铜胁迫条件下AMF对海州香薷光合色素含量、抗氧化能力和膜脂过氧化的影响

以盆栽海州香薷为研究对象,模拟Cu胁迫条件下,接种丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)对海州香薷叶片光合色素含量、抗氧化酶活性、抗氧化剂含量、膜脂过氧化程度的影响。结果表明:(1)与对照相比,Cu胁迫使海州香薷叶片叶绿素a(Chl a)、叶绿素b(Chl b)、总叶绿素(Chl(a+b))、类胡萝卜素(Car)含量以及叶绿素a/b(Chl a/b)均显著降低,抗氧化酶活性和抗氧化剂含量也显著下降,质膜相对透性(MRP)和丙二醛(MDA)含量显著增大。(2)与Cu胁迫相比,Cu胁迫下接种AMF可使海州香薷叶片叶绿素含量显著增加;超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)活性显著提高;还原型谷胱甘肽(GSH)、抗坏血酸(As A)含量显著增加;MDA含量、MRP显著下降。总之,接种AMF可提高Cu胁迫下海州香薷叶片光合色素含量和抗氧化能力,降低膜脂过氧化水平,从而缓解Cu胁迫对植株造成的伤害,增强海州香薷对Cu胁迫的适应性,提高了植株的生物量。     

新疆郁金香营养生长、个体大小和开花次序对繁殖分配的影响

植物有性繁殖与资源分配的关系研究对于揭示植物生活史特征及繁育系统进化具有重要意义。新疆郁金香(Tulipa sinkiangensis)是新疆天山北坡荒漠带特有的一种多年生早春短命植物。在自然生境中,该物种仅以有性繁殖产生后代,每株能产生1-8朵花,且不同植株上的花数及果实数以及花序不同位置上的花与果实大小明显不同。本文通过对新疆郁金香有性繁殖与营养生长及植株大小的关系以及花序中不同位置花及果实间的资源分配研究,旨在揭示营养生长、个体大小及开花次序对其繁殖分配的影响。结果表明:在开花和果实成熟阶段,新疆郁金香植株分配给营养器官(鳞茎和地上营养器官)与繁殖器官的资源间均存在极显著的负相关关系(P<0.01),说明其植株的营养生长与生殖生长间存在权衡关系。多花是新疆郁金香的一个稳定性状,其植株上花数目、花生物量、果实生物量和种子数量与植株生物量间均呈极显著的正相关关系(P<0.01),说明新疆郁金香植株的繁殖分配存在大小依赖性。在具2-5朵花的新疆郁金香植株中,花序内各花的生物量、花粉数和胚珠数、结实率、果实生物量、结籽数、结籽率及种子百粒重按其开花顺序依次递减,说明花序内各花和果实的资源分配符合资源竞争假说。植株通过减少晚发育的花或果实获得的资源来保障早发育的花或果实获得较多的资源,从而达到繁殖成功。     

小叶桦花序生长物候及其生态适应意义

小叶桦(Betula microphylla)是一种典型的荒漠和山地乔木植物,在中国仅分布于新疆。为了明确小叶桦花序生长物候规律及发育特征,该研究对小叶桦进行了花序物候观测,分析其生长规律及果实结籽情况。结果显示:小叶桦雄花序为越年生殖器官,物候周期为345d,其中营养生长期154d、休眠期158d、开花生长期33d;雌花序与果序为当年生殖器官,物候期为105d,其中雌花序生长期24d、果序生长期90d。虽然雄花序比雌花序的生长周期明显较长,但开花授粉均在4月中下旬,雄花序散粉期和雌花序可授粉期之间具有较高的同步性和协调性,表现出集中开花授粉模式,同时这种开花模式在自然条件下,果序的结籽数和结籽率分别为220和76.7%,种子库中具有活力的种子约每平米4万粒,表明小叶桦在荒漠极端环境中能顺利完成有性生殖过程。     

