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Wu C, Cheng Z, Gao J. Mysterious Bamboo flowering phenomenon: A literature review and new perspectives. Sci Total Environ 2024; 911:168695. [PMID: 38000754 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.168695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 11/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023]
Abstract
Bamboo, a globally distributed non-timber forest resource, plays a critical role in local ecosystems and economies. Despite its significance, the understanding of bamboo's long and unpredictable flowering cycles remains limited. Our bibliometric analysis of bamboo flowering-related literature from the Web of Science database reveals an initial focus on regeneration studies, with a recent trend shifting towards microscopic and molecular perspectives. Furthermore, our narrative review emphasizes the importance of considering factors such as the proportion of flowering culms and the duration of flowering in classifying bamboo flowering phenomena. While numerous studies have endorsed the predator saturation hypothesis as a suitable explanation for the synchronicity of bamboo flowering, no existing theory explains bamboo's prolonged flowering cycles. We propose a new natural selection hypothesis as a potential explanation for these extraordinary cycles, underscoring the need for further research in this area. Despite the substantial volume of data accumulated on bamboo flowering, these resources have not been fully exploited in recent research. Future studies would benefit from more comprehensive data collection methods, encompassing field observations, satellite remote sensing data, and omics data. The convergence of traditional ecological studies with molecular techniques may pave the way for significant advancements in bamboo flowering research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chongyang Wu
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology/International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, PR China
| | - Zhanchao Cheng
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology/International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, PR China
| | - Jian Gao
- Key Laboratory of National Forestry and Grassland Administration, Beijing for Bamboo & Rattan Science and Technology/International Center for Bamboo and Rattan, Beijing, PR China.
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Ren D, Jiao F, Zhang A, Zhao J, Zhang J. Floral morph variation mediated by clonal growth and pollinator functional groups of Limonium otolepis in a heterostylous fragmented population. AoB Plants 2024; 16:plae020. [PMID: 38660050 PMCID: PMC11041057 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plae020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
Abstract
Abstract. Heterostyly, a genetic style polymorphism, is linked to symmetric pollen transfer, vital for its maintenance. Clonal growth typically impacts sexual reproduction by influencing pollen transfer. However, the floral morph variation remains poorly understood under the combined effects of pollinators and clonal growth in heterostyly characterized by negative frequency-dependent selection and disassortative mating. We estimated morph ratios, ramets per genet and heterostylous syndrome and quantified legitimate pollen transfer via clonal growth, pollinators and reciprocal herkogamy between floral morphs in Limonium otolepis, a fragmented population composed of five subpopulations in the desert environment of northwestern China, with small flower and large floral morph variation. All subpopulations but one exhibited pollen-stigma morphology dimorphism. The compatibility between mating types with different pollen-stigma morphologies remained consistent regardless of reciprocal herkogamy. Biased ratios and ramets per genet of the two mating types with distinct pollen-stigma morphologies caused asymmetric pollen flow and varying fruit sets in all subpopulations. Short-tongued insects were the primary pollinators due to small flower sizes. However, pollen-feeding Syrphidae sp. triggered asymmetry in pollen flow between high and low sex organs, with short-styled morphs having lower stigma pollen depositions and greater variation. Clonal growth amplified this variation by reducing intermorph pollen transfer. All in all, pollinators and clonal growth jointly drive floral morph variation. H-morphs with the same stigma-anther position and self-incompatibility, which mitigate the disadvantages of sunken low sex organs with differing from the classical homostyly, might arise from long- and short-styled morphs through a 'relaxed selection'. This study is the first to uncover the occurrence of the H-morph and its associated influencing factors in a distylous plant featuring clonal growth, small flowers and a fragmented population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dengfu Ren
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, P.R China
| | - Fangfang Jiao
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, P.R China
| | - Aiqin Zhang
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, P.R China
| | - Jing Zhao
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, P.R China
| | - Jing Zhang
- Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, School of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, P.R China
