Ecological Adaptation of the Seed Microsculptures of Saussurea from Different Altitudes (Qinghai-Tibet Plateau)

• Autorzy: Li Z. , Du G.

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.3161/15052249PJE2015.63.4.011

• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

The aim of this study was to explore ecological adaptation of seed microsculptures of Saussurea from different altitudes. Scanning electron microscopy was used to observe the cypselae surface of 10 taxa of Saussurea collected from the eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet plateau, China. The results indicated that the microsculptures had clear and consistent variations in some samples collected from high (4200 m a.s.l.) and low-altitude sites (2200 m a.s.l.). The thickness of stripes and distance between stripes are increasing while sulcus depth is increasing from a low to a high altitude (P < 0.01). The seed-coat surface was becoming rougher from low to high altitude. The surviving rate of seeds was lower at high altitude than that at low altitude in all the species. The surviving rate of the seeds collected from the high altitudes was higher than that of the seeds collected from low altitudes when sown at the same altitude. All the results suggested that there is selection pressure of the altitude on the development of the microsculpture patterns, which increases absorbed sunlight, the residence time of soil water and nutrition. The changes can make the seeds survive better at extreme environments (cold and dry). The cypselae microsculpture patterns should be used as potential adaptation biomarkers for the species of Saussurea from low- to high-altitude.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

Saussurea; ecological adaptation; scanning electron microscope; altitude; Qinghai-Tibetan plateau

PL

Saussurea; dostosowanie; mikroskop skaningowy; wysokość; płaskowyż Tybetański

• Wydawca: Museum and Institute of Zoology, Polish Academy of Sciences
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Ecology
• Rocznik: 2015
• Tom: Vol. 63, nr 4
• Strony: 593--598
• Opis fizyczny: Bibliogr. 9 poz., rys., tab.

Twórcy

autor

Li Z.

• Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Ecology, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China

autor

Du G.

• Key Laboratory of Arid and Grassland Ecology, Ministry of Education, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730030, China

Bibliografia

• 1. Dawa Z.M., Y. Bai, Y. Zhou, S.L. Gesang, P.A, Ding L.S. 2009 — Chemical constituents of the whole plants of Saussurea medusa — J. Nat. Med. 63: 327 – 330.
• 2. Guo H., Mazer S.J., Du G.Z. 2010 — Geographic variation in seed mass within and among nine species of Pedicularis (Orobanchaceae): effects of elevation, plant size and seed number per fruit — J. Ecol. 98: 1232 – 1242.
• 3. Jia J.M., Wu C.F., Liu W., Yu H., Hao Y., Zheng J.H., Ji Y.R. 2005 — Antiinflammatory and analgesic activities of the tissue culture of Saussurea involucrata — Biol. Pharm. Bull. 28: 1612 – 1614.
• 4. Karcz J., Ksiazczyk T., Maluszynska J. 2005 — Seed coat patterns in rapid-cycling Brassica forms — Acta. Biol. Cracov. Ser. Bot. 47: 159 – 165.
• 5. Ozcan T., Zorlu E. 2009 — A contribution to taxonomy of Turkish Linum based on seed surface patterns — Biologia, 64: 723 – 730.
• 6. Paridari I.C., Jalali S.G., Sonboli A., Zarafshar M., Bruschi P. 2013 — Leaf macro- and micro-morphological altitudinal variability of Carpinus betulus in the Hyrcanian forest (Iran) — J. For. Res. 24: 301 – 307.
• 7. Rojas-Arechiga M., Mandujano M.C., Golubov J.K. 2013 — Seed size and photoblastism in species belonging to tribe Cacteae (Cactaceae) — J. Plant Res. 126: 373 – 386.
• 8. Schneider A.A., Boldrini I.I. 2011 — Microsculpture of cypselae surface of Baccharis sect. Caulopterae (Asteraceae) from Brazil — An. Jard. Bot. Madr. 68: 107 – 116.
• 9. Zhou Z.Q., Bao W.K. 2014 — Changes in seed dor-mancy of Rosa multibracteata Hemsl. & E. H. Wilson with increasing elevation in an arid valley in the eastern Tibetan Plateau — Ecol. Res. 29: 693 – 700.