Basal resprout of Aspidosperma quebracho blanco in state of seedling: persistence mechanism in the Arid Chaco
Keywords:
seedling bank, persistence niche, survival, resprouting, cotyledonary nodeAbstract
Resprouting strategy strongly contributes to survival of woody species, which can survive under stress and disturbance conditions, such as logging, herbivory and fire. The capacity of plants to resprout from adventitious buds at seedling stage, a highly vulnerable plant stage, may be determinant in the establishment success of species in arid environments. In this work, the effect of aereal biomass removal on the capacity of seedlings of A. quebracho-blanco to resprout from the hypocotyl and root neck was evaluated. Two treatments were applied in 9-month-old seedlings in greenhouse: total removal (below the cotyledon junction and without axillary buds), and partial removal of aereal biomass (above cotyledon junction, with axillary buds and presence of cotyledons). In the field, in a forest of A. quebracho blanco of the Arid Chaco, total biomas below cotyledonal junction was removed in two-year-old seedlings. In both experiments, survival and growth-estimating variables at 10 months and 1 year after removal, respectively, were evaluated. Greenhouse data were evaluated by ANCOVA for measures repeated in time; field data were analyzed using Generalized Linear Models. Results showed that seedlings can easily resprout from hypocotyl and root neck after severe disturbance. The importance of resprouting increases considerably with seedling age and is related to adventitious buds formed below the removed cotyledon junction. The data suggest that no preformed buds would occur below the cotyledon junction, but that they would be formed by the stimulus provided by the cut. Thus, this species might persist as a seedling bank in environments with water deficit because of the differentiation of adventitious buds.
References
BARCHUK, AH & MP DÍAZ. 1999. Regeneration and structure of Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco Schl. in the Arid Chaco (Córdoba, Argentina). For. Ecol. Manag., 118:31-36.
BARCHUK, AH; A VALIENTE-BANUET & MP DÍAZ. 2005. Effect of shrubs and seasonal variability of rainfalls in the establishment of Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco Schlecht in two edaphically contrasting environments. Austral Ecol., 30:695-705.
BELL, TL & F OJEDA. 1999. Underground Starch Storage in Erica Species of the Cape Floristic Region - Differences Between Seeders and Resprouters. New Phytol.,. 144:143-152.
BOND, WJ & JJ MIDGLEY. 2001. Ecology of sprouting in woody plants: the persistence niche. Ecology & Evolution, 16:45-51.
CALVO, L; R TARREGA & E LUIS. 2002. Regeneration patterns in a Calluna vulgaris heathland in the Cantabrian mountains (NW Spain): effects of burning, cutting and ploughing. Acta Oecol., 23:81–90.
CAPITANELLI, R. 1979A. Geomorfología. Pp. 213-296 en: J Vázquez, R Miatello & M Roque (eds). Geografía Física de la Provincia de Córdoba. Ed. Boldt. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
CAPITANELLI, R. 1979B. Clima. Pp. 45-138 en: J Vázquez; R Miatello & M Roque (eds). Geografía Física de la Provincia de Córdoba. Ed. Boldt. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
CARRANZA, ML; MR CABIDO; A ACOSTA & SA PÁEZ. 1992. The vegetal community of the natural provincial Park and Natural Forestal Reserve of Chancaní, Province of Córdoba. Lilloa, 38:75-92.
CASTRO-DIEZ, P; JP PUYRAVAUD; JHC CORNELISSEN & P VILLAR SALVADOR. 1998. Stem anatomy and relative growth rate in seedling of a wide range of woody plant species and types. Oecologia,116:57-66.
DÍAZ, S; M CABIDO & F CASANOVES. 1998. Functional implications of trait-environment linkages in plant communities. Pp. 339-361 in: E Weiher & P Keddy (eds.). Ecological Assembly Rules. Perspectives, advances, retreats. Cambridge University Press.
ESAU, K. 1965. Plant Anatomy. 2nd ed. Wiley. New York, USA.
GRACIA, M; J RETANA & FX PICÓ. 2001. Seedling bank dynamics in managed holm oak (Quercus ilex) forests. Ann. For. Sci., 58:843–852 .
HARMS, KE; JW DALLING & AIZPRUA. 1997. Regeneration from cotyledons in Gustavia superba (Lecythidaceae). Biotropica, 29:234-237.