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Møller C, March-Salas M, Kuppler J, De Frenne P, Scheepens JF. Intra-individual variation in Galium odoratum is affected by experimental drought and shading. Ann Bot 2023; 131:411-422. [PMID: 36546703 PMCID: PMC10072115 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Climate-change induced warmer spring temperatures advance tree leaf-out and result in earlier shading of the forest floor. Climate change also leads to more frequent droughts. Forest understorey herbs may respond to these environmental changes by varying traits at different hierarchical levels of organization. While trait mean variation at the inter-individual level in response to environmental changes is well-studied, little is known about how variation at the intra-individual level responds. METHODS We sampled genets of the forest understorey herb Galium odoratum from 21 populations in three regions in Germany, varying in microclimatic conditions. The genets were transplanted into a common garden, where we applied shading and drought treatments. We measured plant height and leaf length and width, and calculated the coefficient of variation (CV) at different hierarchical levels: intra-population, intra-genet, intra-ramet and intra-shoot. KEY RESULTS Variance partitioning showed that intra-shoot CV represented most of the total variation, followed by intra-ramet CV. We found significant variation in CV of plant height and leaf width among populations of origin, indicating that CV is at least partly genetically based. The soil temperature at populations' origins correlated negatively with CV in plant height, suggesting adaptation to local conditions. Furthermore, we observed that early shade led to increased intra-ramet CV in leaf length, while drought reduced intra-shoot CV in leaf width. Finally, intra-shoot leaf width mean and CV were independent under control conditions but correlated under drought. CONCLUSIONS Our experimental results reveal correlations of intra-individual variation with soil temperature, indicating that intra-individual variation can evolve and may be adaptive. Intra-individual variation responded plastically to drought and shading, suggesting functional changes to improve light capture and reduce evapotranspiration. In conclusion, intra-individual variation makes up the majority of total trait variation in this species and can play a key role in plant adaptation to climatic change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Møller
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Martí March-Salas
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Jonas Kuppler
- Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, Ulm University, Albert-Einstein-Allee 11, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Gontrode, Belgium
| | - J F Scheepens
- Plant Evolutionary Ecology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Goethe University Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, 60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
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Adomako MO, Xue W, Du DL, Yu FH. Soil Microbe-Mediated N:P Stoichiometric Effects on Solidago canadensis Performance Depend on Nutrient Levels. Microb Ecol 2022; 83:960-970. [PMID: 34279696 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-021-01814-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Both soil microbes and soil N:P ratios can affect plant growth, but it is unclear whether they can interact to alter plant growth and whether such an interactive effect depends on nutrient levels. Here, we tested the hypothesis that soil microbes can ameliorate the negative effects of nutrient imbalance caused by low or high N:P ratios on plant growth and that such an ameliorative effect of soil microbes depends on nutrient supply levels. We grew individuals of six populations of the clonal plant Solidago canadensis at three N:P ratios (low (1.7), intermediate (15), and high (135)), under two nutrient levels (low versus high) and in the presence versus absence of soil microbes. The presence of soil microbes significantly increased biomass of S. canadensis at all three N:P ratios and under both nutrient levels. Under the low-nutrient level, biomass, height, and leaf number of S. canadensis did not differ significantly among the three N:P ratio treatments in the absence of soil microbes, but they were higher at the high than at the low and the intermediate N:P ratio in the presence of soil microbes. Under the high-nutrient level, by contrast, biomass, height, and leaf number of S. canadensis were significantly higher at the low than at the high and the intermediate N:P ratio in the absence of soil microbes, but increased with increasing the N:P ratio in the presence of soil microbes. In the presence of soil microbes, number of ramets (asexual individuals) and the accumulation of N and P in plants were significantly higher at the high than at the low and the intermediate N:P ratio under both nutrient levels, whereas in the absence of soil microbes, they did not differ significantly among the three N:P ratio regardless of the nutrient levels. Our results provide empirical evidence that soil microbes can alter effects of N:P ratios on plant performance and that such an effect depends on nutrient availability. Soil microbes may, therefore, play a role in modulating ecosystem functions such as productivity and carbon and nutrient cycling via modulating nutrient imbalance caused by low and high N:P ratios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Opoku Adomako
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Wei Xue
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China
| | - Dao-Lin Du
- Institute of Environment and Ecology, Academy of Environmental Health and Ecological Security, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Institute of Wetland Ecology & Clone Ecology/Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China.
