title: Effects of patch contrast and arrangement on benefits of clonal integration in a rhizomatous clonal plant.
abstract: The availabilities of light and soil water resources usually spatially co-vary in natural habitats, and the spatial pattern of such co-variation may affect the benefits of physiological integration between connected ramets of clonal plants. In a greenhouse experiment, we grew connected or disconnected ramet pairs [consisting of a proximal (relatively old) and a distal (relative young) ramet] of a rhizomatous herb Iris japonica in four heterogeneous environments differing in patch arrangement (reciprocal vs. parallel patchiness of light and soil water) and patch contrast (high vs. low contrast of light and water). Biomass of the proximal part, distal part and clonal fragment of I. japonica were all significantly greater in the intact than in the severed treatment, in the parallel than in the reciprocal patchiness treatment and in the high than in the low contrast treatment, but the effect of severing the connection between ramet pairs did not depend on patch arrangement or contrast. Severing the connection decreased number of ramets of the distal part and the clonal fragment in the parallel patchiness arrangement, but not in the reciprocal patchiness arrangement. Therefore, the spatial arrangement of resource patches can alter the effects of clonal integration on asexual reproduction in I. japonica.
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture &Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.|School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Yong-Jian
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture &Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Ping
authors.initials: XP
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture &Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xiao-Jing
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture &Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Xue-Feng
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture &Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Peng-Cheng
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: College of Horticulture &Forestry Sciences, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China.
authors.forename: Zhi-Xiang
authors.initials: ZX
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Fang-Li
authors.initials: FL
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: School of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Fei-Hai
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Yu
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D004777:Environment; D027621:Iridaceae / Q000502:physiology*; D012100:Reproduction, Asexual