Plant functional traits affect competitive vigor of pasture grasses during drought and following recovery

Abstract

Grassland biomass production is strongly linked with the timing and intensity of precipitation events. While the direct effects of precipitation patterns on grasses are well‐studied, less is known regarding plant–plant interactions during different phases of drought (i.e., dry down vs. recovery). Here, we examined how the intensity and timing of drought affected biomass production, traits related to growth rate and competitive vigor (specific leaf area [SLA], leaf dry matter content [LDMC], and height [HT]), and competitive effects in three common pasture grasses. Each species was grown alone (one individual per 45‐L planter) or with competition (one individual of each species per 45‐L planter) under three different drought types: (1) “short‐term” drought where water was withheld until the first species reached stomatal closure; (2) “prolonged” drought where water was withheld until all three species reached stomatal closure; and (3) “repeated” short‐term drought where water was withheld until the first species reached stomatal closure, plants were rewatered to capacity, and then, the drought was repeated. In all three drought types, replicates were assessed for biomass and traits pre‐ and post‐rewatering to represent the “resistance” and “recovery” phases of drought, respectively. Overall, we found (1) competitive interactions during phases of drought were primarily mediated by plant HT and LDMC, not SLA; (2) the severity and frequency of drought were key factors in describing plant–plant interactions during phases of drought; and (3) interspecific differences in traits and trait responses to drought phases were key in predicting plant–plant competition. Such shifts in competition interactions associated with interspecific trait responses to drought and during recovery from drought are likely to have significant effects on the productivity and composition of multispecies, grass‐dominated plant communities.

Cotton proteomics: Dissecting the stress response mechanisms in cotton

“…In their natural environments, biotic or abiotic stresses negatively regulate plant growth and development ( Guo et al., 2019 ; Tang et al., 2019 ; Wu and Li, 2019 ; Li et al., 2020 ; Zhang et al., 2021 ; Liu et al., 2022B ; Mostofa et al., 2022 ), which activates plant stress defense mechanisms ( Sun et al., 2011 ; Shabala et al., 2014 ; Chen et al., 2017 ; Guo et al., 2019 ; Wu and Li, 2019 ; Li et al., 2020 ; Li et al., 2021 ; Lv et al., 2021 ; Zhang et al., 2021 ; Chieppa et al., 2022 ; Liu et al., 2022a ; Solis et al., 2022 ; Wu et al., 2022 ) ( Figure 1 ). Likewise, in the life of the most prestigious industrial crop, cotton growth and development is often regulated by different stress conditions that initiate several defense mechanisms at the physiological, cellular, and molecular levels, which include a change in plant height and leaf size, upregulation of antioxidant defense enzymes, and increase in the levels of defense-related genes and proteins ( Nagamalla et al., 2021 ; Qamer et al., 2021 ).…”

Transcriptome-Based Weighted Gene Co-Expression Network Analysis Reveals the Photosynthesis Pathway and Hub Genes Involved in Promoting Tiller Growth under Repeated Drought–Rewatering Cycles in Perennial Ryegrass

“…In other cases, plants subjected to repeated drought–rewatering cycles may recover and outperform plants without drought stress. For example, the aboveground and belowground biomass of Phalaris ( Phalaris aquatica ) were comparable to the well-watered controls after recovery from repeated drought treatment [ 20 ]. In another study, greater or similar tiller numbers and biomass were observed from perennial grass ( Leymus chinensis ) subjected to repeated moderate drought and severe drought intensities compared to the well-watered control treatment [ 21 ].…”

“…The tiller growth of perennial ryegrass is sensitive to drought stress [ 29 , 30 ]. However, there were several studies that mentioned that tiller development could recover or increase in grasses under a repeated drought–rewatering treatment [ 20 , 21 , 31 , 32 ]. A perennial ryegrass accession from Norway had 50% more shoot dry matter than the next best-performing accession after six drought cycles [ 32 ].…”

Substantial variation of the two‐dimensional spectrum of senescent leaf in subalpine forest along elevational gradients

“…Climate conditions on mountains reflect variations in temperature and precipitation at relatively small spatial scales, providing a useful location for assessing environmental responses of leaf functional traits (Bai et al, 2022; Chieppa et al, 2022; Hikosaka et al, 2021). Indeed, temperature and precipitation control the plant leaf economics spectrum by affecting plant nutrient demand for various functions, soil nutrient supply (e.g., weathering, leaching, and organic matter accumulation), and nutrient reabsorption during leaf senescence (Chávez‐Vergara et al, 2015; Estiarte & Penuelas, 2015).…”

“…Correspondingly, Ge et al (2016) found that, compared with deciduous plants, evergreen plants have an advantage in nutrient‐poor soil due to their high nutrient recovery of senescent leaves. While changes in temperature and precipitation caused by different elevational gradients would inevitably lead to great variation in soil nutrient status (Chieppa et al, 2022; Hikosaka et al, 2021), it is still not clear whether the economic spectrum traits with changes in soil properties are coupled with this close relationship along elevational gradients. Additionally, mineral elements serve as key substrates for certain leaf functions (e.g., magnesium [Mg] is a key substrate for chlorophyll), which also considerably contributes to the leaf economics spectrum (Both et al, 2019; Verbruggen & Hermans, 2013).…”