三峡水库坝前水域浮游植物群落时空动态研究

于20122013 年对三峡水库坝前水域浮游植物组成、优势种、密度、生物量及多样性进行了周年季度调查, 共鉴定浮游植物151 种属, 其中绿藻门71 种, 硅藻门47 种, 蓝藻门20 种, 隐藻门和甲藻门各4 种,裸藻门和金藻门各2 种, 黄藻门1 种。浮游植物优势种的季节更替明显, 夏季和秋季优势种类为硅藻和绿藻,冬季为硅藻、蓝藻和绿藻, 春季为绿藻、硅藻和隐藻。浮游植物年均密度和生物量分别为3.95106 ind./L 和4.078 mg/L, 空间差异表现为支流和库湾远高于干流, 季节动态表现为夏季最高, 春季和冬季次之, 秋季最低。三峡水库坝前水域浮游植物多样性指数偏低, 水体污染类型属于-中污染。研究为客观了解三峡水库坝前水域浮游植物群落的空间分布与季节变化特征提供一定的参考依据。       

Forest Transition in Xishuangbanna,Yunnan

Forest transition is a process of overall forest cover from net loss to net gain over time. Forest transition especially the process after turning point from deforestation to reforestation has inspired lots of researches for its potential to improve environmental services. China has undergone forest transition since the 1980s. However, in tropical China, deforestation was still existed, while the overall forest cover increased greatly. To investigate this issue, we conducted this research by classifying overall forest into natural forest and plantation in Xishuangbanna, which has undergone forest transition and deforestation and overall forest cover increasing. We found that natural forest continues decreasing while overall forest cover increasing and plantation expansion in forest transition. The forest transition in Xishuangbanna was found to be a tree cover transition, which was mainly contributed by large plantation expansion. In Xishuangbanna, deforestation is still undergoing after its overall forest cover transition occurred in 1988. The general overall forest definition used by forest transition will not be able to recognize deforestation when natural forests are displaced by plantations because the overall forest cover remains unchanged or even increasing. We therefore recommended to classify forest types in forest transition researches.     

Effects of leaf litter on inter-specific competitive ability of the invasive plant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wedelia trilobata</Emphasis>

Allelochemicals released by invasive plants contribute to the successful invasion of new habitats. However, the relationship between allelopathic effects and competitive ability of invasive plants has not been characterized. We quantified the neighbor effects of Wedelia trilobata (family: Asteraceae) and the allelopathic effects of its leaf litter on two Asteraceae competitor species (invasive Eupatorium catarium and non-invasive Lactuca sativa) and on its own ramet growth. The seed germination rate and seedling biomass of the two competitor species decreased following treatment with W. trilobata leaf extracts. When co-cultured with W. trilobata, the total biomass of the two competitor species significantly decreased regardless of whether leaf extracts were present. Under low plant density co-culture conditions, W. trilobata leaf extracts enhanced the inhibitory effects on E. catarium. In contrast, W. trilobata leaf extracts promoted the growth of W. trilobata adventitious roots, resulting in increased competitive ability. Therefore, W. trilobata growth was promoted by its own allelochemicals in leaf extracts, whereas the growth of the invasive and non-invasive competitors was inhibited by the same chemicals. These responses facilitated the invasion by W. trilobata. Our study demonstrates that leaf litter of invasive plants may inhibit the growth of neighboring species to enhance the competitive ability of the invasive plants during the early stages of invasion.     

Local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity both occurred in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wedelia trilobata</Emphasis> invasion across a tropical island

The role of the local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity of invasive species in their invasion of new environments has historically been a debatable issue, particularly at small spatial scales (e.g., different habitats within an island). We selected seven field sites across Hainan Island, Hainan Province, China, to investigate the role of local adaptation and/or phenotypic plasticity in the successful invasion of Wedelia trilobata by a field survey, molecular marker analysis, and common garden experiment. In the field survey, the clonal growth characteristics of W. trilobata showed significant differences among the seven sites, suggesting that the species was able to adapt to different environments. The mean phenotypic plasticity index of W. trilobata was higher than that of other invasive plant species (0.61 vs 0.48). The analysis of the inter-simple sequence repeat molecular markers of 420 individuals from the seven sites revealed a Shannon’s index that was similar to those of other invasive plants (0.29 vs 0.25). The nested analysis of the molecular variance in the genetic diversity of the population showed significant differences among the sites. In the common garden experiment, the growth characteristics of plants grown from the seven sites were significantly affected by light and density treatments but not by soil moisture. However, the responses of plants grown from different sites to light treatment varied. Plants from sunny sites had greater clonal traits than those from shady sites, indicating that local adaptation occurred in plant populations grown at some sites. Overall, our results implied that both phenotypic plasticity and local adaptation contributed to the successful invasion of W. trilobata across Hainan Island.     

