Journal Article

Rainfall fluctuation causes the invasive plant Prosopis juliflora to adapt ecophysiologically and change phenotypically

Raghubanshi, Akhilesh Singh, Rajak, Prakash, Afreen, Talat, Singh, Hema

2024

Overview

Understanding the impact of rainfall variability on the ecophysiology of invasive plants in tropical grasslands is crucial for sustainable ecosystem management. Climate change alters rainfall patterns, which, in turn, may influence the functional traits and physiological responses of plants. Recent studies have explored how fluctuating precipitation affects plant growth and broader ecological dynamics. In this study, we examined these effects on Prosopis juliflora under three different rainfall treatments using rainout shelters: low rainfall (LR, 500 mm, 50% less than ambient), normal rainfall (NR, 1000 mm, representing average ambient rainfall), and high rainfall (HR, 1400 mm, 40% more than ambient). Each shelter was divided into three replicate plots (2 m x 2 m) in a randomized block design. P. juliflora seedlings (20 seedlings per subplot) were transplanted into each subplot within a 4m 2 area, with a 0.5 m distance between each plant, and data were collected one year after plot establishment (2020). The physiological parameters measured included leaf traits, growth metrics such as biomass, height, diameter, photosynthetic rate, leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), leaf carbon (LC), the leaf carbon-to-nitrogen (C/N) ratio, and the root-to-shoot ratio. These parameters showed significant positive responses to changes in precipitation i.e. increase with the increase in rainfall. However, water use efficiency (WUE), leaf nitrogen (LN), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), and root length (RL) showed negative responses i.e. decrease with the increase in rainfall and were highest in the LR plots. Our findings suggest that the ecophysiology and functional traits of P. juliflora are strongly influenced by rainfall variability. The species exhibits considerable phenotypic plasticity, thriving in both drought and elevated precipitation conditions. This adaptability has important implications for its invasive potential and the overall functioning of ecosystems under shifting climatic conditions.

• Publisher: Springer International Publishing,Springer Nature B.V
• Subject: Adaptability / Adaptation, Physiological / Area / Atmospheric Protection/Air Quality Control/Air Pollution / Biomass / Botanical gardens / Carbon / Climate Change / Climatic conditions / Drought / Dry matter / Dry matter content / Earth and Environmental Science / Ecological effects / Ecology / Ecophysiology / Ecosystem / Ecosystem management / Ecosystems / Ecotoxicology / Environment / Environmental Management / Flowers & plants / Functional plasticity / Grasslands / Humidity / Introduced Species / Invasive plants / invasive species / Leaf area / leaf dry matter content / Leaves / Monitoring/Environmental Analysis / Nitrogen / Parameters / Phenotype / Phenotypic plasticity / Photosynthesis / Physiological effects / Physiological responses / Physiology / Plant growth / Plant Leaves / Plants / Plot (Narrative) / Precipitation / Prosopis / Prosopis - physiology / Prosopis juliflora / Rain / Rainfall / Rainfall patterns / Rainfall variability / Rainfall-climatic change relationships / Rainout / root shoot ratio / Seedlings / Shelters / species / specific leaf area / Sustainable ecosystems / Variability / Vegetation / Water / Water use / Water use efficiency / Winter