Effects of clonal integration and nutrient availability on the growth of Glechoma longituba under heterogenous light conditions

Frontiers in Plant Science

Plant Science

Wen-Tao Cui¹  Chao Si¹  Ning Wang¹  Bing-Nan Zhao¹  Rui Zhang¹  Yu-Meng Li¹  Zhi-Huan Chen² 

[1] School of Life Science and Engineering, Handan University, Handan, China;School of Special Education, Handan University, Handan, China;

关键词: clonal integration;    Glechoma longituba;    heterogeneity;    light condition;    nutrient availability;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpls.2023.1182068

 received in 2023-03-08, accepted in 2023-07-25,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

IntroductionClonal integration of connected ramets within clones is an important ecological advantage. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the effects of clonal integration on performance of donor and recipient ramets when one resource is heterogeneous can be influenced by the availability of another resource of donor ramets.MethodsWe conducted a greenhouse experiment on the widespread, perennial herb Glechoma longituba. Clonal fragments consisting of pairs of connected ramets were grown for seven weeks. The younger, apical ramets were exposed under 30% or 100% light condition and the older, basal ramets were treated with three levels of nutrients. The connections between ramets were either severed or left intact. 30% light condition negatively affected the growth of apical ramets, basal ramets and the whole fragments. ResultsClonal integration significantly increased the growth of apical ramets, but decreased the growth of the basal ramets. Medium and high level nutrient availability of basal ramets significantly increased the growth of apical ramets, basal ramets and the whole fragments. At the high nutrient level, the reduction in growth of basal ramets from clonal integration was decreased, but the growth responses of apical ramets and the whole fragments to clonal integration were not influenced by nutrient availability. ConclusionThe results suggested that clonal integration was benefit to the growth of apical ramets of Glechoma longituba but at the cost of reducing the growth of basal ramets. Although the high nutrient level could reduce the cost that clonal integration brought to the unshaded basal ramets, but could not increase the benefit that clonal integration brought to the shaded apical ramets and whole fragment.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Zhang, Chen, Li, Wang, Cui, Zhao and Si