Please wait a minute...
Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2019, Vol. 11 Issue (5): 729-739    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-019-0062-1
Orginal Article     
Ecological biomass allocation strategies in plant species with different life forms in a cold desert, China
Lianlian FAN1,2,3, Junxiang DING4, Xuexi MA1,2, Yaoming LI1,2,*()
1 Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
2 Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
3 Fukang Station of Desert Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Fukang 8315005, China
4 Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
Download: HTML     PDF(355KB)
Export: BibTeX | EndNote (RIS)      

Abstract  

Biomass allocation patterns among plant species are related to their adaptive ecological strategies. Ephemeral, ephemeroid and annual plant life forms represent three typical growth strategies of plants that grow in autumn and early spring in the cold deserts of China. These plants play an important role in reducing wind velocity in the desert areas. However, despite numerous studies, the strategies of biomass allocation among plant species with these three life forms remain contentious. In this study, we conducted a preliminary quadrat study during 2014-2016 in the southern part of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China, to investigate the allocation patterns of above-ground biomass (AGB) and below-ground biomass (BGB) at the individual level in 17 ephemeral, 3 ephemeroid and 4 annual plant species. Since ephemeral plants can germinate in autumn, we also compared biomass allocation patterns between plants that germinated in autumn 2015 and spring 2016 for 4 common ephemeral species. The healthy mature individual plants of each species were sampled and the AGB, BGB, total biomass (TB), leaf mass ratio (LMR) and root/shoot ratio (R/S) were calculated for 201 sample quadrats in the study area. We also studied the relationships between AGB and BGB of plants with the three different life forms (ephemeral, ephemeroid and annual). The mean AGB values of ephemeral, ephemeroid and annual plants were 0.806, 3.759 and 1.546 g/plant, respectively, and the mean BGB values were 0.106, 4.996 and 0.166 g/plant, respectively. The mean R/S value was significantly higher in ephemeroid plants (1.675) than in ephemeral (0.154) and annual (0.147) plants. The mean LMR was the highest in annual plants, followed by ephemeroid plants and ephemeral plants, reflecting the fact that annual plants allocate more biomass to leaves, associated with their longer life span. Biomass of ephemeral plants that germinated in autumn was significantly higher than those of corresponding plants that germinated in spring in terms of AGB, BGB and TB. However, the R/S value was similar in plants that germinated in autumn and spring. The slope of regression relationship between AGB and BGB differed significantly among the three plant life forms. These results support different biomass allocation hypotheses. Specifically, at the individual level, the AGB and BGB partitioning supports the allometric hypothesis for ephemeroid and annual plants and the isometric hypothesis for ephemeral plants.

Key words： above-ground biomass      below-ground biomass      plant life forms      herbaceous species      allometric hypothesis      isometric hypothesis      Gurbantunggut Desert     
Received: 08 September 2018      Published: 10 October 2019
Corresponding Authors:
About author:

The first and second authors contributed equally to this work.
Service
E-mail this article
Add to my bookshelf
Add to citation manager
E-mail Alert
RSS
Articles by authors
Lianlian FAN
Junxiang DING
Xuexi MA
Yaoming LI
Cite this article:

Lianlian FAN, Junxiang DING, Xuexi MA, Yaoming LI. Ecological biomass allocation strategies in plant species with different life forms in a cold desert, China. Journal of Arid Land, 2019, 11(5): 729-739.

URL:

http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-019-0062-1     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2019/V11/I5/729

