Abstract
Soil salinisation and overgrazing are two important factors limiting plant growth in the Songnen Grassland, Northeast China. Leymus chinensis, a dominant rhizomatous grass, resists grazing and tolerates saline–alkali stress. However, its adaptive mechanisms to the dual effects of grazing and saline–alkali stress remain largely unknown. A two-factorial field experiment was conducted in two consecutive years in the natural L. chinensis community, combining the addition of mixed saline–alkali solution (NaCl : NaHCO3 : Na2CO3 1 : 1 : 1, amount 559.13 g m–2 year–1) with clipping (removal of 60% of aboveground biomass, AGB). Saline–alkali addition significantly increased AGB and total biomass in the no clipping but not in the clipping treatment. Irrespective of clipping, ramet density was significantly decreased, and individual ramet biomass was significantly increased under salt stress. The significant increase in AGB was due to a high K+ : Na+ ratio, high water-use efficiency, and an increase in leaf area index and net photosynthesis rate of individual ramets under salt–alkali stress. Clipping significantly decreased AGB and total biomass regardless of saline–alkali addition, possibly because of decreased sugar content of rhizomes. Saline–alkali and clipping had an interactive effect on AGB and total biomass of L. chinensis. The significant reduction in AGB and total biomass were mainly caused by reduced proline and water-soluble carbohydrate content under dual stress. A modified and simplified graphic model of the limiting resource model was proposed based on our results. Leymus chinensis can grow well under saline–alkali stress via ramet biomass compensation, in which the significant decrease in ramet density is compensated by the significant increase in individual ramet biomass. Ramet compensation and clonal integration were identified to be main mechanisms of herbivory and saline–alkali tolerance.
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Claims 12
Claim · model-written summary
Saline–alkali addition increased aboveground and total biomass without clipping, but not with clipping.
Verbatim
e0“Saline–alkali addition significantly increased AGB and total biomass in the no clipping but not in the clipping treatment”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt stress decreased ramet density regardless of clipping.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Treatment
- salt stresse0
- Outcome
- ramet densitye0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Irrespective of clipping, ramet density was significantly decreased, and individual ramet biomass was significantly increased under salt stress”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
Salt stress increased individual ramet biomass regardless of clipping.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Treatment
- salt stresse0
- Outcome
- individual ramet biomasse0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Irrespective of clipping, ramet density was significantly decreased, and individual ramet biomass was significantly increased under salt stress”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors attributed increased aboveground biomass under salt stress to a high potassium to sodium ratio and water-use efficiency.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Outcome
- increase in AGBe0
- Qualifier
- high K+ : Na+ ratio, high water-use efficiencye0
Verbatim
e0“The significant increase in AGB was due to a high K+ : Na+ ratio, high water-use efficiency, and an increase in leaf area index and net photosynthesis rate of individual ramets under salt–alkali stress”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors also attributed increased aboveground biomass to increased leaf area index and net photosynthesis rate.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Outcome
- increase in AGBe0
- Qualifier
- increase in leaf area index and net photosynthesis ratee0
Verbatim
e0“The significant increase in AGB was due to a high K+ : Na+ ratio, high water-use efficiency, and an increase in leaf area index and net photosynthesis rate of individual ramets under salt–alkali stress”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
Clipping decreased aboveground and total biomass irrespective of saline–alkali addition.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Treatment
- Clippinge0
- Outcome
- AGB and total biomasse0
- Direction
- decreasede0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“Clipping significantly decreased AGB and total biomass regardless of saline–alkali addition”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors suggested decreased rhizome sugar content may explain biomass loss after clipping.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Organ / stage
- rhizomese0
- Outcome
- decreased sugar content of rhizomese0
Verbatim
e0“possibly because of decreased sugar content of rhizomes”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
Saline–alkali stress and clipping interacted in their effects on aboveground and total biomass.
- Taxon
- L. chinensisLeymus chinensise0
- Treatment
- Saline–alkali and clippinge0
- Outcome
- AGB and total biomasse0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Saline–alkali and clipping had an interactive effect on AGB and total biomass of L. chinensis”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
Reduced proline and water-soluble carbohydrate content were proposed as main causes of biomass loss under dual stress.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Compound
- proline and water-soluble carbohydratee0
- Outcome
- reduction in AGB and total biomasse0
- Qualifier
- under dual stresse0
Verbatim
e0“The significant reduction in AGB and total biomass were mainly caused by reduced proline and water-soluble carbohydrate content under dual stress”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
A modified simplified graphic model of limiting resources was proposed.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Outcome
- graphic model of the limiting resource modele0
- Comparator
- limiting resource modele0
Verbatim
e0“A modified and simplified graphic model of the limiting resource model was proposed based on our results”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors concluded that ramet biomass compensation supports growth under saline–alkali stress.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensise0
- Outcome
- grow well under saline–alkali stresse0
- Qualifier
- ramet biomass compensatione0
Verbatim
e0“Leymus chinensis can grow well under saline–alkali stress via ramet biomass compensation, in which the significant decrease in ramet density is compensated by the significant increase in individual ramet biomass”
Claim · model-written summary
Ramet compensation and clonal integration were identified as mechanisms of herbivory and saline–alkali tolerance.
- Taxon
- Leymus chinensisLeymus chinensist0
- Outcome
- herbivory and saline–alkali tolerancee0
- Qualifier
- Ramet compensation and clonal integratione0
Verbatim
e0“Ramet compensation and clonal integration were identified to be main mechanisms of herbivory and saline–alkali tolerance”
t0“Leymus chinensis”
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