Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

No evidence of greater biomass allocation to stolons at moderate resource levels in a floating plant

  • Published:
Aquatic Ecology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Variation in biomass allocation patterns has been considered a strategy in clonal plants to adapt to various environments. It has been predicted that clonal plants allocate more biomass to spacers (i.e., stolon and rhizomes) at moderate resource levels. We tested the prediction in an aquatic clonal plant Salvinia natans by subjecting it to nine nutrient levels under either a low or a high light condition. Biomass, ramet number and mean stolon internode length were overall greater under the moderate nutrient levels and the high light condition. The responses of plant growth and morphology to nutrient availability were unimodal under the high light condition, but bimodal under the low light condition. Floating frond mass ratio was overall smaller in the high than in the low light condition, but the reverse was true for submerged frond mass ratio and stolon mass ratio. Under the high light condition, floating front mass ratio increased with increasing nutrient availability, and a reverse pattern was found for submerged mass ratio and stolon mass ratio. Under the low light condition, the response of floating mass ratio to nutrient availability was hump shaped, but that of submerged mass ratio and stolon mass ratio was U shaped. Therefore, our findings do not support the theoretical prediction that biomass allocation to spacers is the highest at moderate nutrient availabilities, but suggest that nutrient availability and light intensity can interact to influence growth, morphology and biomass allocation of aquatic clonal plants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackerly DD, Dudley SA, Sultan SE, Schmitt J, Coleman JS, Linder CR, Sandquist DR, Geber MA, Evans AS, Dawson TE (2000) The evolution of plant ecophysiological traits: recent advances and future directions. Bioscience 50:979–995

    Google Scholar 

  • Alpert P (1996) Nutrient sharing in natural clonal fragments of Fragaria chiloensis. J Ecol 84:395–406

    Google Scholar 

  • Barko JW, Filbin GJ (1983) Influences of light and temperature on chlorophyll composition in submersed freshwater macrophytes. Aquat Bot 15:249–255

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chen XF (2006) Study on biology, anatomy structure and physiological characteristics of submerged macrophyte, Potamogeton crispus under different light condition. M.Sc. thesis, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing

  • Codd GA, Morrison LF, Metcalf JS (2005) Cyanobacterial toxins: risk management for health protection. Toxicol Appl Pharm 203:264–272

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Conley DJ, Carstensen J, Rtebjerg G, Christensen PB, Dalsgaard T, Hansen JRLS, Josefson AB (2007) Long-term changes and impacts of hypoxia in Danish coastal waters. Ecol Appl 17:S165–S184

    Google Scholar 

  • Cronin G, Lodge DM (2003) Effects of light and nutrient availability on the growth, allocation, carbon/nitrogen balance, phenolic chemistry, and resistance to herbivory of two freshwater macrophytes. Oecologia 137:32–41

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • de Kroon H, Schieving F (1991) Resource allocation patterns as a function of clonal morphology: a general model applied to a foraging clonal plant. J Ecol 79:519–530

    Google Scholar 

  • Dhir B, Srivastava S (2011) Heavy metal removal from a multi-metal solution and wastewater by Salvinia natans. Ecol Eng 37:893–896

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong M (2011) Clonal plants ecology. Science Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong M, de Kroon H (1994) Plasticity in morphology and biomass allocation in Cynodon dactylon, a grass species forming stolons and rhizomes. Oikos 70:99–106

    Google Scholar 

  • Dong M, During HJ, Werger MJA (1997) Clonal plasticity in response to nutrient availability in the pseudoannual herb, Trientalis europaea L. Plant Ecol 131:233–239

    Google Scholar 

  • Everitt DT, Burkholder JAM (1991) Seasonal dynamics of macrophyte communities from a stream flowing over granite flat rock in North Carolina, USA. Hydrobiologia 222:159–172

    Google Scholar 

  • Forni C, Chen J, Tancioni L, Caiola MG (2001) Evaluation of the fern Azolla for growth, nitrogen and phosphorus removal from wastewater. Water Res 35:1592–1598

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Going B, Simpson J, Even T (2008) The influence of light on the growth of watercress (Nasturtium officinale R. Br.). Hydrobiologia 607:75–85

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gómez S, Onoda Y, Ossipov V, Stuefer JF (2008) Systemic induced resistance: a risk-spreading strategy in clonal plant networks? New Phytol 179:1142–1153

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Grime JP (1979) Plant strategies and vegetation processes. Wiley, Chichester

