Plant biomechanical strategies in response to frequent disturbance: uprooting of Phyllostachys nidularia (Poaceae) growing on landslide-prone slopes in Sichuan, China
2007
Stokes, Alexia | Lucas, Adrien | Jouneau, Luc | BotAnique et BioinforMatique de l'Architecture des Plantes (UMR AMAP) ; Centre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement (Cirad)-Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université Montpellier 2 - Sciences et Techniques (UM2)-Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD [France-Ouest])-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) | Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) | Ecole Nationale Supérieure d'Arts et Métiers (Arts et Métiers ParisTech) (ENSAM)
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Afficher plus [+] Moins [-]anglais. Bamboo is considered useful for controlling landslides, but we observed numerous shallow-slope failures in forests of big node bamboo (Phyllostachys nidularia) in Sichuan, China. Therefore, we inventoried landslide occurrence and vegetation type along one valley. To quantify bamboo root anchorage, we performed uprooting tests and measured plant morphological characteristics. Landslide occurrence was greatest at sites with bamboo and young trees. Culm failure was common because of the high length to diameter ratio (242 +/- 6). Uprooting tests showed that the maximal force to cause failure was small (1615 +/- 195 N). Uprooting force was strongly and positively regressed with a combination of the predictors lateral root number and volume (R-2 = 0.92), and root systems were highly superficial (depth = 0.15 +/- 0.12 m), contributing little to slope stability. In P. nidularia, which grows on landslide-prone slopes, surprisingly few resources have been allocated to anchorage. We suggest that this strategy puts this pioneer at an advantage on steep slopes, where it contributes little to slope stability and colonizes frequently formed gaps through vegetative regeneration. Fewer disturbances would result in subsequent secondary succession and dying back of this shade intolerant species.
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