title: Responses of reactive oxygen scavenging enzymes, proline and malondialdehyde to water deficits among six secondary successional seral species in Loess Plateau.
abstract: Drought can impact local vegetation dynamics in a long term. In order to predict the possible successional pathway of local community under drought, the responses of some drought resistance indices of six successional seral species in the semi-arid Loss Hilly Region of China were illustrated and compared on three levels of soil water deficits along three growing months (7, 8 and 9). The results showed that: 1) the six species had significant differences in SOD, POD activities and MDA content. The rank correlations between SOD, POD activities and the successional niche positions of the six species were positive, and the correlation between MDA content and the niche positions was negative; 2) activities of SOD, CAT and POD, and content of proline and MDA had significant differences among the three months; 3) there existed significant interactions of SOD, CAT, POD activities and MDA content between months and species. With an exception, no interaction of proline was found. Proline in leaves had a general decline in reproductive month; 4) SOD, CAT, POD activities and proline content had negative correlations with MDA content. Among which, the correlation between SOD activity and MDA content was significant. The results implied that, in arid or semiarid region, the species at later successional stage tend to have strong drought resistance than those at early stage. Anti-drought indices can partially interpret the pathway of community succession in the drought impacted area. SOD activity is more distinct and important on the scope of protecting membrane damage through the scavenging of ROS on exposure to drought.
authors.affiliation: Institute of soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi, China; Institute of soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science, Yangling, Shaanxi, China; State key laboratory of soil erosion and dryland farming on Loess Plateau, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Du
authors.affiliation: Institute of soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Huijun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Institute of soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi, China; Institute of soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science, Yangling, Shaanxi, China; State key laboratory of soil erosion and dryland farming on Loess Plateau, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Xingchang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute of soil and Water Conservation, Northwest Sci-Tech University of Agriculture and Forestry, Yangling, Shaanxi, China; Institute of soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Science, Yangling, Shaanxi, China.
authors.forename: Xuexuan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D002374:Catalase / Q000378:metabolism; D055864:Droughts; D004777:Environment; D004789:Enzyme Activation; D008315:Malondialdehyde / Q000378:metabolism*; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction; D009195:Peroxidase / Q000378:metabolism; D010944:Plants / Q000378:metabolism*; D011392:Proline / Q000378:metabolism*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D008315:Malondialdehyde; D011392:Proline; D002374:Catalase; D009195:Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase