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Constraints of root response to waterlogging in Alisma triviale

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Abstract

To understand the economics of root aerenchyma formation in wetland plants, we investigated in detail the response of Alisma triviale to waterlogging. We hypothesized costs being associated with development of a large root air space. In three out-door pot experiments, seedlings (1 experiment) and mature plants (2 experiments) were grown under waterlogged and drained conditions for up to 2 months. Waterlogging promoted growth, and was associated with increased root porosity and decreased root density (fresh mass per volume). The increased formation of aerenchyma was associated with a higher root dry matter content for a given root density. Despite improved growth and earlier flowering, the waterlogged plants also showed signs of being constrained by the anoxic substrate, such as shallower roots, and a higher leaf dry matter content. The formation of aerenchyma was associated with costs, such as increased root dry matter content and reduced metaxylem vessel diameter. The faster growth of the seedlings under the waterlogged conditions, despite some signs of being stressed, was possibly a result of decreased requirements to allocate biomass below ground. In mature plants the increased aerenchyma allowed deeper root penetration, and ameliorated the effects of anoxia, reducing the differences in plant traits between the treatments.

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Acknowledgements

The research was supported by an NSERC Discovery Grant (#249689) and an NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (HKG). We thank Céline Boudreau-Larivière for the use of her cryostat, and Ewa Cholewa for anatomical advice and constructive comments.

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  1. Department of Biology, Laurentian University, Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, P3E 2C6

    Peter Ryser, Harneet K. Gill & Collin J. Byrne

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  1. Peter Ryser
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  2. Harneet K. Gill
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  3. Collin J. Byrne
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Correspondence to Peter Ryser.

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Responsible Editor: Eric J.W. Visser.

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Ryser, P., Gill, H.K. & Byrne, C.J. Constraints of root response to waterlogging in Alisma triviale . Plant Soil 343, 247–260 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-011-0715-0

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