Abstract
Abstract In an arid region, water is the limiting factor for the performance of plants and, hence, the input of water significantly affects the ecological processes. Although the dew phenomenon often occurs in the desert, whether plants can absorb and utilise this water source is still unknown. In this study, we tested the effects of 3 amounts of dew, that is, total natural amount of dew, half amount of natural dew, and no amount of (zero) dew, in order to investigate variations in functional traits and demographic traits in relation to the life history of an ephemeral plant Lappula semiglabra . Results showed that variations in functional traits including plant height, crown area, leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate were significantly increased with increasing dew amount. Leaf water potential was significantly decreased, whereas root length and root diameter showed no significant differences among 3 amounts of dew. Demographic traits including survival rate, survival, total age, and mean life expectancy increased with increasing dew amount, whereas the vanish rate percentage, mortality rate, mortality, and fatal number decreased. In combination, our results showed that leaf and stem traits L. semiglabra related to dew absorption increased with increasing of dew amount, and hence, obtained more water, whereas root traits related to uptake of soil water remain unchanged. We conclude that leaves and stem of L. semiglabra can absorb and efficiently utilise dew as a water resource for better suitability in the arid desert region.
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Claims 10
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing dew increased plant height, crown and leaf area.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Treatment
- increasing dew amounte0
- Outcome
- plant height, crown area, leaf areae0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“plant height, crown area, leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate were significantly increased with increasing dew amount”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing dew increased leaf thickness, relative water content and chlorophyll.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Treatment
- increasing dew amounte0
- Outcome
- leaf thickness, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll contente0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“leaf thickness, leaf relative water content, chlorophyll content, and net photosynthetic rate were significantly increased with increasing dew amount”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Increasing dew increased net photosynthetic rate.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Treatment
- increasing dew amounte0
- Outcome
- net photosynthetic ratee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“net photosynthetic rate were significantly increased with increasing dew amount”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaf water potential decreased significantly across dew treatments.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Outcome
- Leaf water potentiale0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“Leaf water potential was significantly decreased”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Root length and diameter did not significantly differ across dew levels.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Treatment
- 3 amounts of dewe0
- Outcome
- root length and root diametere0
- Direction
- no significant differencese0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“root length and root diameter showed no significant differences among 3 amounts of dew”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Survival rate, survival and total age increased with dew.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Treatment
- increasing dew amounte0
- Outcome
- survival rate, survival, total agee0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“survival rate, survival, total age, and mean life expectancy increased with increasing dew amount”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Mean life expectancy increased with dew.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Treatment
- increasing dew amounte0
- Outcome
- mean life expectancye0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“mean life expectancy increased with increasing dew amount”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Vanish rate, mortality rate and mortality declined with dew.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Outcome
- vanish rate percentage, mortality rate, mortalitye0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“the vanish rate percentage, mortality rate, mortality, and fatal number decreased”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Fatal number declined with dew.
- Taxon
- Lappula semiglabraLappula semiglabrat0
- Outcome
- fatal numbere0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedTreatmentComparator
Verbatim
e0“fatal number decreased”
t0“Lappula semiglabra”
Claim · model-written summary
Leaves and stems can absorb and use dew in arid conditions.
- Taxon
- L. semiglabraLappula semiglabrae0
- Organ / stage
- leaves and steme0
- Outcome
- absorb and efficiently utilise dewe0
- Qualifier
- arid desert regione0
Verbatim
e0“leaves and stem of L. semiglabra can absorb and efficiently utilise dew as a water resource for better suitability in the arid desert region”