[1] Aysajan A, Tan D Y, Omarxat T.2012. Effects of vegetative growth, plant size and flowering order on sexual reproduction allocation of Tulipa sinkiangensis. Biodiversity Science, 20(3): 391-399. (in Chinese)
[2] Barboni D, Harrison S P, Bartlein P J, et al.2009. Relationships between plant traits and climate in the Mediterranean region: a pollen data analysis. Journal of Vegetation Science, 15(5): 635-646.
[3] Blume-Werry G, Lindén Elin, Andresen L, et al.2018. Proportion of fine roots, but not plant biomass allocation below ground, increases with elevation in arctic tundra. Journal of Vegetation Science, 29(2): 226-235.
[4] Cella Pizarro L, Bisigato A J.2010. Allocation of biomass and photoassimilates in juvenile plants of six Patagonian species in response to five water supply regimes. Annals of Botany, 106(2): 297-307.
[5] Chen B M, Wang G X, Peng S L.2009. Role of desert annuals in nutrient flow in arid area of Northwestern China: a nutrient reservoir and provider. Plant Ecology, 201(2): 401-409.
[6] El-Sheikh M A, Abbadi G A, Bianco P M.2010. Vegetation ecology of phytogenic hillocks (nabkhas) in coastal habitats of Jal Az-Zor National Park, Kuwait: Role of patches and edaphic factors. Flora-Morphology, Distribution,Functional Ecology of Plants, 205(12): 832-840.
[7] Fan L L, Li Y, Tang L S, et al.2013. Combined effects of snow depth and nitrogen addition on ephemeral growth at the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China. Journal of Arid Land, 5(4): 500-510.
[8] Fan L L, Tang L S, Wu L F, et al.2014. The limited role of snow water in the growth and development of ephemeral plants in a cold desert. Journal of Vegetation Science, 25(3): 681-690.
[9] Gill R A, Kelly R H, Parton W J, et al.2002. Using simple environmental variables to estimate below-ground productivity in grasslands. Global Ecology and Biogeography, 11(1): 79-86.
[10] Han B, Fan J W, Zhong H P.2006. Grassland biomass of communities along gradient of the Inner Mongolia grassland transect. Journal of Plant Ecology, 30(4): 553-562. (in Chinese)
[11] Huang G, Su Y G, Zhu L, et al.2016. The role of spring ephemerals and soil microbes in soil nutrient retention in a temperate desert. Plant and Soil, 406(1-2): 43-54.
[12] Lauenroth W K, Bradford J B.2009. Ecohydrology of dry regions of the United States: precipitation pulses and intraseasonal drought. Ecohydrology, 2(2):173-181.
[13] Li X H, Li X L, Jiang D M, et al.2009. A Comparative study of the individual biomass and modular biomass of 70 herbaceous species found in the Horqin sandy land. Arid Zone Research, 26(2): 200-205. (in Chinese)
[14] Li X R, Zhou H Y, Wang X P, et al.2003. The effects of sand stabilization and revegetation on cryptogam species diversity and soil fertility in the Tengger Desert, Northern China. Plant and Soil, 251(2): 237-245.
[15] Luo W T, Jiang Y, Lü X T, et al.2013. Patterns of plant biomass allocation in temperate grasslands across a 2500-km transect in northern China. PLoS ONE, 8(8): e71749.
[16] McCarthy M C, Enquist B J.2007. Consistency between an allometric approach and optimal partitioning theory in global patterns of plant biomass allocation. Functional Ecology, 21(4): 713-720.
[17] Mckenna M F, Houle G.2000. Why are annual plants rarely spring ephemerals? New Phytologist, 148(2): 295-302.
[18] Mokany K, Raison R J, Prokushkin A S.2006. Critical analysis of root: shoot ratios in terrestrial biomes. Global Change Biology, 12(1): 84-96.
[19] Müller I, Schmid B, Weiner J.2000. The effect of nutrient availability on biomass allocation patterns in 27 species of herbaceous plants. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics, 3(2): 115-127.
[20] Niklas K J.1994.Plant Allometry: The Scaling of Form and Process. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press: 1-343.
[21] Niklas K J.2004. Plant allometry: is there a grand unifying theory? Biological Reviews, 79(4): 871-889.
[22] Noy-Meir I.1973. Desert ecosystems: environment and producers. Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 4(1): 25-51.
[23] Oliveira N, Rodríguez-Soalleiro R, Pérez-Cruzado C, et al.2018. Above- and below-ground carbon accumulation and biomass allocation in poplar short rotation plantations under Mediterranean conditions. Forest Ecology and Management, 428: 57-65.
