木本植物水力系统对干旱胁迫的响应机制

干旱导致树木死亡对生态系统功能和碳平衡有重大影响。植物水分运输系统失调是引发树木死亡的主要机制。然而, 树木对干旱胁迫响应的多维性和复杂性, 使人们对植物水分运输系统在极端干旱条件下的响应以及植物死亡机理的认识还不清楚。该文首先评述衡量植物抗旱性的指标, 着重介绍可以综合评价植物干旱抗性特征的新参数——气孔安全阈值(SSM)。SSM越高, 表明气孔和水力性状之间的协调性越强, 木质部栓塞的可能性越低, 水力策略越保守。然后, 阐述木本植物应对干旱胁迫的一般响应过程。之后, 分别综述植物不同器官(叶、茎和根)对干旱胁迫的响应机制。植物达到死亡临界阈值的概率和时间, 取决于相关生理和形态学特征的相互作用。最后, 介绍木本植物水力恢复机制, 并提出3个亟待开展的研究问题: (1)改进叶片水分运输(木质部和木质部外水力导度)的测量方法, 量化4种不同途径的叶肉水分运输的相对贡献; (2)量化叶片表皮通透性变化, 以便更好地理解植物水分利用策略; (3)深入研究树木水碳耦合机制, 将个体结构和生理特征与群落/景观格局和过程相关联, 以便更好地评估和监测干旱诱导树木死亡的风险。     

7年穿透雨减少对锐齿槲栎光合固碳及生物量碳储量的影响

气候变化背景下不断加剧的干旱事件对树木的生长及碳积累产生显著影响。然而,树木光合固碳能力及生物量碳储量对相对长期干旱的连续响应机制的研究仍然有限。选择70年生的天然锐齿槲栎(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata)林,探究长期模拟穿透雨减少对锐齿槲栎光合固碳潜力和生物量碳储量的影响。研究结果表明,连续7年的穿透雨减少处理显著降低了锐齿槲栎的光合固碳能力,其叶片净光合速率(A)、最大羧化速率(V_cmax)、最大电子传递速率(J_max)、最大光化学效率(F_v/F_m)均明显降低,且穿透雨减少处理增强了A与气孔导度(g_s)、J_max、F_v/F_m之间的相关性。在适应长期干旱过程中,锐齿槲栎通过增加比叶面积(SLA)、叶片栅栏组织与海绵组织的比值、气孔密度等叶片形态及结构特性变化,降低冠层叶面积(LAI)指数和蒸腾水分散失及提高水分利用效率(WUE)缓解和适应干旱胁迫的不利影响。但是,长期穿透雨减少仍...     

气候过渡带锐齿栎林土壤呼吸对降雨改变的响应

作为大气与陆地生态系统之间的第二大碳通量,土壤呼吸是评价陆地生态系统碳循环及碳汇能力的不确定性来源之一。降雨格局改变及其导致的土壤水分变化是调节土壤呼吸的重要驱动。气候过渡带的水热状况受全球降雨格局改变的影响更为明显,揭示该区域森林土壤呼吸对降雨改变的响应规律有助于改善碳循环模型的预测精度。然而,气候过渡区的土壤碳排放过程如何响应降雨格局改变尚不清楚。通过在亚热带-暖温带的过渡区(宝天曼)开展降雨改变实验,以阐明锐齿栎林土壤呼吸及其温度敏感性对降雨增加(50%)和减少(50%)的响应规律。结果表明,降雨增加显著提高土壤湿度(+8.92%)而不影响土壤温度。与对照相比,降雨增加导致土壤呼吸显著提高80.5%,其土壤呼吸的温度敏感性(4.07)显著高于对照样地(2.66)。增雨处理下的土壤呼吸与土壤湿度呈负相关。降雨减少则显著降低土壤湿度(-10.25%),并对土壤呼吸有促进趋势,然而,对土壤呼吸的温度敏感性(2.64)无显著影响。减雨处理下的土壤呼吸强度与土壤湿度呈正相关。这意味着在我国亚热带—暖温带过渡区,降雨增加或减少均对土壤呼吸有不同程度的刺激作用,进而很可能减弱该区域森林生态系统土壤的固碳潜力。     

白刺叶片气孔特征对人工模拟降雨的响应

以荒漠生态系统典型植物白刺(Nitraria tangutorum Bobr)叶片为研究对象,利用数码图像显微镜处理系统,研究了不同人工模拟增雨处理下的白刺叶片气孔密度及形态特征的变化情况。结果表明,荒漠植物固有特征决定了白刺叶片下表皮气孔密度大于上表皮,上表皮、下表皮气孔密度对增雨响应差异不显著(P0.05)。增雨处理上表皮、下表皮气孔密度与对照差异显著(P0.05)。相同增雨季节,50%处理下叶片气孔密度高于100%处理;不同增雨季节,气孔密度对生长季后期增雨响应更明显。白刺叶表皮气孔分布遵循\"一细胞间隔(one cell spacing rule)\"法则。增雨后叶片上表皮和下表皮气孔长度、宽度均有不同程度的增加,气孔形态特征对100%处理的响应较50%处理更为明显,且生长季后期增雨对叶片气孔形态特征的影响更大。     

