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Zhai S, Qian J, Ma Q, Liu Z, Ba C, Xin Z, Tian L, Zong L, Liang W, Zhu J. Effect of Rhizome Severing on Survival and Growth of Rhizomatous Herb Phragmites communis Is Regulated by Sand Burial Depth. PLANTS (BASEL, SWITZERLAND) 2022; 11:3191. [PMID: 36501231 PMCID: PMC9736298 DOI: 10.3390/plants11233191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 11/16/2022] [Accepted: 11/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Rhizome fragmentation and sand burial are common phenomena in rhizomatous clonal plants. These traits serve as an adaptive strategy for survival in stressful environments. Thus far, some studies have been carried out on the effects of rhizome fragmentation and sand burial, but how the interaction between rhizome fragmentation and sand burial affects the growth and reproduction of rhizomatous clonal plants is unclear. We investigated the effect of the burial depth and rhizome fragment size on the survival and growth of the rhizomatous herb Phragmites communis using 288 clonal fragments (6 burial depths × 8 clonal fragment sizes × 6 replicates) in a field rhizome severing experiment. The ramet survival of the rhizomatous species significantly increased with the sand burial depth and clonal fragment size (p < 0.01), and the effects of the clonal fragment size on ramet survival depended on the sand burial depth. Sand burial enhanced both the vertical and horizontal biomass (p < 0.05), while the clonal fragment size affected the vertical biomass rather than the horizontal biomass. Sand burial facilitated the vertical growth of ramets (p < 0.05) while the number of newly produced ramets firstly increased and then decreased with the increasing clonal fragment size, and the maximal value appeared in four clonal fragments under a heavy sand burial depth. There is an interaction between the burial depth and rhizome fragment size in the growth of rhizome herbaceous plants. The population growth increases in the increase of sand burial depth, and reaches the maximum under severe sand burial and moderate rhizome fragmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zhai
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jianqiang Qian
- College of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou 450002, China
| | - Qun Ma
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zhimin Liu
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Chaoqun Ba
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Zhiming Xin
- Experimental Center of Desert Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Dengkou 015200, China
| | - Liang Tian
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lu Zong
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei Liang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Jinlei Zhu
- Institute of Ecological Conservation and Restoration, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100093, China
- Institute of Landscape and Plant Ecology, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Hohenheim, 70599 Stuttgart, Germany
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