Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effects of denudation and burial on growth and reproduction of Artemisia ordosica in Mu Us sandland

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Ecological Research

Abstract

Plants in a dune environment have a high risk of being denudated by wind or buried by sand. We conducted a field experiment to assess growth and reproductive performance as well as biomass allocation of Artemisia ordosica after denudation and burial. Height growth decreased after denudation, but remained constant after burial; biomass was reduced by severe burial, but not by moderate ones. Vegetative growth measured by current-year generated vegetative branches declined with increasing severity of burial. Reproductive maturity was not affected by either denudation or burial, and reproduction decreased only after severe denudation. After denudation, biomass allocated to reproduction was greatly reduced, as shown by strongly reduced biomass allocation to fruits and whole reproductive branches, but that allocated to current-year vegetative growth was maintained. Biomass allocation to reproduction and vegetative growth remained rather stable after burial. Current-year reproductive-to-vegetative-biomass ratio was lower after denudation than after burial, indicating that vegetative growth was more favored by A. ordosica after denudation. These modifications are adaptive in the fluctuating environment of mobile sand dunes where denudation and burial frequently occur.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Albert MJ, Escudero A, Iriondo JM (2001) Female reproductive success of narrow endemic Erodium paularense in contrasting microhabitats. Ecology 82:1734–1747

    Google Scholar 

  • Bazzaz FA (1997) Allocation of resources in plants: state of the science and critical questions. In: Bazzaz FA, Grace J (eds) Plant resources allocation. Academic Press, San Diego, pp 1–37

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Brown JF (1997) Effects of experimental burial on survival, growth, and resource allocation of three species of dune plants. J Ecol 85:151–158

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cheplick GP, Demetri H (1999) Impact of saltwater spray and sand deposition on the coastal annual Triplasis purpurea (Poaceae). Am J Bot 86:703–710

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Colling G, Matthies D (2006) Effects of habitat deterioration on population dynamics and extinction risk of an endangered, long-lived perennial herb (Scorzonera humilis). J Ecol 94:959–972

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dech JP, Maun MA (2006) Adventitious root production and plastic resource allocation to biomass determine burial tolerance in woody plants from central Canadian coastal dunes. Ann Bot 98:1095–1105

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Disraeli DJ (1984) The effect of sand deposits on the growth and morphology of Ammophila breviligulata. J Ecol 72:145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eldred RA, Maun MA (1982) A multivariate approach to the problem of decline in vigour of Ammophila. Can J Bot 60:1371–1380

    Google Scholar 

  • Fryrear DW, Stubbendieck J, McCully WG (1973) Grass seedling response to wind and windblown sand. Crop Sci 13:622–625

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Garcia D, Zamora R (2003) Persistence, multiple demographic strategies and conservation in long-lived Mediterranean plants. J Veg Sci 14:921–926

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Harris D, Davy AJ (1988) Carbon and nutrient allocation in Elymus farctus seedlings after burial with sand. Ann Bot 61:147–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Huang ZY, Gutterman Y (2000) Comparison of germination strategies of Artemisia ordosica with its two congeners from deserts of China and Israel. Acta Bot Sin 42:71–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi T, Liao RT, Li SQ (1995) Ecophysiological behavior of Artemisia ordosica on the process of sand dune fixation. Ecol Res 10:339–349

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kruger LM, Midgley JJ, Cowling RM (1997) Resprouters vs reseeders in South African forest trees: a model based on forest canopy height. Funct Ecol 11:101–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li FR, Zhang AS, Duan SS, Kang LF (2005) Patterns of reproductive allocation in Artemisia halodendron inhabiting two contrasting habitats. Acta Oecol 28:57–64

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu B, Liu ZM, Guan DX (2008) Seedling growth variation in response to sand burial in four Artemisia species from different habitats in the semi-arid dune field. Trees 22:41–47

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Maun MA (1994) Adaptations enhancing survival and establishment of seedlings on coastal dune systems. Vegetatio 111:59–70

    Google Scholar 

  • Maun MA (1998) Adaptations of plants to burial in coastal sand dunes. Can J Bot 76:713–738

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maun MA, Lapierre J (1984) The effects of burial by sand on Ammophila breviligulata. J Ecol 72:827–839

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Midgley JJ (1996) Why the world’s vegetation is not totally dominated by resprouting plants; because resprouters are shorter than reseeders. Ecography 19:92–95

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Milla R, Gimenez-Benavides L, Escudero A, Reich PB (2009) Intra- and interspecific performance in growth and reproduction increase with altitude: a case study with two Saxifraga species from northern Spain. Funct Ecol 23:111–118