Effects of simulated herbivory in three old field Compositae with different inflorescence architectures

The effects of simulated herbivory (early or late defoliation and cutting of the flowering shoot) on the growth and reproduction of three species of monocarpic composite forbs (Crepis pulchra, Picris hieracioides and C. foetida) with different inflorescence architectures were studied in experimental plots. For the three species studied, early defoliation had no significant effect on subsequent growth. In contrast, late defoliation, occurring at the start of the season of drought, had a negative effect on growth and reproduction in the two Crepis species, particularly C. foetida, but had less effect on P. hieracioides. Sexual biomass was more clearly affected by late defoliation than was vegetative biomass, although the effects differed markedly among species possibly as a result of differences in phenology. Clipping the flowering shoot removed about 3 times less biomass than late defoliation and had little effect on vegetative biomass. It had much greater effects on the sexual biomass in P. hieracioides and C. pulchra, and resulted in the production of many shoots sprouting from the rosette, allowing the treated plants to regain a vegetative biomass close to that of control plants. Clipping did however lead to the production of shorter shoots and a reduction in the number of capitula formed. In C. foetida, much branching occurred even when the main shoot was not cut; the architecture of individual plants was therefore only slightly changed by clipping the apical bud and the sexual biomass of this species was not affected by ablation of the flowering shoot. Overcompensation was found in only two families of C. pulchra for vegetative biomass. No over-compensation was found for sexual biomass, despite an increase in the number of flowering shoots in C. pulchra and P. hieracioides following clipping. However situations close to compensation for the vegetative biomass in the three species and in P. hieracioides for the sexual biomass were recorded. The response of the three study species to simulated herbivory were related to their architecture and to the time of defoliation.     

二型花柱植株金荞麦繁殖特征

开花物候及繁殖分配是植物适应环境的重要因素。对金荞麦开花物候、繁殖分配及策略进行了研究。结果如下:金荞麦的花果期为每年的8—11月,9月集中开花,其集中开花模式有助于吸引昆虫传粉,提高繁殖成功率;金荞麦单花开花持续时间为1—2 d,种群花期均为85d。L型花序花期为15—26d,S型花序花期为14—27d,两者没有显著差异;L型单花序开花数为26—131朵,S型单花序开花数为36—147朵,两者没有显著差异。L型和S型花序开花动态呈现单峰曲线,在花序开花后第11天L型和S型都达到最大值,分别为7.30%和7.20%,且两种花型具有较高的开花同步性,这有助于其繁殖适应性的提高。同一个花型中,雌蕊长、雄蕊长之间存在极显著负相关,但雌雄总长不存在显著差异,表明雌蕊长、雄蕊长可能存在权衡关系;金荞麦的繁殖器官和营养器官生物量在L型和S型间不存在显著差异,但其花生物量与植株生物量表现出极显著正相关关系。金荞麦L型花生物量分配极显著大于S型,而总生物量不存在显著差异,说明金荞麦植株的营养生长与有性繁殖间存在权衡关系。     

Soil Patches of Inorganic Nitrogen in Subtropical Brazilian Plant Communities with Araucaria angustifolia

