Ampelocalamus luodianensis (Poaceae), a plant endemic to karst, adapts to resource heterogeneity in differing microhabitats by adjusting its biomass allocation

Abstract

Karst landscapes typically have extremely poor soil fertility, water retention, and water holding capacity, making these landscapes extremely unusual among terrestrial ecosystems. Owing to the complexity of karst areas on a microsite level, a variety of different microhabitats have often been created in a very small area in karst areas, and the differences have facilitated the differentiation of species within the region. This study involved an experiment on Ampelocalamus luodianensis (Poaceae), a bamboo species that specializes in karst habitats, to discover the adaptation strategies this plant uses in this area. Furthermore, a random sampling method was used to measure different variables and their correlation, such as plant biomass, soil temperature, soil mechanical composition, alkali nitrogen, Olsen-K, PZOS (meaning effective phosphorus), soil water content, pH, and organic matter. The findings showed that the distribution of biomass varied in different years in the same habitat. In particular, the ratio of above-ground biomass to below-ground biomass during a quadrennium at the earthy surface was visibly lower than in the remaining three microhabitats. Also, the highest above-ground biomass to below-ground biomass ratios of annual, triennial, and quadrennial A. luodianensis were of those plants living in stone crevices, while biennial ratios of plants in stone gullies were affected by the mechanical composition of soil and by temperature. In conclusion, plant biomass allocation in A. luodianensis was affected by a combination of environmental factors. Thus, the biomass allocation strategy of A. luodianensis was in line with the isokinetic/allometric biomass allocation theory, which was relevant to soil mechanical composition and temperature, perhaps caused by the plant itself and the special karst environment. Data is contained within the article or supplementary material.