The Characteristics And Ecological Mechanism Of Life History Forms Of Glycyrrhiza Uralensis

The habitat types, characters of life histories and divisions of life history forms for wild liquorice, semi-wild liquorice and cultivated liquorice had been studied in the west parts of Heilongjiang province. The results as follows:1. The liquorice is mainly growing in sandy soil which surface layers were often dry and deep-seated layers often moisture. With artificial disturbance, the soil conditions often occurred some changes on soil physicochemical property, especially, on soil water contents which is main factor for the growth and development of Glycyrrhiza uralensis.2. The variations of morphological characters of vegetative organs, asexual reproduction organs and sexual reproduction organs of wild liquorice, semi-wild liquorice and cultivated liquorice exhibited apparently difference, which was closely related to artificial disturbance. The deep-plowing soil could promoted vegetative growths of Glycyrrhiza uralensis and increased efficiency of sexual reproduction obviously; at the same time, it induced some inhibitory actions on organs of asexual reproduction to some extent.3. Wild liquorice, semi-wild liquorice and cultivated liquorice had strong capabilities of photosynthesis and almost did not appear phenomenon of noon break apparently. Some physiological indices did not be restrained by strong illuminations, so the liquorice belongs to the plant type which is fond of strong radiant intensity.4. Based on study results of characters of biomass ion of wild liquorice, semi-wild liquorice and cultivated liquorice, the biomass of wild liquorice mainly allocated to asexual reproduction organs, and that of cultivated liquorice allocated to vegetative organs. Compare with wild liquorice, the biomass allocation of semi-wild liquorice descended in asexual reproduction organs, and ascended in vegetative organs and sexual reproduction organs in different extent, which showed that vegetative growths and sexual reproductions become stronger.5. The contents of Glycyrrhiza acid and flavonoids in wild liquorice, semi-wild liquorice and cultivated liquorice had been researched. We detected that the means of farm managements made contents of Glycyrrhiza acid to descend, and environmental stress may be the main reason for increasing of Glycyrrhiza acid contents. The characters of flavonoids contents in underground parts of semi-wild liquorice was similar with that of wild liquorice, but that in overground parts of semi-wild liquorice was similar with that of cultivatedliquorice.6. According to different habitats for liquorices, different strategies of life histories were adopted by liquorices to adapt to environment, which was the base for forming of life history form. Based on the methods of habitats division and the principal constituent analysis of morphological characters, the life history forms were classified into three types, i.e. V, C and S forms. In this study, the wild liquorice was C, the semi-wild liquorice was CVS and the cultivated liquorice was V. The life history form of cultivated liquorice will transformed from V to S with the increasing of cultivated years.7. Because of continuous changes of space-time, there will form some gradational habitat types, so that different life history forms can transform each other. The basal life history forms were V, C and S forms, between them there are four major gradational life history forms, i.e. VC, VS, CS and VCS forms.