丛枝菌根真菌对入侵植物南美蟛蜞菊生长及竞争力的影响

【背景】丛枝菌根真菌(arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF)能促进植物的养分吸收及生长发育。入侵中国华南地区的外来入侵植物南美蟛蜞菊(Wedelia trilobata)常分布于养分匮乏的荒地,却能迅速生长并排挤本地植物而快速扩张领地。【目的】探究丛枝菌根真菌是否促进南美蟛蜞菊的生长与竞争能力。【方法】采用南美蟛蜞菊及其同属本地植物蟛蜞菊(Wedelia chinensis)的盆栽对比控制试验,并设置接种及不接种AMF变形球囊霉(Glomus versiforme)、不同磷营养水平以及单种或混种的种植方式3种处理对两种植物的生长及竞争能力进行比较。【结果】AMF均能侵染上述两种植物,并且AMF对南美蟛蜞菊根系的侵染率显著高于其对蟛蜞菊根系的侵染,尤其是在低磷水平下南美蟛蜞菊的菌根侵染率更高,而且AMF的侵染显著促进了低磷水平下南美蟛蜞菊的生长及其对蟛蜞菊的竞争能力。【结论】丛枝菌根真菌能够促进南美蟛蜞菊的生长,增强其对本地植物的竞争优势,该效应很可能对外来植物南美蟛蜞菊的成功入侵产生一定的作用。     

Light limitation and litter of an invasive clonal plant,Wedelia trilobata,inhibit its seedling recruitment

Background and Aims

Invasive clonal plants have two reproduction patterns, namely sexual and vegetative propagation. However, seedling recruitment of invasive clonal plants can decline as the invasion process proceeds. For example, although the invasive clonal Wedelia trilobata (Asteraceae) produces numerous seeds, few seedlings emerge under its dense population canopy in the field. In this study it is hypothesized that light limitation and the presence of a thick layer of its own litter may be the primary factors causing the failure of seedling recruitment for this invasive weed in the field.

Methods

A field survey was conducted to determine the allocation of resources to sexual reproduction and seedling recruitment in W. trilobata. Seed germination was also determined in the field. Effects of light and W. trilobata leaf extracts on seed germination and seedling growth were tested in the laboratory.

Key Results

Wedelia trilobata blooms profusely and produces copious viable seeds in the field. However, seedlings of W. trilobata were not detected under mother ramets and few emerged seedlings were found in the bare ground near to populations. In laboratory experiments, low light significantly inhibited seed germination. Leaf extracts also decreased seed germination and inhibited seedling growth, and significant interactions were found between low light and leaf extracts on seed germination. However, seeds were found to germinate in an invaded field after removal of the W. trilobata plant canopy.

Conclusions

The results indicate that lack of light and the presence of its own litter might be two major factors responsible for the low numbers of W. trilobata seedlings found in the field. New populations will establish from seeds once the limiting factors are eliminated, and seeds can be the agents of long-distance dispersal; therefore, prevention of seed production remains an important component in controlling the spread of this invasive clonal plant.     

固氮菌缓解氮限制环境中丛枝菌根真菌对加拿大一枝黄花的营养竞争

丛枝菌根真菌(AMF)能与大多数陆生植物的根系形成共生体, 有助于宿主植物吸收养分。但营养胁迫下, 根系微生物对AMF与宿主植物间关系的影响少见报道。该研究假设: 在营养极度匮乏(如氮胁迫)环境下, AMF与宿主植物可能产生营养竞争, 而固氮菌的介入能够缓解两者对营养的竞争关系。为了验证这一假设, 该文探究了加拿大一枝黄花(Solidago canadensis)生长受限的氮浓度, 并在氮受限条件下检验了AMF、加拿大一枝黄花及固氮菌三者间的关系。结果表明: 低氮处理明显抑制了加拿大一枝黄花的地上生物量和总生物量, 尤其以0.025 mmol·L^-1 N的氨态氮对加拿大一枝黄花的负影响更甚。在此氮浓度下, 单独添加AMF总体上都进一步抑制了加拿大一枝黄花的生长, 而固氮菌的添加在一定程度上提高了氮受限条件下AMF对宿主的根部侵染率及宿主植物生物量。这表明固氮菌能够缓和氮受限条件下AMF和加拿大一枝黄花间的营养竞争关系。研究结果加深了对外来植物在极度营养胁迫环境下与多种微生物互作的入侵机制的理解。     

