Changes in mass allocation play a more prominent role than morphology in resource acquisition of the rhizomatous Leymus chinensis under drought stress

Author:

Yang Yuheng1,Shi Yujie1,Wei Xiaowei1,Han Jiayu1,Wang Junfeng1,Mu Chunsheng1,Zhang Jinwei1

Affiliation:

1. Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Northeast Normal University , Changchun 130024 , China

Abstract

Abstract Background and Aims Plants can respond to drought by changing their relative investments in the biomass and morphology of each organ. The aims of this study were to quantify the relative contribution of changes in morphology vs. allocation and determine how they affect each other. These results should help us understand the mechanisms that plants use to respond to drought events. Methods In a glasshouse experiment, we applied a drought treatment (well-watered vs. drought) at early and late stages of plant growth, leading to four treatment combinations (well-watered in both early and late periods, WW; drought in the early period and well-watered in the late period, DW; well-watered in the early period and drought in the late period, WD; drought in both early and late periods, DD). We used the variance partitioning method to compare the contribution of organ (leaf and root) biomass allocation and morphology to the leaf area ratio, root length ratio and root area ratio, for the rhizomatous grass Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvelev. Key Results Compared with the continuously well-watered treatment, the leaf area ratio, root length ratio and root area ratio showed increasing trends under various drought treatments. The contribution of leaf mass allocation to leaf area ratio differed among the drought treatments and was 2.1- to 5.3-fold greater than leaf morphology, and the contribution of root mass allocation to root length ratio was ~2-fold greater than that of root morphology. In contrast, root morphology contributed more to the root area ratio than biomass allocation under drought in both the early and late periods. There was a negative correlation between the ratio of leaf mass fraction to root mass fraction and the ratio of specific leaf area to specific root length (or specific root area). Conclusions This study suggested that organ biomass allocation drove a larger proportion of variation than morphological traits for the absorption of resources in this rhizomatous grass. These findings should help us understand the adaptive mechanisms of plants when they are confronted with drought stress.

Funder

National Natural Science Foundation of China

Natural Science Foundation of Jilin Province

Youth Talent Support Project of Jilin Province

Science and Technology Project of the Jilin Provincial Education Department

China Postdoctoral Science Foundation

Publisher

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Subject

Plant Science

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