Dwarf Bamboo Leaves Able to Modify Structural and Functional Traits for Light Acclimation
Apr 08, 2014 Email"> PrintText Size
Sinarundinaria nitida (Mitford) Nakai is a dominant understory bamboo species in the subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest of Ailao Mountain, SW China. It is also widely distributed in forest gaps and edges. Despite the ecological importance of understory dwarf bamboos, little is known about their physiology and phenotypic plasticity to light, which is crucial in understanding their existence and performance in heterogeneous habitats. Understanding the physiological mechanisms for their ecological success in heterogeneous habitats will also explain their roles in inhibiting the natural regeneration of tree species in the subtropical forests.
Prof. CAO Kunfang and his team of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) conducted a study in an old-growth forest near the Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies (24°32′N, 101°01′E, and 2450 m above sea level). They tested the hypothesis that the dwarf bamboo leaves had a strong ability to modify their structural and functional traits for light acclimation.
They have embarked on research attempting to understand: (1) the physiological performance and the phenotypic plasticity of a dwarf bamboo species, S. nitida, to differing light conditions; (2) the coordination between leaf water supply and transpiration demand in acclimating to different light conditions for S. nitida; and (3) coordinated adjustments of bamboo leaf structural and functional traits.
In their study, the bamboo species exhibited a strong plasticity in morphological, anatomical, and photosynthetic characteristics. The high structural and functional plasticity might partially help explain its ecological success in both open and shaded habitats (forest understories, gaps, and edges) and its roles in inhibiting tree regeneration, and provide some preliminary understanding to the physiology of monocotyledons.
The study entitled “Strong leaf morphological, anatomical, and physiological responses of a subtropical woody bamboo (Sinarundinaria nitida) to contrasting light environments” has been published in Plant Ecology.
Sinarundinaria nitida (Mitford) Nakai is a dominant understory bamboo species in the subtropical evergreen broadleaf forest of Ailao Mountain, SW China. It is also widely distributed in forest gaps and edges. Despite the ecological importance of understory dwarf bamboos, little is known about their physiology and phenotypic plasticity to light, which is crucial in understanding their existence and performance in heterogeneous habitats. Understanding the physiological mechanisms for their ecological success in heterogeneous habitats will also explain their roles in inhibiting the natural regeneration of tree species in the subtropical forests.
Prof. CAO Kunfang and his team of Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden (XTBG) conducted a study in an old-growth forest near the Ailaoshan Station for Subtropical Forest Ecosystem Studies (24°32′N, 101°01′E, and 2450 m above sea level). They tested the hypothesis that the dwarf bamboo leaves had a strong ability to modify their structural and functional traits for light acclimation.
They have embarked on research attempting to understand: (1) the physiological performance and the phenotypic plasticity of a dwarf bamboo species, S. nitida, to differing light conditions; (2) the coordination between leaf water supply and transpiration demand in acclimating to different light conditions for S. nitida; and (3) coordinated adjustments of bamboo leaf structural and functional traits.
In their study, the bamboo species exhibited a strong plasticity in morphological, anatomical, and photosynthetic characteristics. The high structural and functional plasticity might partially help explain its ecological success in both open and shaded habitats (forest understories, gaps, and edges) and its roles in inhibiting tree regeneration, and provide some preliminary understanding to the physiology of monocotyledons.
The study entitled “Strong leaf morphological, anatomical, and physiological responses of a subtropical woody bamboo (Sinarundinaria nitida) to contrasting light environments” has been published in Plant Ecology.
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