Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought

Abstract Background Understanding the mechanisms underlying plant water use in response to drought is critical to predicting the trend of ecosystem development under a changing environment, while the responses of water use in clonal plants with interconnected ramets to drought are far less clear tha...

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Main Authors: Xi-Pin Wu, Shirong Liu, Junwei Luan, Yi Wang, Chunju Cai
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2019-06-01
Series:Forest Ecosystems
Subjects:
Online Access:http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40663-019-0189-8
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author Xi-Pin Wu
Shirong Liu
Junwei Luan
Yi Wang
Chunju Cai
author_facet Xi-Pin Wu
Shirong Liu
Junwei Luan
Yi Wang
Chunju Cai
author_sort Xi-Pin Wu
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Background Understanding the mechanisms underlying plant water use in response to drought is critical to predicting the trend of ecosystem development under a changing environment, while the responses of water use in clonal plants with interconnected ramets to drought are far less clear than trees. Method In this study, we conducted manipulated drought by excluding 50% annual throughfall at a stand level in a Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) forest, to determine how water use of the Moso bamboo responds to drought stress, and whether bamboo culms of different developmental stages show synchronized responses given the existence of physiological integration. Three developmental stages of bamboo culms (i.e., young, mature and old) were investigated and measurements were made on sap flow density (J s), leaf water potential at predawn (ψ pre) and midday (ψ mid), leaf water potential at turgor loss (ψ TLP), leaf stomatal density and size, and the maximum stomatal conductance (g w(max)) was calculated. Results Under the manipulative drought conditions, the values of J s significantly decreased in the mature culms but not in the young and old culms. g w(max) remained unchanged in mature culms, and increased in the young and old culms. Drought significantly reduced ψ mid of the young culms, resulting in more negative ψ TLP in the young culms compared with the old ones. Conclusions The results imply that the young culms adopted the drought tolerance strategy, while the old culms tended to adopt the drought avoidance strategy. Both the young and old culms are capable of maintaining relatively stable J s under drought by structural and physiological adjustments. Our findings demonstrate the variable responses of water use in bamboo culms of different developmental stages to drought, suggesting an unsynchronized responses of water use to water stress among culms in clonal plants.
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spelling doaj.art-39844c4b09674fda816ac9dd7d930f7c2023-01-02T09:47:21ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.Forest Ecosystems2197-56202019-06-016111410.1186/s40663-019-0189-8Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative droughtXi-Pin Wu0Shirong Liu1Junwei Luan2Yi Wang3Chunju Cai4Key Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan, International Centre for Bamboo and RattanKey Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan, International Centre for Bamboo and RattanKey Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan, International Centre for Bamboo and RattanKey Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan, International Centre for Bamboo and RattanKey Laboratory of Bamboo and Rattan, International Centre for Bamboo and RattanAbstract Background Understanding the mechanisms underlying plant water use in response to drought is critical to predicting the trend of ecosystem development under a changing environment, while the responses of water use in clonal plants with interconnected ramets to drought are far less clear than trees. Method In this study, we conducted manipulated drought by excluding 50% annual throughfall at a stand level in a Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) forest, to determine how water use of the Moso bamboo responds to drought stress, and whether bamboo culms of different developmental stages show synchronized responses given the existence of physiological integration. Three developmental stages of bamboo culms (i.e., young, mature and old) were investigated and measurements were made on sap flow density (J s), leaf water potential at predawn (ψ pre) and midday (ψ mid), leaf water potential at turgor loss (ψ TLP), leaf stomatal density and size, and the maximum stomatal conductance (g w(max)) was calculated. Results Under the manipulative drought conditions, the values of J s significantly decreased in the mature culms but not in the young and old culms. g w(max) remained unchanged in mature culms, and increased in the young and old culms. Drought significantly reduced ψ mid of the young culms, resulting in more negative ψ TLP in the young culms compared with the old ones. Conclusions The results imply that the young culms adopted the drought tolerance strategy, while the old culms tended to adopt the drought avoidance strategy. Both the young and old culms are capable of maintaining relatively stable J s under drought by structural and physiological adjustments. Our findings demonstrate the variable responses of water use in bamboo culms of different developmental stages to drought, suggesting an unsynchronized responses of water use to water stress among culms in clonal plants.http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40663-019-0189-8Soil water stressWater relationsDrought sensitivityPhysiological adjustmentsClonal plant
spellingShingle Xi-Pin Wu
Shirong Liu
Junwei Luan
Yi Wang
Chunju Cai
Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought
Forest Ecosystems
Soil water stress
Water relations
Drought sensitivity
Physiological adjustments
Clonal plant
title Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought
title_full Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought
title_fullStr Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought
title_full_unstemmed Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought
title_short Responses of water use in Moso bamboo (Phyllostachys heterocycla) culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought
title_sort responses of water use in moso bamboo phyllostachys heterocycla culms of different developmental stages to manipulative drought
topic Soil water stress
Water relations
Drought sensitivity
Physiological adjustments
Clonal plant
url http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s40663-019-0189-8
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