Mycorrhizas influence functional traits of two tallgrass prairie species

Over the past decade, functional traits that influence plant performance and thus, population, community, and ecosystem biology have garnered increasing attention. Generally lacking, however, has been consideration of how ubiquitous arbuscular mycorrhizas influence plant allometric and stoichiometric functional traits. We assessed how plant dependence on and responsiveness to mycorrhizas influence plant functional traits of a warm‐season, C4 grass, Andropogon gerardii Vitman, and the contrasting, cool‐season, C3 grass, Elymus canadensis L. We grew both host species with and without inoculation with mycorrhizal fungi, across a broad gradient of soil phosphorus availabilities. Both host species were facultatively mycotrophic, able to grow without mycorrhizas at high soil phosphorus availability. A. gerardii was most dependent upon mycorrhizas and E. canadensis was weakly dependent, but highly responsive to mycorrhizas. The high dependence of A. gerardii on mycorrhizas resulted in higher tissue P and N concentrations of inoculated than noninoculated plants. When not inoculated, E. canadensis was able to take up both P and N in similar amounts to inoculated plants because of its weak dependence on mycorrhizas for nutrient uptake and its pronounced ability to change root‐to‐shoot ratios. Unlike other highly dependent species, A. gerardii had a high root‐to‐shoot ratio and was able to suppress colonization by mycorrhizal fungi at high soil fertilities. E. canadensis, however, was unable to suppress colonization and had a lower root‐to shoot ratio than A. gerardii. The mycorrhiza‐related functional traits of both host species likely influence their performance in nature: both species attained the maximum responsiveness from mycorrhizas at soil phosphorus availabilities similar to those of tallgrass prairies. Dependence upon mycorrhizas affects performance in the absence of mycorrhizas. Responsiveness to mycorrhizal fungi is also a function of the environment and can be influenced by both mycorrhizal fungus species and soil fertility.     

Predicting germination response to temperature. II. Three-dimensional regression, statistical gridding and iterative-probit optimization using measured and interpolated-subpopulation data

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Most current thermal-germination models are parameterized with subpopulation-specific rate data, interpolated from cumulative-germination-response curves. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relative accuracy of three-dimensional models for predicting cumulative germination response to temperature. Three-dimensional models are relatively more efficient to implement than two-dimensional models and can be parameterized directly with measured data. METHODS: Seeds of four rangeland grass species were germinated over the constant-temperature range of 3 to 38 degrees C and monitored for subpopulation variability in germination-rate response. Models for estimating subpopulation germination rate were generated as a function of temperature using three-dimensional regression, statistical gridding and iterative-probit optimization using both measured and interpolated-subpopulation data as model inputs. KEY RESULTS: Statistical gridding is more accurate than three-dimensional regression and iterative-probit optimization for modelling germination rate and germination time as a function of temperature and subpopulation. Optimization of the iterative-probit model lowers base-temperature estimates, relative to two-dimensional cardinal-temperature models, and results in an inability to resolve optimal-temperature coefficients as a function of subpopulation. Residual model error for the three-dimensional model was extremely high when parameterized with measured-subpopulation data. Use of measured data for model evaluation provided a more realistic estimate of predictive error than did evaluation of the larger set of interpolated-subpopulation data. CONCLUSIONS: Statistical-gridding techniques may provide a relatively efficient method for estimating germination response in situations where the primary objective is to estimate germination time. This methodology allows for direct use of germination data for model parameterization and automates the significant computational requirements of a two-dimensional piece-wise-linear model, previously shown to produce the most accurate estimates of germination time.     

同域分布垂穗披碱草和达乌力披碱草遗传多样性和遗传结构分析

披碱草属(Elymus L.)是禾本科(Poaceae)小麦族(Triticeae)中的一个多年生属,该属在青藏高原地区有广泛分布,多数物种是草原和草甸的组成成分,许多种类为品质优良的牧草.垂穗披碱草(E.nutans)和达乌力披碱草(E.dahuricus)同为禾本科小麦族披碱草属异源六倍体物种,染色体组组成皆为St...     

