Summary
Carbon allocation among bunchgrass tillers was examined with carbon-11 (11CO2) steady state labelling. Labelled carbon was continuously transported from parent tillers to anatomically attached daughter tillers at a time when morphological characteristics indicated that tiller maturation had occurred. Steady state levels of import into monitored daughter tillers increased within 30 min of either defoliation or shading. Import levels decreased within 30 min of the removal of shading, but remained accelerated throughout an 84 h observation period following defoliation. A second defoliation further increased carbon import into a monitored tiller above the previously accelerated level resulting from the initial defoliation. Carbon import by vegetative tillers in the two bunchgrass species examined may be most appropriately viewed as a series of potentially accelerated import levels above a low level of continuous import.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Allessio ML, Tieszen LL (1975) Patterns of carbon allocation in an arctic tundra grass, Dupontia fischeri (Gramineae), at Barrow, Alaska. Amer J Bot 62:797–807
Anderson-Taylor G, Marshall C (1983) Root-tiller interrelationships in spring barley. Ann Bot 41:47–58
Callaghan TV (1984) Growth and translocation in a clonal southern hemisphere sedge; Uncinia meridensis. J Ecol 72:529–546
Colvill KE, Marshall C (1981) The patterns of growth assimilation of 14CO2 and distribution of 14C-assimilate within vegetative plants of Lolium perenne at low and high density. Ann Appl Biol 99:179–190
Engledon FL, Wadham SM (1924) Investigations on yield in cerals. J Agric Sci 14:80–85
Fares Y, DeMichele DW, Goeschl JD, Baltuskonis DA (1978) Continuously produced high specific activity 11C for studies of photosynthesis, transport and metabolism. Int J Appl Radiat Isotopes 29:431–441
Gifford RM, Marshall C (1973) Photosynthesis and assimilate distribution in Lolium multiflorum Lam following differential tiller defoliation. Aust J. Biol Sci 26:517–526
Hartnett DC, Bazzaz FA (1983) Physiological integration among intraclonal ramets in Solidago canadensis. Ecology 64:779–788
Lazan HB, Barlow EWR, Brady CJ (1983) The significance of vascular connection in regulating senescence of the detached flag leaf of wheat. J Exp Bot 34:726–736
Lyon TL (1905) Cooperative variey test of corn in 1902 and 1903. Neb Agr Exp Sta Bul 83
Magnuson CE, Fares Y, Goeschl JD, Nelson CE, Stain BR, Jaeger CH, Bilpuch EG (1982) An integrated tracer kinetics system for studying carbon uptake and allocation in plants using continuously produced 11CO2. Radiat Environ Biophys 21:51–65
Marshall C, Sagar GR (1965) The influence of defoliation on the distribution of assimilates in Lolium multiflorum Lam. Ann Bot 29:365–370
Marshall C, Sagar GR (1968) The distribution of assimilates in Lolium multiflorum Lam. following differential defoliation. Ann Bot 32:715–719
Newell SJ (1982) Translocation of 14C-photoassimilate in two stoloniferous Viola species. Bull Torrey Bot Club 109:306–317
Nyahoza F, Marshall C, Sagar GR (1974) Assimilate distribution in Poa pratensis L — a quantitative study. Weed Res 14:251–256
Ong CK, Marshall C (1975) Assimilate distribution in Poa annua L. Ann Bot 39:413–421
Quinlan JD, Sagar GR (1962) An autoradiographic study of the movement of 14C — labelled assimilates in the developing wheat plant. Weed Res 2:264–273
Rawson HM, Hofstra G (1969) Translocation and remobilization of 14C assimilated at different stages by each leaf of the wheat plant. Aust J Biol Sci 22:321–331
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Welker, J.M., Rykiel, E.J., Briske, D.D. et al. Carbon import among vegetative tillers within two bunchgrasses: assessment with carbon-11 labelling. Oecologia 67, 209–212 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384285
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00384285