克隆植物乌菱对底泥磷含量及植株密度的表型可塑性响应

植物,尤其是克隆植物,能够通过表型变化来缓解外界压力,提高对环境的适应能力。该文研究了水生克隆植物乌菱(Trapa bicornis)对底泥磷含量(Sediment phosphorus concentration, SP)、植株密度(Plant density, PD) 及两者间交互作用的可塑性响应,探讨可塑性是否能促进其在富营养化环境中的生长。结果显示,底泥磷含量对乌菱的主菱盘叶数、同化根比根长、吸收根比根长以及叶、茎、同化根、吸收根与植株总磷含量等都有显著影响 (p<0.05),而植株密度对乌菱各生长及生理生态参数均无显著作用 (p>0.05);SP与PD的交互作用弱化了底泥磷含量对乌菱的效应。底泥磷含量和植株密度甚至改变了同化根、吸收根、茎、叶与总生物量之间的异速生长关系。研究结果表明:乌菱的表型可塑性变化主要受底泥磷含量的影响,乌菱通过器官生物量分配、形态结构及生理生态特征的调整来响应底泥磷含量的变化;同时,高的植株密度也可以提高其在富营养化生境下的生态适应性。     

喜旱莲子草对遮荫的可塑性反应:入侵地与原产地种群的比较

表型可塑性可能在外来植物的成功入侵和随后的扩散中起到至关重要的作用。一些研究者推测喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)入侵地种群可能比原产地种群对光强具有更强的可塑性反应。为了验证该假说,我们在正常光照和遮荫(30%正常光照)条件下研究了喜旱莲子草原产地(阿根廷)和入侵地(美国)种群在形态特征和生物量分配上是否存在显著差异。结果表明:(1)喜旱莲子草对光照强度具有很强的可塑性。在遮荫处理下,其根冠比和分枝生物量比显著降低,而比茎长和比叶面积显著增加;(2)原产地和入侵地喜旱莲子草的总生物量和比叶面积对遮荫的可塑性没有显著差异。入侵地种群的根冠比、分枝强度和比茎长的可塑性显著小于原产地种群;(3)无论在正常或低光照条件下,入侵地种群的根冠比(–20.8%)、分枝强度(–54.6%)、比茎长(–18.5%)和比叶面积(–8.6%)均显著低于原产地种群。这些结果表明,喜旱莲子草对光照强度具有很强的可塑性,这可能是该物种可以分布于从河岸带草丛到疏林灌丛等各种生境的主要原因;从原产地到入侵地,喜旱莲子草与耐阴性有关的性状对光照的可塑性显著降低,可能是该物种在入侵地能够形成单优势种群的主要原因。     

外源钙离子与南方菟丝子寄生对喜旱莲子草茎形态结构的影响

外源钙离子对植物响应外界环境胁迫具有重要作用.寄生植物对入侵植物具有显著的抑制作用.以入侵植物喜旱莲子草为研究对象,采用完全随机区组的实验设计分析不同钙离子浓度与南方菟丝子寄生对喜旱莲子草茎形态结构的影响,探讨外源钙离子在寄主植物响应寄生植物胁迫中的作用.研究结果表明南方菟丝子寄生可以显著改变喜旱莲子草茎的形态结构,如显著降低喜旱莲子草茎的总长、分枝数、分节数、茎直径和髓腔直径,显著增加茎的厚角厚度与皮层厚度.外源钙离子对喜旱莲子草茎总长、分枝数、分节数、茎直径、髓腔直径和维管束直径没有显著影响,但可增加喜旱莲子草茎的维管束数目,降低茎的节间长、厚角厚度与皮层厚度.外源钙离子与南方菟丝子寄生相互作用可以显著增加喜旱莲子草茎的厚角厚度与皮层厚度,表明南方菟丝子寄生与高浓度的钙离子对喜旱莲子草茎的厚角厚度和皮层厚度具有显著的拮抗的交互作用.这种交互作用可以提高寄主植物的防御能力,减少寄生植物对寄主植物的损伤.     

喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤对植物生长的影响

分别以受喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)入侵和未受喜旱莲子草入侵的当地植物群落土壤为生长基质,比较不同基质上入侵植物喜旱莲子草和同属的土著植物莲子草(A.sessilis)的生长指标,探讨喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤对喜旱莲子草及莲子草生长的影响机制。结果表明,喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤抑制了莲子草的生长,显著降低了根生物量、茎生物量和总生物;改变了形态特征,显著降低了分枝数量、茎长度、根长、根体积;减少了对根的生物量分配,显著抑制了根质量比与根冠比。喜旱莲子草入侵群落土壤对入侵植物喜旱莲子草的生物量、分枝数量、茎长度、根长、根体积没有显著的抑制作用,而显著增加了其叶片数量和叶质量比。这种效应将有利于喜旱莲子草在入侵地形成单优群落,表明土壤在喜旱莲子草成功入侵中起了重要作用。     

入侵种喜旱莲子草对光照强度的表型可塑性反应

对外来人侵种喜旱莲子草[Alternanthera philoxeroides（Mart．）Griseb．]在不同强度光照处理中的表型可塑性反应进行了研究。结果表明：在高光照（100％）、中等光照（60．4％）、低光照（35．4％）和弱光照（16．5％）条件下,随光照强度的降低,分枝强度、基株株长、茎节长度随之下降,总生物量及根、茎、叶生物量显著减少;中等光强度处理喜旱莲子草根冠比显著低于其他处理;弱光条件下喜旱莲子草生长迟缓,呈直立状。研究结果表明,光照强度是影响喜旱莲子草种群生存与维持、生长和成功入侵、扩散的重要因子,同时也说明光照强度较低的生态系统喜旱莲子草入侵成功的机会很小。     

完全水淹环境中光照和溶氧对喜旱莲子草表型可塑性的影响

光照和溶氧是水环境和陆地环境间差异显著的两个环境因子,对水淹植物的生长和存活具有重要的意义。以三峡库区常见外来入侵植物喜旱莲子草(Alternanthera philoxeroides)为研究对象,考察了水体中的光照(L)和溶氧(DO)对完全水淹环境中喜旱莲子草的形态特征和生物量分配等表型可塑性的影响。实验设置水淹和非水淹对照两组处理,对水淹组的光照和溶氧两个环境因子再分别设置有(+)、无(-)以及高(+)、低(-)两种水平,共计4个处理。实验结果表明:(1)水淹可促进喜旱莲子草主茎和叶片发生可塑性反应,引发伸长生长。水淹后,其细长的主茎以及长而薄的直立叶更有利于植株早日出露水面。(2)完全水淹条件下,喜旱莲子草主茎和叶片的表型可塑性受光照和溶氧的复合影响,其中主茎的伸长生长主要受溶氧的影响,而叶片的形态变化则主要受光照影响。高溶氧处理下喜旱莲子草的主茎伸长生长显著(P0.05)。在相同光照条件下,高溶氧处理下喜旱莲子草的主茎长、节间数、节间长以及主茎长/主茎直径均明显高于低溶氧处理。不论有光还是无光,高溶氧处理下喜旱莲子草主茎长以及节间数的平均增长率均处于最高水平,分别为61.8%、34.2%。喜旱莲子草叶片的形态变化在有光处理下表现得尤为显著,其平均叶片长宽比、比叶面积以及叶倾角分别较水淹前增加了39.65%、28.3%、45.9°。(3)光照和溶氧对于喜旱莲子草不定根和分枝的发生及发展存在影响差异。有光条件下可促进植株抽枝,而高溶氧处理时更有利于植株生根。这些形态变化有助于喜旱莲子草扩大株型占据有利生境,进一步提高植株的水下存活能力。     

