight, but its absence in areas of cerrado suggests that factors other than light limit its occurrence in these habitats.     

Roadside revegetation by native plants: I. Roadside microhabitats,floristic zonation and species traits

Recognizing the severity of road effects and need for developing a natural and self-sustained roadside vegetation cover, this study aimed to provide an ecological basis for selecting desirable native plants based on their autecological attributes by floristic analysis of naturally colonized plants in roadside microhabitats. We hypothesized that (i) vegetation zonation along roadsides is a function of the different microtopography and substrate types (microhabitats) created by road construction and (ii) plant colonization in these microhabitats is dependant upon the presence of suitable regeneration traits adapted to the specific microhabitats. We identified four distinct microhabitats namely shoulder, side slope, ditch and back slope from the edge of the road to the edge of the forest. We conducted vegetation and soil analyses in these microhabitats along 34 random transects running perpendicular to the road to the edge of forest in a 14 km section of the Trans Canada Highway (TCH) in Terra Nova National Park (TNNP), Newfoundland, Canada. The multi-response permutation procedure (MRPP) confirmed that the plant communities of the four roadside microhabitats were significantly different from each other. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that composition of roadside plant communities was related to gradients of soil moisture content, bulk density, organic matter depth and pH. Several indicator plants, determined by indicator species analysis (ISA), were abundant in their respective microhabitats, indicating their affinity to particular sets of environmental conditions. The root–shoot analysis of selected dominant plants across the roadside habitats revealed that plants of a particular microhabitat had similar above and below ground spread and biomass allocation patterns.We found that floristic zonation along roadsides is a function of roadside microtopography, substrate type and environmental gradients created by the road building process. The similarities in above and below ground spread and biomass allocation patterns of dominant plants of respective microhabitats could be used as a basis of interpreting the role of autecological attributes of the species that enable them to establish in specific microhabitats. Several native plants, such as Empetrum nigrum, Juniperus communis, Vaccinium angustifolium, Trifolium repens, and Anaphalis margaritaceae are naturally abundant in side slopes and possess autecological attributes such as low stature, widespread above- and below-ground parts, and drought tolerance. Presence of these desirable properties and their perennial habit make them excellent candidates for roadside revegetation.     

Phenotypic integration may constrain phenotypic plasticity in plants

Phenotypic plasticity is essential for plant adaptation to changing environments but some factors limit its expression, causing plants to fail in producing the best phenotype for a given environment. Phenotypic integration refers to the pattern and magnitude of character correlations and it might play a role as an internal constraint to phenotypic plasticity. We tested the hypothesis that phenotypic integration – estimated as the number of significant phenotypic correlations between traits – constrains phenotypic plasticity of plants. The rationale is that, for any phenotypic trait, the more linked with other traits it is, the more limited is its range of variation. In the perennial species Convolvulus chilensis (Convolvulaceae) and Lippia alba (Verbenaceae) we determined the relationship between phenotypic plasticity to relevant environmental factors – shading for C. chilensis and drought for L. alba– and the magnitude of phenotypic integration of morphological and biomass allocation traits. In C. chilensis plants, plasticity to shading of a given trait decreased with the number of significant correlations that it had with the other traits. Likewise, the characters that showed greater plasticity to experimental drought in L. alba plants had fewer significant phenotypic correlations with other characters. We report a novel limit to phenotypic plasticity of plants by showing that the phenotypic trait architecture may constrain their plastic, functional responses to the environment.     

Plastic responses of stem and leaf functional traits in Leymus chinensis to long-term grazing in a meadow steppe

植物对不同功能性状进行权衡, 通过表型可塑性达到对异质生境的适应是植物的一种生态对策。羊草(Leymus chinensis)是欧亚温带草原东缘的主要优势植物, 研究其对放牧的表型反应对揭示草原生态系统的放牧响应机制具有代表意义。该文以内蒙古呼伦贝尔草甸草原为例, 通过设置不同放牧压力与围封的长期试验, 研究了羊草茎叶功能性状对放牧的可塑性响应模式。结果表明: 1)与长期围封相比, 长期放牧导致羊草茎叶性状显著小型化, 其中, 株高和个体地上生物量分别降低76.82%和89.88%, 但3年短期围封对茎性状影响不显著, 说明羊草表型矮小化现象具有一定的保守性; 2)通过排序构建羊草性状可塑性变化谱, 发现茎质量、总质量、茎高、株高、叶面积等为对放牧响应的敏感性状, 而叶片数、茎粗、叶宽等较为稳定, 为惰性性状; 3)放牧干扰下, 羊草性状可塑性程度与其变异性之间符合y = y₀ + ae^bx拟合关系, 随着植物性状的响应强度增大, 其变异性增强; 4)偏最小二乘法分析发现茎长、株高、叶面积、叶长等性状的投影重要性指标大于1, 对地上生物量变化的解释率为68.6%, 是导致长期放牧下羊草个体生物量降低的主要因子。研究认为, 矮化型变是羊草的避牧适应对策, 在亚稳态下, 通过不同性状的权衡, 充分利用环境资源完成其生活史。