| The heterogeneity of resource such as light and nutrient was usually patches distribution in natural habitats.Clonal plants by their own physical integration features modified their phenotypic plasticity,thus affecting the morphology of clonal plants.In this study,we analyzed the below-and abovegrounded biomass,number of ramets,branches,and clumps of buffalograss under different light conditions,patche scales,and nutrient contrasts,respectively.the results showed as follow.Firstly,shading inhibited phenotypic plasticity of Buchloe dactyloides which grew in either homogeneous or heterogeneous patches.Clonal components such as above-/below ground biomass,the numbers of ramets,clumps,and branches grew in normal illumination conditions were much larger than that in 50% shading habitats.The components including aboveground biomass,number of ramets,and no.of clumps located in larger size patches(0.5*0.5-m size)increased compared with 0.25*0.25-m size patches.The interaction between light and patche size can be observed in branches and clumps of buffalograss.Secondly,phenotypic plasticity of buffalograss were affected by patche scales significantly.Aboveground biomass increased with the size of patches reduction.While the patche size under in the same nutrient contrast conditions,there was no significant difference in biomass between high nutrient patch and low nutrient patch.And number of branches and clumps inducted in larger size patches than that in smaller scale patches.Lastly,the clonal components including number of branches,clusters and ramets became larger with the nutrient contrast size increased although no significant difference were abserved in below-and aboveground biomass.The locations of clonal components were also affected by nutrient contrast in patches.Especially,under high contrast condition(high/ low = 90/10),the components including aboveground biomass,number of ramets,clumps,and branches grew in high nutrient patches were larger than that in low nutrient patches. |
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