光照和氮素对喜旱莲子草形态特征和生物量分配的影响

研究了两个光照梯度和3个土壤氮素水平交互作用对喜旱莲子草(Alternan thera philoxeroides(Mart.)Griseb.)形态特征和生物量分配的影响。结果表明,全光照促进喜旱莲子草总生物量的积累,但在遮荫条件下,喜旱莲子草可以通过增加株高、光合叶面积和改变生物量分配来适应弱光生境。土壤中氮素含量对喜旱莲子草生长有明显影响,总生物量、株高、叶面积、茎生物量比和叶生物量比等随土壤氮素水平增加而增加。光照和氮素的交互作用对总生物量、根生物量比、茎生物量比和叶生物量比也有显著影响。随着氮素水平的增高,遮荫和高光照处理下喜旱莲子草的叶面积、总生物量和叶生物量比之间的差异减小,而株高和根生物量比之间的差异增大。此外,光照强度对茎生物量比的影响具有明显的氮素浓度依赖性,低氮条件下,茎生物量比在高光照处理下显著高于遮荫处理,而在中氮条件下,遮荫处理却显著高于高光照处理,且在高氮处理下其差异进一步加大。这些结果表明喜旱莲子草在高氮素环境下能够通过形态可塑性和生物量分配模式的改变来适应弱光环境所带来的不利影响。研究结果不但可为研究喜旱莲子草对异质生境的入侵机制提供资料,也可为进一步研究喜旱莲子草的入侵和扩散与农业等生态系统中土壤氮素残留的关系提供参考。       

入侵植物喜旱莲子草和本地种接骨草光合生理特征对增温响应的差异

利用红外加热器模拟增温,比较入侵植物喜旱莲子草和本地种接骨草的光合特性对增温响应的差异,以预测气候变暖背景下入侵植物的入侵潜力,并为筛选替代控制植物提供依据。结果表明:增温导致喜旱莲子草和接骨草的叶绿素a/b值分别比对照显著提高6.21%和降低5.55%。无论增温与否,接骨草的叶绿素b含量显著高于喜旱莲子草,而叶绿素a/b值则相反。增温导致喜旱莲子草净光合速率显著提高9.23%,由于气孔导度增大引起蒸腾速率大幅度增加,使得其水分利用效率比对照显著降低10.64%。增温仅导致接骨草的气孔导度显著增加10.95%,而对其他气体交换特征无显著影响。对照条件下,尽管接骨草的气孔导度和胞间CO_2浓度分别显著低于喜旱莲子草7.03%和4.57%,但是前者的净光合速率和水分利用效率分别显著高于后者10.30%和11.92%。增温条件下,两种植物的净光合速率和气孔导度无显著差异,由于接骨草的蒸腾速率显著低于喜旱莲子草18.02%,故其水分利用效率显著高于后者26.45%。增温、物种及其两者的交互作用对光补偿点、光饱和点、最大净光合速率、暗呼吸速率和初始量子效率等光响应参数影响均不显著。总之,对照条件下,接骨草凭借较高的叶绿素b含量、净光合速率和水分利用效率,比喜旱莲子草具有更强的光合能力。但增温后,接骨草的光合优势被削弱。研究从光合生理角度证明接骨草有望作为喜旱莲子草的替代控制植物,但是未来气候变化背景下喜旱莲子草的入侵潜力可能增强。     

外源钙离子对南方菟丝子寄生入侵植物喜旱莲子草效果的影响

外源钙离子可以有效地缓解植物在胁迫下受到的毒害,提高植物组织或细胞抗胁迫的能力。以喜旱莲子草为研究对象,采用完全随机区组的实验设计,研究不同钙离子浓度与南方菟丝子寄生对喜旱莲子草茎生物量的影响,探讨外源钙离子是否可以减少南方菟丝子对喜旱莲子草的损伤。研究表明南方菟丝子寄生对喜旱莲子草的根、茎和叶的生物量具有显著影响,且南方菟丝子寄生与外源钙离子对喜旱莲子草茎和叶的生长具有显著的交互作用。不同浓度的钙离子与南方菟丝子寄生对喜旱莲子草茎生物量存在拮抗的交互作用;而仅8 mmol/L Ca2+与南方菟丝子寄生对喜旱莲子草叶生物量存在拮抗的交互作用。不同浓度钙离子均可以缓减南方菟丝子对喜旱莲子草茎的有害效应,仅8 mmol/L Ca2+可以缓减南方菟丝子对喜旱莲子草根和叶的有害效应。2—6 mmol/L的外源钙离子对南方菟丝子寄生下的喜旱莲子草的丙二醛(MDA)含量无显著影响,但可以显著地降低过氧化物酶(POD)活性,表明低浓度的外源钙离子的添加可以缓减南方菟丝子对喜旱莲子草的寄生胁迫,并体现在生理指标上。     

