Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment
IntroductionCritical changes often occur in Fokienia hodginsii seedlings during the process of growth owing to differences in the surrounding environment. The most common differences are heterogeneous nutrient environments and competition from neighboring plants.MethodsIn this study, we selected one...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1327322/full |
| _version_ | 1797353227715346432 |
|---|---|
| author | Bingjun Li Mi Deng Yanmei Pan Wenchen Chen Tianyou He Liguang Chen Yushan Zheng Jundong Rong |
| author_facet | Bingjun Li Mi Deng Yanmei Pan Wenchen Chen Tianyou He Liguang Chen Yushan Zheng Jundong Rong |
| author_sort | Bingjun Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | IntroductionCritical changes often occur in Fokienia hodginsii seedlings during the process of growth owing to differences in the surrounding environment. The most common differences are heterogeneous nutrient environments and competition from neighboring plants.MethodsIn this study, we selected one-year-old, high-quality Fokienia hodginsii seedlings as experimental materials. Three planting patterns were established to simulate different competitive treatments, and seedlings were also exposed to three heterogeneous nutrient environments and a homogeneous nutrient environment (control) to determine their effect on the root morphology and structure of F. hodginsii seedlings.ResultsHeterogeneous nutrient environments, compared with a homogeneous environment, significantly increased the dry matter accumulation and root morphology indexes of the root system of F. hodginsii, which proliferated in nutrient-rich patches, and the P heterogeneous environment had the most significant enhancement effect, with dry matter accumulation 70.2%, 7.0%, and 27.0% higher than that in homogeneous and N and K heterogeneous environments, respectively. Homogeneous environments significantly increased the specific root length and root area of the root system; the dry matter mass and morphological structure of the root system of F. hodginsii with a heterospecific neighbor were higher than those under conspecific neighbor and single-plant treatments, and the root area of the root system under the conspecific neighbor treatment was higher than that under the heterospecific neighbor treatment, by 20% and 23%, respectively. Moreover, the root system under heterospecific neighbor treatment had high sensitivity; the heterogeneous nutrient environment increased the mean diameter of the fine roots of the seedlings of F. hodginsii and the diameter of the vascular bundle, and the effect was most significant in the P heterogeneous environment, exceeding that in the N and K heterogeneous environments. The effect was most significant in the P heterogeneous environment, which increased fine root diameter by 20.5% and 10.3%, respectively, compared with the homogeneous environment; in contrast, the fine root vascular ratio was highest in the homogeneous environment, and most of the indicators of the fine root anatomical structure in the nutrient-rich patches were of greater values than those in the nutrient-poor patches in the different heterogeneous environments; competition promoted most of the indicators of the fine root anatomical structure of F. hodginsii seedlings. According a principal component analysis (PCA), the N, Pm and K heterogeneous environments with heterospecific neighbors and the P heterogeneous environment with a conspecific neighbor had higher evaluation in the calculation of eigenvalues of the PCA.DiscussionThe root dry matter accumulation, root morphology, and anatomical structure of F. hodginsii seedlings in the heterogeneous nutrient environment were more developed than those in the homogeneous nutrient environment. The effect of the P heterogeneous environment was the most significant. The heterospecific neighbor treatment was more conducive to the expansion and development of root morphology of F. hodginsii seedlings than were the conspecific neighbor and single-plant treatments. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:28:07Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0b6f42c4d2bc430a96430b4b4a004ae6 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T13:28:07Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-0b6f42c4d2bc430a96430b4b4a004ae62024-01-17T12:31:56ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2024-01-011410.3389/fpls.2023.13273221327322Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environmentBingjun Li0Mi Deng1Yanmei Pan2Wenchen Chen3Tianyou He4Liguang Chen5Yushan Zheng6Jundong Rong7College of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Landscape Architecture and Art, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaCollege of Forestry, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou, ChinaIntroductionCritical changes often occur in Fokienia hodginsii seedlings during the process of growth owing to differences in the surrounding environment. The most common differences are heterogeneous nutrient environments and competition from neighboring plants.MethodsIn this study, we selected one-year-old, high-quality Fokienia hodginsii seedlings as experimental materials. Three planting patterns were established to simulate different competitive treatments, and seedlings were also exposed to three heterogeneous nutrient environments and a homogeneous nutrient environment (control) to determine their effect on the root morphology and structure of F. hodginsii seedlings.ResultsHeterogeneous nutrient environments, compared with a homogeneous environment, significantly increased the dry matter accumulation and root morphology indexes of the root system of F. hodginsii, which proliferated in nutrient-rich patches, and the P heterogeneous environment had the most significant enhancement effect, with dry matter accumulation 70.2%, 7.0%, and 27.0% higher than that in homogeneous and N and K heterogeneous environments, respectively. Homogeneous environments significantly increased the specific root length and root area of the root system; the dry matter mass and morphological structure of the root system of F. hodginsii with a heterospecific neighbor were higher than those under conspecific neighbor and single-plant treatments, and the root area of the root system under the conspecific neighbor treatment was higher than that under the heterospecific neighbor treatment, by 20% and 23%, respectively. Moreover, the root system under heterospecific neighbor treatment had high sensitivity; the heterogeneous nutrient environment increased the mean diameter of the fine roots of the seedlings of F. hodginsii and the diameter of the vascular bundle, and the effect was most significant in the P heterogeneous environment, exceeding that in the N and K heterogeneous environments. The effect was most significant in the P heterogeneous environment, which increased fine root diameter by 20.5% and 10.3%, respectively, compared with the homogeneous environment; in contrast, the fine root vascular ratio was highest in the homogeneous environment, and most of the indicators of the fine root anatomical structure in the nutrient-rich patches were of greater values than those in the nutrient-poor patches in the different heterogeneous environments; competition promoted most of the indicators of the fine root anatomical structure of F. hodginsii seedlings. According a principal component analysis (PCA), the N, Pm and K heterogeneous environments with heterospecific neighbors and the P heterogeneous environment with a conspecific neighbor had higher evaluation in the calculation of eigenvalues of the PCA.DiscussionThe root dry matter accumulation, root morphology, and anatomical structure of F. hodginsii seedlings in the heterogeneous nutrient environment were more developed than those in the homogeneous nutrient environment. The effect of the P heterogeneous environment was the most significant. The heterospecific neighbor treatment was more conducive to the expansion and development of root morphology of F. hodginsii seedlings than were the conspecific neighbor and single-plant treatments.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1327322/fullFokienia hodginsiiheterogeneous nutrient environmentplanting patternroot morphologyanatomical structure |
| spellingShingle | Bingjun Li Mi Deng Yanmei Pan Wenchen Chen Tianyou He Liguang Chen Yushan Zheng Jundong Rong Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment Frontiers in Plant Science Fokienia hodginsii heterogeneous nutrient environment planting pattern root morphology anatomical structure |
| title | Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment |
| title_full | Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment |
| title_fullStr | Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment |
| title_short | Response of the root morphological structure of Fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment |
| title_sort | response of the root morphological structure of fokienia hodginsii seedlings to competition from neighboring plants in a heterogeneous nutrient environment |
| topic | Fokienia hodginsii heterogeneous nutrient environment planting pattern root morphology anatomical structure |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1327322/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT bingjunli responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment AT mideng responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment AT yanmeipan responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment AT wenchenchen responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment AT tianyouhe responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment AT liguangchen responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment AT yushanzheng responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment AT jundongrong responseoftherootmorphologicalstructureoffokieniahodginsiiseedlingstocompetitionfromneighboringplantsinaheterogeneousnutrientenvironment |