One-year old tubers of two hybrid calla lily (calla) cultivars (Zantedeschia ‘Pot of Gold’ and ‘Majestic Red’) were inoculated with the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Glomus intraradices, or not, and grown at three different rates of phosphorus (P) supply to asses the effects of AMF-inoculation on plant development (time of shoot emergence and flowering), flowering (number, length and rate of flowering), and tuber biomass and composition over two growing cycles (2002, 2003). Tubers and flowers of calla responded differently to AMF inoculation. Differences in mycorrhizal responsiveness between cultivars was related to differences in P requirements for flower and tuber production, and the influence of P supply on resource allocation to different reproductive strategies. Inoculation increased shoot production and promoted early flowering, particularly in 2003. Inoculated plants also produced larger tubers than non-inoculated plants, but only increased the number of flowers per plant in 2003. High P supply also increased tuber biomass, but decreased the number of flowers per plant in 2002. Plants grown at a moderate P-rate, produced the most flowers in 2003. For ‘Majestic Red’, benefits from AMF were primarily in terms of tuber yield and composition, and AMF effects on marketable flower production could potentially have negative impact on production strategies for growers. Inoculation of ‘Pot of Gold’ primarily influenced flower production and aspects of tuber quality that caused detectable enhancement of tuber yield and flowering in the second growing cycle following inoculation (2003). The results of this study show that the responses of calla to AMF are partially a function of how nutrient supply alters resource allocation to sexual and vegetative reproduction. Whether AMF-induced changes in resource allocation to flowering and tubers significantly alters commercial productivity and quality of calla depends on the crop production goals (e.g. tubers, cut flowers or potted plants). The U.S. Government’s right to retain a non-exclusive, royalty free licence in and to any copyright is acknowledged.     

Regulation of reproduction in wild and cultivatedLycopersicon esculentum Mill. by vesicular-arbuscular mycorrhizal infection

Summary We examined how mycorrhizal infection byGlomus etunicatum Becker and Gerd. affected flowering phenology and components of reproduction in eight wild accessions and two cultivars ofLycopersicon esculentum Mill. We did this by performing a detailed demographic study of flower, fruit and seed production. Mycorrhizal infection had variable effects on the ten accessions. Infection significantly decreased the time taken to initiate flowering in some accessions. In addition, infection increased flowering duration in some accessions. In many accessions, infection significantly increased seed production, primarily by increasing the number of inflorescences and infructescences. In some accessions, mycorrhizal infection also increased the proportion of flowers that produced mature fruits or the number of seeds per fruit. Among accessions, shoot phosphorus content was correlated with seed productivity for both mycorrhizal and non-mycorrhizal plants. However, non-mycorrhizal plants produced more seed biomass per mg of shoot phosphorus than mycorrhizal plants.     

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi differ in affecting the flowering of a host plant under two soil phosphorus conditions

Aims Studies have showed that arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can greatly promote the growth of host plants, but how AMF affect flowering phenology of host plants is not well known. Here, we conducted a pot experiment to test whether life cycle and flowering phenology traits of host plant Medicago truncatula Gaertn can be altered by AMF under low and high soil phosphorus (P) levels.Methods The experiment was conducted in a greenhouse at Zhejiang University in China (120°19′E, 30°26′N) and had a completely randomized design with two factors: AMF treatments and soil P levels. Six AMF species (Acaulospora scrobiculata, As; Gigaspora margarita, Gma; Funneliformis geosporum, Fg; Rhizophagus intraradices, Ri; Funneliformis mosseae, Fmo and Glomus tortuosum, Gt.) were used, and two soil P levels (24.0 and 5.7 mg kg^-1 Olsen-soluble P) were designed. The six AMF species were separately inoculated or in a mixture (Mix), and a non-AMF control (NAMF) was included. When plants began to flower, the number of flowers in each pot was recorded daily. During fruit ripening, the number of mature fruits was also recorded daily. After ~4 months, the biomass, biomass P content and AMF colonization of host plant were measured. Correlation between root colonization and first flowering time, or P content and first flowering time was analyzed.Important findings Under the low P level, first flowering time negatively correlated with root colonization and biomass P. Only host plants with AMF species As, Fg, Ri, or Mix were able to complete their life cycle within 112 days after sowing. And treatment with AMF species Fg, Gt, or As resulted in two periods of rapid flower production while other fungi treatments resulted in only one within 112 days after sowing. The cumulative number of flowers produced and biomass P content were highest with species Fg. Host biomass allocation significantly differed depending on the species of AMF. Under both soil P levels, the host plant tended to allocate more biomass to fruits in the Mix treatment than in the other treatments. These results indicated that the effects of AMF on host flowering phenology and biomass allocation differed depending on AMF species and soil P levels.     

