Clonal integration in Phagmites australis mitigates effects of oil pollution on greenhouse gas emissions in a coastal wetland

Abstract

Clonal integration, i.e., resource sharing within clones, enables clonal plants to maintain biomass production when ramets (asexual individuals) under stress are connected to those not under stress. Oil pollution can strongly reduce biomass production, and connected ramets within clones may experience different levels of oil pollution. Therefore, clonal integration may help plants maintain biomass production despite oil pollution. Because biomass production is often negatively correlated with greenhouse gas emissions, we hypothesized that oil pollution would increase greenhouse gas emissions and that clonal integration would reduce such an effect. We tested these hypotheses in a coastal wetland dominated by the rhizomatous grass Phragmites australis near a major site of oil production in the Yellow River Delta in China. We applied 0, 5, or 10 mm crude oil per year for two years in plots within stands of P. australis and tested effects of severing rhizomes connecting ramets inside and outside a plot (i.e. preventing clonal integration) on biomass production, soil chemistry and greenhouse gas emissions. When severed, ramets inside plots with no added oil produced about 220 g aboveground biomass m‐−2 over the second growing season, and plots absorbed about 500 g total CO2 equivalents m−2. Adding 10 mm oil per year reduced aboveground biomass by about 30%, and caused plots to emit about 800 g CO2 equivalents m−2. Leaving ramets connected to those outside plots eliminated the negative effects of oil pollution on biomass production, and caused plots given 10 mm oil per year to emit about 50% fewer total CO2 equivalents. We conclude that oil pollution can increase greenhouse gas emissions and clonal integration can reduce the effect of oil pollution on biomass production and greenhouse gas emissions. Our study provides the first experimental evidence that clonal integration in plants can reduce greenhouse gas emissions.