Bamboo expansion promotes radial growth of surviving trees in a broadleaf forest

Chao Gong; Xiaoxia Zeng; Xianglong Zhu; Wenhui Huang; Zacchaeus G Compson; Zewen Ren; Huan Ran; Qingni Song; Qingpei Yang; Dongmei Huang; Jun Liu

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1242364

Bamboo expansion promotes radial growth of surviving trees in a broadleaf forest

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Sep 13:14:1242364. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1242364. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Affiliations

¹ Jiangxi Province Key Laboratory for Bamboo Germplasm Resources and Utilization, College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China.
² Department of Scientific Research, Administration of Jiangxi Qiyunshan Nature Reserve, Ganzhou, China.
³ Department of Biological Sciences, Advanced Environmental Research Institute, University of North Texas, Denton, TX, United States.
⁴ School of Humanities and Public Administration, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Considerable evidence indicates that some trees are more vulnerable than others during bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) expansion, which can affect plant community structure and alter the environment, but there has been insufficient research on the growth status of surviving individuals in colonized forests.

Methods: In this study, we compared the annual growth increment, growth rate, and onset, cessation, and duration of radial growth of Alniphyllum fortunei, Machilus pauhoi, and Castanopsis eyrei in a bamboo-expended broadleaf forest (BEBF) and a bamboo-absent broadleaf forest (BABF) using high-resolution point dendrometers.

Results: We found that the annual radial growth of A. fortunei, M. pauhoi, and C. eyrei was 22.5%, 172.2%, and 59.3% greater in BEBF than in BABF, respectively. The growth rates of M. pauhoi and C. eyrei in BEBF were significantly higher than in BABF by13.9 μm/d and 19.6 μm/d, whereas A. fortunei decreased significantly by 7.9 μm/d from BABF to BEBF. The onset and cessation of broad-leaf tree growth was later, and the growth duration was longer in BEBF compared to BABF. For example, A. fortunei and M. pauhoi in BEBF had more than one month longer growth duration than in BABF. Additionally, the nighttime growth rates of some surviving broad-leaf trees in BEBF was significantly higher than that in BABF.

Discussion: These results suggest that the surviving trees have plasticity and can adapt to atmospheric changes and competitive relationships after expansion of bamboo in one of two ways: by increasing their growth rates or by modifying onset and cessation of growth to extend the growth duration of trees or avoid the period of intense competition with bamboo, thereby growing better. Our research reveals for the first time how the growth of surviving broad-leaf trees adjusts to bamboo expansion. These results provide insights into how biological expansions impact primary production and have implications for forest management in the Anthropocene.

Keywords: bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis); biological expansions; diel growth patterns; intra-annual increment; radial growth rate and duration.

Grants and funding

This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32060319, 41807028, 42067050) and 1000 Talents Plan award of Jiangxi province (jxsq2020101079).