冬季水淹对秋华柳的开花物候及繁殖分配的影响

开花物候及繁殖分配是植物适应环境的重要因素,为了解长期冬季水淹对三峡库区耐淹物种秋华柳(Salix variegata Franch.)繁殖的影响,研究了长期冬季水淹条件下秋华柳的开花物候和繁殖分配情况。实验在2006年11月份设置了如下处理:对照,完全水淹(植株置于水中,顶部距水面2m)30,60,90,120d和150d。结果表明:(1)对照及各水淹处理的秋华柳花期都较长,在7-11月份持续开花,个体开花进程(开花振幅曲线)呈单峰曲线。(2)冬季水淹对秋华柳群体及个体的开花物候有显著影响。水淹时间越长,始花期越晚,花期持续时间越短(P0.05)。(3)长期冬季水淹下,秋华柳显著降低了繁殖分配比例和全株生物量及单株花序数(P0.05)。(4)开花物候指数与繁殖分配的相关分析表明:始花时间越晚的个体,花期持续时间越短。花期持续时间越短的个体花序数越少,致使繁殖分配越小。总的来说,冬季水淹下,秋华柳通过推迟开花日期、缩短花期持续时间使繁殖分配比例降低,将更多的资源分配到生存力上,是秋华柳对长期冬季水淹的一种适应。同时,在长期冬季水淹后,秋华柳仍保持一定的开花繁殖能力,是其在应用于三峡水库消落区植被构建后产生后代延续种群的前提条件。     

Ecology of two cytotypes ofButomus umbellatus II. Reproduction,growth and biomass production

Generative and vegetative reproduction of diploid and triploidButomus umbellatus L., and growth and biomass production of both cytotypes under two different nutrient levels were compared. Seedling survival was studied under controlled conditions in a growth chamber; the response of plants to different nutrient conditions was studied in experimental garden. Both cytotypes do not differ in seed germination and seedling survival. Triploids produce more aboveground and underground biomass, more numerous lateral rhizome buds, and have significantly higher flowering stalks. Low generative reproduction (limited seed production) in triploids is compensated for by more intensive vegetative reproduction. High nutrient level appeared to be stressful for plants of both cytotypes: it limits plant growth and causes plant mortality. Triploids are more viable than diploids in this case, which may be important for their survival under conditions of high trophic level.     

Costs of reproduction as related to the timing of phenological phases in the dioecious Shrub Pistacia lentiscus L

Females of woody dioecious species usually devote more resources to reproduction than males. This may lead to a decrease in female survival and growth. The costs of reproduction, however, can be lightened through a number of mechanisms, as for example avoiding the temporal coincidence of reproduction and vegetative growth. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether males and females of P. lentiscus differ in the timing of their vegetative growth, and to assess whether the sequencing of vegetative growth and reproduction reduces reproductive costs. We monitored phenology in males and females. We also compared male and female allocation of nutrients and biomass in the branch, and the developmental stability of the growing shoots. We did this both prior to and at the end of the fruiting period. Males and females showed similar vegetative and flowering phenologies. Males invested more biomass in flowering, but the sexes showed equal vegetative biomass and nutrient content prior to the fruiting period. In female branches, no trade-off was found between fruit load and current-year vegetative growth. In P. lentiscus, avoiding the overlap of flowering, vegetative growth and fruiting probably contributes to reduce the immediate costs of reproductive efforts, both in males and females.     

