The Bracts of Saussurea velutina (Asteraceae) Protect Inflorescences from Fluctuating Weather at High Elevations of the Hengduan Mountains, Southwestern China

Yang, Yang

doi:10.1657/1938-4246-41.4.515

Cited by 38 publications

(39 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…For example, the oriental fruit fly, Dacus dor salts , is inactive at ambient temperatures below 16 °C (Roan, Flitters & Davis, ). Like the results reported for R. nobile and Saussurea velutina W.W.Smith (Asteraceae) (Yang & Sun, ; Song et al ., ), the bracts of R. alexandrae can increase the interior temperature by as much as 6 °C compared with ambient air temperature on sunny days, which may provide a favourable thermal environment for egg‐laying by pollinating flies. However, we found that the contribution of bracts to warming in R. alexandrae was less than by the bracts of R. nobile : the latter could increase the temperature of inflorescences by up to 10 °C over ambient levels on sunny days (Song et al ., ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

The bracts of the alpine ‘glasshouse’ plantRheum alexandrae(Polygonaceae) enhance reproductive fitness of its pollinating seed-consuming mutualist

et al. 2015

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Environmental conditions are known to affect the reproductive fitness of insects, as do host plants. Although the highly specialized bracts of Himalayan ‘glasshouse’ plants are thought to be an adaptive morphology that allows the plant to reproduce in harsh alpine environments, little information appears to exist concerning the benefit of these bracts for the pollinating insects. In this study, we examine whether the semi‐translucent bracts of Rheum alexandrae, a giant herb endemic to the alpine zone of the Hengduan Mountains in south‐western China, enhance the reproductive fitness of its pollinator. Rheum alexandrae depends mainly on mutualistic seed‐consuming Bradysia flies for pollination. Bracts increased interior temperature on sunny days, acted as a buffer against fluctuating air humidity, greatly decreased the intensities of ultraviolet B/C radiation and provided shelter from strong winds. Bract removal significantly decreased adult oviposition and offspring performance of pollinators during flowering and fruiting, respectively. Our results indicate that the bracts of R. alexandrae enhance the reproductive fitness of its pollinating seed‐consuming mutualist in alpine environments, which may be attributed to the positive effects of the bracts on the interior microenvironment. © 2015 The Linnean Society of London, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, 2015, 179, 349–359.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

The bracts of the alpine ‘glasshouse’ plantRheum alexandrae(Polygonaceae) enhance reproductive fitness of its pollinating seed-consuming mutualist

et al. 2015

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“…However, although the light intensity in the full-light treatment in our study was <5% of the photosynthetically active radiation measured in a clear sky in the study region (Yang and Sun 2009), a value that is similar to the level of light found on the soil surface under dense vegetation, the rate of germination of R. nobile reached up to 93.3%. Furthermore, the germination percentage in complete darkness was quite high (31.7%) compared to that for other species from alpine areas.…”

Section: Microsite Limitationsupporting

confidence: 64%

Seed and microsite limitation inRheum nobile, a rare and endemic plant from the subnival zone of Sino-Himalaya

Song

Stöcklin

Zhang

et al. 2013

Plant Ecology & Diversity

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Background: Species persistence, particularly in monocarpic species, depends on the successful recruitment of individuals. An understanding of the factors that limit the recruitment of rare monocarpic plant species is therefore vital for their conservation. Aims: To identify the factors limiting the recruitment of Rheum nobile, a rare and highly specialised monocarpic giant herb endemic to the high eastern Himalayas. Methods: Seed sowing (seeds added or not added) and seedling transplanting experiments were conducted in disturbed (vegetation removed) and undisturbed plots in the vicinity of established populations of R. nobile to explore the mechanisms of recruitment limitation. Four levels of photosynthetically active radiation (0, 15, 30 and 50 µmol m −2 s −1 ) and two sowing positions (beneath and above grass litter or moss layer) were manipulated in the laboratory to determine how ground cover limited seedling emergence. Results: Seed addition increased seedling recruitment. Disturbance significantly increased seedling emergence and establishment. Seed germination significantly decreased with the reduction of light availability, but 31.7% of all seeds germinated in complete darkness. Seedling emergence was close to zero when seeds were sown on top of a layer of grass litter or moss, but rose to 34.5% when the seeds were sown beneath such layers. Conclusions:Our results indicate that the recruitment of R. nobile is limited by a combination of seed and microsite availability. Therefore, in order to conserve this species, we suggest adding seeds to suitable sites and implementing soil disturbances in existing populations to create suitable microsites.

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“…At high elevations in the HHM, the summer climate is monsoonal and characterized by cold rain or sleet, interrupted by short periods of intense solar radiation (Yang et al, 2008). Annual precipitation recorded from 1982 to 1984 at the nearest meteorological station (N28°23′, E99°01′, 4290 m elevation) was 680–790 mm, with over 600 mm falling during the growing season from the early to middle of June until the end of September.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Size-Mediated Interaction between a Cushion Species and Other Non-cushion Species at High Elevations of the Hengduan Mountains, SW China

et al. 2017

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Arenaria polytrichoides (Caryophyllaceae) is a common cushion plant occurring at high elevations in the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountains, SW China. It frequently has other non-cushion species growing within its canopy, forming a contrast with the surrounding areas because it creates patches of higher diversity and greater biomass. In this study, we examined the relationship between the cushions and associated non-cushion species along a gradient of cushion size. A total of 200 A. polytrichoides individuals were selected to fit four size classes. Field measurements were carried out to assess canopy structure, functional traits relevant to growth and reproduction, and soil quality below cushions along the size gradient. Furthermore, the size effect of cushions on the richness and abundance of species and biomass production was also examined. All the morphological variables examined exhibited a positive correlation with cushion size, as did the nutrients under cushions. Large and compact cushions were associated with higher soil nutrient contents compared with small and loose cushions. As a result of these biogenic environmental changes, there was a stronger facilitation effect performed by large cushions. Data pertaining to functional traits revealed that large cushions benefit from the enhanced resources within their compact structure and exhibit greater fitness and a higher reproductive output than small cushions. Our data indicated that interactions occur between cushion species and other plants depending on the size of the cushions, probably because of the greater heterogeneity of conditions beneath larger cushions. These findings provide a clear demonstration of the generally overlooked importance of the traits of nurse plants, such as size and age, in terms of their facilitative effects.

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The Bracts of Saussurea velutina (Asteraceae) Protect Inflorescences from Fluctuating Weather at High Elevations of the Hengduan Mountains, Southwestern China

Cited by 38 publications

References 30 publications

The bracts of the alpine ‘glasshouse’ plantRheum alexandrae(Polygonaceae) enhance reproductive fitness of its pollinating seed-consuming mutualist

The bracts of the alpine ‘glasshouse’ plantRheum alexandrae(Polygonaceae) enhance reproductive fitness of its pollinating seed-consuming mutualist

Seed and microsite limitation inRheum nobile, a rare and endemic plant from the subnival zone of Sino-Himalaya

Size-Mediated Interaction between a Cushion Species and Other Non-cushion Species at High Elevations of the Hengduan Mountains, SW China

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