    Google Scholar 

  • Hermans C, Hammond JP, White PJ, Verbruggen N (2006) How do plants respond to nutrient shortage by biomass allocation? Trends Plant Sci 11:610–617

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoagland DR, Arnon DI (1950) The water-culture method for growing plants without soil. Calif Agric Exp Stn Circ 347:357–359

    Google Scholar 

  • Jampeetong A, Brix H (2009a) Effects of NH4+ concentration on growth, morphology and NH4+ uptake kinetics of Salvinia natans. Ecol Eng 35:695–702

    Google Scholar 

  • Jampeetong A, Brix H (2009b) Nitrogen nutrition of Salvinia natans: effects of inorganic nitrogen form on growth, morphology, nitrate reductase activity and uptake kinetics of ammonium and nitrate. Aquat Bot 90:67–73

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Jelínková H, Tremblay F, Desrochers A (2012) Herbivore-simulated induction of defenses in clonal networks of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides). Tree Physiol 32:1348–1356

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • King DA (2003) Allocation of above-ground growth is related to light in temperate deciduous saplings. Funct Ecol 17:482–488

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsson S, Wirén A, Lundgren L, Ericsson T (1986) Effects of light and nutrient stress on leaf phenolic chemistry in Salix dasyclados and susceptibility to Galerucella lineola (Coleoptera). Oikos 47:205–210

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Leeflang L, Werger HJDA (1998) The role of petioles in light acquisition by Hydrocotyle vulgaris L. in a vertical light gradient. Oecologia 117:235–238

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lenssen J, Van Kleunen MM, de Kroon H (2004) Local adaptation of the clonal plant Ranunculus reptans to flooding along a small-scale gradient. J Ecol 92:696–706

    Google Scholar 

  • Li XX, Fan ZW, Shen YD, Li SL, Liu Y, Huang QQ (2017) Effects of clonal integration on the growth of Mikania micrantha in habitats with heterogeneous nutrient availability. Chin J Ecol 36:1271–1276

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin Y (2000) Flora of China. Science Press, Beijing

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin H-F, Alpert P, Zhang Q, Yu F-H (2018) Facilitation of amphibious habit by physiological integration in the clonal, perennial, climbing herb Ipomoea aquatica. Sci Total Environ 618:262–268

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lu H-Z, Brooker R, Song L, Liu W-Y, Sack L, Zhang J-L, Yu F-H (2020) When facilitation meets clonal integration in forest canopies. New Phytol 225:135–142

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Madsen JD, Adams MS (1989) The distribution of submerged aquatic macrophyte biomass in a eutrophic stream, Badfish Creek: the effect of environment. Hydrobiologia 171:111–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Maegawa M, Yokohama Y, Aruga Y (1987) Critical light conditions for young Ecklonia cava and Eisenia bicyclis with reference to photosynthesis. Hydrobiologia 151–152:447–455

    Google Scholar 

  • Mcconnaughay KDM, Coleman JS (1999) Biomass allocation in plants: ontogeny or optimality? A test along three resource gradients. Ecology 80:2581–2593

    Google Scholar 

  • Müller I, Schmid B, Weiner J (2000) The effect of nutrient availability on biomass allocation patterns in 27 species of herbaceous plants. Perspect Plant Ecol 3:115–127

    Google Scholar 

  • Poorter H, Remkes C, Lambers H (1990) Carbon and nitrogen economy of 24 wild species differing in relative growth rate. Plant Physiol 94:621–627

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Porembski S, Theisen I, Barthlott W (2006) Biomass allocation patterns in terrestrial, epiphytic and aquatic species of Utricularia (Lentibulariaceae). Flora 201:482

    Google Scholar 

  • Qin HJ, Yong ZZ, Liu HQ, Liu MH, Wen XZ, Wang Y, Ying ZY, Yan SH (2016) Growth characteristics and water purification of two free-floating macrophytes. Environ Sci 36:2470–2479

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddy KR (1985) Growth characteristics of aquatic macrophytes cultured in nutrient-enriched water: II. Azolla, duckweed, and Salvinia. Econ Bot 39:200–208

    Google Scholar 

  • Santa KD, Vinatea L (2007) Evaluation of respiration rates and mechanical aeration requirements in semi-intensive shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei culture ponds. Aquac Eng 36:73–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Sculthorpe CD (1967) The biology of aquatic vascular plants. Edward Arnold Ltd., London