How plant allometry influences bud phenology and fruit yield in two Vaccinium species

Background and AimsUnderstanding how plant allometry, plant architecture and phenology contribute to fruit production can identify those plant traits that maximize fruit yield. In this study, we compared these variables and fruit yield for two shrub species, Vaccinium angustifolium and Vaccinium myrtilloides, to test the hypothesis that phenology is linked to the plants’ allometric traits, which are predictors of fruit production.MethodsWe measured leaf and flower phenology and the above-ground biomass of both Vaccinium species in a commercial wild lowbush blueberry field (Quebec, Canada) over a 2-year crop cycle; 1 year of pruning followed by 1 year of harvest. Leaf and flower phenology were measured, and the allometric traits of shoots and buds were monitored over the crop cycle. We hand-collected the fruits of each plant to determine fruit attributes and biomass.Key ResultsDuring the harvesting year, the leafing and flowering of V. angustifolium occurred earlier than that of V. myrtilloides. This difference was related to the allometric characteristics of the buds due to differences in carbon partitioning by the plants during the pruning year. Through structural equation modelling, we identified that the earlier leafing in V. angustifolium was related to a lower leaf bud number, while earlier flowering was linked to a lower number of flowers per bud. Despite differences in reproductive allometric traits, vegetative biomass still determined reproductive biomass in a log–log scale model.ConclusionsGrowing buds are competing sinks for non-structural carbohydrates. Their differences in both number and characteristics (e.g. number of flowers per bud) influence levels of fruit production and explain some of the phenological differences observed between the two Vaccinium species. For similar above-ground biomass, both Vaccinium species had similar reproductive outputs in terms of fruit biomass, despite differences in reproductive traits such as fruit size and number.     

丛枝菌根真菌对紫茎泽兰生长与繁殖的影响

【目的】紫茎泽兰是一种世界性的恶性入侵杂草,侵入我国后迅速扩散至多个省市,严重阻碍了当地农、林、牧业的发展。研究丛枝菌根真菌对紫茎泽兰生长和繁殖的影响,解析土壤中丛枝菌根真菌在紫茎泽兰入侵、传播和扩散过程中的作用,能为开展紫茎泽兰防控工作提供参考。【方法】通过盆栽实验,测定接种丛枝菌根真菌的紫茎泽兰株高、叶片数、总叶面积、节间距、地径,并统计单株花序数、单花序种子量、种子量、种子千粒重、含水率、发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数等。【结果】丛枝菌根真菌对紫茎泽兰的株高、地径有极显著影响(P0.01),接种丛枝菌根真菌后,紫茎泽兰的单株花序数、单花序种子数、总种子量分别增加了5.03、1.51、7.64倍;种子的长度、宽度、含水率、发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数分别增加了15.24%、23.08%、19.46%、29.22%、391.01%、183.56%(P0.05)。【结论】丛枝菌根真菌可显著促进紫茎泽兰生长,控制丛枝菌根真菌的数量可有效抑制紫茎泽兰生长,并抑制紫茎泽兰花序数、种子量及种子的生命力,降低其扩散蔓延速度。     

Density effects of flowering phenology and mating potential in Nicotiana alata

Summary We investigated effects of plant density on floral phenology and potential mating in artificial populations of the outcrossing ornamental Nicotiana alata planted at three densities. Path analysis revealed that increasing plant density yielded significantly earlier peak flowering dates, significantly earlier last flowering dates, and significantly lower plant biomass. Direct effects of density on final flower number were not significant. Variation among replicate plots for first date of flowering was larger than variation among densities, indicating that factors other than density influence floral initiation.We did not record actual mating, but determined from phenological data the number and identity of potential mates. Increased density had several effects on potential mating patterns and on potential N_e, effective population number. At high density, fewer focal plants flowered for shorter durations. This led to less overlap in flowering time among plants, decreasing the number of potential parental combinations possible among the progeny. Two outcomes of high density, the lower total number of plants flowering and the lower number of plants flowering at most census dates, tended to reduce potential N_e. In contrast, it was low density, where variance in flower number was greatest, that was most likely to yield the greatest reduction in N_e due to variance in progeny number.At high density the potential for assortative mating among tall plants was much greater and occurred later than among large plants at low density. Much of the potential high density assortative mating occurred late in the phenology of individual plants, when there was likely to be lower fruit set.We discuss how ecological agents that alter flowering phenology can potentially alter the genetics of populations, the level and timing of assortative mating and, if genetic variation for response to such ecological agents exists, the potential selection regime.     

