Plant cluster structure and leaf functional characters of Agropyron mongolicum populations in different plant species associations

doi:10.11686/cyxb2021293

Abstract

Abstract:

This study explored the changes in population dynamics and leaf morphological traits of Agropyron mongolicum across three different plant community associations： A. mongolicum+Astragalus melilotoides （MC）， A. mongolicum+Cynanchum komarovii （ML） and A. mongolicum+Lespedeza potaninii （MN） in desert steppe in Yanchi County， Ningxia. The individual plants of A. mongolicum were classified according to their basal diameter into grade I plant clumps （0-2.0 cm）， grade Ⅱ plant clumps （2.1-4.0 cm）， grade Ⅲ plant clumps （4.1-6.0 cm）， grade Ⅳ plant clumps （6.1-8.0 cm）， grade V plant clumps （8.1-10.0 cm） and grade Ⅵ plant clumps （>10.0 cm diameter）. The plant clump size and leaf functional traits of A. mongolicum and their relationships with habitat factors were studied. It was found that in the MC and MN communities of A. mongolicum， there were more A. mongolicum plant clumps of grade I and grade Ⅱ， while in the ML community， the population density of A. mongolicum was lower， with grade Ⅲ and grade Ⅳ plant clumps being dominant. The leaf area and specific leaf area of A. mongolicum in the MC and ML communities of A. mongolicum were， respectively， 4.68 cm²and 41.2 cm²·g^-1， 4.70 cm² and 39.2 cm²·g^-1， which was significantly higher than values of 3.38 cm²and 27.7 cm²·g^-1 recorded in the MN community of A. mongolicum. The clump size of A. mongolicum was correlated with total potassium， while the soil moisture， organic carbon， total nitrogen and total phosphorus were the main factors affecting the leaf functional traits of A. mongolicum. Therefore， A. mongolicum exhibited adaptation to habitat changes in different species associations by altering its population distribution and leaf morphological traits.

Key words: desert steppe, community habitats, Agropyron mongolicum, plant clump structure, leaf functional traits

Wan-long LIU, Dong-mei XU, Jia-mei SHI, Ai-yun XU. Plant cluster structure and leaf functional characters of Agropyron mongolicum populations in different plant species associations[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2022, 31(8): 72-80.

Figures/Tables 5

Table 1 Soil physical and chemical properties in different community habitats in desert steppe

群落生境

Community habitats

含水量

Soil water content （%）

有机碳

Organic carbon （g·kg^-1）

全氮

Total nitrogen （g·kg^-1）

全磷

Total phosphorus （g·kg^-1）

全钾

Total potassium （g·kg^-1）

Fig.1 Clump density and clump diameter of A. mongolicum in different community habitatsDifferent lowercase letters indicate significant differences at P<0.05level， the same below.

Fig.2 Numbers and proportion of different clump diameter of A. mongolicum in different community habitats

Fig.3 Leaf functional characteristics of A. mongolicum population in different community habitats

Fig.4 Relationship among plant cluster structure， leaf functional traits of A. mongolicum and habitat factors

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