Adaptations of the floral characteristics and biomass allocation patterns of Gentiana hexaphylla to the altitudinal gradient of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

He, Jundong; Xue, Jing-yue; Gao, Jing; Wang, Jinniu; Wu, Yan

doi:10.1007/s11629-017-4424-x

Cited by 21 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…Plant density and biomass decreased with increasing elevation, indicating how environmental stresses (e.g., lower temperature, shorter growing time) constrain growth at high elevations (He, Xue, Gao, Wang, & Wu, ). However, in LNP reproductive ramet density increased weakly with elevation (Table ) but, otherwise, the overall effect of elevation was weakly negative in LNP and clearly negative in ANCA.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvest effects on density and biomass of Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora vary along environmental gradients in the Nepalese Himalayas

Poudeyal

Meilby

Shrestha

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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A surprisingly large number of species potentially threatened by human harvest lack quantitative ecological studies incorporating harvest effects, especially clonal species in the alpine Himalayas. We studied density and biomass variation of a threatened medicinal herb, Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora, to examine the effect of harvest on plant performance. The study covered two regions with contrasting harvest situations—one with open‐access and another protected from commercial harvesting. Four populations from each region were compared along an elevation gradient (3,800–4,800 m). Also, we conducted in situ interviews with 165 and 38 medicinal and aromatic plant users in open‐access and protected regions, respectively, to assess the collection and use patterns of the target species. The quantity harvested per household for traditional healthcare use was similar in both regions. We found no evidence of trade‐driven collection in the protected region but in the open‐access region a trade‐based annual collection of 35–465 kg dried rhizomes per household had a strong negative effect on both density and biomass. In the protected region, the effect of harvest intensity on plant density was positive for vegetative and negative for reproductive individuals, whereas in the open‐access region, the effect was negative for both vegetative and reproductive individuals. The results indicated that a low harvest intensity had no adverse impact on N. scrophulariiflora populations; however, quantification of the optimum level of harvest remains to be explored. Shrub vegetation appeared to buffer the harvest impact on plant density, possibly through the retention of additional moisture. To maintain population viability, we suggest regulating harvest, for example, by introducing rotational harvest systems, ensuring that a sufficient number of reproductive individuals are left as a source of propagules in each harvested population and that populations are given time to recover between harvests.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Harvest effects on density and biomass of Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora vary along environmental gradients in the Nepalese Himalayas

Poudeyal

Meilby

Shrestha

et al. 2019

Ecology and Evolution

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“…The most pronounced changes associated with increasing elevation in temperate mountain regions include decreases in temperature, increased light intensity and UV radiation, shortening of the growing season, increased precipitation, and increases in strong wind frequency (Körner 2003;Nagy and Grabherr 2009). Meanwhile, intraspecific morphological variation associated with these changes include a reduced overall size (Alexander et al 2009;Zhu et al 2010;Maad et al 2013;Paudel et al 2019), more intensive clonal growth (Št'astná et al 2012) and a longer life span (von Arx et al 2006;Št'astná et al 2012), as well as smaller numbers of larger flowers (Kelly 1998; Kudo and Molau 1999;Malo and Baonza 2002;Herrera 2005;Maad et al 2013;Gabel et al 2017;He et al 2017) and heavier seeds (Kudo and Molau 1999;Alexander et al 2009;Wu et al 2011;Qi et al 2015). However, decreases in flower size (Totland 2001; Zhao and Wang 2015) and seed mass (Totland 2004;Wirth et al 2010) with increasing elevation have also been reported, suggesting that the pattern of reproductive allocation is species specific or context dependent.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Understanding the performance of mountain plants in their natural populations across different elevation gradients is gaining increasing attention (e.g. Dai et al 2017;He et al 2017;Seguí et al 2018;Paudel et al 2019;Bucher and Römermann 2020). The findings will help us understand how plants have adapted to life on steep environmental gradients, while allowing us to predict mountain plant responses to climatic change, particularly in cold environments (Frei et al 2010;Theurillat and Guisan 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Patterns of floral allocation along an elevation gradient: variation in Senecio subalpinus growing in the Tatra Mountains

