基于控水试验的喀斯特出露基岩生境植物水分来源分析

裂隙发育的喀斯特出露基岩生境,虽无土层覆盖却能维持不同生活型植物的水分消耗.然而目前对该类生境植物的水分来源缺乏清晰认识.本研究以植物潜在水分来源相对简单的孤立出露基岩为例,聚焦遮雨(即剔除雨水对浅层水源的补给)1年后仍然生长旺盛的代表性植物种,同时以无遮雨处理样地(即始终接受降雨补给)的同种植物为对照,运用稳定性氢氧同位素技术,结合对植物水势的测定,综合分析了3种典型植物(落叶乔木菜豆树、落叶乔木紫弹树、常绿灌木四子海桐)的水分来源.结果表明: 在降水充沛的雨季,遮雨条件下3种植物均依赖与泉水同位素比率相近的深层水源,这是植物在遮雨1年后仍能正常生长的根本原因;遮雨菜豆树和四子海桐凌晨水势与自然植株无显著差异,表明植物未受水分胁迫,而紫弹树凌晨水势显著低于自然植株,表明其受一定程度的水分胁迫;自然条件下,3种植物茎水同位素比率均显著低于遮雨植株,且处于近期雨水同位素比率波动范围内,表明植物均依赖受近期雨水主导的浅层水源.遮雨和自然条件下,四子海桐正午水势与凌晨水势始终无明显差异,表现出较为保守的水分利用策略;另外2种植物正午水势显著低于凌晨水势,属于偏挥霍型水分利用策略.具备利用浅层和深层水源的能力是喀斯特无土覆盖出露基岩生境植物适应不同水分环境和维持多样化水分利用策略的关键.

Water source identification for plants growing on karst rock outcrops based on rainfall-exclusion experiment

Although lack of soil coverage, rock outcrops with developed fractures in karst region can maintain water consumption of plants with different life forms. Water sources for plants on these habi-tats are unclear. Isolated rocky outcrop with relatively simple sources of water was selected for this study. We focused on typical plant species that still thrived after excluding rainfall (removing the water supply to the shallow water) over one year, compared with the same plant species living without rain shelter (always receiving rainfall supplies). Water sources of three representative tree species (Radermachera sinica, Celtis biondii, and Pittosporum tonkinense) were analyzed by using stable isotope techniques and combining with the measurement of plant water potential. The results showed that all the three species depended on deep water sources with similar isotopic values to spring water under rain-sheltered condition, during the rainy season, which explained why plants could still grow normally after rainfall-exclusion over one year. The predawn water potential of R. sinica and P. tonkinense under rain-sheltered condition was not significantly different from those living in natural conditions, which indicated both species were not under water stress. The predawn water potential of C. biondii under rain-sheltered condition was significantly lower than individuals living in natural conditions, which indicated it was under water stress. Under natural condition, water isotope values of stems of all the three species were significantly lower than that under rain-sheltered condition and were within the range of fluctuation of recent rainwater isotope values, indicating that these plants relied on shallow water sources that dominated by recent rainfall. Under both rain-sheltered and natural conditions, there was no obvious difference between the predawn water potential and the midday water potential of P. tonkinense, showing a conservative water use strategy. The midday water potential of other two species was significantly lower than the predawn water potential, showing a profligate/opportunistic water use strategy. Our results indicated that the ability to utilize shallow and deep water sources is key for the plants growing on the habitat of Karst rock outcrops where they could adapt different water environments and maintain diversified water use strategies under the condition with no soil coverage.