[Module structure of Leymus chinensis clones under cultivated condition in Songnen Plains of China].
Leymus chinensis is a perennial rhizome grass, a species of typical clonal plant. In the Songnen Plains of China, the ramets of the clone consist of tillers and seedlings under cultivated condition during the last stage of growing season. The tillering nodes of the ramets could propagate four generations, with enough growing space and no interspecies competition in the sandy soil habitats during a growing season. According to the vegetative reproductive generations of tillering nodes, the age spectrum was the largest on the modules of the first age classes for present or potential clones, which reduced obviously with increasing age classes, and they were all expanding type on the age structure. The productivity of every ramet module correlated largely with the time length for growing and the formation of the ramets. The earlier formation time and the longer growing time, the greater the tillers contributed to material production and vegetative reproduction of the clone. There was a certain capability of adjustment for the spatial expansion and the material storage of the test clones.
Key Laboratory for Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China. yangyf@nenu.edu.cn
Yunfei
Y
Yang
Baotian
B
Zhang
Jiandong
J
Li
D018533:Biomass; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development*