How Does Deforestation Affect the Growth of Cypripedium (Orchidaceae) Species? A Simulation Experiment in Northeast China

Zhongyue Li,Yan Wang,Liqiang Mu

doi:10.3390/f13020166

Zhongyue Li, Yan Wang + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/f13020166

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Abstract

Due to wild habitat destruction, Cypripedium is among the most endangered groups in China. Determining how Cypripedium respond to environmental changes is curial to their conservation. However, less is known about the effect of deforestation on the growth of Cypripedium. In this study, we selected four Cypripedium species in Northeast China, and conducted conservation-based transplantation simulating deforestation to explore the impact of increased light intensity on the growth of Cypripedium. After three years, the maximum net photosynthetic rate was decreased by 15.9%, 11.5%, 13.6% and 5.3% for C. calceolus L., C. guttatum Sw., C. macranthos Sw. and C.×ventricosum Sw., respectively, resulting in poor viability, manifesting as shorter and thinner shoots, and smaller leaves. Unexpectedly, no significant traits shifts were found in the roots across four species, which may be related to the long root lifespan and conservation. Our research confirmed that increased light intensity caused by deforestation would lead to an increase in respirate cost and a decrease in photosynthate accumulation, and consequently the recession of plant growth. Except for habitat loss, individual plant reduction caused by deforestation could be responsible for the population decline of Cypripedium.

Highlights

Deforestation is one of the most relevant causes of biodiversity loss and has direct and dramatic effects on individual plant growth and population development [1,2]
We found thinner leaves and decreased Specific leaf area (SLA) in the transplanted Cypripedium species, species,similar similartotothe theC.C.flavum flavumgrowing growingatatthe theforest forestedge edge[31]
Our results confirm that in the short term, it was the leaves and shoots, rather than the roots, that most profoundly responded to the increased light intensity induced by deforestation

Summary

Introduction

Deforestation is one of the most relevant causes of biodiversity loss and has direct and dramatic effects on individual plant growth and population development [1,2]. Over-collection and deforestation are the main drivers of the significant decrease in many Cypripedium [7]; most these species have been listed on the IUCN Red List [6,8]. [10] were stable and expansive, and could achieve the maximum carrying capacity over a long period (12, 200 and 150 ramets/m2 after 50–60 years, respectively). This suggests that the ex situ conservation of those orchids is strongly dependent on the conservation of their habitat. The light-saturated photosynthetic rate (Amax ) of C. guttatum was highest in thickets, while the Amax was decreased by 9.9% and 14.9% in the open and forest habitats, respectively [11]. In the ex situ cultivation after transplanting (40–50% of full sunlight), the photo-saturated net photosynthetic rates were increased by

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