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Li XX, Fan ZW, Shen YD, Wang Y, Liu Y, Huang QQ. Nutrient addition does not increase the benefits of clonal integration in an invasive plant spreading from open patches into plant communities. Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2019; 21:1090-1096. [PMID: 31344291 DOI: 10.1111/plb.13034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2019] [Accepted: 07/19/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
One benefit of clonal integration is that resource translocation between connected ramets enhances the growth of the ramets grown under stressful conditions, but whether such resource translocation reduces the performance of the ramets grown under favourable conditions has not produced consistent results. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that resource translocation to recipient ramets may reduce the performance of donor ramets when resources are limiting but not when resources are abundant. We grew Mikania micrantha stolon fragments (each consisting of two ramets, either connected or not connected) under spatially heterogeneous competition conditions such that the developmentally younger, distal ramets were grown in competition with a plant community and the developmentally older, proximal ramets were grown without competition. For half of the stolon fragments, slow-release fertiliser pellets were applied to both the distal and proximal ramets. Under both the low and increased soil nutrient conditions, the biomass, leaf number and stolon length of the distal ramets were higher, and those of the proximal ramets were lower when the stolon internode was intact than when it was severed. For the whole clone, the biomass, leaf number and stolon length did not differ between the two connection treatments. Connection did not change the biomass of the plant communities competing with distal ramets of M. micrantha. Although clonal integration may promote the invasion of M. micrantha into plant communities, resource translocation to recipient ramets of M. micrantha will induce a cost to the donor ramets, even when resources are relatively abundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- X-X Li
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Z-W Fan
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Y-D Shen
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Y Wang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Y Liu
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
| | - Q-Q Huang
- Key Laboratory of Integrated Pest Management on Tropical Crops, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou, China
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Benedek V, Englert P. The effect of ramet mortality on clonal plant growth. Theory Biosci 2019; 138:215-21. [PMID: 30734908 DOI: 10.1007/s12064-019-00274-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 01/02/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Clonal plants grow horizontally by producing multiple physiological individuals (ramets). We studied clonal growth in a homogeneous environment using a dynamic spatial model based on a stochastic cellular automaton. We investigated different growth forms from the aspect of ramet mortality. Non-steady-state and quasi-steady-state cases were defined, and we determined the number of steps suitable for making a reliable difference between these two types of cases. This given number of steps was used when testing for the proportion of quasi-steady-state cases in 1000 repetitions. We also tested the efficiency of occupation in these cases. Our expectation was that higher occupation would be associated with lower ramet mortality. The results only partially verified this hypothesis. Though with increasing ramet mortality, the average number of ramets tended to decrease, it was not the lowest ramet mortality that resulted in the highest occupation. Our results showed that very low ramet mortality was unfavourable for the plant, as the spreading front and the area behind this front were so packed that the plant was not able to return and recolonize the vacated sites in the central area. This resulted in a lower proportion of quasi-steady-state cases and lower occupation in these cases. Our results may contribute to a deeper understanding of clonal plant growth and its limiting factors.
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Huang Q, Li X, Huang F, Wang R, Lu B, Shen Y, Fan Z, Lin P. Nutrient addition increases the capacity for division of labor and the benefits of clonal integration in an invasive plant. Sci Total Environ 2018; 643:1232-1238. [PMID: 30189539 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2018] [Revised: 06/23/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Many of the most invasive plants are clonal, and clonal integration has been proposed as an important mechanism promoting invasiveness. When the availabilities of two essential resources are negatively correlated in space, clonal integration may benefit clonal plants through division of labor. We hypothesized that environments with reciprocal patchiness of light and soil water may induce division of labor, and nutrient addition may increase both the division of labor and the benefits of clonal integration. To test this, we grew pairs of connected and disconnected ramets of the clonal invader Mikania micrantha under negative spatial covariance of light and soil water such that the proximal ramets were grown under high light and low soil water conditions and the distal ramets were grown under low light and high soil water conditions. In half of the ramet pairs, both ramets of a pair received a nutrient addition treatment. The results showed that connection decreased the root to shoot ratio in proximal ramets and increased it in distal ramets, indicating that division of labor was induced. In addition, connection increased the root to shoot ratio of distal ramets more under high soil nutrient conditions than under low soil nutrient conditions, indicating that nutrient addition increased the division of labor. Connection increased plant biomass at the whole clonal fragment level, and this increase was larger under high soil nutrient conditions than under low soil nutrient conditions. This study showed, for the first time, that in environments with reciprocal patchiness of two essential resources, the capacity for division of labor and its influence on plant performance may depend on the availability of a third essential resource. Because invasive plants often can acquire a larger amount of soil resources than native plants, our study may also contribute to the understanding why clonality is related to invasiveness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiaoqiao Huang
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Xiaoxia Li
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Fangfang Huang
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou 510520, China.
