Relative contribution of photorespiration and antioxidative mechanisms in Caragana korshinskii under drought conditions across the Loess Plateau

The drought-tolerant plant Caragana korshinskii Kom. was used to investigate the relative contribution of photorespiration and antioxidative mechanisms to water-stress adaptations across the Loess Plateau. The samples were collected from Shenmu, Yulin and Dongsheng along with the reduction of rainfall. The results showed the lower leaf water potential and the lower content of O2•– and malondialdehyde (MDA) were found in the plants in drier zone. H2O2 didn’t show a significant difference among these sampling sites. Both photorespiratory rate (PR) and net photosynthetic rate (PN) increased with the decrease of rainfall. Low rainfall upregulated the gene expression and activities of photorespiratory enzymes. In addition, ascorbate peroxidase (APX), glutathione peroxidase (GPX) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and reduced glutathione (GSH), ascorbic acid (AsA) contents increased with the decrease of rainfall, whereas catalase (CAT) activity decreased. These results indicate photorespiration could play a protective role for the photosynthetic apparatus from photoinhibition and photodamage under low rainfall levels, which could also act together with the antioxidation system to improve the tolerance to drought in C. korshinskii.

Download Full-text

Nitrogen Supply Affects Grain Yield by Regulating Antioxidant Enzyme Activity and Photosynthetic Capacity of Maize Plant in the Loess Plateau

Agronomy ◽

10.3390/agronomy11061094 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1094

Author(s):

Kai Yue ◽

Lingling Li ◽

Junhong Xie ◽

Setor Kwami Fudjoe ◽

Renzhi Zhang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Grain Yield ◽

Antioxidant Enzyme ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Photosynthetic Capacity ◽

Growth And Yield ◽

Dry Matter Accumulation ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Area Index ◽

Leaf Stage ◽

Significant Difference

Nitrogen (N) is the most limiting nutrient for maize, and appropriate N fertilization can promote maize growth and yield. The effect of N fertilizer rates and timings on morphology, antioxidant enzymes, and grain yield of maize (Zea mays L.) in the Loess Plateau of China was evaluated. The four N levels, i.e., 0 (N0), 100 (N1), 200 (N2), and 300 (N3) kg ha−1, were applied at two timings (T1, one-third N at sowing and two-thirds at the six-leaf stage of maize; T2, one-third applied at sowing, six-leaf stage, and eleven-leaf stage of maize). The results show that N2 and N3 significantly increased the plant height, stem and leaf dry weight, and leaf area index of maize compared with a non-N-fertilized control (N0). The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, stomatal conductance, and leaf chlorophyll contents were lower, while the intercellular carbon dioxide concentration was higher for non-fertilized plants compared to fertilized plants. The activities of peroxidase (POD) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased with N rate, but the difference between 200 and 300 kg ha−1 was not significant; further, the isozyme bands of POD and SOD also changed with their activities. Compared with a non-N-fertilized control, N2 and N3 significantly increased grain yield by 2.76- and 3.11-fold in 2018, 2.74- and 2.80-fold in 2019, and 2.71- and 2.89-fold in 2020, and there was no significant difference between N2 and N3. N application timing only affected yield in 2018. In conclusion, 200 kg N ha−1 application increased yield through optimizing the antioxidant enzyme system, increasing photosynthetic capacity, and promoting dry matter accumulation. Further research is necessary to evaluate the response of more cultivars under more seasons to validate the results obtained.

Download Full-text

Post-fire species recruitment in a semiarid perennial steppe on the Loess Plateau

Australian Journal of Botany ◽

10.1071/bt12186 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 29 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Ling-Ping Zhao ◽

Gao-Lin Wu ◽

Zhi-Hua Shi

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

Fire History ◽

Seedling Recruitment ◽

Western China ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Offspring Number ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Species Recruitment ◽

North Western ◽

Steppe Community

Offspring recruitment is an important part of population dynamics, as well as for plant-community structure and succession. One generality regarding grasses and fire is that clonal grasses tolerate fire extremely well and in most cases reach their maximum production in the immediate post-fire years. One qualification to this statement is that post-fire offspring, recruitment mode is very important. However, respective data are scare in the semiarid perennial steppe. We studied the relative importance of asexual v. sexual recruitment in the post-fire recovery in semiarid steppe on the Loess Plateau of north-western China. We observed differences in regeneration strategy after different times post-fire (burnt in 2008, burnt in 1999, and no fire history for at least 30 years). Results showed that fire significantly increased offspring recruitment numbers, but not species richness. The increase of asexual recruitment after a fire made a major contribution to the increase of total offspring number. Meanwhile, there was no significant difference for the ratio of asexual to sexual recruitment among sites with different times since fire. The asexual to sexual recruitment ratio was significantly different for different species, with some species not recruiting offspring via sexual recruitment. Our results indicated that seedling recruitment contributed little to post-fire recovery of the perennial-steppe community. Lack of sexual recruitment is not related to fire management but to inherent traits of the occurring plants.

Download Full-text

Does Caragana korshinskii plantation increase soil carbon continuously in a water‐limited landscape on the Loess Plateau, China?

Land Degradation and Development ◽

10.1002/ldr.3373 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 30 (14) ◽

pp. 1691-1698 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Qinglin Chai ◽

Zhanying Ma ◽

Qiqi An ◽

Gao‐Lin Wu ◽

Xiaofeng Chang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Carbon ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Caragana Korshinskii

Download Full-text

Coupling model of ecohydrology and simulation of typical shrub ecosystems on the Loess Plateau

10.5194/egusphere-egu2020-4423 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Yu Zhang ◽

Xiaoyan Li ◽

Wei Li ◽

Weiwei Fang ◽

Fangzhong Shi

Keyword(s):

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Field Experiments ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Rainfall Interception ◽

Area Index ◽

Caragana Korshinskii

Shrub is the main vegetation type for vegetation restoration in the Loess Plateau, which plays an important role in the regional ecosystem restoration. Study on the relationships between vegetation and soil water of typical shrub ecosystems are significant for the restoration and reconstruction of ecosystems in the Loess Plateau. Three typical shrub (Hippophae rhamnoides Linn., Spiraea pubescens Turcz., and Caragana korshinskii Kom.) ecosystems were chosen in the Loess Plateau. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the factors that influencing the processes of rainfall interception and root uptake of typical shrubs. S-Biome-BGC model was established based on the Biome-BGC model by developing the rainfall interception and soil water movement sub-models. The model was calibrated and verified using field data. The calibrated S-Biome-BGC model was used to simulate the characteristics of leaf area index (LAI), net primary productivity (NPP), soil water content and the interactions among them for the shrub ecosystems along the precipitation gradients in the Loess Plateau, respectively. The results showed that the predictions of the S-Biome-BGC model for soil water content and LAI of typical shrub ecosystems in Loess Plateau were significantly more accurate than that of Biome-BGC model. The simulated RMSE of soil water content decreased from 0.040~0.130 cm3 cm-3 to 0.026~0.035 cm3 cm-3, and the simulated RMSE of LAI decreased from 0.37~0.70 m2 m-2 to 0.35~0.37 m2 m-2. Therefore, the S-Biome-BGC model can reflect the interaction between plant growth and soil water content in the shrub ecosystems of the Loess Plateau. The S-Biome-BGC model simulation for LAI, NPP and soil water content of the three typical shrubs were significantly different along the precipitation gradients, and increased with annual precipitation together. However, different LAI, NPP and soil water correlations were found under different precipitation gradients. LAI and NPP have significant positive correlations with soil water content in the areas where the annual precipitation is above 460~500 mm that could afford the shrubs growth. The results of the study provide a re-vegetation threshold to guide future re-vegetation activities in the Loess Plateau.

