1
|
Zhang J, Li NN, Song A, You WH, Du DL. Clonal integration can promote the growth and spread of Alternanthera philoxeroides in cadmium-contaminated environments. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY AND BIOCHEMISTRY : PPB 2023; 202:107966. [PMID: 37586182 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
Clonal plants are able to support the growth of their ramets in stressful environments via clonal integration between the ramets. However, it remains unclear whether the developmental status of stressed ramets affects the role of clonal integration. Here, we explored the effects of clonal integration at both the ramet level and the whole clonal fragment level when the apical ramets (younger) and basal ramets (older) were subjected to different concentrations of cadmium contamination. We grew pairs of ramets of Alternanthera philoxeroides, which were connected or disconnected by stolon between them. The apical and basal ramets were either uncontaminated or individually subjected to Cd contamination at concentrations of 5 mg kg-1 and 50 mg kg-1, respectively. Our results showed that clonal integration significantly promoted the growth of apical ramets subjected to Cd contamination. More importantly, under high Cd treatment, clonal integration also had a significant positive effect on the fitness of the whole clonal fragments. However, clonal integration did not affect plant growth when basal ramets were subjected to Cd contamination. Our study reveals the influence of the developmental status of stressed ramets on the role of clonal integration in heterogeneous heavy metal stress environments, suggesting that clonal integration may facilitate the spread of A. philoxeroides in Cd-contaminated habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jin Zhang
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| | - Ning-Ning Li
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| | - Ao Song
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| | - Wen-Hua You
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China; Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou, 215009, PR China.
| | - Dao-Lin Du
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, PR China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
You W, Li N, Zhang J, Song A, Du D. The Plant Invader Alternanthera philoxeroides Benefits from Clonal Integration More than Its Native Co-Genus in Response to Patch Contrast. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2023; 12:2371. [PMID: 37375996 DOI: 10.3390/plants12122371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Revised: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Different connected parts of clonal plants often grow in different patches and the resource contrast between patches has an important effect on the material transfer between the connected ramets. However, it is unclear whether the effect of clonal integration differs between the invasive clonal plant and the related native species in response to patch contrast. To explore this, we grew the clonal fragment pairs of plant invader Alternanthera philoxeroides and its co-genus native species A. sessilis under high contrast, low contrast, and no contrast (control) nutrient patch environments, respectively, and with stolon connections either severed or kept intact. The results showed that, at the ramet level, clonal integration (stolon connection) significantly improved the growth of apical ramets of both species, and such positive effects were significantly greater in A. philoxeroides than in A. sessilis. Moreover, clonal integration greatly increased the chlorophyll content index of apical ramets and the growth of basal ramets in A. philoxeroides but not in A. sessilis under low and high contrast. At the whole fragment level, the benefits of clonal integration increased with increasing patch contrast, and such a positive effect was more pronounced in A. philoxeroides than in A. sessilis. This study demonstrated that A. philoxeroides possesses a stronger ability of clonal integration than A. sessilis, especially in patchy environments with a higher degree of heterogeneity, suggesting that clonal integration may give some invasive clonal plants a competitive advantage over native species, thus facilitating their invasion in patchy habitats.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Wenhua You
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
- Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
| | - Ningning Li
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Jin Zhang
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Ao Song
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| | - Daolin Du
- Institute of the Environment and Ecology, College of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wang P, Alpert P, Yu FH. Physiological integration can increase competitive ability in clonal plants if competition is patchy. Oecologia 2021; 195:199-212. [PMID: 33394130 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04823-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/05/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Physiological integration of connected plants of the same clone, or ramets, often increases clonal fitness when ramets differ in resource supply. However, review of the literature found that no study has directly tested the hypothesis that integration can increase the ability of clones to compete against other species. To test this, we grew two-ramet clonal fragments of the stoloniferous, perennial herb Fragaria chiloensis in which none, one, or both of the ramets had neighbors of a naturally co-occurring, dominant grass, Bromus carinatus, and connections between ramets were either severed to prevent integration or left intact. We also grew four-ramet fragments in which all ramets had neighbors and connections were severed or intact. Severance decreased the final leaf mass and area of two-ramet fragments by 25% and their final total mass by 15% when just one ramet was grown with B. carinatus. Severance had no significant effect on the total mass of fragments when none or all of the ramets were grown with the grass. This provides the first direct evidence that physiological integration can increase the competitive ability of clonal plant species, though only when competition is spatially heterogeneous. Integration may thus enable plant clones to grow into plant communities and to compete within communities with fine-scale disturbance. However, integration may not increase the competitive ability of clonal plants within uniformly dense communities of taller species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Pu Wang
- College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forest University, Beijing, 100083, China.,Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Peter Alpert
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, 611 North Pleasant Street, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA.
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Si C, Jin Y, Lin J, Zhang JF, Chen JS, Yu FH. Physical space interacts with clonal fragmentation and nutrient availability to affect the growth of Salvinia natans. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0226850. [PMID: 31869392 PMCID: PMC6927599 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0226850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Physical space, clonal fragmentation and nutrient availability can each affect the growth of clonal plants, but their interactive effect has been little studied. We grew un-fragmented (connected) and fragmented (disconnected) ramet pairs of the floating, clonal plant Salvinia natans in cylindrical containers with different diameters and heights (volumes) filled with solutions of two nutrient levels (high vs. low). To simulate competition environments that are commonly confronted by S. natans, we also added two ramets of another floating plants Spirodela polyrrhiza in each container. Biomass (total biomass, floating biomass and submerged biomass) and number of ramets of S. salvinia were higher in the containers with a larger diameter. Compared to the low nutrient level, the high nutrient level increased number of ramets, and altered submerged to floating mass ratio of S. salvinia. The impacts of physical space on floating mass and number of ramets were stronger under the high than under the low nutrient level. Clonal fragmentation positively affected biomass in the containers with a smaller volume (a smaller height and diameter), but had little impact in the containers with a larger volume (a larger height or diameter). Our results suggest that physical space can interact with nutrients and clonal fragmentation to affect the performance of S. salvinia under competition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chao Si
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Yu Jin
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jing Lin
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Jian-Feng Zhang
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| | - Jin-Song Chen
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology, Taizhou University, Taizhou, China
| |
Collapse
|