Major plant species in the Xilin River Basin were grouped into six plant functional groups (PFGs) based on their water ecological groups: xerophytes, mesoxerophytes, xeromesophytes, mesophytes, hygromesophytes and hyg...Major plant species in the Xilin River Basin were grouped into six plant functional groups (PFGs) based on their water ecological groups: xerophytes, mesoxerophytes, xeromesophytes, mesophytes, hygromesophytes and hygrophytes. We surveyed the composition, delta(13)C values and proline concentration of PFGs in eight different plant communities along a soil moisture gradient. Results show that: (1) PFGs occurred variously in eight steppe communities with different soil moisture status. In wetter habitats, hygromesophytes and hygrophytes were more abundant and accounted for the majority of aboveground biomass, whereas xerophytes and mesoxerophytes became more conspicuous in dryer habitats; (2) the numerical order of the mean delta(13)C values of PFGs is as follows: xerophytes (-26.38parts per thousand) = mesoxerophytes (-26.51parts per thousand) > xeromesophytes (-27.02parts per thousand) > mesophytes (-27.56parts per thousand) = hygromesophytes and hygrophytes (-27.80parts per thousand); (3) xerophytes maintained relative higher delta(13)C values and water use efficiency (WUE) in habitats of different water availability, whereas delta(13)C values of xeromesophytes were more sensitive to change in soil water availability; (4) From xerophytes to hygrophytes, their proline content markedly increased. Significantly positive correlations existed between proline and biomass or delta(13)C values of different water ecological groups.展开更多
Endophytes are a kind of fungi that live inside plant. They widely exist in higher plants, particularly in grasses. It is well documented that the interactions between endophytes and plants are mutually symbiotic. Lit...Endophytes are a kind of fungi that live inside plant. They widely exist in higher plants, particularly in grasses. It is well documented that the interactions between endophytes and plants are mutually symbiotic. Literature of Acremonium-grass symbiosis over the last twenty years is reviewed in this paper, in the hope that researchers in our country will pay attention to this topic.展开更多
Water is usually considered to be a key limiting factor for the growth and reproduction of steppe plants in the Xilin River Basin, Nei Mongol. Foliar delta C-13 values, an indicator of long-term intercellular carbon d...Water is usually considered to be a key limiting factor for the growth and reproduction of steppe plants in the Xilin River Basin, Nei Mongol. Foliar delta C-13 values, an indicator of long-term intercellular carbon dioxide concentration and thus of water-use efficiency (WUE) in plants, were measured on Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. and Cleistogenes squarrosa (Trin.) Keng. in six communities of different habitats in die Xilin River Basin. The foliar delta C-13 values of both species tended to increase with decreasing soil water content (SWC) and a significant negative correlation was found between foliar delta C-13 Values and SWC in different soil layers, indicating that the two species could change WUE according to water availability. We also found relatively constant leaf water contents (LWC) of the two species in different habitats. Our results implied that the two steppe species might have adapted to different soil water regimes either through adjusting stomatal conductance to get a proper WUE, or through enhancing the osmosis-regulating ability to keep a relatively stable LWC. Our findings could partially explain why the two plant species have a wide distribution range and become dominant in the Xilin River Basin.展开更多
文摘Major plant species in the Xilin River Basin were grouped into six plant functional groups (PFGs) based on their water ecological groups: xerophytes, mesoxerophytes, xeromesophytes, mesophytes, hygromesophytes and hygrophytes. We surveyed the composition, delta(13)C values and proline concentration of PFGs in eight different plant communities along a soil moisture gradient. Results show that: (1) PFGs occurred variously in eight steppe communities with different soil moisture status. In wetter habitats, hygromesophytes and hygrophytes were more abundant and accounted for the majority of aboveground biomass, whereas xerophytes and mesoxerophytes became more conspicuous in dryer habitats; (2) the numerical order of the mean delta(13)C values of PFGs is as follows: xerophytes (-26.38parts per thousand) = mesoxerophytes (-26.51parts per thousand) > xeromesophytes (-27.02parts per thousand) > mesophytes (-27.56parts per thousand) = hygromesophytes and hygrophytes (-27.80parts per thousand); (3) xerophytes maintained relative higher delta(13)C values and water use efficiency (WUE) in habitats of different water availability, whereas delta(13)C values of xeromesophytes were more sensitive to change in soil water availability; (4) From xerophytes to hygrophytes, their proline content markedly increased. Significantly positive correlations existed between proline and biomass or delta(13)C values of different water ecological groups.
文摘Endophytes are a kind of fungi that live inside plant. They widely exist in higher plants, particularly in grasses. It is well documented that the interactions between endophytes and plants are mutually symbiotic. Literature of Acremonium-grass symbiosis over the last twenty years is reviewed in this paper, in the hope that researchers in our country will pay attention to this topic.
文摘Water is usually considered to be a key limiting factor for the growth and reproduction of steppe plants in the Xilin River Basin, Nei Mongol. Foliar delta C-13 values, an indicator of long-term intercellular carbon dioxide concentration and thus of water-use efficiency (WUE) in plants, were measured on Leymus chinensis (Trin.) Tzvel. and Cleistogenes squarrosa (Trin.) Keng. in six communities of different habitats in die Xilin River Basin. The foliar delta C-13 values of both species tended to increase with decreasing soil water content (SWC) and a significant negative correlation was found between foliar delta C-13 Values and SWC in different soil layers, indicating that the two species could change WUE according to water availability. We also found relatively constant leaf water contents (LWC) of the two species in different habitats. Our results implied that the two steppe species might have adapted to different soil water regimes either through adjusting stomatal conductance to get a proper WUE, or through enhancing the osmosis-regulating ability to keep a relatively stable LWC. Our findings could partially explain why the two plant species have a wide distribution range and become dominant in the Xilin River Basin.