Effect of Epichloë endophyte on the litter decomposition of Stipa purpurea in alpine grassland

doi:10.11686/cyxb2020462

Abstract

Abstract:

Grass fungal endophytes can positively improve the tolerance of their host plant to biotic and abiotic stress. However， the effect of the symbiotic fungal endophyte on grass host litter decomposition on the nutrient cycling of grassland ecosystem is not clear. In this research a detailed comparison was made between litter of Stipa purpurea with endophyte （E+） and without endophyte （E-）. Analyses performed included weight of litter shed， contents of total nitrogen， lignin and cellulose， change in lignin∶N and cellulose∶N ratios and residual concentrations of total N， lignin and cellulose in E+ and E- litter samples. The results were as follows： E+ S. purpurea litter had a higher decomposition rate and a shorter decomposition cycle than E- litter. With increase in the decomposition time， the content of lignin and the ratio of lignin∶N in S. purpurea litter changed gradually from higher in E+ than E-， to there being no significant difference between E+ and E- litter. The cellulose content， cellulose∶N ratio and cellulose residual concentration in E+ S. purpurea litter were significantly lower than E- litter in the latter part of the decomposition cycle. In contrast， the total N content of S. purpurea litter displayed a rising trend， and the elemental N residual concentration displayed a declining-rising-declining trend as decomposition progressed. E+ S. purpurea litter had a lower residual N content than E- litter in the later stages of decomposition. Hence， the presence of fungal endophyte enhanced， to different degrees， the rate of degradation of leaf mass， total N， lignin and cellulose in S. purpurea litter.

Key words: fungal endophyte, Stipa purpurea, litter decomposition, alpine grassland, litter quality

Mei-ling SONG, Yu-qin WANG, Hong-sheng WANG, Gen-sheng Bao. Effect of Epichloë endophyte on the litter decomposition of Stipa purpurea in alpine grassland[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2021, 30(9): 150-158.

Figures/Tables 7

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项目 Item	df	凋落物重量Litters weight		全氮含量Total N content		木质素含量Lignin content		纤维素含量Cellulose content
项目 Item	df	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P
内生真菌Endophyte （E）	1	35.47	<0.001	13.71	0.001	1.10	0.305	15.93	0.001
时间Times （T）	5	185.61	<0.001	90.42	<0.001	37.19	<0.001	151.65	<0.001
E×T	5	2.52	0.057	6.72	<0.001	0.80	0.560	1.24	0.323

项目 Item	df	凋落物重量Litters weight		全氮含量Total N content		木质素含量Lignin content		纤维素含量Cellulose content
项目 Item	df	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P
内生真菌Endophyte （E）	1	35.47	<0.001	13.71	0.001	1.10	0.305	15.93	0.001
时间Times （T）	5	185.61	<0.001	90.42	<0.001	37.19	<0.001	151.65	<0.001
E×T	5	2.52	0.057	6.72	<0.001	0.80	0.560	1.24	0.323

项目 Item	df	木质素∶氮 Lignin∶N		纤维素∶氮 Cellulose∶N		氮残留率 N residual rate		木质素残留率 Lignin residual rate		纤维素残留率 Cellulose residual rate
项目 Item	df	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P
内生真菌Endophyte （E）	1	0.77	0.388	8.73	0.007	5.29	0.030	0.64	0.432	5.23	0.031
时间Times （T）	5	46.85	<0.001	72.81	<0.001	6.58	0.001	137.85	<0.001	201.59	<0.001
E×T	5	0.69	0.637	0.65	0.666	1.57	0.207	1.65	0.186	0.40	0.846

项目 Item	df	木质素∶氮 Lignin∶N		纤维素∶氮 Cellulose∶N		氮残留率 N residual rate		木质素残留率 Lignin residual rate		纤维素残留率 Cellulose residual rate
项目 Item	df	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P	F	P
内生真菌Endophyte （E）	1	0.77	0.388	8.73	0.007	5.29	0.030	0.64	0.432	5.23	0.031
时间Times （T）	5	46.85	<0.001	72.81	<0.001	6.58	0.001	137.85	<0.001	201.59	<0.001
E×T	5	0.69	0.637	0.65	0.666	1.57	0.207	1.65	0.186	0.40	0.846

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