Kin recognition in plants with distinct lifestyles: implications of biomass and nutrient niches

Kin recognition has been demonstrated by plant biomass allocation and morphology traits as well as by nitrogen (N) uptake, but has not been examined from a nutrient-niche view yet. In this study, four species with distinct lifestyles, including Glycine max (L.) Merr. (herbaceous legume), Belamcanda...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Plant growth regulation 2018-03, Vol.84 (2), p.333-339
Main Authors: Li, Jie, Xu, Xing-Liang, Liu, Yu-Rong
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Animal behavior
Belamcanda chinensis
Biomass
Biomedical and Life Sciences
Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Calcium
Competition
Efficiency
Glycine max
Iron
Kin recognition
Legumes
Life Sciences
Magnesium
Niches
Nitrogen
Nutrients
Original Paper
Parameter identification
Phosphorus
Plant Anatomy/Development
Plant biomass
Plant Physiology
Plant Sciences
Plants (botany)
Populus tomentosa
Recognition
Sulfur
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Summary:Kin recognition has been demonstrated by plant biomass allocation and morphology traits as well as by nitrogen (N) uptake, but has not been examined from a nutrient-niche view yet. In this study, four species with distinct lifestyles, including Glycine max (L.) Merr. (herbaceous legume), Belamcanda chinensis (L.) DC. (herbaceous non-legume), Caesalpinia pulcherrima (L.) Sw. (woody legume), and Populus tomentosa (L.) Carr. (woody non-legume) were used to demonstrate kin recognition by estimating their biomass and allocation, as well as nutrient niches based on their uptake efficiency for N, phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and iron (Fe). For G. max , kin recognition was achieved by increased biomass, and by reduced nutrient-uptake efficiency of N, P, S, K, Ca, Mg, and Fe (decreased nutrient niches) to decrease nutrient competition among kin plants compared to the strangers. Although B. chinensis and C. pulcherrima had no biomass response, kin plants of B. chinensis increased, whereas C. pulcherrima decreased their S-uptake efficiency compare to strangers. Therefore, kin competition occurred in B. chinensis through increased nutrient niche whereas kin recognition occurred in C. pulcherrima through decreased nutrient niche. By comparison, P. tomentosa showed the co-occurrence of kin recognition and competition by increased root allocation and decreased P-uptake efficiency. These findings suggest that the biomass allocation and plant nutrient niches based on their nutrient-uptake efficiency can be used as potential parameters to identify kin recognition.
ISSN:0167-6903
1573-5087
DOI:10.1007/s10725-017-0343-7