Different Phenotypic, Photosynthetic, and Physiological Responses to Flooding between Q. nuttallii and Q. palustris

Abstract

Flooding stress is an increasingly serious problem in wetlands, often affecting large areas of crops and timber production areas. The current study aimed to explore the species differences in responses to flooding stress between Q. nuttallii and Q. palustris in an outdoor environment. All the tested plants survived after a 60-day flooding treatment that left 5 cm of water above the soil surface. This suggests that the two species are flood-tolerant, so they can be applied in the construction of riparian protection forests and wetland restoration. Compared with control conditions, flooding treatment significantly decreased seedling height and diameter and the Pn, Gs, Tr, Fv/Fm, ABS/CSm, TR0/CSm, ET0/CSm, RE0/CSm, IAA, and GA3 content and significantly increased the content of MDA, H2O2, soluble sugars, SOD, POD, ADH, ABA, and JA. Under control conditions, Q. nuttallii showed significantly greater growth and photosynthetic capability than Q. palustris. In contrast, Q. palustris exhibited less inhibition of growth and photosynthesis, oxidative stress levels, and antioxidant enzyme activities than Q. nuttallii under flooding conditions. The findings indicate that Q. palustris has better defense mechanisms against the damage caused by flooding stress than Q. nuttallii. Q. nuttallii was more sensitive and responsive to flooding than Q. palustris.