披碱草属与大麦属系统关系的研究

禾本科中,披碱草属Elymus L.为多倍体属,约含150余种;大麦属Hordeum L.具二倍体和多倍体,约有40余种,该两属均广泛地分布于全球温带地区。该两属,尤其是披碱草属的系统分类较为困难。基于形态学的传统研究认为这两个属的系统关系较远,而细胞学研究的资料却表明,披碱草属的H染色体组起源于大麦属。笔者对来源不同的披碱草属和大麦属的物种进行了远缘杂交,并对其属间杂种F1的减数分裂中期I染色体配对行为进行了分析。结果表明,若以披碱草属作母本,该两属有相对较高的杂交亲合力,通过对杂种幼胚进行分割和离体培养,也能获得杂种F1植株。属间杂种植株的形态介于双亲之间,但更接近于披碱草属,杂种的生殖器官发育不健全,而且所有的杂种F1均完全不育。细胞学的观察结果表明,这两个属间的杂种F1通常具有较低的减数分裂中期I染色体配对数,但有较大的变异。通过笔者的工作及掌握的形态学和细胞学的资料分析认为：披碱草属和大麦属的亲缘关系较为复杂,不能一概而论。含H染色体组的披碱草属和大麦属物种有着较近的亲缘关系,但这两个属中所含的H染色体组已产生了程度不同的分化;不含H染色体组的披碱草属及大麦属的物种具有较远的亲缘关系。     

“黑土滩”退化高寒草地6种常见毒杂草水浸液对垂穗披碱草的化感作用

以青藏高原"黑土滩"退化高寒草地中常见的6种毒杂草(黄花棘豆、秦艽、南山蒿、黄帚橐吾、瑞香狼毒和密花香薷)的根、茎、叶的水浸液为材料,通过研究不同浓度(25、50、100 g.L-1)水浸提液对垂穗披碱草种子萌发以及胚芽和胚根伸长的影响,以探寻具有化感作用的植物种类和部位。结果显示:(1)6种毒杂草不同部位(除密花香薷根外)全部具有化感作用,且叶的化感抑制作用要强于茎和根。其中,黄花棘豆根、茎和叶的化感抑制作用均强于其他5种毒杂草相同部位,秦艽叶和根的化感作用仅次于黄花棘豆叶和根,南山蒿和密花香薷叶也有很强的化感抑制作用。(2)全部水浸液的化感抑制作用均随浓度的增大而增强。瑞香狼毒、密花香薷和南山蒿茎水浸液浓度为25 g.L-1时,对垂穗披碱草种子胚芽伸长产生促进作用,在水浸液浓度达到100 g.L-1时,全部水浸液(除密花香薷根外)的化感抑制作用都达到显著水平(P<0.05),其中黄花棘豆和南山蒿的叶和根以及秦艽和密花香薷的叶对垂穗披碱草种子萌发、胚芽和胚根都表现出致死作用。(3)黄花棘豆、南山蒿、秦艽和密花香薷等具有强化感抑制作用的植物主要通过抑制种子胚根伸长来发挥化感抑制作用,而瑞香狼毒和黄帚橐吾主要通过抑制种子发芽指数来发挥化感抑制作用,且测定指标对化感作用的敏感性大小顺序为:发芽指数>萌发率;胚根>胚芽。实验表明,毒杂草的化感抑制作用是影响利用垂穗披碱草改建"黑土滩"的重要因素,因此"黑土滩"改建前应尽量清除这些毒杂草,以防影响人工草地的质量。     

Herbivory and competition slow down invasion of a tall grass along a productivity gradient

Competition models including competition for light predict that small plant species preferred by herbivores will be outshaded by taller unpreferred plant species with increasing productivity. When the tall plant species is little grazed by the herbivores, it can easily invade and dominate short vegetation. The tall-growing grass Elymus athericus dominates the highly productive stages of a salt-marsh succession in Schiermonnikoog and is not preferred by the herbivores which occur there, hares and geese. We studied how interspecific competition and herbivory affected performance during early establishment of this species with increasing productivity. Seedlings were planted in the field in a full factorial design, manipulating both interspecific competition and herbivory. The experiment was replicated along a natural productivity gradient. Competition reduced aboveground biomass production and decreased the number of ramets that were produced but did not affect survival of seedlings. The negative effects of competition on seedling performance increased with increasing productivity. In contrast to our expectations, herbivory strongly reduced seedling survival, especially at the unproductive sites and had only small effects on seedling growth. The present study shows that unpreferred tall-growing species cannot easily invade vegetation composed of short preferred species. Grazing by (intermediate-sized) herbivores can prevent establishment at unproductive sites, and increased competition can prevent a rapid invasion of highly productive sites. Herbivores can have a long-lasting impact on vegetation succession by preventing the establishment of tall-growing species, such as E. athericus, in a window of opportunity at young unproductive successional stages.Plant nomenclature follows Van der Meijden et al. (1990)     

