Subjects: Biology >> Botany >> Applied botany submitted time 2022-07-05 Cooperative journals: 《广西植物》
Abstract： The restoration and reconstruction of mangrove wetland ecosystems is one of the key research fields in ecological restoration in the coastal zones of South China. How to optimize the assembly of mangrove species is the priority to be concerned in the restoration and transformation of mangrove forest community. In order to reveal the physiological and ecological strategies to light conditions of mangrove plant species and provide theoretical guidance for optimal assembly of mangrove community structure, the characteristics of leaf total soluble protein content and activities of five antioxidant enzymes in seedlings of eight mangrove plant species (Sonneratia apetala, Kandelia candel, Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Aegiceras corniculatum, Acanthus ilicifolius, Acrostichum aureum, Heritiera littoralis and Hibiscus tiliaceus) under different light intensities (100%, 45%, 30%, and 10% of natural sunlight) were studied using shading control experiment. The results were as follows: (1) Low light intensities had little impact on the leaf total soluble protein content of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Acanthus ilicifolius and Acrostichum aureum, whereas the other five species showed a decreasing trend in the leaf soluble protein content with the decline in light intensity. (2) The activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) in the leaves of Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Acanthus ilicifolius and Acrostichum aureum in 10% of natural light intensity were not significantly from control, while the other five mangrove species showed a decreasing trend in activities of all the five antioxidant enzymes. In conclusion, our results indicate that Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Acanthus ilicifolius and Acrostichum aureum are suitable for planting under the forest with high canopy density, while Sonneratia apetala, Kandelia candel, Aegiceras corniculatum, Heritiera littoralis, Hibiscus tiliaceus are suitable to be planted under forest with lower canopy density or planted as upper layer tree species in mangrove.
Subjects: Biology >> Botany >> Applied botany submitted time 2021-07-20 Cooperative journals: 《广西植物》
Abstract： Plant species can adapt to heterogeneous habitats through variations in functional traits. For the plants with different growth forms, how to adjust their phenotypes to adapt to the environment has been one of the core topics in ecology. To clarify the response mechanisms of plant species with different growth forms to heterogeneous habitats in south subtropical forests, we measured a total of 8 functional traits involving 4 structural traits (leaf thickness, leaf length/width ratio, leaf dry matter content and leaf specific leaf area) and 4 stoichiometric traits (leaf N concentration, leaf P concentration, 13C and 15N) of 5 dominant trees (2 canopy species and 3 understory species) and their diameter at breast height, in 27 quadrats (20 m × 20 m) at different elevations and convexity along three mountain ridges within the 20-hm2 lower subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest plot at Dinghu Mountain in Guangdong Province. We analyzed and compared the differences in responses of the canopy and understory species to different elevations and convexity in terms of functional traits. The results were as follows: (1) There existed some leaf functional traits in each tree species that were significantly correlated with altitude, but for convexity, only the leaf area of Cryptocarya chinensis was positively correlated with convexity and the leaf nitrogen content of Blastus cochinchinensis was negatively correlated with convexity. (2) Specific leaf area, leaf thickness and 15N were generally more responsive to elevation, while leaf length/width ratio and leaf dry matter content were less responsive. (3) There were significant differences in specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content and leaf N concentration between canopy and understory tree species in heterogeneous habitats. Compared with canopy tree species, understory tree species had lower leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content and 13C. Moreover, canopy and understory species responded to elevation and convexity to different extents, with understory species having more functional traits with significant differences in different types of habitats. The results indicate that the degree of response to the environment varied greatly between plants with different growth forms, i.e., the dominant understory tree species had greater plasticity in the heterogeneous habitats than the dominant canopy species in the forest plot. In addition, specific leaf area, leaf thickness and 15N are important and effective traits indicating plant adaptation and responses to the environment in the lower subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forest.
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