[Morphology of Caragana korshinskii seeds across different stand ages in sandy-hilly region of northwest Shanxi Province, China]

Ying Yong Sheng Tai Xue Bao. 2022 Oct;33(11):2907-2914. doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202211.006.
[Article in Chinese]

Abstract

We investigated the morphological characteristics of C. korshinskii seeds with three different sizes under plantations with different stand ages (6, 12, 18, 40 and 50 years old) in the typical sandy-hilly region of northwest Shanxi Province, to explore the restoration potential of artificial vegetation from the perspective of reproduction strategies. The results showed that seed production of C. korshinskii plantation increased with stand age, reaching the maximum (584 grain·plant-1) in 50-year-old stand. Seed length, seed width, and seed shape index decreased with stand age, reaching the minimum (5.09 mm, 2.76 mm and 0.05) in 50-year-old stand. Seed germination percentage showed an upward-downward-upward fluctuating trend, reaching the maximum (97.2%) at 12-year-old stand. Seed production was significantly negatively correlated with seed weight. Seed germination percentage was closely related to seed weight. Seeds with low weight had a low germination percentage and were easier to form a persistent seed bank. In addition, seed production was significantly positively correlated with the height of mother plant, aboveground biomass and belowground biomass, while the shape index of C. korshinskii seeds was significantly negatively correlated with number of new branches. It indicated that with the increases of stand age, the reproduction strategy of C. korshinskii changed from the K strategy with larger seeds in the early stage (6-12 year-old) to the r strategy of small seeds in the later stage (18-50 year-old). Specifically, C. korshinskii kept both the high number and high persistence of seeds by producing a larger number of small and round seeds.

以晋西北丘陵风沙区不同种植年限(6、12、18、40和50 年)人工柠条的3种大小类型种子为对象,分析不同年限柠条种子形态特征,从繁殖策略的角度探讨人工植被恢复潜力。结果表明:人工柠条的结实量随着种植年限的增加总体呈上升趋势,在种植50年达到最大值(584粒·株-1);种子长度、种子宽度、种子形状指数随着种植年限的增加总体呈下降趋势,在种植50年达到最小值(5.09 mm、2.76 mm、0.05);种子萌发率随种植年限的增加呈上升-下降-上升的波动变化趋势,在种植12年达到最大值(97.2%)。结实量与种子重量呈显著负相关。种子萌发率与种子重量密切相关,重量小的种子萌发率低,更易于形成持久种子库。相关分析表明,结实量与株高、地上生物量和地下生物量呈显著正相关;种子形状与新枝数呈显著负相关。这表明随着种植年限的增加,柠条繁殖对策由种植前期(6~12年)大种子较多的K策略向种植后期(18~50年)小种子逐渐为主的r策略转变,即柠条既要保证繁殖体数量,又要保证繁殖体的持久性,从而产生了数量更多的小而圆的种子。.

Keywords: Caragana korshinskii; natural regeneration; seed germination; seed morphology; seed production.

Publication types

  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Biomass
  • Caragana*
  • Germination
  • Seed Bank
  • Seeds