川西北高寒地区多年生禾本科人工草地土壤线虫群落动态

为了查明青藏高原地区建植多年生禾本科人工草地对土壤线虫群落的影响及土壤线虫群落随人工草地建植年限增加的变化趋势,以川西北红原县2018年建植的垂穗披碱草样地(Elymus nutans)和老芒麦样地(Elymus sibiricus)为研究对象,以天然草地(Natural grassland)为对照,于2018—2020每年9月对土壤线虫群落、植被和土壤因子等进行连续监测。研究共分离到土壤线虫38470条,隶属于2纲8目65科172属,平均密度2482条/100g干土;食细菌线虫是研究样地的主要营养类群。垂穗披碱草和老芒麦样地的土壤线虫群落组成结构与天然草地间存在明显差异,但差异性随建植年限增加逐渐降低。线虫群落密度和多样性指数在垂穗披碱草、老芒麦和天然草地间均无显著差异。随建植年限增加,土壤线虫群落密度显著上升,Pielou指数显著下降,丰富度和Shannon指数无显著变化;植物寄生线虫密度和比例在第2年显著增加,并成为优势营养类群。线虫群落生态指数在不同草地类型间无显著差异,但垂穗披碱草和老芒麦样地的线虫基础指数随建植年限增加先增加,在第3年时显著降低(P<0.05)。冗余分...     

刈割、施肥和浇水对垂穗披碱草补偿生长的影响

植物的补偿生长特性受放牧强度和生境资源获得性的影响。通过为期2年的野外控制实验,研究了刈割高度(留茬1cm、3cm及不刈割)、施肥(施、不施)和浇水(浇、不浇)处理对垂穗披碱草(Elymus natans)补偿生长的影响,并结合对各处理分株密度、比叶面积、净光合速率和相对生长率的变化研究,探讨了其补偿生长机制。结果表明:刈割后垂穗披碱草分株种群密度显著增加,补偿生长高度显著降低,比叶面积和相对生长率随刈割强度增加而呈上升趋势,叶片净光合速率变化不显著;施肥能显著增加垂穗披碱草的补偿生长高度、比叶面积、叶片净光合速率和相对生长率;浇水处理以及刈割、浇水、施肥处理之间的交互作用均不显著。可见,在刈割条件下,垂穗披碱草具有一定的密度补偿机制,但由于刈割抑制补偿性高生长,导致分株高度出现低补偿。因此,即使刈割后比叶面积和株高相对生长率显著增加,也不一定必然引起株高的超补偿;但施肥可显著提高垂穗披碱草的补偿能力,增加耐牧性,证实了改进后的限制资源模型的预测。     

What became of Hystrix?

Hystrix Moench was a perennial genus of the Triticeae. Its members differed from those of other genera in the tribe in lacking glumes. The type species is H. patulaMoench, a North American taxon. When it became accepted that H. patula should be included in Elymus, Hystrix could not be used as a generic name. The problem became how to treat the other species that had been included in Hystrix. Hystrix patula, like many other species of Elymus, has the StH genomic composition but H. coreana (Honda) Ohwi, H. californica (Bol.) Kuntze, H. duthiei (Stapf) Bor ssp. duthiei, and H. duthiei ssp. longearistata have the NsXm genomic composition that is associated with Leymus. Using genomic in situ hybridization analysis, we showed that H. komarovii (Roshev.) Ohwi has an NsE^e genomic composition, a combination not known from any other species. Hystrix sibirica (Trautv.) Kuntze and H. duthiei ssp. japonica are included in Leymus on morphological grounds. The status of H. kunlunensis K. S. Hao is not clear. In this paper, we summarize our results and those of others concerning what is now known and the problems that remain concerning the species that used to be included in Hystrix.