Journal of Ecology and Rural Environment ›› 2017, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (3): 234-241.doi: 10.11934/j.issn.1673-4831.2017.03.006

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Response of Small-Medium-Diametered Moso Bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis) to Mulching and Fallow Alternation in Plasticity

LI Wei-cheng1,2, TIAN Xin-li1,3, SHENG Hai-yan4, YANG Hui-min1, GAO Gui-bin1   

  1. 1. China National Bamboo Research Center/Key Laboratory of High Efficient Processing of Bamboo of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou 310012, China;
    2. College of Life Sciences, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming 650224, China;
    3. Yonglü Forest Development Center of Changxing County, Huzhou 313100, China;
    4. Hangzhou Environmental Protection Science Institute, Hangzhou 310005, China
  • Received:2016-02-04 Online:2017-03-25 Published:2017-03-25

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Abstract:

A field experiment was carried out on adoption of a mulching and fallow alternation system in a tract of low-yielding moso bamboo groves, of small and medium in diameter, to explore effects of the practice on generation pattern of ramet, root system, spacing behavior and vertical distribution of fine roots of the plants and on behavioral mechanism of the clonal population and ecosystem of the bamboo groves. The experiment had five sample plots set for treatments, separately: control (CK), mulching in the first year (C1), mulching in the third year (C3), alternate in the first year (R1) and alternate in the second year (R2). Results show that ramet germination rate of the Moso Bamboo ranged between (20.65±4.03)%-(35.26±1.18)% relative to season. Rich soil nutrients in the soil triggered explosive ramet. In Treatment C1 and C3 the number of ramet reached (35.2±7.7) and (27.8±4.2) per square meter, respectively, breaking up the autologous rules of life developed through a long evolution process, concerning growth and multiplication, which is a type of passive adaptation. Mulching with organic materials initially elevated diameter of the bamboo at eyebrow height, but reduced it with the mulching going on. Moreover, it raised significantly the number of dormant buds on new roots (1-2 years old), but affected reversely the number of dormant buds on both new and prime roots with the mulching going on. The number of dormant buds began to turn up when fallow started. To a certain extent, fallow reduced elongation rate of the young roots, but later on it increased the rate somewhat. Moso Bamboos took advantage of the plasticity of its nutrient adsorption organ, i. e. root, in structure, such as reducing diameter of its new roots, and increasing length of its new roots and extending space between buds on the new roots, to open up a new suitable habitat. In Treatment C3, the mean biomass of fine roots declined down to 64.07% of that in Treatment C1. Mulching not only reduced the biomass of fine roots, but also had it concentrated in the surface soil layer, while fallow promoted growth of fine roots deeper and increased the biomass of fine roots as well. In Treatment CK, large volumes of fine roots were distributed in both the surface and sub-soil layers, and Treatments R1 and R2 differed from Treatment CK only in peak value, which indicates that the fine roots of bamboo adapt to different habitats by redistributing the biomass. The technique of mulching the field with organic materials in bamboo forest is an efficient approach to increase and maintain soil temperature and moisture in order to enhance shoot bud formation and early germination. However, Treatment C3 did demonstrate that mulching obviously affects the number of dormant buds, the length of new roots, the space between buds and the biomass of fine roots, while the subsequent fallow helped restore them somewhat. It is, therefore, concluded that fallow is an essential complement to mulching for bamboo groves.

Key words: monopodial bamboo, ramet, dormant bud, spacer, fine root

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