Growth of three Calamagrostis species from subalpine grasslands in response to an altitudinal gradient
1998
Mo, W. (Gifu Univ. (Japan)) | Nishimura, N. | Yamada, K. | Soga, Y.
Calamagrostis longiseta, C. langsdorffii and C. hakonenssis are perennial C2 grasses and usually occur in cool habitats. In the Kirigamine grassland of central Japan, the distribution of these three species is limited to altitudes higher than 1,650 m a.s.l.. The objective of the present study was to clarify the temperature optima and the upper temperature limits for vegetative and reproductive growth of these species, and to examine whether these species are physiologically restricted to higher altitudes. We chose four sites with altitudes of 14,600 and 1,342 and 1,712 m a.s.l. to provide an altitudinal gradient, collected these Calamagrostis species from subalpine grasslands, and grew them at sites on the gradient. Pot experiments conducted from 1993 to 1995 showed similar patterns of growth response to the gradient in the three specie, although the dry matter yield was different. These species possess a certain degree of a acclimation capacity to higher temperatures. Overall, however, the results showed clearly that the three species preferred medium altitudes, where the plants could attain higher total biomass, height and total number of tillers, leading to success in reproductive growth. Plants could succeed in vegetative and reproductive growth at high altitude, but total biomass was least here due to the short growing period
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