气候变化和人类活动驱动的森林衰退特征及机制

21世纪以来, 全球森林植被正面临由气候变化加剧、干旱胁迫频发及人类活动干扰等多重压力共同导致的系统性衰退。通过文献分析与多学科证据整合, 全面评述了当前森林衰退的表现特征及成因机制。结果表明: (1)森林衰退的量化评估呈现多尺度特征, 其中生物多样性、土壤含水率、碳储量、热响应、蒸散量及营养元素(磷、钾、铁、铜)浓度等指标均与衰退程度呈负相关, 而地表温度则表现为显著正响应; (2)衰退机制可归纳为内源生理机制(如干旱诱导的水力失衡、碳饥饿及遗传机制)与外源胁迫机制(包括病虫害爆发、地质灾害、人类活动及种间竞争)的共同作用, 其中水力失效与碳代谢紊乱的交互效应被证实为干旱环境森林衰退的主导路径。进一步指出当前研究的局限: ①多尺度模型耦合能力不足; ②水力学失效机制多基于均质化假设, 未区分不同植物类型对栓塞的响应差异; ③人为干扰与自然胁迫的定量分离仍存挑战。未来研究需重点关注全球变化背景下森林衰退的临界阈值判定、早期干旱预警系统构建及干旱后森林恢复力探索等。本研究为理解森林退化过程的级联效应及制定适应性管理策略提供了理论框架。     

亚热带米槠天然林土壤性质和真菌群落对降雨减少的响应

水分是森林土壤环境的重要因子之一,其变化影响着土壤真菌群落组成及土壤生态系统功能。本研究以福建三明格氏栲自然保护区内的米槠天然林为研究对象,设置隔离30%降雨、隔离60%降雨和自然长期样地(对照),在隔离降雨后第6年对表层土壤(0～10 cm)取样,应用18S rRNA基因-高通量测序技术对土壤性质和真菌群落结构与多样性进行分析,探究土壤真菌群落对降雨减少的响应。结果表明：与对照相比,隔离60%降雨处理下土壤含水量和铵态氮含量分别显著降低16.4%和29.5%,而土壤总有机碳、可溶性有机碳、微生物生物量碳、可溶性有机氮、硝态氮含量和pH均未发生显著变化;隔离30%降雨处理的土壤可溶性有机氮含量显著降低13.8%,其他土壤理化指标未发生显著变化。各处理土壤担子菌门和子囊菌门相对丰度均占真菌群落的40%以上,是土壤中的优势真菌群落。土壤真菌群落ACE指数在隔离60%降雨处理下较对照显著降低,其他多样性指数在3个处理间差异均不显著,说明土壤真菌群落结构较为稳定。Mantel检验表明,子囊菌门和未分类的真菌门(norank＿k＿Fungi、unclassified＿k＿Fungi)与土壤含水量呈显著正相关,土壤含水量可能是驱动土壤真菌群落变化的关键因子。本研究可为深入理解气候变化下森林土壤生态系统功能的维持提供科学依据。     

水分和盐分胁迫对番茄植株生长和木质部水力特性的影响

木质部是植株体内水分传输的主要通路,其水力特性的变化会影响植株的水分关系和果实的水分积累。目前关于番茄植株木质部解剖结构和水力特性对水分和盐分胁迫的响应及其与植株生长和果实含水量之间的关系尚不明确。本研究通过日光温室番茄盆栽试验,设置3个处理:对照,土壤含水量(θ)为75%～95%田间持水量(FC),初始电导率(EC)为0.398 dS·m^-1;水分胁迫,开花前θ为75%～95% FC,开花后至成熟期θ为45%～65% FC,EC为0.398 dS·m^-1;盐分胁迫,θ为75%～95% FC,EC为1.680 dS·m^-1,研究了樱桃型番茄(红宝石)和中果型番茄(北番501)植株在水分和盐分胁迫下的植株生长、果实含水量以及木质部水力特性的变化。结果表明: 与对照相比,水分和盐分胁迫下茎秆横截面积和木质部导管直径分别减小了22.0%～40.7%和10.0%～18.3%,茎秆比导水率和桁架柄比导水率分别降低了8.8%～41.1%和12.9%～28.4%,抑制了植株生长,减少了地上部鲜重、果实大小、果实鲜重和含水量,且与樱桃型番茄相比,中果型番茄的降幅更大。此外,果实含水量分别与茎秆和桁架柄比导水率呈显著正相关。综上,番茄植株在水分和盐分胁迫下木质部水力特性指标减小,生长被抑制,果实鲜重显著降低,最终导致产量降低。其中,中果型番茄相较于樱桃型番茄对水分和盐分胁迫更敏感。     

伊犁河谷退化野果林中新疆野苹果茎的水力结构

为揭示伊犁河谷退化野果林中新疆野苹果植株个体的死亡机理,对比研究3种长势(Ⅰ级,20％枯枝率;Ⅱ级,40％ ～60％枯枝率;Ⅲ级,＞80％枯枝率)新疆野苹果茎的水力结构特征的差异以及水分运输有效性和安全性及其影响因素.结果 表明:随野果林退化程度的增加,3种长势的新疆野苹果茎的边材比导水率和叶比导水率呈下降趋势,但差异...     

