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Yao Y, Xia L, Yang L, Liu R, Zhang S. Drought responses and carbon allocation strategies of poplar with different leaf maturity. PHYSIOLOGIA PLANTARUM 2024; 176:e14224. [PMID: 38389291 DOI: 10.1111/ppl.14224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/24/2024]
Abstract
Leaf characteristics can reflect the adaptation of trees to drought stress. However, the effect of leaf maturity on drought stress has been neglected, leading to uncertainty in inferring individual tree responses to drought from leaves. The allocation strategy of photosynthetic carbon between leaf organs (fully expanded young and old leaves) under drought stress remains unclear. Poplar is a diverse and widespread tree species in arid and semi-arid regions. Here, three poplar genotypes (Populus cathayana, P. × euramericana 'Nanlin 895', and P. alba × P. tremula var. glandulosa) were selected and exposed to different watering regimes. The responses and carbon allocation strategies of leaves with different maturity to drought were investigated using a combination of leaf traits and 13 C pulse labelling technique. The results showed that (1) fully expanded young leaves had better osmotic regulation and antioxidant capacity than aged leaves under drought stress. (2) Aged leaves acted as a carbon source during water deficit, where their photosynthetic products were transferred and supplied to upper young leaves to promote stronger photosynthesis in young leaves to acquire resources for tree growth. This study highlights that the effect of leaf maturity should be considered in the future when investigating the effects of drought on woody plants, especially for continuously growing tree species. Therefore, our study not only demonstrates the existence of leaf-age-dependent responses to drought in poplar but also provides new insights into carbon allocation at the leaf level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuan Yao
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Linchao Xia
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Le Yang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Ruixuan Liu
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Sheng Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Bio-resource and Eco-environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
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Tian W, Hawlena D, Pagès JF, Zhong Z, Wang D. Fear of predators alters herbivore regulation of soil microbial community function. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10207. [PMID: 37396681 PMCID: PMC10311041 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Fear of predation can affect important ecosystem processes by altering the prey traits expression that, in turn, regulates the quantity and quality of nutritional inputs to soil. Here, we aimed to assist in bridging a knowledge gap in this cascading chain of events by exploring how risk of spider predation may affect grasshopper prey performances, and the activity of various microbial extracellular enzymes in the soil. Using a mesocosms field-experiment, we found that grasshoppers threatened by spider predation ate less, grew slower, and had a higher body carbon to nitrogen ratio. Herbivory increased activity of all microbial extracellular enzymes examined, likely due to higher availability of root exudates. Predation risk had no effect on C-acquiring enzymes but decreased activity of P-acquiring enzymes. We found contrasting results regarding the effect of predation on the activity of N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and leucine arylamidase N-acquiring enzymes, suggesting that predation risk may alter the composition of N-inputs to soil. Our work highlighted the importance of soil microbial enzymatic activity as a way to predict how changes in the aboveground food-web dynamics may alter key ecosystem processes like nutritional-cycling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Tian
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education/Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research StationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Dror Hawlena
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, Alexander Silberman Institute of Life SciencesThe Hebrew University of JerusalemJerusalemIsrael
| | - Jordi F. Pagès
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes (CEAB‐CSIC)BlanesSpain
- Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals, Facultat de BiologiaUniversitat de BarcelonaBarcelonaSpain
| | - Zhiwei Zhong
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education/Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research StationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
| | - Deli Wang
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education/Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research StationNortheast Normal UniversityChangchunChina
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Cong Y, Saurer M, Bai E, Siegwolf R, Gessler A, Liu K, Han H, Dang Y, Xu W, He HS, Li MH. In situ 13CO2 labeling reveals that alpine treeline trees allocate less photoassimilates to roots compared with low-elevation trees. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 42:1943-1956. [PMID: 35535565 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpac048] [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: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Carbon (C) allocation plays a crucial role for survival and growth of alpine treeline trees, however it is still poorly understood. Using in situ 13CO2 labeling, we investigated the leaf photosynthesis and the allocation of 13C labeled photoassimilates in various tissues (leaves, twigs and fine roots) in treeline trees and low-elevation trees. Non-structural carbohydrate concentrations were also determined. The alpine treeline trees (2000 m. a.s.l.), compared with low-elevation trees (1700 m a.s.l.), did not show any disadvantage in photosynthesis, but the former allocated proportionally less newly assimilated C belowground than the latter. Carbon residence time in leaves was longer in treeline trees (19 days) than that in low-elevation ones (10 days). We found an overall lower density of newly assimilated C in treeline trees. The alpine treeline trees may have a photosynthetic compensatory mechanism to counteract the negative effects of the harsh treeline environment (e.g., lower temperature and shorter growing season) on C gain. Lower temperature at treeline may limit the sink activity and C downward transport via phloem, and shorter treeline growing season may result in early cessation of root growth, decreases sink strength, which all together lead to lower density of new C in the sink tissues and finally limit the growth of the alpine treeline trees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Cong
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Nanguan District, Changchun 130024, China
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agricultural Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 4888 Shengbei Street, Kuancheng District, Changchun 130102, China
| | - Matthias Saurer
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse111, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland
| | - Edith Bai
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Nanguan District, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Rolf Siegwolf
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse111, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland
| | - Arthur Gessler
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse111, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland
- Institute of Terrestrial Ecosystems, ETH Zurich, Universitaetsstrasse 16, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - Kai Liu
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Nanguan District, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Hudong Han
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Nanguan District, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Yongcai Dang
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Nanguan District, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Wenhua Xu
- Institute of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Jilin Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 1363 Shengtai Street, Nanguan District, Changchun 130033, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenhe District, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Hong S He
- School of Natural Resources, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
| | - Mai-He Li
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, 5268 Renmin Street, Nanguan District, Changchun 130024, China
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zuercherstrasse111, Birmensdorf CH-8903, Switzerland
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