银合欢成功入侵热带雨林先锋群落的关键因素

由于生长速率高, 耐旱性强, 银合欢(Leucaena leucocephala)被广泛应用于世界各地退化热带亚热带森林的修复, 但它也是一种全球性的外来入侵植物。已经有研究发现高生长速率可以帮助银合欢成功入侵亚热带森林, 但是目前还不清楚高生长速率和强耐旱性是否能帮助银合欢成功入侵热带森林。该研究以位于中国三亚抱坡岭被银合欢入侵的热带雨林先锋群落为研究对象, 通过t检验比较干季和湿季银合欢和8个热带雨林先锋群落的本地优势种与快速生长(光合速率、气孔导度和蒸腾速率)和耐旱性(叶片膨压丧失点)紧密相关的功能性状的差异, 并利用主成分分析(PCA)研究这些功能性状是否能很好地区分银合欢和其他8个本地优势种。结果表明: 银合欢在干湿季均能快速地生长(比本地物种显著更高的光合速率、气孔导度和蒸腾速率), 且在干季拥有更强的耐旱性(比本地物种显著更低的叶片膨压丧失点)。PCA结果表明这些功能性状能够显著区分银合欢和其他8个本地优势种。因此干湿季的稳定的快速生长和干季的强耐旱性使银合欢成功入侵热带雨林先锋群落。未来可利用这些功能性状筛选合适的本地物种对入侵其他热带森林的银合欢进行有效的生物防治。

Key characteristics for facilitating Leucaena leucocephala to successfully invade pioneer communities of tropical rain forests

Aims Due to fast-growing and high drought stress tolerance, Leucaena leucocephala has been widely used for afforestation in degraded tropical forests worldwide, but it is also a global invasive exotic species. Studies have shown that fast-growing can help L. leucocephala successfully invade subtropical forests. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether fast-growing and high drought stress tolerance can help L. leucocephala invade tropical rain forests.Methods The pioneer community of tropical rain forest which had been invaded by L. leucocephala in the Baopoling Mountain, Sanya, China was the research object. Through the t-test, we compared the differences in key functional traits that were related to growth rate (photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate) and drought stress tolerance (leaf turgor loss point) in both wet and dry seasons between L. leucocephala and eight dominant native species of pioneer community of tropical rain forest. And the principal component analysis (PCA) was used to investigate whether these functional traits can best discriminate between Leucaena leucocephala and the eight dominant native species.Important findings Leucaena leucocephala could be invariably growing fast (photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance and transpiration rate much higher than native species) from wet to dry seasons and had higher drought stress tolerance (leaf turgor loss point much lower than native species) in the dry season. The results of PCA showed that these functional traits could significantly discriminate between L. leucocephala and the eight dominant native species. Therefore, invariable fast-growing from wet to dry season and high drought stress tolerance in the dry season make L. leucocephala successfully invade pioneer communities of tropical rain forests. In the future, these functional traits can be used to select many native species to perform biological control of L. leucocephala in other tropical forests.