Trade-off relationships between biomass and nutrient allocation in different natural populations of Agropyron mongolicum on the desert steppe

doi:10.11686/cyxb2023479

Abstract

Abstract:

In this study， we explored whether Agropyron mongolicum growing on the desert steppe can adapt to environmental changes by adjustments in biomass and nutrient allocation to different plant organs. Across this area， there is a climate transition from semi-arid to arid， and a terrain transition from the Loess plateau to the gently sloping hills of Ordos moving from south to north in Yanchi County， Ningxia. Taking into account the spatio-temporal variations in precipitation and soil across this region， we selected different natural populations of A. mongolicum （populations D， Q， H， and G） sourced from the towns of Dashuikeng， Qingshan， Huamachi， and Gaoshawo， respectively. The allocation to， and trade-off relationships among individual organ biomass and nutrients in roots， stems， leaves， and spike were determined to explore the resource trade-off adaption strategy of A. mongolicum to heterogeneous habitats on the desert steppe. The results showed that： 1） The total individual biomass and root-shoot ratio of A. mongolicum in the H population were 24.69 g·plant^-1 and 0.85， respectively， significantly higher than their corresponding values in the D， Q， and G populations （P<0.05）. In the D， Q， and G populations， the organs were ranked， from largest to smallest proportion of total biomass of A. mongolicum， as follows： stem>root>spike>leaf. 2） The leaf-spike and leaf-root relationships of A. mongolicum in different natural populations showed significant allometry. In the D and H populations， the organs were ranked from highest rate of biomass accumulation to lowest， as follows： root>leaf>spike>stem. 3） The nitrogen （N） content and N∶phosphorus （P） in each organ were higher， and the carbon （C）∶N in each organ was lower， in the H population than in the other populations. In each natural population of A. mongolicum， the C， N， and P contents were the lowest in roots， N∶P was the highest in leaves， and C∶N and C∶P were the highest in the stem （P<0.05）. 4） A. mongolicum adapted to environmental changes mainly through biomass trade-offs among roots， stems， and leaves， and plasticity changes of C content and C∶P in the leaves and N content in the spike. Soil total N and potassium were the main environmental factors affecting the biomass and nutrient allocation patterns in the different natural populations. In summary， A. mongolicum growing on the desert steppe has inherent characteristics of resource trade-offs and allometric growth relationships among the various organs， but at the same time， it can adjust its resource allocation to cope with specialized habitats to a certain extent. This reflects the plasticity and adaptation strategies of different natural populations to a heterogeneous environment.

Key words: desert steppe, natural populations, Agropyron mongolicum, component biomass, allometry, nutrient trade-off

Yi-ran CHANG, Jia-mei SHI, Dong-mei XU, Ru-long KANG, Yuan MA. Trade-off relationships between biomass and nutrient allocation in different natural populations of Agropyron mongolicum on the desert steppe[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2024, 33(11): 186-197.

Figures/Tables 9

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指标 Index	不同自然种群所在样地Plots of different natural populations
指标 Index	D	Q	H	G
经度Longitude （E）	106°58′04″	107°01′28″	107°16′48″	107°00′06″
纬度Latitude （N）	37°24′54″	37°30′50″	37°45′42″	37°55′47″
海拔Altitude （m）	1515.2	1462.0	1395.2	1386.5
多年平均降水量Average annual precipitation （mm）	340.6	266.0	304.7	231.7
平均植被盖度Average vegetation coverage （%）	71.93	65.53	67.27	56.67

指标 Index	不同自然种群所在样地Plots of different natural populations
指标 Index	D	Q	H	G
经度Longitude （E）	106°58′04″	107°01′28″	107°16′48″	107°00′06″
纬度Latitude （N）	37°24′54″	37°30′50″	37°45′42″	37°55′47″
海拔Altitude （m）	1515.2	1462.0	1395.2	1386.5
多年平均降水量Average annual precipitation （mm）	340.6	266.0	304.7	231.7
平均植被盖度Average vegetation coverage （%）	71.93	65.53	67.27	56.67

指标 Index	不同自然种群所在样地 Plots of different natural populations
指标 Index	D	Q	H	G
土壤含水量 Soil moisture content （%）	6.68±1.10a	5.01±1.00b	5.90±2.13ab	4.93±1.08b
黏粒 Soil clay content （%）	2.12±0.61a	2.72±0.61a	2.47±0.39a	1.96±0.31a
粉粒 Soil silt content （%）	50.90±0.78ab	50.32±0.21b	54.10±1.12a	51.98±1.59ab
砂粒 Soil sand content （%）	46.98±1.36a	46.96±0.82a	43.43±1.47a	46.06±1.88a
土壤全碳 Soil total carbon （g·kg^-1）	11.56±1.14a	7.55±0.95b	12.12±0.48a	6.96±0.11b
土壤全氮 Soil total nitrogen （g·kg^-1）	0.27±0.01b	0.21±0.01c	0.33±0.03a	0.23±0.02bc
土壤全磷Soil total phosphorus （g·kg^-1）	0.22±0.01b	0.22±0.01b	0.27±0.01a	0.25±0.01ab
土壤全钾 Soil total potassium （g·kg^-1）	19.89±0.15b	24.83±0.18a	24.87±0.43a	20.86±0.02b

指标 Index	不同自然种群所在样地 Plots of different natural populations
指标 Index	D	Q	H	G
土壤含水量 Soil moisture content （%）	6.68±1.10a	5.01±1.00b	5.90±2.13ab	4.93±1.08b
黏粒 Soil clay content （%）	2.12±0.61a	2.72±0.61a	2.47±0.39a	1.96±0.31a
粉粒 Soil silt content （%）	50.90±0.78ab	50.32±0.21b	54.10±1.12a	51.98±1.59ab
砂粒 Soil sand content （%）	46.98±1.36a	46.96±0.82a	43.43±1.47a	46.06±1.88a
土壤全碳 Soil total carbon （g·kg^-1）	11.56±1.14a	7.55±0.95b	12.12±0.48a	6.96±0.11b
土壤全氮 Soil total nitrogen （g·kg^-1）	0.27±0.01b	0.21±0.01c	0.33±0.03a	0.23±0.02bc
土壤全磷Soil total phosphorus （g·kg^-1）	0.22±0.01b	0.22±0.01b	0.27±0.01a	0.25±0.01ab
土壤全钾 Soil total potassium （g·kg^-1）	19.89±0.15b	24.83±0.18a	24.87±0.43a	20.86±0.02b

种群 Population	茎生物量 Stem biomass	叶生物量 Leaf biomass	穗生物量 Spike biomass	地上生物量 Aboveground biomass	根生物量 Root biomass	个体总生物量 Total biomass
D	12.57±1.45Aa	1.27±0.07Ab	2.42±0.25Ab	16.26±1.73A	3.11±0.32Bb	19.38±2.01B
Q	6.10±0.86Ba	0.56±0.14Bc	1.31±0.28Bb	7.97±1.08B	2.37±0.42Bb	10.34±1.34BC
H	10.09±1.42Aa	1.39±0.13Ab	1.84±0.41ABb	13.33±1.89A	11.36±1.56Aa	24.69±3.01A
G	2.39±0.74Ba	0.34±0.01Bb	0.58±0.25Cb	3.31±0.07B	2.13±0.40Ba	5.44±0.39C