红薯水提物对外来入侵植物喜旱莲子草生长的化感影响

从植物化感作用的角度,探索利用具有较高经济价值的本地植物或伴生的本地物种对入侵植物进行抑制和清除,是一种控制外来入侵植物行之有效的方法。本研究以本地作物红薯和入侵植物喜旱莲子草为试验对象,探究红薯不同部位(根、茎、叶)3个浓度(0.025、0.05、0.1 g·mL^-1)的水提物对喜旱莲子草的化感作用。以形态学指标(无性系小株个数、节数、叶片数、叶面积、株高、总干重和根数)、化感响应指数、性状比值(肉质化程度、根冠比、比叶面积、叶生物量比、茎生物量比、根生物量比)、新生叶片中过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)、丙二醛(MDA)、超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)等作为衡量红薯对喜旱莲子草根状茎生长影响程度的参数。结果表明: 1)不同浓度不同部位红薯水提物对喜旱莲子草生长有不同影响。0.1 g·mL^-1根水提物显著抑制所有形态学指标,除总干重和根数外,其他形态学指标均随不同部位水提物浓度的升高而显著降低。2)所有处理的综合化感响应指数均为负值,说明红薯水提物对喜旱莲子草各指标具有负效应,抑制其正常生长。在所有处理中,0.1 g·mL^-1根水提物的化感抑制作用最强,化感响应指数为-0.73,其次为0.1 g·mL^-1茎水提物和0.05 g·mL^-1根水提物,化感响应指数均为-0.44。3)从性状比值可以看出,红薯水提物对肉质化程度、根冠比、比叶面积和叶生物量比有显著抑制作用,而对茎生物量比和根生物量比无显著性影响。4)红薯水提物显著增加新生叶片中丙二醛含量,显著降低超氧化物歧化酶含量,但对过氧化氢酶和过氧化物酶无显著影响。表明红薯水提物对喜旱莲子草根状茎生长有显著抑制作用。     

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。     

Effect of stem length to stem slender ratio of current-year twigs on the leaf display efficiency in evergreen and deciduous broadleaved trees

Aims Branches and leaves are the two main structural units of tree crown composition. Among the adaptive strategies of plants, the functional traits of branches and the relationships between branch traits and leaf traits determine the capacity of trees to access light and space. In this study, our objective is to test the hypothesis that leaf display efficiency is affected by the stem length to stem slender ratio within current-year twigs.Methods The stem length to stem slender ratios of current-year twigs were used as the proxy of stem structure traits. Leaf area ratio (total leaf area per stem mass), leaf density (leaf number per stem length) and leaf/stem mass ratio (total leaf mass per stem mass) were used as the proxies of leaf display efficiency. The relationship between stem structure traits and leaf display efficiency within current-year twigs were studied for 25 evergreen and 60 deciduous broadleaved woody species in Qingliang Mountain, Zhejiang, China. The standardized major axis estimation method was used to examine the scaling relationship between stem structural traits and leaf display efficiency within current-year twigs.Important findings The proxies of leaf display efficiency, measured by leaf area ratio, leaf density or leaf/stem mass ratio, were all significantly and negative correlated with stem length to stem slender ratio within current-year twigs in both evergreen and deciduous broadleaved woody species. This suggested that leaf display efficiency decreased with stem length to stem slender ratios within current-year twigs, which may reflect the role of mechanical safety and light within twigs. The slope of the relationship between leaf display efficiency and stem long-dimension structure traits in evergreen species was not significantly different from the one in deciduous species. In contrast, the y-intercept of the relationship between leaf density and stem long-dimension structure traits was significantly larger in evergreen species than in deciduous species, i.e. the leafing intensity of evergreen species was higher than that of deciduous species. Individual leaf area and specific leaf area were smaller in evergreen species than in deciduous species, which resulted in deciduous species have a larger leaf area per stem mass and leaf mass per stem mass at a given stem length to stem slender ratio compared to evergreen species. It may reflect the conservative adaptive strategy of high consumption and slow benefit in evergreen species. Our results demonstrated that leaf display efficiency could be affected by stem length, and would change with leaf life-span (deciduous versus evergreen).     

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.     

