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Associated growth of C3 and C4 desert plants helps the C3 species at the cost of the C4 species

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Abstract

C3 desert plant Reaumuria soongorica (RS-C3) and C4 desert plant Salsola passerina (SP-C4) may exist either in individual or in associated communities. Carbon isotope composition, leaf water potential, gas exchange and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of the individual and associated communities were compared with reveal, whether the associated growth represent an advantage under harsh habitat. The results showed that the δ13C values of leaves of RS-C3 and SP-C4 across different habitats fluctuated, respectively, from −24 to −27 ‰ and from −14 to −16 ‰. Leaf water potential of RS-C3 was lower than SP-C4 all day long, growing either individually or associated with the C3 plant. When associated with the C4 plant, the net photosynthetic rate of the RS-C3 increased, and the photosynthetic rate of the partner SP-C4 decreased. The transpiration rates of the associated RS-C3 and SP-C4 were both lower than in their individual colonies. In associated communities, in RS-C3, the maximal photochemical efficiency, the effective photochemical efficiency, the relative electron transport rate, the photochemical quenching of PS II increased, and the non-photochemical quenching of PS II decreased; all these parameters changed oppositely in the SP-C4 plant. This shows that, in the associated community, the C4 plants might facilitate adaptation of the RS-C3, while SP-C4 plant can adapt to the harsh environment through their own specialties. The association favored the expression of natural photosynthetic characteristics and survival of RS-C3, while retarded the growth of SP-C4. Associated growth decreases the transpiration rate of the whole community; it is conducive to improve its water use efficiency.

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Abbreviations

ETR:

Relative electron transport rate

Fv/Fm:

Maximal photochemical efficiency

LWP:

Leaf water potential (MPa)

Pn:

Net photosynthetic rate (μmol CO2 m−2 s−1)

qN:

Non-photochemical quenching

qP:

Photochemical quenching

RS-C3 :

Reaumuria soongorica belong to C3 desert plant

SP-C4 :

Salsola passerina belong to C4 desert plant

Tr:

Transpiration rate (mmol H2O m−2 s−1)

WUE:

Water use efficiency (mmol CO2 mol−1 H2O)

Yield:

Effective photochemical efficiency

δ13C:

Stable carbon isotope ratio (‰)

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful for the financial support by the National Natural Sciences Foundation of China (No. 91025026, 31070359). The authors also want to express thanks to the editor and the anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments to the manuscript.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Laboratory of Plant Stress Ecophysiology and Biotechnology, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Peixi Su, Qiaodi Yan, Tingting Xie, Zijuan Zhou & Song Gao

  2. Institute of Ecology, Taizhou University, Linhai, 317000, China

    Qiaodi Yan & Song Gao

  3. Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China

    Tingting Xie

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  1. Peixi Su
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  2. Qiaodi Yan
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Correspondence to Peixi Su.

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Communicated by Z. Gombos.

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Su, P., Yan, Q., Xie, T. et al. Associated growth of C3 and C4 desert plants helps the C3 species at the cost of the C4 species. Acta Physiol Plant 34, 2057–2068 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-1003-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11738-012-1003-1

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