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nzunda EF, Griffiths ME, Lawes MJ (2007) Multi-stemmed trees in subtropical coastal dune forest: survival strategy in response to chronic disturbance. J Veg Sci 18:693–700

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ohte N, Koba K, Yoshikawa K, Sugimoto A, Matsuo N, Kabeya N, Wang LH (2003) Water utilization of natural and planted trees in the semiarid desert of Inner Mongolia, China. Ecol Appl 13:337–351

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Padilla FM, Miranda JD, Pugnaire FI (2007) Early root growth plasticity in seedlings of three Mediterranean woody species. Plant Soil 296:103–113

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schenk HJ (1999) Clonal splitting in desert shrubs. Plant Ecol 141:41–52

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shi L, Zhang ZJ, Zhang CY, Zhang JZ (2004) Effects of sand burial on survival, growth, gas exchange and biomass allocation of Ulmus pumila seedlings in the Hunshandak Sandland, China. Ann Bot 94:553–560

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tanner EVJ, Bellingham PJ (2006) Less diverse forest is more resistant to hurricane disturbance: evidence from montane rain forests in Jamaica. J Ecol 94:1003–1010

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vilela A, Cariaga R, Gonzalez-Paleo L, Ravetta D (2008) Trade-offs between reproductive allocation and storage in species of Oenothera L. (Onagraceae) native to Argentina. Acta Oecol 33:85–92

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Volis S, Verhoeven KJF, Mendlinger S, Ward D (2004) Phenotypic selection and regulation of reproduction in different environments in wild barley. J Evol Biol 17:1121–1131

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wang LQ, Chen SH, Hao LZ (2002) Study of ecological and biological characters and geological distribution of Artemisia ordosica. J Arid Land Resour Environ 16:95–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Wesselingh RA, Klinkhamer PGL, DeJong TJ, Boorman LA (1997) Threshold size for flowering in different habitats: effects of size-dependent growth and survival. Ecology 78:2118–2132

    Google Scholar 

  • Worley AC, Harder LD (1996) Size-dependent resource allocation and costs of reproduction in Pinguicula vulgaris (Lentibulariaceae). J Ecol 84:195–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu F-H, Dong M, Krusi B (2004) Clonal integration helps Psammochloa villosa survive sand burial in an inland dune. New Phytol 162:697–704

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yu F-H, Wang N, He WM, Chu Y, Dong M (2008) Adaptation of rhizome connections in drylands: increasing tolerance of clones to wind erosion. Ann Bot 102:571–577

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang XS (1994) Principles and optimal models for development of Maowusu sandy grassland. Acta Phytoecol Sin 18:1–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JH (1996) Interactive effects of soil nutrients, moisture and sand burial on the development, physiology, biomass and fitness of Cakile edentula. Ann Bot 78:591–598

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JH, Maun MA (1990) Effects of sand burial on seed germination, seedling emergence, survival, and growth of Agropyron psammophilum. Can J Bot 68:304–310

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang JH, Maun MA (1992) Effects of burial in sand on the growth and reproduction of Cakile edentula. Ecography 15:296–302

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang CY, Yu F-H, Dong M (2002) Effects of sand burial on the survival, growth, and biomass allocation in semi-shrub Hedysarum laeve seedlings. Acta Bot Sin 44:337–343

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao WZ, Li QY, Fang HY (2007a) Effects of sand burial disturbance on seedling growth of Nitraria sphaerocarpa. Plant Soil 295:95–102

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhao WZ, Zhang ZH, Li QY (2007b) Growth and reproduction of Sophora moorcroftiana responding to altitude and sand burial in the middle Tibet. Environ Geol 53:11–17

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

We thank Mr. Changyuan Li for assistance with field work and two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments on an early version of the manuscript. This research was supported by NSFC (30770357), the National Key Basic Research Program of China (2007CB106802) and a CAS-KNAW joint PhD Training Program.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China

    Shou-Li Li, Fei-Hai Yu & Ming Dong

  2. Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, PO Box 80084, 3508 TB, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    Shou-Li Li, Pieter A. Zuidema & Marinus J. A. Werger

  3. College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Fei-Hai Yu & Ming Dong

  4. Graduate University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China

    Shou-Li Li

Authors
  1. Shou-Li Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Pieter A. Zuidema
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Fei-Hai Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Marinus J. A. Werger
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Ming Dong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Fei-Hai Yu or Ming Dong.

About this article

Cite this article

Li, SL., Zuidema, P.A., Yu, FH. et al. Effects of denudation and burial on growth and reproduction of Artemisia ordosica in Mu Us sandland. Ecol Res 25, 655–661 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-010-0699-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-010-0699-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation