Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i>
Seed release is crucial in the reproductive cycle of many desert plant species, but their responses to precipitation changes are still unclear. To clarify the response patterns, we conducted a long-term in situ water addition experiment with five treatments, including natural precipitation (control)...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Plants |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/88 |
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| author | Fang Bao Zhiming Xin Minghu Liu Jiazhu Li Ying Gao Qi Lu Bo Wu |
| author_facet | Fang Bao Zhiming Xin Minghu Liu Jiazhu Li Ying Gao Qi Lu Bo Wu |
| author_sort | Fang Bao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Seed release is crucial in the reproductive cycle of many desert plant species, but their responses to precipitation changes are still unclear. To clarify the response patterns, we conducted a long-term in situ water addition experiment with five treatments, including natural precipitation (control) plus an extra 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the local mean annual precipitation (145 mm), in a temperate desert in northwestern China. Both the onset and end of the seed release phenophase of the locally dominant shrub, <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i>, were observed from 2012 to 2018. The results showed that both the onset and end time of seed release, especially the end time, were significantly affected by water addition treatment. On average, the end time of seed release was advanced by 3.9 d, 7.3 d, 10.8 d, and 3.8 d under +25%, +50%, +75%, and +100% water addition treatments, respectively, over the seven-year study, compared with the control. The changes in the onset time were relatively small (only several hours), and the duration of seed release was shortened by 4.0 d, 7.5 d, 10.8 d, and 2.0 d under +25%, +50%, +75%, and +100% water addition treatments, respectively. The onset and end time of seed release varied greatly between the years. Preceding fruit ripening and summer temperature jointly regulated the inter-annual variation of the onset time of seed release, while the cumulative summer precipitation played a key role in driving the inter-annual variation of the end time. The annual mean temperature controlled the inter-annual variation of the seed release duration, and these interactions were all non-linear. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:42:40Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-708ef92a217148968ce220ae6a5c1410 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2223-7747 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T09:42:40Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Plants |
| spelling | doaj.art-708ef92a217148968ce220ae6a5c14102023-12-02T00:47:36ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472022-12-011218810.3390/plants12010088Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i>Fang Bao0Zhiming Xin1Minghu Liu2Jiazhu Li3Ying Gao4Qi Lu5Bo Wu6Institute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaExperimental Center of Desert Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Bayannaoer 015200, ChinaExperimental Center of Desert Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Bayannaoer 015200, ChinaInstitute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaInstitute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaInstitute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaInstitute of Desertification Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, ChinaSeed release is crucial in the reproductive cycle of many desert plant species, but their responses to precipitation changes are still unclear. To clarify the response patterns, we conducted a long-term in situ water addition experiment with five treatments, including natural precipitation (control) plus an extra 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of the local mean annual precipitation (145 mm), in a temperate desert in northwestern China. Both the onset and end of the seed release phenophase of the locally dominant shrub, <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i>, were observed from 2012 to 2018. The results showed that both the onset and end time of seed release, especially the end time, were significantly affected by water addition treatment. On average, the end time of seed release was advanced by 3.9 d, 7.3 d, 10.8 d, and 3.8 d under +25%, +50%, +75%, and +100% water addition treatments, respectively, over the seven-year study, compared with the control. The changes in the onset time were relatively small (only several hours), and the duration of seed release was shortened by 4.0 d, 7.5 d, 10.8 d, and 2.0 d under +25%, +50%, +75%, and +100% water addition treatments, respectively. The onset and end time of seed release varied greatly between the years. Preceding fruit ripening and summer temperature jointly regulated the inter-annual variation of the onset time of seed release, while the cumulative summer precipitation played a key role in driving the inter-annual variation of the end time. The annual mean temperature controlled the inter-annual variation of the seed release duration, and these interactions were all non-linear.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/88desert speciesseed releasewater additionphenology |
| spellingShingle | Fang Bao Zhiming Xin Minghu Liu Jiazhu Li Ying Gao Qi Lu Bo Wu Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i> Plants desert species seed release water addition phenology |
| title | Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i> |
| title_full | Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i> |
| title_fullStr | Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i> |
| title_full_unstemmed | Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i> |
| title_short | Contrasting Regulators of the Onset and End of the Seed Release Phenology of a Temperate Desert Shrub <i>Nitraria tangutorum</i> |
| title_sort | contrasting regulators of the onset and end of the seed release phenology of a temperate desert shrub i nitraria tangutorum i |
| topic | desert species seed release water addition phenology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/12/1/88 |
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