Effect Of Soil Nitrogen Heterogeneity On The Phenotypic Characteristics And Photosynthesis Of A Clonal Plant Potentilla Anserine

The connected ramets of clonal plants usually grow in heterogeneous nutrient patches in natural environment. The differences in heterogeneity of nutrients are considered important factors resulting in physiological integration between connected ramets. In this greenhouse experiment, we planted stoloniferous clonal plants Potentilla anserine L. in heterogeneous habitats created by controlling available nitrogen in soil to investigate the effects of heterogeneous habitats on phenotypic characteristics and photosynthesis of clonal plants. In one stolon, we selected a pair of neighboring ramets (one "near-ramet" and the other one "far-ramet" based on their distance from the mother plant). First, we set two total nutrient conditions (i.e. the sum value of nitrogen addition of the two pots which the pair of ramets growing in), and then we set three nutrient gradient difference (i.e.non low, high) under each total nutrient condition. During the growing season in2013, we measured biomass (aboveground and belowground), phenotypic characteristics and photosynthesis. This study aimed to assess the effects of habitat heterogeneity on phenotypic characteristics and photosynthesis of clonal plants. To verify the following scientific questions:(1) The difference of the total nitrogen nutrients how to impact on phenotype characterized and photosynthesis of clonal plants in heterogeneous patches? The contrast of nutrient heterogeneity what impact on phenotypic characteristics, photosynthesis and dynamics of clonal plants?(3) Whether there is integration of the in connected ramets?In this study, we obtained the results and conclusions as follows:(1) The total nutrient of heterogeneous patches had no effects on the belowground biomass and leaf length of P. anserine, whereas had significant influences on the aboveground biomass and the number of leaf, perhaps because of the differences in resource investment between aboveground and belowground biomass. No significant effects of total nutrient of heterogeneous patches on the photosynthesis were detected in our experiment, however, there were trends that the indexes of photosynthesis under poor total nutrient were lower than that under fertile conditions although not significantly.(2) The phenotypic characteristics and photosynthesis of P. anserine in the connected treatment did not increase along with the intensity of heterogeneity of nutrients, and did not show significant differences in different measure time. To some degree, their temporal trends were consistent.(3) We cannot determine whether there were physiological integration under heterogeneous habitats based on our results of the differences between interconnected and unconnected ramets, perhaps because of the homogenization of water in soil and the weak difference in nutrient gradient.