Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity
Abstract Background Grazing is an important land use in northern China. In general, different grazing intensities had a different impact on the morphological and physiological traits of plants, and especially their photosynthetic capacity. We investigated the responses of Leymus chinensis to light,...
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| Format: | Article |
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BMC
2019-12-01
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| Series: | BMC Plant Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-2184-1 |
| _version_ | 1818391546260619264 |
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| author | Min Liu Jirui Gong Bo Yang Yong Ding Zihe Zhang Biao Wang Chenchen Zhu Xiangyang Hou |
| author_facet | Min Liu Jirui Gong Bo Yang Yong Ding Zihe Zhang Biao Wang Chenchen Zhu Xiangyang Hou |
| author_sort | Min Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Grazing is an important land use in northern China. In general, different grazing intensities had a different impact on the morphological and physiological traits of plants, and especially their photosynthetic capacity. We investigated the responses of Leymus chinensis to light, medium, and heavy grazing intensities in comparison with a grazing exclusion control. Results With light grazing, L. chinensis showed decreased photosynthetic capacity. The low chlorophyll and carotenoid contents constrained light energy transformation and dissipation, and Rubisco activity was also low, restricting the carboxylation efficiency. In addition, the damaged photosynthetic apparatus accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS). With medium grazing, more energy was used for thermal dissipation, with high carotene content and high non-photochemical quenching, whereas photosynthetic electron transport was lowest. Significantly decreased photosynthesis decreased leaf C contents. Plants decreased the risk caused by ROS through increased energy dissipation. With high grazing intensity, plants changed their strategy to improve survival through photosynthetic compensation. More energy was allocated to photosynthetic electron transport. Though heavy grazing damaged the chloroplast ultrastructure, adjustment of internal mechanisms increased compensatory photosynthesis, and an increased tiller number facilitated regrowth after grazing. Conclusions Overall, the plants adopted different strategies by adjusting their metabolism and growth in response to their changing environment. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T05:15:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-799c3bd416da4b97a206fe929f31aa1e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1471-2229 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T05:15:14Z |
| publishDate | 2019-12-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | BMC Plant Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-799c3bd416da4b97a206fe929f31aa1e2022-12-21T23:15:51ZengBMCBMC Plant Biology1471-22292019-12-0119111610.1186/s12870-019-2184-1Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensityMin Liu0Jirui Gong1Bo Yang2Yong Ding3Zihe Zhang4Biao Wang5Chenchen Zhu6Xiangyang Hou7Beijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal UniversityGrassland Research Institute of Chinese Academic of Agricultural ScienceBeijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal UniversityBeijing Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Protection and Utilization, Key Laboratory of Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal UniversityGrassland Research Institute of Chinese Academic of Agricultural ScienceAbstract Background Grazing is an important land use in northern China. In general, different grazing intensities had a different impact on the morphological and physiological traits of plants, and especially their photosynthetic capacity. We investigated the responses of Leymus chinensis to light, medium, and heavy grazing intensities in comparison with a grazing exclusion control. Results With light grazing, L. chinensis showed decreased photosynthetic capacity. The low chlorophyll and carotenoid contents constrained light energy transformation and dissipation, and Rubisco activity was also low, restricting the carboxylation efficiency. In addition, the damaged photosynthetic apparatus accumulated reactive oxygen species (ROS). With medium grazing, more energy was used for thermal dissipation, with high carotene content and high non-photochemical quenching, whereas photosynthetic electron transport was lowest. Significantly decreased photosynthesis decreased leaf C contents. Plants decreased the risk caused by ROS through increased energy dissipation. With high grazing intensity, plants changed their strategy to improve survival through photosynthetic compensation. More energy was allocated to photosynthetic electron transport. Though heavy grazing damaged the chloroplast ultrastructure, adjustment of internal mechanisms increased compensatory photosynthesis, and an increased tiller number facilitated regrowth after grazing. Conclusions Overall, the plants adopted different strategies by adjusting their metabolism and growth in response to their changing environment.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-2184-1Grazing intensityPhotosynthetic capacityChlorophyll fluorescenceChloroplast structureReactive oxygen species |
| spellingShingle | Min Liu Jirui Gong Bo Yang Yong Ding Zihe Zhang Biao Wang Chenchen Zhu Xiangyang Hou Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity BMC Plant Biology Grazing intensity Photosynthetic capacity Chlorophyll fluorescence Chloroplast structure Reactive oxygen species |
| title | Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity |
| title_full | Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity |
| title_fullStr | Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity |
| title_full_unstemmed | Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity |
| title_short | Differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of Leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity |
| title_sort | differences in the photosynthetic and physiological responses of leymus chinensis to different levels of grazing intensity |
| topic | Grazing intensity Photosynthetic capacity Chlorophyll fluorescence Chloroplast structure Reactive oxygen species |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-019-2184-1 |
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