胡杨当年生小枝茎构型对展叶效率的影响

枝叶异速生长关系对理解荒漠植物生物量分配和生活史策略具有重要意义。该研究以小枝茎长度、茎纤细率和茎体积表征茎构型, 以叶密度(单位茎长度的叶数量)、叶面积比(单位小枝茎干质量的总叶面积)和叶茎质量比(单位小枝茎干质量的总叶干质量)表征展叶效率, 采用标准化主轴回归(SMA)方法研究胡杨(Populus euphratica)当年生小枝茎构型对展叶效率的影响及二者沿地下水埋深(GWD)梯度的权衡策略。结果显示, 胡杨当年生小枝茎直径、展叶效率和比叶面积、叶大小随GWD增加而降低, 小枝茎长度、茎纤细率及其上的叶数量则增大。小枝茎构型性状均与展叶效率呈显著负相关关系, 即随小枝茎长度、茎纤细率和茎体积的增加, 展叶效率逐渐降低, 这可能是枝叶大小、水分传导与机械支撑间的权衡结果。小枝茎构型与展叶效率的异速生长指数(斜率)随GWD增加而增大, 是由于单位小枝茎投资获得的叶面积或者叶质量降低所致, 反映出随GWD增加胡杨采取了高消耗低收益的保守型策略。胡杨应对环境压力时, 倾向于在长枝上着生数量较多的小叶, 短枝上着生数量较少的大叶, 体现出胡杨小枝的资源利用策略与枝叶大小的权衡机制。综上所述, GWD显著影响胡杨小枝茎构型-展叶效率的权衡关系, 低展叶效率是胡杨应对日益旱化荒漠环境的适应策略。     

中亚热带樟科3种植物幼苗叶结构型性状的种间差异及其相关性

为了揭示植物叶功能性状对全球气候变化的响应和适应规律,以樟科3种植物幼苗为研究对象,将其人工采集的种子经低温沙藏并于温室培育,然后将幼苗移栽到野外同质园中自然生长,研究中亚热带樟科植物刨花楠(Machilus pauhoi)、香樟(Cinnamomum camphora)和闽楠(Phoebe bournei)两年生幼苗生长季节9种叶结构型性状的种间差异及其相关性。结果显示,(1)在3种植物幼苗中,香樟叶面积、叶厚度、叶体积、叶氮磷比最大,叶氮浓度最高,叶组织密度最小;闽楠叶组织密度、叶干物质含量最大,叶磷浓度最高,叶面积、叶体积、比叶面积、叶氮磷比最小,叶氮浓度最低;刨花楠比叶面积最大,叶厚度、叶干物质含量最小,叶磷浓度最低;3种植物幼苗的叶厚度之间均无显著差异。(2)Pearson相关分析和线性回归分析结果表明,樟科3种植物幼苗的叶面积与叶体积间呈极显著正相关(P0.01)、与叶干物质含量间呈极显著负相关(P0.01)、与叶磷浓度间呈极显著负相关(P0.01)、与叶组织密度间呈显著负相关(P0.05)、与叶氮浓度间呈显著正相关(P0.05);叶厚度与比叶面积间呈显著负相关(P0.05)、与叶干物质含量间呈显著正相关(P0.05);叶体积与叶组织密度间呈极显著负相关(P0.01)、与叶氮浓度间呈极显著正相关(P0.01)、与叶磷浓度间呈显著负相关(P0.05);叶组织密度与叶磷浓度间呈显著正相关(P0.05);比叶面积与叶干物质含量间呈极显著负相关(P0.01)、与叶磷浓度间呈极显著负相关(P0.01);叶干物质含量与叶磷浓度间呈极显著正相关(P0.01)。这表明在同质园中生长的刨花楠、香樟和闽楠幼苗的9种叶结构型性状表现出一定的种间差异,不同物种同一叶结构型性状指标的大小顺序、种间差异及其显著性不同;3种植物幼苗不同叶结构型性状之间的相关性及其显著程度也不同。本研究结果为揭示樟科3种植物幼苗叶功能性状对全球气候变化的响应和适应规律提供了基础数据。     

Genetic variation of ecophysiological traits in two gynodioecious species of Schiedea (Caryophyllaceae)

