Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China
As a native tree species, <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> (sandy elm) is widely distributed in the Horqin Sandy Land, China. However, seedlings of this species have to withstand various depths of sand burial after emergence because of increasing soil degradation, whi...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2016-07-01
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| Series: | Solid Earth |
| Online Access: | http://www.solid-earth.net/7/1085/2016/se-7-1085-2016.pdf |
| _version_ | 1828883756680740864 |
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| author | J. Tang C. A. Busso D. Jiang A. Musa D. Wu Y. Wang C. Miao |
| author_facet | J. Tang C. A. Busso D. Jiang A. Musa D. Wu Y. Wang C. Miao |
| author_sort | J. Tang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | As a native tree species, <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> (sandy elm) is widely distributed in
the Horqin Sandy Land, China. However, seedlings of this species have to
withstand various depths of sand burial after emergence because of
increasing soil degradation, which is mainly caused by overgrazing, climate
change, and wind erosion. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the
changes in its survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation
when seedlings were buried at different burial depths: unburied controls and
seedlings buried vertically up to 33, 67, 100, or 133 % of their initial
mean seedling height. The results showed that partial sand burial treatments
(i.e., less than 67 % burial) did not reduce seedling survivorship, which
still reached 100 %. However, seedling mortality increased when sand
burial was equal to or greater than 100 %. In comparison with the control
treatment, seedling height and stem diameter increased at least by 6 and
14 % with partial burial, respectively. In the meantime, seedling taproot
length, total biomass, and relative mass growth rates were at least enhanced
by 10, 15.6, and 27.6 %, respectively, with the partial sand
burial treatment. Furthermore, sand burial decreased total leaf area and
changed biomass allocation in seedlings, partitioning more biomass to
aboveground organs (e.g., leaves) and less to belowground parts (roots).
Complete sand burial after seedling emergence inhibited its re-emergence and
growth, even leading to death. Our findings indicated that seedlings of
sandy elm showed some resistance to partial sand burial and were adapted to
sandy environments from an evolutionary perspective. The negative effect of
excessive sand burial after seedling emergence might help in understanding
failures in recruitments of sparse elm in the study region. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:55:06Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-b793dd1ef1414c1084bf8bf2ba8f2af4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1869-9510 1869-9529 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T10:55:06Z |
| publishDate | 2016-07-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Solid Earth |
| spelling | doaj.art-b793dd1ef1414c1084bf8bf2ba8f2af42022-12-21T23:49:37ZengCopernicus PublicationsSolid Earth1869-95101869-95292016-07-01741085109410.5194/se-7-1085-2016Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, ChinaJ. Tang0C. A. Busso1D. Jiang2A. Musa3D. Wu4Y. Wang5C. Miao6Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, ChinaDepartamento de Agronomía-CERZOS (CONICET: Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Tecnológicas de la República Argentina), Universidad Nacional del Sur, San Andrés 800, 8000 Bahía Blanca, ArgentinaInstitute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, ChinaInstitute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, ChinaDepartment of Resource and Environment, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, ChinaInstitute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, ChinaInstitute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, ChinaAs a native tree species, <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> (sandy elm) is widely distributed in the Horqin Sandy Land, China. However, seedlings of this species have to withstand various depths of sand burial after emergence because of increasing soil degradation, which is mainly caused by overgrazing, climate change, and wind erosion. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the changes in its survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation when seedlings were buried at different burial depths: unburied controls and seedlings buried vertically up to 33, 67, 100, or 133 % of their initial mean seedling height. The results showed that partial sand burial treatments (i.e., less than 67 % burial) did not reduce seedling survivorship, which still reached 100 %. However, seedling mortality increased when sand burial was equal to or greater than 100 %. In comparison with the control treatment, seedling height and stem diameter increased at least by 6 and 14 % with partial burial, respectively. In the meantime, seedling taproot length, total biomass, and relative mass growth rates were at least enhanced by 10, 15.6, and 27.6 %, respectively, with the partial sand burial treatment. Furthermore, sand burial decreased total leaf area and changed biomass allocation in seedlings, partitioning more biomass to aboveground organs (e.g., leaves) and less to belowground parts (roots). Complete sand burial after seedling emergence inhibited its re-emergence and growth, even leading to death. Our findings indicated that seedlings of sandy elm showed some resistance to partial sand burial and were adapted to sandy environments from an evolutionary perspective. The negative effect of excessive sand burial after seedling emergence might help in understanding failures in recruitments of sparse elm in the study region.http://www.solid-earth.net/7/1085/2016/se-7-1085-2016.pdf |
| spellingShingle | J. Tang C. A. Busso D. Jiang A. Musa D. Wu Y. Wang C. Miao Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China Solid Earth |
| title | Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological
traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China |
| title_full | Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological
traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China |
| title_fullStr | Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological
traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological
traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China |
| title_short | Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological
traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China |
| title_sort | experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship morphological traits and biomass allocation of i ulmus pumila i var i sabulosa i in the horqin sandy land china |
| url | http://www.solid-earth.net/7/1085/2016/se-7-1085-2016.pdf |
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