Flowering Phenology and Gender Variation in Pennisetum typhoides

Because of the modular structure of pearl millet (an annual grass crop, Poaceae), different tillers of a plant share the same genotype but are subjected to different environmental conditions during their maturation. This allows investigation of the effects of tiller flowering phenology on allocation to resource-producing photosynthetic biomass, sexual functions, and thus tiller gender. All tillers of plants of two families collected from individual maternal plants (represented by 33 and 31 plants each) were analyzed. In both families, allocation to aboveground vegetative biomass decreased as flowering was delayed. On average, late-flowering tillers were 65% smaller than the first ones to flower. The proportion of biomass allocated to reproduction significantly increased with the flowering rank of the tillers, suggesting that translocations of assimilates occurred between early- and late-flowering tillers. In both families, late-flowering tillers produced significantly fewer pollen grains per stamen than early-flowering ones, and female reproductive allocation (expressed as seed mass per tiller) was also affected by flowering phenology. Tillers became increasingly female as flowering phenology progressed. This gender variation is possibly adaptive because pollination efficiency is maximized by plant height. Natural selection may favor a shift toward femaleness to maximize reproductive fitness in small, late-developing tillers.     

葎草雌雄植株开花物候和花器官对干旱的响应差异

摘要：以蓓草（Humulusscandens）为实验材料,在控制土壤水分的条件下探究干旱对雌雄异株植物开花物候和花器官形态的影响,结果表明：干旱胁迫将导致蓰草雌雄种群花期提前．花期持续时间延长,雌花将比雄花提早开放;干旱胁迫下雄花的花序轴长、花序轴直径和花药粒径长均分别显著减小24．81％。29．07％和5．14％（P〈0．001,P=0．003,P=0．024）,花粉活力和花粉含量显著下降：干旱胁迫导致雌花的花序轴长、柱头长度和花序的平均花数量显著增大9．78％,70．62％和57．04％（P=0．039．P〈0．001．P〈0．001）;干旱胁迫下种子粒径长、种子粒径宽、种子单粒重和种子千粒重分别显著下降12．12％、12．59％、43．43％和15．38％（显著度水平均为P〈0．001）;干旱胁迫下雌雄植株的地上部分生物量均显著降低（P=0．002,P=0．020）,且雌株的生殖投入在干旱胁迫下显著高于雄株（P=0．049）。研究结果表明了蓰草雌雄植株开花物候及花器官对干旱的响应明显不同。与雄株相比．雌株在干旱胁迫下增加了生物量向生殖器官的分配,从而最大程度地减轻胁迫对其繁殖能力的影响。     

中国东部暖温带刺槐花期空间格局的模拟与预测

模拟刺槐开花日期与气温之间的空间关系,对于揭示蜜源植物物候空间格局形成的生态机制和掌握养蜂生产的时宜,具有重要的科学意义.利用中国东部暖温带26个站点1986-2005年的刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期数据,建立了基于日均温的多年平均和逐年物候空间模型,模拟多年平均和逐年刺槐开花日期的空间格局,并对模型进行了空间外推检验.进而,将1986-2005年8 km×8 km分辨率的日均温格点数据代人多年平均和逐年物候空间模型,得到连续地理空间多年平均和逐年刺槐开花日期的空间格局,并尝试设计了研究区内转地放蜂的适宜路线.结果表明:中国东部暖温带1986-2005年多年平均及逐年最佳期间日均温的空间格局分别控制着多年平均和逐年刺槐开花日期的空间格局.各地多年平均刺槐开花日期的空间序列与最佳期间日均温的空间序列呈显著负相关(P＜0.001),多年平均气温—物候空间模型对刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期的方差解释量分别为87％、86％和77％,模拟的均方根误差(RMSE)分别为2.5、2.7d和4.1d.同样,各地逐年刺槐开花日期的空间序列与最佳期间日均温的空间序列均呈显著负相关(P＜0.05),逐年气温-物候空间模型对刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期的方差解释量分别介于44％-94％、57％-92％和39％-84％之间,模拟的平均RMSE分别为3.9、4.0d和5.4d.预测得到的连续地理空间多年平均刺槐开花日期呈现出自南向北、从平原向丘陵和山地逐渐推迟的空间演进特征.据此,中国东部暖温带地区转地放蜂可以沿西线、中线和东线进行,放蜂的大致持续时间可达40-50 d.此外,预测得到的连续地理空间1986-2005年期间刺槐开花始期、盛期和末期的线性趋势以提前为主,呈显著提前的面积分别占总面积的78％、26％和32％.     

