Abstract
How photosynthetic-related leaf traits of non-nitrogen (N)-fixing pioneer species respond to extreme habitat conditions of primary succession is still not well-elucidated, especially in volcanically N-deplete habitats. The effect of N-deplete soil on photosynthetic-related leaf traits can provide a basis for predicting how plants adjust their strategies to adapt to such habitats. To examine the responses of leaf traits to extreme conditions, we investigated Miscanthus condensatus (a non-N-fixing C4 pioneer grass) which grows on a volcanically devastated area on Miyake-jima Island, Japan, in which the volcanic ash has been deposited for 17–18 years since the 2000-year eruption. Leaf N content (Narea), light-saturated photosynthetic rate (Amax), and photosynthetic N use efficiency (PNUE) in three contrasting study sites: bare land (BL), shrub land gap (SLG), and shrub land under canopy (SLUC) were determined. Results indicated that compared to previous studies and internal comparison of Miyake Island, M. condensatus in BL was able to maintain a relatively high Amax, Narea and PNUE. The higher Amax was in part a result of the higher PNUE. This is a characteristic necessary for its successful growth in N-deplete soils. These results suggest that M. condensatus has photosynthetic-related advantages for adaptation to volcanically N-deplete habitats.
Highlights
Volcanic ecosystems are usually characterized by high levels of stress and disturbance [1].In early volcanic successional systems, plant growth is severely limited by nitrogen (N) [2,3].Plants inhabiting volcanic ecosystems have to withstand the lack of N, which limits their growth and ability to invade and establish new sites
In shrub land under canopy (SLUC), M. condensatus was sparsely distributed under the closed canopies, and some dead M. condensatus were found
In shrub land gap (SLG), the upper leaves of M. condensatus were almost fully exposed to ambient sunlight, while in SLUC, M. condensatus was sparsely distributed under the closed canopies, and some dead M. condensatus were found
Summary
In early volcanic successional systems, plant growth is severely limited by nitrogen (N) [2,3]. Plants inhabiting volcanic ecosystems have to withstand the lack of N, which limits their growth and ability to invade and establish new sites. Many dominant pioneer species can adapt to environmental changes by adjusting their growth strategies [7,8]. Altered root morphology, improved resource use efficiency, resorption efficiency (e.g., N, P), and N-fixing ability are all important adaptation strategies that allow plants to cope with poor nutrient habitats. Many studies have focused on N-fixing pioneer species at new volcanically devastated sites [9,10,11,12], because N is scarce in new volcanic materials, such as lava, scoria, and volcanic ash [2]. There are many pioneer species without the N-fixing ability in volcanic succession. This raises the question of how non-N-fixing pioneer species adjust
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
