Dataset Information

Integrated biomarker responses of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis via hydrological processes from Lake Poyang, China.

ABSTRACT: Vallisneria spiralis, a widely distributed wetland plant, was used to reveal how the light intensity at the top of the plant, plant morphology and antioxidant enzyme activity respond to different hydrologic conditions from Lake Poyang, China. By designing a laboratory experiment simulating historical water levels of low, normal and high wetland plant submersion, this study aimed to elucidate the effects of different levels of flooding on growth and antioxidant enzyme activity for V. spiralis. The results showed that the plant crown light intensity of the treated group and control group (CG) first decreased and then increased along with the seasonal variation of the water level. The maximum and minimum values of the plant crown light intensity were observed in April and July, respectively. Similar to the CG, V. spiralis from the normal and low water level (LWL) groups was measured and had higher plant height growth in the flooding period from May to June, and the entire plant biomass also showed a steady growth trend in the same period. However, the plant growth of the high water level (HWL) group was lower during the whole simulation period, with negative growth in July. Antioxidant enzyme activities changed with the seasonal temperature, and the activity of the CG showed a rising trend. Compared with those of the CG, the antioxidant enzyme activities of the HWL group showed a 'bell shaped' trend, which was first significantly induced and then significantly inhibited. In addition, the peroxidase (POD) and catalase (CAT) activities from the LWL group in April were also significantly induced. The integrated biomarker response (IBR) index showed that a comprehensive biological index could well reflect the effects of seasonal water levels in Poyang Lake on the growth of the wetland plant V. spiralis. This study indicated that high flooding levels had the strongest negative effect on the growth and enzyme activity of the submerged plant V. spiralis.

SUBMITTER: Ji Y

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6304112 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Integrated biomarker responses of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis via hydrological processes from Lake Poyang, China.

Ji Yong Y Yao Zhidong Z Zhang Jie J Wang Xueru X Luo Jixiang J Xiao Liying L Zhang Shifeng S

Royal Society open science 20181205 12

Vallisneria spiralis, a widely distributed wetland plant, was used to reveal how the light intensity at the top of the plant, plant morphology and antioxidant enzyme activity respond to different hydrologic conditions from Lake Poyang, China. By designing a laboratory experiment simulating historical water levels of low, normal and high wetland plant submersion, this study aimed to elucidate the effects of different levels of flooding on growth and antioxidant enzyme activity for V. sp ...[more]

PMID: 30662717

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Project description:BackgroundInterannual variation in resource abundance has become more unpredictable, and food shortages have increasingly occurred in the recent decades. However, compared to seasonal fluctuations in resource abundance, the influences of interannual variation in resource abundance on the dietary niches of consumers remain poorly understood. Poyang Lake, China, is a very important wintering ground for the globally endangered Siberian Crane (Leucogeranus leucogeranus), White-naped Crane (Grus vipio), and Hooded Crane (G. monacha), as well as the non-endangered Eurasian Crane (G. grus). Tubers of Vallisneria spp., the dominant submerged macrophytes at Poyang Lake, is an important food for cranes. Nevertheless, submerged macrophytes have experienced serious degradation recently. In this study, we used metabarcoding technology to explore the consequences of Vallisneria tuber collapse on the diet compositions, breadths, and overlaps of the four crane species based on fecal samples collected in winter 2017 (a year with tuber collapse) and winter 2018 (a year with high tuber abundance).ResultsCompared to previous studies, our study elucidates crane diets in an unprecedented level of detail. Vallisneria tubers was confirmed as an important food source of cranes. Surprisingly, the grassland plant Polygonum criopolitanum was also found to be an important food source in the feces of cranes. Agricultural fields were important foraging sites for Siberian Cranes, White-naped Cranes, and Hooded Cranes, providing foods that allowed them to survive in winters with natural food shortages. However, the three crane species preferred natural wetlands to agricultural fields when the abundance of natural foods was high. The abundance of Vallisneria tubers, and probably P. criopolitanum, greatly influenced the dietary compositions, breadths and overlap of cranes. During periods of preferred resource shortage, White-naped Cranes and Hooded Cranes widened their dietary niches, while Siberian Cranes maintained a stable niche width. The dietary niche overlap among crane species increased substantially under conditions of plentiful preferred food resources.ConclusionsOur study emphasizes the superior quality of natural wetlands compared to agricultural fields as foraging habitats for cranes. To provide safer and better foraging areas for cranes, it is urgent to restore the submerged plants at Poyang Lake. While high dietary niche overlap is often interpreted as intense interspecific competition, our study highlights the importance of taking food abundance into account.

Dataset Information

Integrated biomarker responses of the submerged macrophyte Vallisneria spiralis via hydrological processes from Lake Poyang, China.

Publications

Integrated biomarker responses of the submerged macrophyte <i>Vallisneria spiralis</i> via hydrological processes from Lake Poyang, China.

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