Kiełtyk

2021

Alp Botany

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This study examined the morphological variation in Senecio subalpinus W.D.J. Koch. (Asteraceae) along a 950-m elevation gradient in the Tatra Mountains, Central Europe, with emphasis on floral allocation patterns. Fifteen morphological traits were measured in 200 plants collected in the field from 20 sites then the findings were modelled by elevation using linear mixed-effects models. Plant aboveground biomass and height decreased steadily with increasing elevation; however, the most distinctive feature was the elevational shift in floral allocation patterns. Low-elevation plants had greater numbers of smaller flower heads with a lower overall number of flowers, while high-elevation plants had smaller numbers of bigger flower heads and a greater overall number of flowers. Accordingly, the mean individual flower mass increased significantly with increasing elevation. Interestingly, the width of the outer ligulate flowers also increased considerably with increasing elevation, increasing the fill of the overall circumference of the flower head. Results of this study confirmed that elevation is an important ecological gradient driving variation in vegetative and floral traits of S. subalpinus. Possible causes of the observed variations are subsequently discussed, including the varying effects of both abiotic and biotic factors with elevation gradients.

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“…The physiological measurements relating to photosyn-thesis taken at the period of fastest daily growth (prior to flowering) showed that the plants derived from 2950 and 3100 m a. s. l. were growing faster, which supports this interpretation. The plants from the highest altitude (3300 m a. s. l.) were not able to adjust to the warmer growing conditions within a single generation, and the plants from the lowest altitude (2450 m a. s. l.) were probably restricted by the lower temperatures they encountered at 2950 m a. s. l. [41].…”

Section: Variation In Morphological Traits Of E Nutans Withmentioning

confidence: 96%

Variation in Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Wild Elymus nutans Ecotypes from Different Altitudes in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

Liu²,

Jiao

et al. 2020

Journal of Sensors

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The availability of suitable native plant species for local animal husbandry development and ecological restoration is limited on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, comparisons of the ecological adaptability of native species to alternative habitats and their introduction into new habitats are of high importance. This study is aimed at identifying the alteration in morphological and physiological characteristics by measuring photosynthetic physiology, nutrient content, and growth associated with adaptation of plants to conditions at different altitudes 2450, 2950, 3100, and 3300 m above sea level (a. s. l.) on the plateau. Seeds of the dominant grass, Elymus nutans, were collected from locations at these altitudes and grown at a test location of 2950 m a. s. l. Results indicated that altitude had no significant effect on plant height and root depth. However, the leaf area and total root surface area of plants derived from 2950 and 3300 m a. s. l. showed a parabolic response, being greater than those of plants derived from the lowest (2450 m) and highest (3300 m a. s. l.). Total (root plus shoot) dry matter reduced progressively from 2450 to 3300 m a. s. l, while root : shoot ratio increased progressively with altitude. Seed yield of plants originating from the test altitude (2950 m a. s. l) was significantly higher than at any other altitude, being 20% lower at 2450 m, and 38% and 58% less in populations originating from the higher altitudes (3100 and 3300 m a. s. l.). There was also a parabolic decline in response of Elymus nutans germplasm from 3100, 3300, and 2450 m, compared with plants from 2950 m a. s. l., to photosynthetic rate, total N, soluble sugar, and starch contents. Germplasm from 2450 m a. s. l. had significantly lower shoot and higher root carbon content, lower shoot nitrogen, and lower root carbon-to-nitrogen ratio compared with plants derived from the other three altitudes. It is suggested that the stable, genetically determined morphological and physiological features of ecotypes showed parabolic responses which means these ecotypes have become adapted to local habitats, whereas parameters such as dry matter, total root : shoot ratio, photosynthetic rate, and intercellular CO2 concentration of plants reflected phenotypic linear response to current abiotic conditions. It is postulated that introduced ecotypes from 2450, 3100, and 3300 m could adapt to the environment at 2950 m a. s. l. gradually. We conclude that the increased thermal regime experienced by plants introduced from high altitude to low altitude may facilitate the increased growth of Elymus nutans subtypes. It is important to preserve local strains of native species, or ecotypes, for reintroduction into degraded environments and to maintain the greatest ecosystem stability in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau.

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Adaptations of the floral characteristics and biomass allocation patterns of Gentiana hexaphylla to the altitudinal gradient of the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Cited by 21 publications

References 37 publications

Harvest effects on density and biomass of Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora vary along environmental gradients in the Nepalese Himalayas

Harvest effects on density and biomass of Neopicrorhiza scrophulariiflora vary along environmental gradients in the Nepalese Himalayas

Patterns of floral allocation along an elevation gradient: variation in Senecio subalpinus growing in the Tatra Mountains

Variation in Morphological and Physiological Characteristics of Wild Elymus nutans Ecotypes from Different Altitudes in the Northeastern Tibetan Plateau

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