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Bud population dynamics of Phragmites australis in heterogeneous habitats of Northeast grassland, China.

JIAO De-zhi1,2, YAO Lu1, HUANG Zhao-yue1, YANG Yun-fei2   

  1. (1College of Life Science and Agriculture, Forestry, Qiqihar University, Qiqihar 161006, Heilongjiang, China;
    2Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China)
  • Online:2015-02-18 Published:2015-02-18

Abstract: To adapt ecological environment, typical clonal plants can occur continuously by means of buds. The changes in the bud bank and bud flow in the heterogeneous habitats become the foundation for deep understanding the characteristics of vegetative propagation. By sampling soil from the unit area, a comparative analysis was performed for rhizome bud population dynamics of Phragmites australis community in both meadow soil and salinealkali soil habitats in meadow grassland of Northeast China. The oneage class rhizome buds formed in the current year were used as input, with the other age classes rhizome buds as output, counting the dormancy buds and death buds. The results showed that the storage, input, output, dormancy, death and the input rates of P. australis rhizome bud populations in meadow soil habitat were significantly higher than that in salinealkali habitat. There was no significant difference in output rate between the two habitats. The dormant rate in salinealkali habitat was significantly greater than that in meadow soil habitat. The death rates remained at relatively low levels in both, less than 2%. With the going of growing season, the input buds and input rate of bud bank increased in the two habitats, while the output buds remained relatively stable. The output rate increased first and decreased later, the dormancy buds and dormant rate decreased. Bud bank and bud flow were positively related to soil moisture, soil organic matter and soil available nitrogen content. However, they were negatively related to soil pH value and soil available phosphorus content. Bud bank and bud flow had a similar seasonal variation. Constantly for both habitats, P. australis populations generated new rhizome buds supplied to the bud bank and kept a stable output to maintain their vegetative propagation.