[24] Poorter H, Nagel O.2000. The role of biomass allocation in the growth response of plants to different levels of light, CO2, nutrients and water: a quantitative review. Functional Plant Biology, 27: 595-607.
[25] Poorter H, Niklas K J, Reich P B, et al.2012. Biomass allocation to leaves, stems and roots: meta-analyses of interspecific variation and environmental control. New Phytologist, 193: 30-50.
[26] Poorter H, Sack L.2012. Pitfalls and possibilities in the analysis of biomass allocation patterns in plants. Frontiers in Plant Science, 3: 259, doi: 10.3389/fpls.2012.00259.
[27] Qiu J, Tan D Y, Fan D Y.2007. Characteristics of photosynthesis and biomass allocation of spring ephemerals in the Junggar Desert. Journal of Plant Ecology, 31(5): 883-891. (in Chinese)
[28] Reich P B, Tjoelker M G, Waltes M B, et al.1998. Close association of RGR, leaf and root morphology, seed mass and shade tolerance in seedlings of nine boreal tree species grown in high and low light. Functional Ecology, 12(3): 327-338.
[29] Reich P B.2002. Root-shoot relations: optimality in acclimation and adaptation or the ''Emperor's new clothes''? In: Waisel Y, Eshel A, Kafkafi U. Plant Roots, the Hidden Half. New York: Marcel Dekker Press, 205-220.
[30] Scheck H J, Jackson R B.2005. Mapping the global distribution of deep roots in relation to climate and soil characteristics. Geoderma, 126(1-2): 129-140.
[31] Shipley B, Meziane D.2002. The balanced-growth hypothesis and the allometry of leaf and root biomass allocation. Functional Ecology, 16(3): 326-331.
[32] Su J Q, Li X R, Li X J, et al.2013. Effects of additional N on herbaceous species of desertified steppe in arid regions of China: a four-year field study. Ecological Research, 28(1): 21-28.
[33] Tyree M T, Ewers F E.1991. The hydraulic architecture of trees and other woody plants. New Phytologist, 119(3): 345-360.
[34] Wang L, Niu K C, Yang Y H, et al.2010. Patterns of above-and belowground biomass allocation in China's grasslands: evidence from individual-level observations. Science China Life Sciences, 53(7): 851-857.
[35] Wang X Q, Jiang J, Lei J Q, et al.2003. The distribution of ephemeral vegetation on the longitudinal dune surface and its stabilization significance in the Gurbantunggut Desert. Acta Geographic Sinica, 58(4): 598-605. (in Chinese )
[36] Wang X Q, Jiang J, Wang Y C, et al.2006. Responses of ephemeral plant germination and growth to water and heat conditions in the southern part of Gurbantunggut Desert. Chinese Science Bulletin, 51(Suppl. 1): 110-116.
[37] Weiner J.2004. Allocation, plasticity and allometry in plants. Perspectives in Plant Ecology,Evolution and Systematics, 6(4): 207-215.
[38] Wolf S A, Nickling W G.1993. The protective role of sparse vegetation in wind erosion. Progress in Physical Geography: Earth and Environment, 17(1): 50-68.
[39] Wright I J, Reich P B, Westoby M.2001. Strategy shifts in leaf physiology, structure and nutrient content between species of high- and low-rainfall and high- and low-nutrient habitats. Functional Ecology, 15(4): 423-434.
[40] Wu J B, Hong J T, Wang X D, et al.2013. Biomass partitioning and its relationship with the environment factors at the Alpine Steppe in Northern Tibet. PLoS ONE. 8(12): e81986.
[41] Xie J B, Tang L S, Wang Z Y, et al.2012. Distinguishing the biomass allocation variance resulting from ontogenetic drift or acclimation to soil texture. PLoS ONE, 7(7): e41502.
[42] Yan B G, Ji Z H, Fan B, et al.2016. Plants adapted to nutrient limitation allocate less biomass into stems in an arid-hot grassland. New Phytologist, 211(4): 1232-1240.
[43] Yang Y H, Fang J Y, Ji C J, et al.2009. Above- and belowground biomass allocation in Tibetan grasslands. Journal of Vegetation Science, 20(1): 177-184.
[44] Yang Y H, Fang J Y, Ma W H, et al.2010. Large-scale pattern of biomass partitioning across China's grasslands. Global Ecology & Biogeography, 19(2): 268-277.
[45] Zeng C X, Wu J S, Zhang X Z.2015. Effects of grazing on above- vs. below-ground biomass allocation of alpine grasslands on the Northern Tibetan Plateau. PLoS ONE, 10(8): e0135173.
[46] Zeng X L, Liu T, Shen X Y, et al.2011. Environment-dependence of seed germination in autumn in Gurbantonggut Desert. Chinese Journal of Ecology, 30(8): 1604-1611. (in Chinese )
