Studies On Branching Pattern Of Larix Chinensis

Environmental heterogeneity is a widespread phenomenon. Heterogeneity makes it difficulty for plants to maintain, growth and breed. Plants must have reactions to environmental heterogeneity in order to get their exists. Special biomass pattern and phenotypic plasticity are main ways to react to environmental heterogeneity. Studying plant plasticity and its adapting ways has an important significance.Most of plants in nature are modular organism, the main way of plant reaction to environment are changing in module in number, form and spatial distribution. The character of plant module develops have important significance to not only population dynastic but also revealing the mechanism of the reaction between species and environment. Architecture is the character of trees spatial structure and modular character. Study of architecture is to research modular character, spatial structure and the relation between plant growth and environment. Buds fate affect directly architecture, and their fates and spatial distribution reflect tree crown special investment stratagem.Larix chinensis is distributed in the alpine regions(altitude 2560 ~ 3600m) of Qinling Mountain in Shannxi Province, China, and it is the only upper-limit tree species at the region. As a national second-grade protected plant, it has an important function in conserving water, fixing sand or rock, and adjusting local environment. Because of longer life span and harsh growing conditions, a large number of apex buds die regularly in branches of L. chinensis. The death of apex buds visibly affects the branching pattern, leading to 3 types: type- I is typical of monopodial branching, type-Ill is very similar to false dichotomous branching, and type- II is an admixture of type-I and type-Ill.To study the phenotypic plasticity in different environment, discuss the relation between phenotypic plasticity and environment. By studying the affect of apex buds fates to branching pattern and the relation between apex buds death and its position in tree crown, discuss the adaptability of apex buds and branching to environment, adapting ways of module individual to environment and the mechanism of plasticity. Above studies has offered theory basis to protect L. chinensis.The branching pattern in different environment, different growth phase, different...