Coupled hydraulics and carbon economy underlie age-related growth decline and revitalisation of sand-fixing shrubs after crown removal.

Autor: Guo JJ; CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.; Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China., Gong XW; CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.; Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China., Li XH; CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China., Zhang C; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China., Duan CY; State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China., Lohbeck M; Forest Ecology and Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands., Sterck F; Forest Ecology and Management Group, Wageningen University & Research, AA Wageningen, the Netherlands., Hao GY; CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.; Daqinggou Ecological Research Station, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Plant, cell & environment [Plant Cell Environ] 2024 Aug; Vol. 47 (8), pp. 2999-3014. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Apr 21.
DOI: 10.1111/pce.14923
Abstrakt: Crown removal revitalises sand-fixing shrubs that show declining vigour with age in drought-prone environments; however, the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here, we addressed this knowledge gap by comparing the growth performance, xylem hydraulics and plant carbon economy across different plant ages (10, 21 and 33 years) and treatments (control and crown removal) using a representative sand-fixing shrub (Caragana microphylla Lam.) in northern China. We found that growth decline with plant age was accompanied by simultaneous decreases in soil moisture, plant hydraulic efficiency and photosynthetic capacity, suggesting that these interconnected changes in plant water relations and carbon economy were responsible for this decline. Following crown removal, quick resprouting, involving remobilisation of root nonstructural carbohydrate reserves, contributed to the reconstruction of an efficient hydraulic system and improved plant carbon status, but this became less effective in older shrubs. These age-dependent effects of carbon economy and hydraulics on plant growth vigour provide a mechanistic explanation for the age-related decline and revitalisation of sand-fixing shrubs. This understanding is crucial for the development of suitable management strategies for shrub plantations constructed with species having the resprouting ability and contributes to the sustainability of ecological restoration projects in water-limited sandy lands.
(© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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