کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
---|---|---|---|---|
2179642 | 1095068 | 2012 | 6 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
Evaluation of phenotypic plasticity of plants is important to predict the long-term fate of populations exposed to environmental change. Climate scenarios predict a decrease in rainfall and increase in temperature for Northern Patagonia (Argentina). The long-term assessment of the effect of water shortage on allocation patterns of Prosopis alpataco provides insights into how climate change could affect this dominant shrub of the Monte Desert. A single-factor (water supply) field experiment was conducted. Phenotypic plasticity in biomass partitioning and allocation to storage and defense was assessed over the course of pre-reproductive growth during five years. Water-effect and size-dependent effects were sorted out. Our results indicate that as plants grow larger, root:shoot ratio increases, as well as total non-structural carbohydrates pool, irrespective of water treatment. Increasing belowground allocation through partitioning to reserves instead of allocation to non-storage mass, favors carbohydrate forms that later can be mobilized. Spine mass ratio increased 3-fold in response to drought. These conservative strategies might facilitate the persistence of Prosopis alpataco in a novel and drier environment, through the production of drought-tolerant juvenile individuals.
Journal: Flora - Morphology, Distribution, Functional Ecology of Plants - Volume 207, Issue 6, June 2012, Pages 436–441