Abstract
Aims
Plants respond to resource stress by modifying various aspects of morphology, physiology, and allocation. Yet, a comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms governing the functional coordination between phenotypic plasticity (the ability to regulate traits) and phenotypic integration (degree of association and coordination between traits) in alleviating resource stress remains elusive.
Methods
In alpine wetland, we investigated the interactions among root and leaf functional traits, phenotype plasticity, and integration mechanisms within a dominant species, Carex muliensis, under three water level treatments (control, deep, shallow) and two drainage durations (long-term, short-term).
Results
Declining water table prompted a shift in leaf towards resource-conserving strategies, typified by reductions in specific leaf area and photosynthetic efficiency. Conversely, root shifted towards resource-acquisition strategies to improve competitiveness under low water tables. Notably, a discernible trade-off, manifests between leaf and root phenotypic plasticity and integration across instances of long-term drainage, while short-term drainage scenarios exhibit a synergistic relationship, between these attributes. This observation suggests that long-term drainage fosters a diminution in the integration of leaf and root traits despite heightened plasticity, contrasting with the more cohesive response observed in the context of short-term drainage.
Conclusions
We conclude that, declining water table altered the resource use strategies of plant leaf and root, and trade-offs/synergistic relationships between leaf and root phenotypic plasticity and integration contributed to plant adaptation to drainage durations. This study contributes to the understanding of the role of leaf and root overall phenotypic plasticity and integration in plant adaptation in the context of declining water tables of alpine wetlands, and will help predict the future dynamics of alpine wetland ecosystems.
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Data availability
Data will be made available on request.
Abbreviations
- LA:
-
Leaf area
- LT:
-
Leaf thickness
- LMF:
-
Leaf mass fraction
- SLA:
-
Specific leaf area
- Pn:
-
Saturated net photosynthesis rate
- Tr:
-
Transpiration rate
- Gs:
-
Stomatal conductance
- Ci:
-
Intercellular CO2 concentration
- LCC:
-
Leaf carbon content
- LNC:
-
Leaf nitrogen content
- RD:
-
Root diameter
- RL:
-
Root length
- RMF:
-
Root mass fraction
- SRL:
-
Specific root length
- RCC:
-
Root carbon concentration
- RNC:
-
Root nitrogen concentration
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Acknowledgements
We thank comrades Dan Xue and Qing Qiu for their help in sample collection and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and suggestions.This work was funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42161012);Science and Technology Major Project of Tibetan Autonomous Region of China (XZ202201ZD0005G02) and the Projects of Science and Technology of Guizhou Province (QKHPTRC-GCC[2022]022-1).
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Wang, X., Yang, J., Gao, Y. et al. Allocation, morphology, physiology: multiple aspects of above- and below-ground responses to water table stress, duration of drainage in alpine wetland plants (Carex muliensis). Plant Soil (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06701-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-024-06701-y