| | - Ruilong Wang
- College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
| | - Baoqian Lu
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Yide Shen
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Zhiwei Fan
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
| | - Peiqun Lin
- Environment and Plant Protection Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Haikou 571101, China
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8
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Wang Z, Xie L, Prather CM, Guo H, Han G, Ma C. What drives the shift between sexual and clonal reproduction of Caragana stenophylla along a climatic aridity gradient? BMC Plant Biol 2018; 18:91. [PMID: 29788911 PMCID: PMC5964679 DOI: 10.1186/s12870-018-1313-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The reasons that clonal plants shift between sexual and clonal reproduction have persisted as a knowledge gap in ecological literature. We hypothesized that clonal plants' shifts between sexual and clonal reproduction in different environments are driven by the relative costs of sexual and clonal reproduction. Moreover, we hypothesized plants prioritize sexual reproduction over clonal reproduction. To test these hypotheses, we determined the costs of sexual and clonal reproduction, and proportions of sexual and clonal reproduction of Caragana stenophylla along a climatic aridity gradient (semi-arid, arid, very arid and intensively arid zones) in the Inner Mongolia Steppe using several complementary field experiments. RESULTS The cost of sexual reproduction increased while the cost of clonal reproduction decreased as climatic drought stress increased from the semi-arid to the intensively arid zones. The changes in the costs of these reproductive modes drove a shift in the reproductive mode of C. stenophylla from more sexual reproduction in the semi-arid zone to more clonal propagation in the intensively arid zone. However, because of the evolutionary advantages of sexual reproduction, sexual reproduction still held priority over clonal production in C. stenophylla, with the priority of sexual reproduction gradually increasing from the semi-arid to the intensively arid zones. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggested that sexual reproduction has relatively high priority in propagation of C. stenophylla. However, if the costs of sexual reproduction are too high, C. stenophylla likely chooses clonal reproduction, and the ratio between sexual and clonal reproduction could be mediated by reproductive cost. These reproductive strategies reflect optimal resource utilization, and allow the persistence of both reproductive modes across stressful conditions depending on their evolutionary advantages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhongwu Wang
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018 China
| | - Lina Xie
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387 China
- College of Life Sciences, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071 China
| | | | - Hongyu Guo
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387 China
| | - Guodong Han
- College of Grassland, Resources and Environment, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, 010018 China
| | - Chengcang Ma
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, 300387 China
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Lin HF, Alpert P, Zhang Q, Yu FH. Facilitation of amphibious habit by physiological integration in the clonal, perennial, climbing herb Ipomoea aquatica. Sci Total Environ 2018; 618:262-268. [PMID: 29128776 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Revised: 11/01/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Physiological integration of connected ramets of clonal plants can increase clonal performance when ramets grow in contrasting microenvironments within a habitat. In amphibious clonal species, integration of ramets in different habitats, terrestrial and aquatic, is possible. This may increase performance of amphibious clones, especially under eutrophic conditions. To test this, clonal fragments consisting of two ramets of the amphibious, perennial, climbing herb Ipomoea aquatica connected by a stem were placed such that the proximal ramet was rooted in a simulated riparian community of four other species, while the distal ramet extended into a simulated aquatic habitat with open water and sediment. The connection between ramets was either left intact or severed, and 0, 5, or 25mg N L-1 was added to the aquatic habitat to simulate different degrees of eutrophication. Without added N, fragments in which the original ramets were left connected accumulated two times more total mass than fragments in which the ramets were disconnected from one another. The positive effect of connection increased two-fold with increasing N. These results were consistent with the hypotheses that physiological integration between connected terrestrial and aquatic ramets can increase clonal performance in plants and that this effect can be greater when the aquatic ramet is richer in nutrients. Connection reduced root to shoot ratio in terrestrial ramets, but increased it in aquatic ones, suggesting that physiological integration induced a division of labor in which terrestrial ramets specialized for light acquisition and aquatic ramets specialized for acquisition of nutrients. This provides the first report of increase in clonal performance and induction of division of labor due to physiological integration between ramets in different habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Feng Lin
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Peter Alpert
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA
| | - Qian Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
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Kaneko S, Matsuki Y, Qiu YX, Isagi Y. Chloroplast DNA sequencing and detailed microsatellite genotyping of all remnant populations suggests that only a single genet survives of the critically endangered plant Rehmannia japonica. J Plant Res 2017; 130:117-124. [PMID: 27873030 DOI: 10.1007/s10265-016-0873-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 10/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Rehmannia japonica (Thunb.) Makino ex T. Yamaz. is an endangered perennial herb species in Japan. Although earlier the Japanese considered it a variety of R. glutinosa, recent Japanese taxonomists have consistently regarded it as an independent species. According to the historical literature, Rehmannia japonica seems to have been known in China and Japan in the past. However, Chinese taxonomists do not recognize R. japonica at present. In Japan, only two populations are known, and although these populations flower every year, seed reproduction has not been observed. In this study, we aimed to reveal the phylogenetic relationships and levels of genetic diversity of R. japonica. A haplotype network based on two chloroplast DNA regions (trnL-trnF and rps16) showed that the sequences of R. japonica were distinguishable by three or four sites of indels from the most closely related species, R. chingii, consistent with the separate species status of R. japonica. An analysis of genetic diversity using twelve microsatellite loci showed that all of the ramets of R. japonica collected from two geographically isolated populations had an identical multilocus genotype, including identical heterozygous genotypes at six loci. This result indicated asexual origin of all sampled ramets. This study also suggests that the absence of sexual reproduction of R. japonica is explained by self-incompatibility combined with only a single genet remaining in the R. japonica populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shingo Kaneko
- Faculty of Symbiotic Systems Science, Fukushima University, 1 Kanayagawa, Fukushima, Fukushima, 960-1296, Japan.
| | - Yu Matsuki
- Filed Science Center, Graduate School of Agricultural Science, Tohoku University, Osaki, Miyagi, 989-6711, Japan
| | - Ying-Xiong Qiu
- Department of Biology, College of Life Sciences, Zijingang Campus of Zhejiang University, Yuhangtang Road No. 388, Hangzhou, 310058, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Yuji Isagi
- Laboratory of Forest Biology, Division of Forest and Biomaterials Science, Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake-cho, Sakyo-ku Kyoto, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
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Jahnke M, Christensen A, Micu D, Milchakova N, Sezgin M, Todorova V, Strungaru S, Procaccini G. Patterns and mechanisms of dispersal in a keystone seagrass species. Mar Environ Res 2016; 117:54-62. [PMID: 27085058 DOI: 10.1016/j.marenvres.2016.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Revised: 03/31/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Mechanisms and vectors of long-distance dispersal remain unknown for many coastal benthic species, including plants. Indications for the possibility for long-distance dispersal come from dispersal modelling and from genetic assessments, but have rarely been assessed with both methods. To this end, we assessed dispersal of the seagrass Zostera noltei, an important foundation species of the coastal zone. We investigate whether small scale seed dispersal and long-distance propagule dispersal do play a role for meta-population dynamics, using both genetic assessments based on eight microsatellite markers and physical modelling of ocean currents. Such assessments enhance our understanding of the biology and population dynamics of an important coastal foundation species. They are relevant for large scale conservation strategies as they give insights in the maintenance of genetic diversity and connectivity that may enhance resilience and resistance to stresses associated with seagrass loss.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Jahnke
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy
| | - Asbjørn Christensen
- Technical University of Denmark, National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Jægersborg Allé 1, 2920 Charlottenlund, Denmark
| | - Dragos Micu
- National Institute for Marine Research and Development "Grigore Antipa", 900581 Constanţa, Romania
| | - Nataliya Milchakova
- The A.O. Kovalevsky Institute of Marine Biological Researches, 299011 Sevastopol, Russia
| | - Murat Sezgin
- Sinop University, Faculty of Fisheries, Department of Marine Biology and Ecology, TR57000 Sinop, Turkey
| | | | - Stefan Strungaru
- Alexandru Ioan Cuza University, Faculty of Biology, Department of Biology, Bd. Carol I 11, 700506 Iaşi, Romania
| | - Gabriele Procaccini
- Department of Integrative Marine Ecology, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Villa Comunale, 80121 Napoli, Italy.
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Douhovnikoff V, Taylor SH, Hazelton ELG, Smith CM, O'Brien J. Maximal stomatal conductance to water and plasticity in stomatal traits differ between native and invasive introduced lineages of Phragmites australis in North America. AoB Plants 2016; 8:plw006. [PMID: 26819257 PMCID: PMC4789544 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plw006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 01/12/2016] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
The fitness costs of reproduction by clonal growth can include a limited ability to adapt to environmental and temporal heterogeneity. Paradoxically, some facultatively clonal species are not only able to survive, but colonize, thrive and expand in heterogeneous environments. This is likely due to the capacity for acclimation (sensu stricto) that compensates for the fitness costs and complements the ecological advantages of clonality. Introduced Phragmites australis demonstrates great phenotypic plasticity in response to temperature, nutrient availability, geographic gradient, water depths, habitat fertility, atmospheric CO2, interspecific competition and intraspecific competition for light. However, no in situ comparative subspecies studies have explored the difference in plasticity between the non-invasive native lineage and the highly invasive introduced lineage. Clonality of the native and introduced lineages makes it possible to control for genetic variation, making P. australis a unique system for the comparative study of plasticity. Using previously identified clonal genotypes, we investigated differences in their phenotypic plasticity through measurements of the lengths and densities of stomata on both the abaxial (lower) and adaxial (upper) surfaces of leaves, and synthesized these measurements to estimate impacts on maximum stomatal conductance to water (gwmax). Results demonstrated that at three marsh sites, invasive lineages have consistently greater gwmax than their native congeners, as a result of greater stomatal densities and smaller stomata. Our analysis also suggests that phenotypic plasticity, determined as within-genotype variation in gwmax, of the invasive lineage is similar to, or exceeds, that shown by the native lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Douhovnikoff
- Bowdoin College, 6500 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - S H Taylor
- Bowdoin College, 6500 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - E L G Hazelton
- Department of Watershed Sciences, Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - C M Smith
- Bowdoin College, 6500 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
| | - J O'Brien
- Bowdoin College, 6500 College Station, Brunswick, ME 04011, USA
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Douhovnikoff V, Leventhal M. The use of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium in clonal plant systems. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:1173-80. [PMID: 26839683 PMCID: PMC4725330 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Revised: 12/08/2015] [Accepted: 12/09/2015] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Traditionally population genetics precludes the use of the same genetic individual more than once in Hardy-Weinberg (HW) based calculations due to the model's explicit assumptions. However, when applied to clonal plant populations this can be difficult to do, and in some circumstances, it may be ecologically informative to use the ramet as the data unit. In fact, ecologists have varied the definition of the individual from a strict adherence to a single data point per genotype to a more inclusive approach of one data point per ramet. With the advent of molecular tools, the list of facultatively clonal plants and the recognition of their ecological relevance grows. There is an important risk of misinterpretation when HW calculations are applied to a clonal plant not recognized as clonal, as well as when the definition of the individual for those calculations is not clearly stated in a known clonal species. Focusing on heterozygosity values, we investigate cases that demonstrate the extreme range of potential modeling outcomes and describe the different contexts where a particular definition could better meet ecological modeling goals. We emphasize that the HW model can be ecologically relevant when applied to clonal plants, but caution is necessary in how it is used, reported, and interpreted. We propose that in known clonal plants, both genotype (GHet) and ramet (RHet) based calculations are reported to define the full range of potential values and better facilitate cross-study comparisons.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Matthew Leventhal
- Biology DepartmentBowdoin College6500 College StationBrunswickMaine04011
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Wennström A, Ericson L. The interaction between the clonal herb Trientalis europaea and the host specific smut fungus Urocystis trientalis. Oecologia 1990; 85:238-40. [PMID: 28312561 DOI: 10.1007/BF00319407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/1990] [Accepted: 06/29/1990] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The interaction between the clonal dicotyledonous herb Trientalis europaea and the systemic smut fungus Urocystis trientalis was investigated. By marking individual plants in the field and transplanting plants to the greenhouse, disease transmission and the effect of disease on survival and fecundity of plants were estimated. Field data showed that 50% of the diseased and none of the healthy plants died during summer. Surviving diseased plants produced significantly fewer winter buds than healthy plants (means ±S.E. 1.12±0.05 and 1.88±0.07, respectively). Seed capsule production was low overall and did not differ between diseased and healthy plants. Disease was not seed-transmitted and transmission from infected mother plants to daughter ramets was not total (means 33% and 46%, in two experiments). Disease transmission was also influenced by light conditions.
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