HUNZIKER, AT. 1946. Raíces gemíferas en algunas plantas leñosas argentinas. Rev. Argent. Agron., 13:57-54.
JAMES, S. 1984. Lignotubers and burls. Their structure, function and ecological significance in Mediterranean ecosystems. The Botanical Review, 50:225-266.
JARSUN, B; J GORGAS; E ZAMORA & E LOVERA. 1989. Atlas de suelos de la República Argentina. Sector Provincia de Córdoba. Convenio INTA-PNUD. Córdoba, Argentina. 750 pp.
KAMMESHEIDT, L. 1999. Forest recovery by root suckers and above-ground sprouts after slash-and-burn agriculture, fire and logging in Paraguay and Venezuela. J. Trop. Ecol. 15:143-157.
KITAJIMA K & M FENNER. 2000. Seedling regenerative ecology. Pp 331-360 in: M Fenner (ed.). Seeds: Ecology of Regeneration in Plant Communities. 2nd ed. Wallingford Redwood Press Ltd.
LUTI, R; M SOLIS; F GALERA; N MÜLLER DE FERREIRA; M BERZAL ET AL. 1979. Vegetación Pp. 297-368 en: J Vazquez; R Miatello & M Roque (eds). Geografía Física de la Provincia de Córdoba. Ed. Boldt. Buenos Aires, Argentina.
MARTÍNKOVÁ, J; M KOEVAROVÁ; J KLIMEŠOVÁ. 2004. Resprouting after disturbance in the short-lived herb Rorippa palustris (Brassicaceae): an experiment with juveniles. Acta Oecol. 25:143–150.
MCCULLAGH, P & JA NELDER. 1989. Generalized Linear Models. Chapman & Hall. London. 511pp.
MIBUS, R & M SEDGLEY. 2000. Early Lignotuber Formation in Banksia-Investigations into the Anatomy of the Cotyledonary Node of Two Banksia (Proteaceae) Species. Ann. Bot., 86:575-587.
MOGLIA, M & G JOFRE. 1998. Response to clearing of woody plants in a forest of quebracho blanco (Aspidosperma quebracho-blanco) and algarrobo (Prosopis flexuosa) in the Province of San Luis (Argentina). Phyton, 63:257-265.
MORELLO, J; J PROTOMASTRO; L SANCHOLUZ & C BLANCO. 1985. Estudio macroecológico de los Llanos de La Rioja. Serie del Cincuentenario de la Administración de Parques Nacionales, 5:1-53.
NOBLE, IR & RO SLATYER. 1977. Postfire succession of plants in Mediterranean ecosystems. Pp. 27– 36 in Proceedings of the symposium on environmental consequences of fire and fuel management in Mediterranean Ecosystems. USDA Forest Service. Palo Alto, CA.
PACIOREK, CJ; R CONDIT; P HUBBELL & RB FOSTER .2000. The demographics of resprouting in tree and shrub species of a moist tropical forest. J. Ecol., 88:765-777.
SCHWILK, D & DD ACKERLY. 2005. Is there a cost to resprouting? seedling growth rate and drought tolerance in sprouting and nonsprouting ceanothus (Rhamnaceae). Am. J. Bot., 92(3):404–410.
SONESSON, LK. 1994. Growth and survival after cotyledon removal in Quercus robur seedling grown in different natural soil types. Oikos, 69:65-70.
VERDAGUER, D; E GARCIA-BERTHOU; G PASCUAL & P PUIGDERRAJOLS. 2000. Sprouting of seedlings of three Quercus species in relation to repeated pruning and the cotyledonary node. Aust. J.Bot., 49:67-74.
WELLS, P. 1968. The relation between mode of reproduction and extent of speciation in woody genera of the California Chaparral. Evolution, 23:264-267.
WILDY, DT & JS PATE. 2002. Quantifying above- and below-ground growth responses of the western Australian oil mallee, Eucalyptus kochii subsp. plenissima, to contrasting decapitation regimes. Ann. Bot., 90:185-97.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Authors retain their rights as follows: 1) by granting the journal the right to its first publication, and 2) by registering the published article with a Creative Commons Attribution License (CC-BY 4.0), which allows authors and third parties to view and use it as long as they clearly mention its origin (citation or reference, including authorship and first publication in this journal). Authors can make other non-exclusive distribution agreements as long as they clearly indicate their origin and are encouraged to widely share and disseminate the published version of their work.