Curvilinear Effects of Invasive Plants on Plant Diversity: Plant Community Invaded by Sphagneticola trilobata

The effects of invasive plants on the species diversity of plant communities are controversial, showing either a positive or negative linear relationship. Based on community data collected from forty 5 m×5 m plots invaded by Sphagneticola trilobata in eight cities across Hainan Island, China, we found S. trilobata decreased plant community diversity once its cover was beyond 10%. We demonstrated that the effects of invasive/native plants on the plant diversity of communities invaded by S. trilobata were curvilinear. These effects, which showed peaks under different degrees of vegetation cover, appeared not only for S. trilobata and all invasive plants, but also for all native plants. Invasive plants primarily had negative effects on plant diversity when they became abundant at a much lower cover level (less than 35%), compared with the native plants (over 60%). Thus, it is necessary to distinguish a range for assessing the effects of plants, especially invasive plants. Our results also confirmed that the invasion intensity of invasive alien plants increased with the intensity of local economic development. We highlight and further discuss the critical importance of curvilinear effects of biological invasion to provide ideas regarding the conservation of local biodiversity and the management of invasive plants.     

Clonal integration is beneficial for resource sharing in a creeping amphibian herb (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Alteranthera philoxeroides</Emphasis>)

Clonal integration facilitates the growth and reproduction of clonal plants by providing the ability to share resources among ramets in heterogeneous environments. The benefits of clonal integration for plant growth may depend on a contrast in resource availability and may encounter costs, especially when a young part of the clone is growing across a border between richer and poorer conditions than the old part. We studied a clonal amphibian plant growing across a border between an aquatic and a terrestrial ecosystem, which typically differ in the availability of resources. We asked whether the young part of the clone is supporting the old part with phosphorus and whether this support has costs. We performed an experiment with Alternanthera philoxeroides where plants grow from water to a terrestrial habitat. The terrestrial habitat had either a low or high phosphorus supply, and the connection between the old and young parts of the clone was either left intact or split. We determined that the young part of the clone growing in a terrestrial habitat supported the old part with phosphorus when growing on a substrate rich in phosphorus. We have found no cost of this resource translocation; on the contrary, whole clones increased not only their accumulation of phosphorus, but also of nitrogen. Our study shows how an amphibian plant may profit from heterogeneous habitats by resource sharing in a clonal network.     

入侵与本地植物对气候变暖和氮沉降交互效应的动态响应

入侵与本地植物对气候变暖和氮沉降交互效应的动态响应 在全球气候变暖背景下,对入侵物种扩张的预测往往并未考虑到同时出现的氮沉降变化。因此,气候变暖和氮沉降的复杂交互将如何改变入侵物种和本地物种的生长动态尚需进一步探索。在此,本研究假设氮沉降和温度的同时增加可能对入侵植物的生长促进效应大于本地植物。本研究在模拟气候变暖、氮沉降及其交互处理下,对入侵植物加拿大一枝黄花(Solidago canadensis L.)及其本地共存物种艾草(Artemisia argyi Levl. et Van)的生长响应进行温室对照试验。结果表明：由于氮沉降对物种生长的显著促进效应,温度升高和氮沉降的交互作用导致入侵物种和本地物种的生长适应性显著提高,即温氮交互可能使区域微生境更加有利于植物生长。然而,在生物量、高度和直径等生态适应特征方面,入侵物种加拿大一枝黄花的相对增加幅度显著低于本地物种艾草,这表明入侵物种加拿大一枝黄花相对于本地物种艾草的生长优势会在未来气候变暖与氮沉降持续增强的背景下逐渐减弱。因此,纳入氮沉降因素可能会缓解入侵物种加拿大一枝黄花在气候变暖条件下的入侵扩张。