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Dynamics of nonstructural carbohydrates in seagrass Thalassia hemprichii and its response to shading

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Abstract

A field survey was performed to examine nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) dynamics in seagrass Thalassia hemprichii at the Xincun Bay in southern China. An indoor experiment to investigate the response of NSC in T. hemprichii to shade was conducted. Belowground tissue of T. hemprichii was the dominant site of NSC reserves, and soluble sugar was the primary storage compound. The starch content of belowground tissue was lower in high intertidal areas than in low intertidal areas, indicating that the longer air exposure in high intertidal areas resulted in less NSC synthesis and less accumulation of NSC in T. hemprichii. The lowest level of soluble sugar and its proportion to NSC in belowground tissue were observed near the cage culture area, where the nutrient concentration in water and sediment was the highest; while the highest level of that was observed near the coastal shrimp farm, Where salinity was the lowest. Soluble sugar in belowground tissue showed the following trend: summer>spring>winter>autumn. This corresponded to seasonal changes in the intensity of light. Leaf sugar accumulated during the autumn-winter period, providing a carbon and energy source for flower bud formation and seed germination. Short-term shading decreased NSC accumulation. Collectively, these results suggest that nutrient enrichment, freshwater discharge and exposure to air affect NSC dynamics in T. hemprichii. Light intensity, flower bud formation, and seed germination were all found to induce seasonal variations in NSC in T. hemprichii.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510301, China

    Zhijian Jiang, Xiaoping Huang & Jingping Zhang

  2. Tropical Marine Biological Research Station in Hainan, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, 572200, China

    Zhijian Jiang & Jingping Zhang

Authors
  1. Zhijian Jiang
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  2. Xiaoping Huang
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  3. Jingping Zhang
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Correspondence to Xiaoping Huang.

Additional information

Foundation item: The National Natural Science Foundation of China under contract Nos 41076069 and 40776086; the Project of Environmental Quality Evaluation of Seagrass Bed in South China Sea under contract No. DOMEP (MEA)-01-03; the Public Science and Technology Research Funds Projects of Ocean under contract No. 201305030; the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences under contract No. SQ201219.

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Jiang, Z., Huang, X. & Zhang, J. Dynamics of nonstructural carbohydrates in seagrass Thalassia hemprichii and its response to shading. Acta Oceanol. Sin. 32, 61–67 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13131-013-0342-0

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