Evolution of dimorphic breeding systems may involve changes in ecophysiological traits as well as floral morphology because of greater resource demands on females. Differences between related species suggest that ecophysiological traits should be heritable, and species with higher female frequencies should show greater sexual differentiation. We used modified partial diallel crossing designs to estimate narrow-sense heritabilities and genetic correlations of sex-specific ecophysiological and morphological traits in closely related gynodioecious Schiedea salicaria (13% females) and Schiedea adamantis (39% females). In S. salicaria, hermaphrodites and females differed in photosynthetic rate and specific leaf area (SLA). Narrow-sense heritabilities were significant for stomatal conductance, SLA and inflorescence number in hermaphrodites, and for SLA and inflorescence number in females. Schiedea adamantis had no sexual dimorphism in measured traits; stomatal conductance, stem number and inflorescence number were heritable in females, and stem number was heritable in hermaphrodites. In both species, significant genetic correlations of traits between sexes were rare, indicating that traits can evolve independently in response to sex-differential selection. Significant genetic correlations were detected between certain traits within sexes of both species. Low heritability of some ecophysiological traits may reflect low additive genetic variability or high phenotypic plasticity in these traits.     

四种亚高山针叶林树种的表型可塑性对不同光照强度的响应

以青藏高原东缘亚高山针叶林群落演替后期种岷江冷杉、演替中后期种粗枝云杉和青榨槭、及先锋树种红桦为材料,研究了不同光强下生长的4种树苗生长、生物量分配、叶片形态和光合特性,探讨植物幼苗的形态和生理特征的表型可塑性与光适应的关系。结果表明：（1）弱光环境中生长的4种植物的基茎、相对生长速率、叶片厚度、根重比、最大净光合速率、光饱和点、光补偿点、暗呼吸速率较低,而比叶面积、地上／地下生物量、茎长／茎重、叶重比和茎重比较高。（2）大部分光环境下岷江冷杉幼苗的最大净光合速率和暗呼吸速率低于粗枝云杉,青榨槭幼苗的最大净光合速率和暗呼吸速率略低于红桦。（3）高光强下生长的粗枝云杉和红桦幼苗的相对生长速率分别大于岷江冷杉和青榨槭,但在低光强下则与之相反。（4）粗枝云杉和红桦幼苗的11种可塑性指数平均值则分别大于岷江冷杉和青榨槭。岷江冷杉适应弱光环境的能力略强于粗枝云杉和红桦,但适应强光的能力较差。生理适应的可塑性指数大于形态适应的可塑性指数,表明前者在4种植物幼苗光适应方面起到了重要的作用。研究结果支持树种的生理生态特性决定了其演替状况和生境选择的假说。     

Testing the adaptive plasticity of Iris pumila leaf traits to natural light conditions using phenotypic selection analysis

A multivariate selection analysis has been used to test the adaptiveness of several Iris pumila leaf traits that display plasticity to natural light conditions. Siblings of a synthetic population comprising 31 families of two populations from contrasting light habitats were grown at an open dune site and in the understory of a Pinus nigra stand in order to score variation in phenotypic expression of six leaf traits: number of senescent leaves, number of live leaves, leaf length, leaf width, leaf angle, and specific leaf area. The ambient light conditions affected the values of all traits studied except for specific leaf area. In accordance to ecophysiological expectations for an adaptive response to light, both leaf length and width were significantly greater while the angle between sequential leaves was significantly smaller in the woodland understory than at the exposed dune site. The relationship between leaf traits and vegetative fitness (total leaf area) differed across light habitats as predicted by functional hypotheses. The standardized linear selection gradient (β′) for leaf length and width were positive in sign in both environments, but their magnitude for leaf length was higher in the shade than under full sunlight. Since plasticity of leaf length in the woodland shade has been recognized as adaptive, fitness cost of producing plastic change in leaf length was assessed. In both of the available methods used, the two-step and the multivariate regression procedures, a rather high negative association between the fitness value and the plasticity of leaf length was obtained, indicating a cost of plasticity. The selection gradient for leaf angle was weak and significant only in the woodland understory. Genetic correlations between trait expressions in contrasting light environments were negative in sign and low in magnitude, implying a significant genetic variation for plasticity in these leaf traits. Furthermore, leaf length and leaf width were found to be genetically positively coupled, which indicates that there is a potential for these two traits to evolve toward their optimal phenotypic values even faster than would be expected if they were genetically independent.