Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats
Many studies have shown that clonal integration can promote the performance of clonal plants in heterogeneous habitats, but the roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats were rarely studied simultaneously. Ramet pairs of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb wer...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2016-04-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Plant Science |
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| Online Access: | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2016.00551/full |
| _version_ | 1819068696796069888 |
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| author | Haijie eZhang Fenghong eLiu Renqing eWang Renqing eWang Jian eLiu |
| author_facet | Haijie eZhang Fenghong eLiu Renqing eWang Renqing eWang Jian eLiu |
| author_sort | Haijie eZhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many studies have shown that clonal integration can promote the performance of clonal plants in heterogeneous habitats, but the roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats were rarely studied simultaneously. Ramet pairs of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb were placed in two habitats either heterogeneous or homogeneous in soil nutrient availability, with stolon connections left intact or severed. Total biomass, total length of stolons, and number of new ramets of distal (relatively young) ramets located in low-nutrient environments were significantly greater when the distal ramets were connected to than when they were disconnected from proximal (relatively old) ramets located in high-nutrient environments. Total length of stolons of proximal ramets growing in low-nutrient environments was significantly higher when the proximal ramets were connected to than when they were disconnected from the distal ramets growing in high-nutrient environments, but stolon connection did not affect total biomass or number of new ramets of the proximal ramets. Stolon severing also did not affect the growth of the whole ramet pairs in heterogeneous environments. In homogeneous high-nutrient environments stolon severing promoted the growth of the proximal ramets and the ramet pairs, but in homogeneous low-nutrient environments it did not affect the growth of the proximal or distal ramets. Hence, for A. philoxeroides, clonal fragmentation appears to be more advantageous than clonal integration in resource-rich homogeneous habitats, and clonal integration becomes beneficial in heterogeneous habitats. Our study contributes to revealing roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats and expansion patterns of invasive clonal plants such as A. philoxeroides in multifarious habitats. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T16:38:15Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a8ffc02370164099a25a25398366a79b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-462X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T16:38:15Z |
| publishDate | 2016-04-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Plant Science |
| spelling | doaj.art-a8ffc02370164099a25a25398366a79b2022-12-21T18:57:10ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Plant Science1664-462X2016-04-01710.3389/fpls.2016.00551180643Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitatsHaijie eZhang0Fenghong eLiu1Renqing eWang2Renqing eWang3Jian eLiu4Shandong UniversityChinese Academy of SciencesShandong UniversityShandong UniversityShandong UniversityMany studies have shown that clonal integration can promote the performance of clonal plants in heterogeneous habitats, but the roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats were rarely studied simultaneously. Ramet pairs of Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb were placed in two habitats either heterogeneous or homogeneous in soil nutrient availability, with stolon connections left intact or severed. Total biomass, total length of stolons, and number of new ramets of distal (relatively young) ramets located in low-nutrient environments were significantly greater when the distal ramets were connected to than when they were disconnected from proximal (relatively old) ramets located in high-nutrient environments. Total length of stolons of proximal ramets growing in low-nutrient environments was significantly higher when the proximal ramets were connected to than when they were disconnected from the distal ramets growing in high-nutrient environments, but stolon connection did not affect total biomass or number of new ramets of the proximal ramets. Stolon severing also did not affect the growth of the whole ramet pairs in heterogeneous environments. In homogeneous high-nutrient environments stolon severing promoted the growth of the proximal ramets and the ramet pairs, but in homogeneous low-nutrient environments it did not affect the growth of the proximal or distal ramets. Hence, for A. philoxeroides, clonal fragmentation appears to be more advantageous than clonal integration in resource-rich homogeneous habitats, and clonal integration becomes beneficial in heterogeneous habitats. Our study contributes to revealing roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats and expansion patterns of invasive clonal plants such as A. philoxeroides in multifarious habitats.http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2016.00551/fullNutrientsClonal integrationAlternanthera philoxeroidesSeveringHeterogeneous habitatHomogeneous habitat |
| spellingShingle | Haijie eZhang Fenghong eLiu Renqing eWang Renqing eWang Jian eLiu Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats Frontiers in Plant Science Nutrients Clonal integration Alternanthera philoxeroides Severing Heterogeneous habitat Homogeneous habitat |
| title | Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats |
| title_full | Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats |
| title_fullStr | Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats |
| title_short | Roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats |
| title_sort | roles of clonal integration in both heterogeneous and homogeneous habitats |
| topic | Nutrients Clonal integration Alternanthera philoxeroides Severing Heterogeneous habitat Homogeneous habitat |
| url | http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fpls.2016.00551/full |
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