    Google Scholar 

  • Si C, Zhang LM, Yu FH (2019) Physical space and nutrients affect intraspecific competition of a floating fern. Aquat Ecol 53:295–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Slade AJ, Hutchings MJ (1987) The effects of light intensity on foraging in the clonal herb Glechoma hederacea. J Ecol 75:95–112

    Google Scholar 

  • Święta-Musznicka J, Latałowa M, Szmeja J, Badura M (2011) Salvinia natans in medieval wetland deposits in Gdańsk, northern Poland: evidence for the early medieval climate warming. J Paleolimnol 45:369–383

    Google Scholar 

  • Tao JP, Zhong ZC (2000) Morphological responses to different nutrient supply in the stoloniferous herb Glechoma longituba. Acta Ecol Sin 20:207–211

    Google Scholar 

  • Tavechio WLG, Thomaz SM (2003) Effects of light on the growth and photosynthesis of Egeria najas Planchon. Braz Arch Biol Technol 46:203–209

    Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D (1982) Resource competition and community structure. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Tilman D (1988) Plant strategies and the dynamics and structure of plant communities. Princeton University Press, Princeton

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang TT, Cui BS, Liu PP, Lan Y, Han Z, Zhang YT (2013) Effect of floating plants on distributions of emergent and submerged plants in Baiyangdian Lake. Wetl Sci 11:266–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang YJ, Müller-Schärer H, van Kleunen M, Cai A-M, Zhang P, Yan R, Dong BC, Yu FH (2017) Invasive alien plants benefit more from clonal integration in heterogeneous environments than natives. New Phytol 216:1072–1078

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wei GW, Shu Q, Luo FL, Chen YH, Dong BC, Mo LC, Huang WJ, Yu FH (2018) Separating effects of clonal integration on plant growth during submergence and de-submergence. Flora 246–247:118–125

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie YH, Yu D (2003) The significance of lateral roots in phosphorus (P) acquisition of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes). Aquat Bot 75:311–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Xie XF, Hu YK, Xu P, Liu FH, Song YB, Dong M (2016) Biomass allocation of stoloniferous and rhizomatous plant in response to resource availability: a phylogenetic meta-analysis. Front Plant Sci 7:1–11

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Xu KY, Ye WH, Li J, Li GM (2005) Phenotypic plasticity in response to soil nutrients in the invasive species Alternanthera philoxeroides. Ecol Environ 14:723–726

    Google Scholar 

  • Ye WJ, Tan J, Liu XL, Lin SQ, Pan JL, Li DT, Yang H (2011) Temporal variability of cyanobacterial populations in the water and sediment samples of Lake Taihu as determined by DGGE and real-time PCR. Harmful Algae 10:479

    Google Scholar 

  • Zeng AP, Liu HJ, Xu XW, Yao LJ (2009) Effects of different light conditions on the growth of aquatic plants. J Zhejiang Agric Sci 1:99–100

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang SJ (2015) Inhibitory effect of Salvinia natans (L.) All. on algae and its tolerance to the stress of eutrophication. M.Sc. thesis, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu

  • Zhang SM, Yu FH, Dong M (2007) Nutrient availability affects biomass allocation to stolons in Potentilla reptans var. sericophylla. J Plant Ecol 31:652–657

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang LM, Alpert P, Si C, Yu FH (2019) Interactive effects of fragment size, nutrients, and interspecific competition on growth of the floating, clonal plant Salvinia natans. Aquat Bot 153:81–87

    CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank two anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments on an earlier version of the manuscript. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31870610) and the Ten-thousand-Talent Program of Zhejiang Province (2018R52016).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Wetland Ecology and Clone Ecology; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou, 318000, China

    Chao Si, Wei Xue, Jing Lin, Jian-Feng Zhang, Meng-Meng Hong, Yi-Yue Wang, Liu-Fang Zhang & Fei-Hai Yu

  2. School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China

    Chao Si & Fei-Hai Yu

Authors
  1. Chao Si
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Wei Xue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Jing Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Jian-Feng Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Meng-Meng Hong
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Yi-Yue Wang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Liu-Fang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Fei-Hai Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Wei Xue or Fei-Hai Yu.

Additional information

Publisher's Note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Handling Editor: Télesphore Sime-Ngando.

Electronic supplementary material

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Supplementary material 1 (DOCX 16 kb)

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Si, C., Xue, W., Lin, J. et al. No evidence of greater biomass allocation to stolons at moderate resource levels in a floating plant. Aquat Ecol 54, 421–429 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-020-09751-3

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10452-020-09751-3

Keywords

Search

Navigation