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Seasonal Dynamics in Resource Partitioning to Growth and Storage in Response to Drought in a Perennial Rhizomatous Grass, Leymus chinensis

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Abstract

A natural grassland in northeastern China dominated by Leymus chinensis (Trin.) was subject to drought treatments to determine the seasonal dynamics in resource partitioning to shoot and storage organs in response to drought. The growing season was divided into six stages according to the phenology of L. chinensis. Plant samples of L. chinensis were collected at each stage to determine biomass, gross calorific value, relative water content, and key mineral contents of plant parts, including rhizomes, roots, leaves, and stems. Resource partitioning to shoot and storage organs as measured by biomass, gross calorific value, and N, K+, and Na+ contents varied significantly among phenologic stages. Drought treatment (natural precipitation, 50–60 % of field capacity) significantly reduced biomass, gross calorific value, relative water content of shoot, and N and K+ contents in both shoot and storage organs, but it enhanced rhizome : shoot ratio and Na+ content. A negative correlation in biomass, gross calorific value, and K+ and Na+ contents between shoot and storage organs was found throughout the growing season, which may have been accentuated by drought when soil moisture was limited. Our results indicate that resource partitioning to storage plays an important role in regulating plant growth of L. chinensis, especially under drought conditions.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the funding provided by the National Key Basic Research Special Foundation Project (NKBRSF Project 2007CB106800) and the National Science Foundation of China (30670205 and 30570166). Comments from two anonymous reviewers on an earlier version of the manuscript are greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Quantitative Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 20 Nanxincun, **angshan, Bei**g, 100093, China

    Renzhong Wang, Liang Chen & Chunwang **ao

  2. Department of Plant Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 51 Campus Drive, S7N 5A8, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada

    Yuguang Bai

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  1. Renzhong Wang
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  2. Liang Chen
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  3. Yuguang Bai
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  4. Chunwang **ao
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Correspondence to Renzhong Wang.

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Wang, R., Chen, L., Bai, Y. et al. Seasonal Dynamics in Resource Partitioning to Growth and Storage in Response to Drought in a Perennial Rhizomatous Grass, Leymus chinensis . J Plant Growth Regul 27, 39–48 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-007-9029-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00344-007-9029-0

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