模拟降雨减少对刺槐人工林土壤养分和微生物群落的影响

降雨是黄土高原地区土壤水分的最主要来源。为探明降雨减少对黄土高原半湿润区土壤养分和土壤微生物群落的影响,以刺槐人工林为研究对象,通过搭设透光遮雨板将部分穿透雨导流至样地外,实施了4年减少总降雨输入约47%的处理,测定了在不同降雨条件下林地的土壤养分含量、土壤微生物多样性及群落结构特征,分析了土壤养分和土壤微生物对降雨减少的响应。结果表明：减雨处理4年后(1)处理样地土壤有机碳、全氮、全磷含量均低于对照样地,全氮含量差异达到显著水平(P<0.05)。(2)对照样地生长季和非生长季土壤微生物多样性差异不显著,减雨处理样地非生长季的细菌均匀度显著低于处理样地生长季和对照样地非生长季(P<0.05);降雨减少对细菌和真菌的群落结构有显著影响(P<0.05),降雨减少显著降低了酸杆菌门(Acidobacteria)的相对丰度,提高了放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、绿弯菌门(Chloroflexi)、子囊菌门(Ascomycota)和被孢霉门(Mortierellomycota)的相对丰度(P<0.05)。(3)土壤有机碳、全氮含量与部分细菌相对丰度显著相关,土壤...     

Will a 385 million year‐struggle for light become a struggle for water and for carbon? – How trees may cope with more frequent climate change‐type drought events

Trees are exceptional organisms that have evolved over some 385 million years and have overtaken other plants in order to harvest light first. However, this advantage comes with a cost: trees must transport water all the way up to their crowns and inherent physical limitations make them vulnerable to water deficits. Because climate change scenarios predict more frequent extreme drought events, trees will increasingly need to cope with water stress. Recent occurrences of climate change‐type droughts have had severe impacts on several forest ecosystems. Initial experimental studies have been undertaken and show that stomatal control of water loss hinders carbon assimilation and could lead to starvation during droughts. Other mechanisms of drought‐induced mortality are catastrophic xylem dysfunction, impeded long‐distance transport of carbohydrates (translocation) and also symplastic failure (cellular breakdown). However, direct empirical support is absent for either hypothesis. More experimental studies are necessary to increase our understanding of these processes and to resolve the mystery of drought‐related tree mortality. Instead of testing the validity of particular hypothesis as mechanisms of drought‐induced tree mortality, future research should aim at revealing the temporal dynamics of these mechanisms in different species and over a gradient of environmental conditions. Only such studies will reveal whether the struggle for light will become a struggle for water and/or for carbon in drought‐affected areas.     

Limits to water transport in Juniperus osteosperma and Pinus edulis: implications for drought tolerance and regulation of transpiration

1. An air-injection method was used to study loss of water transport capacity caused by xylem cavitation in roots and branches of Pinus edulis (Colorado Pinyon) and Juniperus osteosperma (Utah Juniper). These two species characterize the Pinyon–Juniper communities of the high deserts of the western United States. Juniperus osteosperma can grow in drier sites than P. edulis and is considered the more drought tolerant.
2. Juniperus osteosperma was more resistant to xylem cavitation than P. edulis in both branches and roots. Within a species, branches were more resistant to cavitation than roots for P. edulis but no difference was seen between the two organs for J. osteosperma . There was also no difference between juveniles and adults in J. osteosperma ; this comparison was not made for P. edulis .
3. Tracheid diameter was positively correlated with xylem cavitation pressure across roots and stems of both species. This relation suggests a trade-off between xylem conductance and resistance to xylem cavitation in these species.
4. During summer drought, P. edulis maintained higher predawn xylem pressures and showed much greater stomatal restriction of transpiration, consistent with its greater vulnerability to cavitation, than J. osteosperma .
5. These results suggest that the relative drought tolerance of P. edulis and J. osteosperma results in part from difference in their vulnerability to xylem cavitation.     

Water deficits and hydraulic limits to leaf water supply

Many aspects of plant water use -- particularly in response to soil drought -- may have as their basis the alteration of hydraulic conductance from soil to canopy. The regulation of plant water potential (Psi) by stomatal control and leaf area adjustment may be necessary to maximize water uptake on the one hand, while avoiding loss of hydraulic contact with the soil water on the other. Modelling the changes in hydraulic conductance with pressure gradients in the continuum allows the prediction of water use as a function of soil environment and plant architectural and xylem traits. Large differences in water use between species can be attributed in part to differences in their 'hydraulic equipment' that is presumably optimized for drawing water from a particular temporal and spatial niche in the soil environment. A number of studies have identified hydraulic limits as the cause of partial or complete foliar dieback in response to drought. The interactions between root:shoot ratio, rooting depth, xylem properties, and soil properties in influencing the limits to canopy water supply can be used to predict which combinations should optimize water use in a given circumstance. The hydraulic approach can improve our understanding of the coupling of canopy processes to soil environment, and the adaptive significance of stomatal behaviour.