title: Root-foraging behavior ensures the integrated growth of Vallisneria natans in heterogeneous sediments.
abstract: The present study was carried out to determine the efficacy of root foraging and the physiological response of Vallisnaria natans grown in heterogeneous sediments. V. natans was cultivated in two homogeneous and two heterogeneous sediments. The results suggested that V. natans grown in heterogeneous sediments presented a significantly higher root proportion in its total biomass, exhibited root foraging, and grew well, as indicated by a total biomass, ramet number, and plant height very close to those of plants grown in nutrient-rich clay sediment. Moreover, the more sensitive physiological response of the roots than the stems or the leaves to sediment nutrients suggested that root foraging occurred, and the approached values between the two heterogeneous sediments and the homogeneous clay sediment indicated that V. natans could satisfy its nutrient requirements via root foraging. The results may be useful in the recovery of macrophytes that remodel part (rather than all) of the substrate and can potentially improve habitats that are unsuitable for plant growth.
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Donghu South Road, Wuhan, 430072,, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang City Belt, Anhui Province; College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000,, China.
authors.forename: Jianfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Aquaculture station of Qiandongnan, Kaili, Guizhou Province,, 556000, China.
authors.forename: Xu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Donghu South Road, Wuhan, 430072,, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Te
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cao
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Donghu South Road, Wuhan, 430072,, China. zhangxl@ihb.ac.cn.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China. zhangxl@ihb.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Xiaolin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Yilong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xi
authors.affiliation: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Xinli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wen
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Donghu South Road, Wuhan, 430072,, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang City Belt, Anhui Province; College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000,, China.
authors.forename: Haojie
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Donghu South Road, Wuhan, 430072,, China.|Collaborative Innovation Center of Recovery and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Wanjiang City Belt, Anhui Province; College of Life Sciences, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241000,, China.
authors.forename: Wasana
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: de Silva
authors.affiliation: Academy of Environmental Planning of Shandong Province, Jinan, 250101,, China.
authors.forename: Tianshun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Donghu South Road, Wuhan, 430072,, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Leyi
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Donghu Experimental Station of Lake Ecosystems, State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 7 Donghu South Road, Wuhan, 430072,, China.
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D019015:Geologic Sediments; D031321:Hydrocharitaceae / Q000254:growth & development*; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000254:growth & development; D018517:Plant Roots / Q000254:growth & development*; D018547:Plant Stems / Q000254:growth & development
keywords: Free amino acids; Heterogeneous sediments; Phosphorus; Root foraging; Soluble carbohydrates; Submersed macrophytes; Vallisneria natans