Sand burial compensates for the negative effects of erosion on the dune-building shrub Artemisia wudanica

Liu, Bo; Liu, Zhimin; Lü, Xiao‐Tao; Maestre, Fernando T.; Wang, Lixin

doi:10.1007/s11104-013-1866-y

Cited by 28 publications

(44 citation statements)

References 44 publications

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“…They are characterized by sparse vegetation and loose soil texture; because of frequent sand movement, plants are often buried by sand compared with other areas [17]. Nevertheless, this is important for seed germination, seedling emergence and establishment since a certain degree of sand burial is needed at the early developmental morphology stages if plants are to grow and establish properly [10].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed Burial Depth and Soil Water Content Affect Seedling Emergence and Growth of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa in the Horqin Sandy Land

et al. 2016

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Abstract:We investigated the effects of seed burial depth and soil water content on seedling emergence and growth of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa (sandy elm), an important native tree species distributed over the European-Asian steppe. Experimental sand burial depths in the soil were 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 cm, and soil water contents were 4%, 8%, 12% and 16% of field capacity. All two-way ANOVA (five sand burial depths and four soil water contents) results showed that seed burial depths, soil water content and their interactions significantly affected all the studied plant variables. Most of the times, seedling emergence conditions were greater at the lower sand burial depths (less than 1.0 cm) than at the higher (more than 1.0 cm) seed burial depths, and at the lower water content (less than 12%) than at the higher soil water content. However, high seed burial depths (more than 1.5 cm) or low soil water content (less than 12%) reduced seedling growth or change in the root/shoot biomass ratios. In conclusion, the most suitable range of sand burial was from 0.5 to 1.0 cm soil depth and soil water content was about 12%, respectively, for the processes of seedling emergence and growth. These findings indicate that seeds of the sandy elm should be kept at rather shallow soil depths, and water should be added up to 12% of soil capacity when conducting elm planting and management. Our findings could help to create a more appropriate sandy elm cultivation and understand sparse elm woodland recruitment failures in arid and semi-arid regions.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Seed Burial Depth and Soil Water Content Affect Seedling Emergence and Growth of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa in the Horqin Sandy Land

et al. 2016

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“…However, this beneficial effect has rarely been reported for biocrust mosses. In addition, sand burial can also provide a protective shell for B. argenteum, mitigating the damage from other stresses, such as wind (Liu et al, 2013). On the other hand, drought favors B. argenteum under sand burial by lowering the risk of carbon starvation induced by the reduction of photosynthetic area and the relatively trivial rainfall (causing the partial 345 hydration of moss).…”

Section: Possible Mechanisms Underlying the Combined Effects Of Drougmentioning

confidence: 99%

The mutually antagonistic effect of drought and sand burial enables the biocrust moss Bryum argenteum Hedw. to survive the two co-occurring stressors in an arid sandy desert

Jia

Zhao

Gao

et al. 2017

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Abstract. Biocrust moss is an essential soil surface bio-cover. It represents the highest succession stage among the diverse range of surface-dwelling cryptogams (e.g., cyanobacteria, green algae, and lichen, which are also referred to as biological soil crusts) and makes a major contribution to soil stability and fertility throughout arid 10 desert ecosystems. The soil surface represents a small ecological niche that is poikilohydric in nature. Biocrust moss is therefore highly susceptible to drought and sand burial, which are two ubiquitous stressors in arid sandy deserts. However, little information is available regarding the mechanism by which biocrust moss can survive and flourish in these habitats when stressed simultaneously by the two stressors. The combined effects of drought and sand burial were evaluated in a field experiment using the predominant biocrust moss, Bryum 15 argenteum Hedw., in the Tengger Desert, China. Drought was simulated by applying distilled water in three artificial rainfall regimes at 8-day intervals in spring and autumn: 4 and 6 mm (average rainfall, control), 2 and 3 mm (double drought), and 1 and 1.5 mm (fourfold drought), respectively. The effect of sand burial was determined by applying six treatments, i.e., sand depths of 0 (control), 0.5, 1, 2, 4, and 10 mm. The four parameters of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, regeneration potential, and shoot upgrowth 20 were evaluated in the moss. It was found that the combined effects of drought and sand burial did not exacerbate the single negative effects of the four parameters tested. Drought significantly ameliorated the negative effects of deep sand burial on the retention of chlorophyll a content, PSII photochemical efficiency, and regeneration potential of B. argenteum. Sand burial diminished and even reversed the negative effects of Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi

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“…However, all relative mass growth rates were small compared with those of other plant species (e.g., Artemisia wudanica, Solidago shortii, and Solidago altissima) in the same area. This suggested the relatively lower biomass accumulation on sandy elm seedlings during the first growing season, putting these seedlings at a disadvantage in resource competition and coexistence with other species (Brown, 1997;Liu et al, 2014;Wu et al, 2013). Reduced dry-matter accumulation could also have contributed to increased mortality.…”

Section: Effects Of Sand Burial On Seedling Morphological Traitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…An increasing number of pastures have deteriorated and transformed into semi-fixed and active dunes, inducing a lack of vegetation coverage. Sand moves fast in the horizontal or vertical space -the effects of strong winds during spring and summer -leading to different burial depths, which might range from 0.5 to 56.0 cm (Liu et al, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies on the effects of sand burial have been widely reported in the fields of seedling survival (Belcher, 1977;Cheplick and Grandstaff, 1997;Harris and Davy, 1987;Li et al, 2015;Liu et al, 2008;Perumal and Maun, 2006), physiological characteristics (Shi et al, 2004;Wang et al, 2012;Zhao et al, 2015), and reproductive strategies (Liu et al, 2014;Sun et al, 2014;Zhao et al, 2007) on coastal marshes and wetlands plants. In general, it appears to be a thresh- old sand burial depth for each plant species to maintain its vigor and subsequent sustained growth (Maun, 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa in the Horqin Sandy Land, China

et al. 2016

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Abstract. As a native tree species, Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa (sandy elm) is widely distributed in the Horqin Sandy Land, China. However, seedlings of this species have to withstand various depths of sand burial after emergence because of increasing soil degradation, which is mainly caused by overgrazing, climate change, and wind erosion. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the changes in its survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation when seedlings were buried at different burial depths: unburied controls and seedlings buried vertically up to 33, 67, 100, or 133 % of their initial mean seedling height. The results showed that partial sand burial treatments (i.e., less than 67 % burial) did not reduce seedling survivorship, which still reached 100 %. However, seedling mortality increased when sand burial was equal to or greater than 100 %. In comparison with the control treatment, seedling height and stem diameter increased at least by 6 and 14 % with partial burial, respectively. In the meantime, seedling taproot length, total biomass, and relative mass growth rates were at least enhanced by 10, 15.6, and 27.6 %, respectively, with the partial sand burial treatment. Furthermore, sand burial decreased total leaf area and changed biomass allocation in seedlings, partitioning more biomass to aboveground organs (e.g., leaves) and less to belowground parts (roots). Complete sand burial after seedling emergence inhibited its re-emergence and growth, even leading to death. Our findings indicated that seedlings of sandy elm showed some resistance to partial sand burial and were adapted to sandy environments from an evolutionary perspective. The negative effect of excessive sand burial after seedling emergence might help in understanding failures in recruitments of sparse elm in the study region.

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Sand burial compensates for the negative effects of erosion on the dune-building shrub Artemisia wudanica

Cited by 28 publications

References 44 publications

Seed Burial Depth and Soil Water Content Affect Seedling Emergence and Growth of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa in the Horqin Sandy Land

Seed Burial Depth and Soil Water Content Affect Seedling Emergence and Growth of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa in the Horqin Sandy Land

The mutually antagonistic effect of drought and sand burial enables the biocrust moss <i>Bryum argenteum</i> Hedw. to survive the two co-occurring stressors in an arid sandy desert

Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China

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Sand burial compensates for the negative effects of erosion on the dune-building shrub Artemisia wudanica

Cited by 28 publications

References 44 publications

Seed Burial Depth and Soil Water Content Affect Seedling Emergence and Growth of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa in the Horqin Sandy Land

Seed Burial Depth and Soil Water Content Affect Seedling Emergence and Growth of Ulmus pumila var. sabulosa in the Horqin Sandy Land

The mutually antagonistic effect of drought and sand burial enables the biocrust moss &lt;i&gt;Bryum argenteum&lt;/i&gt; Hedw. to survive the two co-occurring stressors in an arid sandy desert

Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation of &lt;i&gt;Ulmus pumila&lt;/i&gt; var. &lt;i&gt;sabulosa&lt;/i&gt; in the Horqin Sandy Land, China

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The mutually antagonistic effect of drought and sand burial enables the biocrust moss <i>Bryum argenteum</i> Hedw. to survive the two co-occurring stressors in an arid sandy desert

Experimental sand burial affects seedling survivorship, morphological traits, and biomass allocation of <i>Ulmus pumila</i> var. <i>sabulosa</i> in the Horqin Sandy Land, China