Individual Plasticity of the Shade Response of the Invasive Solidago canadensis in China.

Leshan Du,Haiyan Liu,Ming Yan,Junsheng Li,Junmin Li,Mai-He Li

doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0170049

Leshan Du, Haiyan Liu + Show 4 more

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https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0170049

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Abstract

To evaluate the population variation, individual plasticity, and local adaptability of Solidago canadensis in response to shade treatment, we conducted a common pots experiment with a total of 150 ramets (5 genets, 15 populations, and 2 treatments) subjected to both control (natural light) and shady treatment (10% of natural light). Shade treatment significantly reduced growth and content of defense metabolites in S. canadensis. Compared to control, shading led to increased height, decreased basal diameter, increased leaf width, increased leaf length, increased chlorophyll content, stronger photosynthetic rate (Pn), stronger stomatal conductance (gs), and lower root to shoot ratio. Three-way analysis of variance revealed geographical origin to significantly affect the basal diameter of S. canadensis, while genotype significantly affected plant height, intercelluar CO2 concentration (Ci), transpiration rate (Tr), and proline content. Significant interactive effects between shade and geographic origin were prevalent for most traits. The phenotypic differentiation coefficient of the plasticity of all traits was below 0.4, indicating that most of all variations can be found among individuals within populations. Phenotypic selection analysis revealed that fitness was significantly positively related to plant height, basal diameter, Ci, total flavonoid content, as well as the plasticity of plant height, leaf length, leaf width, gs, Ci, total flavonoid content, and malondialdehyde content under the control condition. However, subjected to shade, fitness was only significantly positively related to plant height, basal diameter, and the plasticity of basal diameter. Rather than local adaption, these results suggest that individual plasticity played a more prominent role in the shade response of the invasive S. canadensis.

Highlights

Shade treatment significantly elevated the rate of plant height increase (Fig 1B, paired t value = -5.059, p < 0.001); shade treatment had no significant effect on the rate of increase of the number of leaves (Fig 1A, paired t value = -1.867, p = 0.083)
Significant interactive effects between shade and geographic origin were revealed for plant height, leaf length, leaf width, basal diameter, chlorophyll content, photosynthetic rate (Pn), total flavonoid content, total lignin content, and proline content (p < 0.05)
Shade treatment decreased root biomass, shoot biomass, and total biomass of S. canadensis. These results suggest that shade treatment significantly reduced plant fitness, suggesting that low light intensity might not be a suitable habitat for S. canadensis

Summary

Introduction

The funders had no role in study design, data. A growing consensus agrees that the environment has the ability to induce changes in the behavior of individual plants at a morphological and, or physiological level and that such changes might be crucial for survival in heterogeneous and variable conditions [1]. Adaptive plasticity in allocational, morphological, and physiological traits that are involved in resource acquisition can allow individual plants to maximize their reproductive fitness in diverse environments. Plasticity plays a central role in biological invasions via allowing. Individual Plasticity of the Shade Response of Solidago canadensis collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

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