Clonal integration across a salt gradient by a nonhalophyte, Hydrocotyle bonariensis (Apiaceae)

This study examined the benefits associated with resource sharing among interconnected ramets spanning a soil salinity gradient. Clones of Hydrocotyle bonariensis, a rhizomatous dune perennial, expand into salt marsh communities from surrounding upland dune systems in coastal North Carolina. In rhiz...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of botany 1992-12, Vol.79 (12), p.1344-1347
Main Authors: Evans, J.P. (Rice University, Houston, TX), Whitney, S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal and plant ecology
Animal, plant and microbial ecology
Autoecology
Biological and medical sciences
BIOMASA
Biomass production
BIOMASSE
Botany
CAROLINA DEL NORTE
CAROLINE DU NORD
CLONE
CLONES
Coastal ecology
COMPETENCIA BIOLOGICA
COMPETITION BIOLOGIQUE
DISPONIBILIDAD DE NUTRIENTES
Dune soils
Dunes
ECOLOGIA VEGETAL
Ecology and Phytogeography
ELEMENT NUTRITIF DISPONIBLE
Flowers & plants
Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology
Marine ecology
MARISMA
NUTRIENTES
PHYTOECOLOGIE
Plants and fungi
PRAIRIE MARECAGEUSE
RHIZOME
Rhizomes
RIZOMAS
SAL
Salt
Salt marshes
SEL DE CUISINE
Soil ecology
Soil resources
Soil salinity
Soils
SUBSTANCE NUTRITIVE
UMBELLIFERAE
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Summary:This study examined the benefits associated with resource sharing among interconnected ramets spanning a soil salinity gradient. Clones of Hydrocotyle bonariensis, a rhizomatous dune perennial, expand into salt marsh communities from surrounding upland dune systems in coastal North Carolina. In rhizome-severing experiments conducted under both field and laboratory conditions, Hydrocotyle was shown to proliferate ramets under saline conditions, provided that these ramets were connected to other ramets growing in nonsaline conditions. Ramets that benefited from resource integration did not appear to be affected by local salt exposure in that these ramets were morphologically similar to those grown under nonsaline conditions. Supporting ramets incurred no net cost in terms of biomass or ramet production, but there was an increased percent allocation to roots and rhizomes. Ramets grown in saline conditions without the benefit of clonal integration showed high mortality and produced little or no net clonal growth. It is likely that the acropetal movement of water allowed Hydrocotyle clones to ameliorate the heterogeneous saline conditions associated with coastal environments
ISSN:0002-9122
1537-2197
DOI:10.1002/j.1537-2197.1992.tb13743.x