[47] Zhang T, Sun Y, Tian C Y, et al.2007. Ecological and biological differences between spring and autumn plants of two desert ephemerals. Journal of Plant Ecology, 31(6): 1174-1180. (in Chinese)
[48] Zhou H F, Li Y, Tang Y, et al.2009. The characteristics of the snow-cover and snow melt water storage in Gurbantunggut Desert. Arid Zone Research, 26(3): 312-317. (in Chinese)
[49] Zhou X B, Zhang Y M, Ji X H, et al.2011. Combined effects of nitrogen deposition and water stress on growth and physiological responses of two annual desert plants in northwestern China. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 74: 1-8.
[50] Zhou X B, Zhang Y M, Niklas K J.2014. Sensitivity of growth and biomass allocation patterns to increasing nitrogen: a comparison between ephemerals and annuals in the Gurbantunggut Desert, north-western China. Annals of Botany, 113(3): 501-511.
[51] Zong N, Chai X, Shi P L, et al.2017. Effects of warming and nitrogen addition on plant photosynthate partitioning in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 37(3): 803-812.
[1] CHEN Yingying, LIN Yajun, ZHOU Xiaobing, ZHANG Jing, YANG Chunhong, ZHANG Yuanming. Effects of drought treatment on photosystem II activity in the ephemeral plant Erodium oxyrhinchum[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2023, 15(6): 724-739.
[2] LIU Yaxuan, ZENG Yong, YANG Yuhui, WANG Ning, LIANG Yuejia. Competition, spatial pattern, and regeneration of Haloxylon ammodendron and Haloxylon persicum communities in the Gurbantunggut Desert, Northwest China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2022, 14(10): 1138-1158.
[3] Laura B RODRIGUEZ, Silvia S TORRES ROBLES, Marcelo F ARTURI, Juan M ZEBERIO, Andrés C H GRAND, Néstor I GASPARRI. Plant cover as an estimator of above-ground biomass in semi-arid woody vegetation in Northeast Patagonia, Argentina[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2021, 13(9): 918-933.
[4] Anlifeire ANNIWAER, SU Yangui, ZHOU Xiaobing, ZHANG Yuanming. Impacts of snow on seed germination are independent of seed traits and plant ecological characteristics in a temperate desert of Central Asia[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2020, 12(5): 775-790.
[5] Hai ZHU, Shunjun HU, Jingsong YANG, KARAMAGE Fidele, Hao LI, Sihua FU. Spatio-temporal variation of soil moisture in a fixed dune at the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut Desert in Xinjiang, China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2019, 11(5): 685-700.
[6] Yonggang LI, Xiaobing ZHOU, Yuanming ZHANG. Shrub modulates the stoichiometry of moss and soil in desert ecosystems, China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2019, 11(4): 579-594.
[7] Shanlin YANG, Xiang SHI, Shaoming WANG, Jiashu LIU, Fanxiang MENG, Wei PANG. Is bi-seasonal germination an optimal choice for an ephemeral plant living in a cold desert?[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2019, 11(2): 280-291.
[8] Gang HUANG, Yan LI, Xiaohan MU, Hongmei ZHAO, Yanfeng CAO. Water-use efficiency in response to simulated increasing precipitation in a temperate desert ecosystem, of Xinjiang, China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2017, 9(6): 823-836.
[9] Fengqin JIA, TIYIP Tashpolat, Nan WU, Changyan TIAN, Yuanming ZHANG. Characteristics of soil seed banks at different geomorphic positions within the longitudinal sand dunes of the Gurbantunggut Desert, China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2017, 9(3): 355-367.
[10] Jie MA, Ran LIU, Yan LI. Abiotic contribution to total soil CO2 flux across a broad range of land-cover types in a desert region[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2017, 9(1): 13-26.
[11] XU Manhou, LIU Min, XUE Xian, ZHAI Datong. Warming effects on plant biomass allocation and correlations with the soil environment in an alpine meadow, China[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2016, 8(5): 773-786.
[12] Tao ZHANG, ChangYan TIAN, Yu SUN, DengSha BAI, Gu FENG. Dynamics of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi associated with desert ephemeral plants in Gurbantunggut Desert[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2012, 4(1): 43-51.
[13] YiBing QIAN, ZhaoNing WU, HaiFeng YANG, Chao JIANG. Spatial heterogeneity for grain size distribution of eolian sand soil on longitudinal dunes in the southern Gurbantunggut Desert[J]. Journal of Arid Land, 2009, 1(1): 26-33.