Characterization of salt-tolerance mechanisms in mycorrhizal (Claroideoglomus etunicatum) halophytic grass,Puccinellia distans

Responses of Puccinellia distans, a halophytic grass to low (50 mM) and high (200 mM) NaCl salinity, were studied in a sand culture experiment without or with inoculation by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungus (AMF), Claroideoglomus etunicatum isolated from its saline habitat. Plant biomass was not influenced by salinity levels, while a tendency to a higher biomass was observed in AMF plants under both control and saline conditions. Leaf photosynthesis increased by both salinity and AMF inoculation. Despite higher transpiration rate, AMF plants had higher water-use efficiency under sever saline conditions. AMF inoculation decreased proline concentration, but increased significantly leaf osmotic potential. Antioxidative enzymes responded differently to the salt and AMF treatments depending on the salt concentration and plant organ. Nonetheless, salt-induced malondialdehyde accumulation in the leaves diminished by AMF colonization. K and Ca contents were not affected by salt, while fungal colonization increased K in the roots and Ca in both leaves and roots. Our results indicated that enhancement of photosynthesis and ion homeostasis is involved in the tolerance of P. distans to both low and high salinity. AMF inoculation increased plants’ tolerance by augmentation of the above mechanisms accompanied by improvement of water relations and protection against oxidative damage in the leaves.     

Linking flowering and reproductive allocation in response to nitrogen addition in an alpine meadow

Aims Plants can change in phenology and biomass allocation in response to environmental change. It has been demonstrated that nitrogen is the most limiting resource for plants in many terrestrial ecosystems. Previous studies have usually focused on either flowering phenology or biomass allocation of plants in response to nitrogen addition; however, attempts to link flowering phenology and biomass allocation are still rare. In this study, we tested the effects of nitrogen addition on both flowering phenology and reproductive allocation in 34 common species. We also examined the potential linkage between flowering time and reproductive allocation in response to nitrogen addition.Methods We conducted a 3-year nitrogen addition experiment in Tibetan alpine meadow. We measured first flowering date and the reproductive allocation for 34 common plant species in control, low and high nitrogen added plots, respectively. One-way analysis of variance was used to examine differences of first flowering date and reproductive allocation among treatments. The relationships between the change in species first flowering date and change in reproductive allocation in response to nitrogen addition were examined by calculating Pearson correlation coefficients.Important findings For most species, both first flowering date and reproductive allocation significantly responded to nitrogen addition. Nitrogen addition significantly delayed the first flowering date and reduced the reproductive allocation for all graminoid species, but accelerated flowering and increased reproductive allocation for most forb species. We found that changes in first flowering date significantly negatively correlated with the changes in reproductive allocation over species in response to nitrogen, which indicated a positive relationship between flowering response and plant performance in reproductive allocation. Species that advanced their flowering time with nitrogen addition increased their reproductive allocation, whereas those that delayed flowering time tended to decline in reproductive allocation with nitrogen addition. Our results suggest that species-specific switch from vegetative growth to reproductive growth could influence species performance.