Abstract:

The authors measured root morphological and architectural traits of 22 different dominant plant species across 16 Inner Mongolia grassland sites along soil water gradients, and analyzed the response of these root traits (diameter, length, SRL, RTD, BrIntensity and BrRatio) to four environmental factors (MAT, MAP, Soil N and Soil C). The results showed that variation of absorptive root diameter, tissue density and specific root length among different species was 7, 9, and 15 times, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between root diameter and lateral root length, but negative correlation between root diameter and root branching intensity. Responses of both absorptive and non-absorptive roots to precipitation and soil nitrogen were species-specific. When using different combinations of root traits to describe plant adaptation strategies, different species’ root traits respond to environmental changes with different degrees and direction of variation, resulting in a diversity of plant adaptation strategies.

Key words: root functional traits, ecological strategy, diversity, coexistence of species, temperate grassland

摘要：

在内蒙古草原沿水分梯度选择16个样点, 测定22种优势植物根的形态和构型属性, 分析6种植物根属性(直径、根长、比根长、组织密度、分支强度和分支比)的变异及其对4种环境因子(年均降雨量、年均温、土壤含碳量和土壤含氮量)的响应规律。结果表明: 1) 不同物种间吸收根直径、组织密度和比根长的变异为7, 9和15倍, 根直径与侧根长度显著正相关, 与分支强度负相关; 2) 吸收根和非吸收根对降水和土壤氮的适应方式具有明显的种间效应, 当利用不同根系属性组合刻画植物适应策略时, 由于随着环境变化, 不同物种根属性产生变异的程度和方向各不相同, 从而形成多样性的植物适应策略。

关键词: 根功能属性, 生态策略, 多样性, 物种共存, 温带草原