Download Full-text

Soil, Leaf and Root Ecological Stoichiometry of Caragana korshinskii on the Loess Plateau of China in Relation to Plantation Age

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0168890 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (1) ◽

pp. e0168890 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Quanchao Zeng ◽

Rattan Lal ◽

Yanan Chen ◽

Shaoshan An

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

Ecological Stoichiometry ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Caragana Korshinskii ◽

Plantation Age

Download Full-text

Unraveling the microRNA of Caragana korshinskii along a precipitation gradient on the Loess Plateau, China, using high-throughput sequencing

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0172017 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. e0172017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Pengbo Ning ◽

Yulu Zhou ◽

Lifang Gao ◽

Yingying Sun ◽

Wenfei Zhou ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

High Throughput ◽

High Throughput Sequencing ◽

Precipitation Gradient ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Caragana Korshinskii

Download Full-text

Water use patterns differed notably with season and slope aspect for Caragana korshinskii on the Loess Plateau of China

CATENA ◽

10.1016/j.catena.2020.105028 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 198 ◽

pp. 105028

Author(s):

Zhixue Chen ◽

Guohui Wang ◽

Yanhui Pan ◽

Xianlong Yang ◽

Yuying Shen

Keyword(s):

Water Use ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Slope Aspect ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Use Patterns ◽

Caragana Korshinskii ◽

Water Use Patterns

Download Full-text

Above-Ground Biomass Models of Caragana korshinskii and Sophora viciifolia in the Loess Plateau, China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su11061674 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 1674 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Yanxing Dou ◽

Yang Yang ◽

Shaoshan An

Keyword(s):

Loess Plateau ◽

Leaf Biomass ◽

Biomass Estimation ◽

Above Ground Biomass ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Caragana Korshinskii ◽

Canopy Volume ◽

Branch Biomass ◽

Estimation Models

The quantification of above-ground biomass is based on the calculation of carbon storage, which is important for the balance of carbon cycling. However, the allometric models of shrubs for calculating the above-ground biomass of shrubs in the Loess Plateau are scarce. In order to solve this issue, this study analyzed some highly correlated variables, including height (H), branch diameters (D), canopy volume (Cv), canopy area (Ca), and then built a regression model to predict the above-ground biomass in two common shrubs (Caragana korshinskii and Sophora viciifolia) in the Loess Plateau, China. The results show that the above-ground biomass of these two shrubs can be accurately predicted by H and D, and then we can use allometric model (y = axb) to calculate shrub above-ground biomass (including leaf biomass and branch biomass). Furthermore, the correlation between leaf biomass and branch biomass in Caragana korshinskii and Sophora viciifolia indicates that the components of above-ground biomass are closely related to each other. In addition, there is a strong linear relationship (p < 0.01) between the observed and estimated biomass values, which confirms the data accuracy of the above-ground biomass estimation models. In summary, these two biomass estimation models provide an accurate way to estimate the quantification of carbon for shrubs in the Loess Plateau.

Download Full-text

Soil Available Phosphorus Investigated for Spatial Distribution and Effect Indicators Resulting from Ecological Construction on the Loess Plateau, China

Sustainability ◽

10.3390/su132212572 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (22) ◽

pp. 12572

Author(s):

Shengdong Cheng ◽

Ganggang Ke ◽

Zhanbin Li ◽

Yuting Cheng ◽

Heng Wu

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Loess Plateau ◽

Soil Depth ◽

Available Phosphorus ◽

Land Uses ◽

The Loess Plateau ◽

Small Catchment ◽

Soil Available Phosphorus ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Soil And Water

Soil phosphorus is a major determinant and indicator of soil fertility and quality, and is also a source of nonpoint-source pollution. In order to control soil and water loss in the Loess Plateau, a series of soil and water conservation measures have been taken, resulting in changes in land use and differences in spatial distribution. It is necessary to study soil available phosphorus (SAP) to evaluate land productivity and environmental quality. In this study, the spatial distribution of SAP in different land uses was investigated in a small catchment area of Loess Plateau, and the field-influencing factors were determined on five layers with soil depth of 20 cm. The results show the minimum and maximum SAP content occurred at 20–40 cm and 80–100 cm soil depth and reach a value of 27.26 mg/kg and 29.37 mg/kg at catchment scale, respectively. There is significant difference among the SAP of the five soil layers (p < 0.01). The SAP of different land uses is, in order: forestland < slope farmland < dam farmland < terrace < grassland. Different land uses’ topographies make a difference to the spatial distribution of SAP. Slope and soil texture are the domain factors influencing the SAP concentration at the catchment.

Download Full-text