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Aims <p>Soil nutrient heterogeneity is common in natural ecosystems, where clonal plants may exhibit foraging responses that improve resource acquisition and growth. Many bamboos are woody, rhizomatous clonal plants, yet their responses to soil nutrient heterogeneity remain poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the foraging and growth responses of six bamboo species to soil nutrient heterogeneity.</p> Methods <p>We grew each of six bamboos (<i>Sasa pygmaea</i>, <i>Pleioblastus viridistriatus</i>, <i>Pleioblastus fortunei</i>, <i>Phyllostachys heteroclada</i>, <i>Pleioblastus kongosanensis</i>, and <i>Pseudosasa japonica</i>) in pots with either a homogeneous or a heterogeneous nutrient soil consisting of high-nutrient and low-nutrient patches.</p> Results <p><i>S. pygmaea</i>, <i>P. heteroclada</i>, <i>P. kongosanensis</i>, and <i>P. japonica</i> exhibited significant or marginally significant root foraging ability, but <i>P. viridistriatus</i> and <i>P. fortunei</i> did not. Although most of the bamboo species exhibited greater growth performance in high-nutrient patches than those in low-nutrient patches, soil nutrient heterogeneity did not show a significant effect on biomass, morphological traits or bud production for any of the six species except <i>P. heteroclada</i>. Moreover, total mass was not significantly positively correlated with root foraging ability across the six bamboo species.</p> Conclusion <p>These findings demonstrate species-specific foraging strategies in bamboos. The absence of a positive relationship between total mass and root forging ability may result from the resource costs associated with physiological integration and shifts in allometric relationships among organs. Our findings suggest a potential role for species-specific foraging traits in informing restoration and management strategies in ecosystems where bamboo plays a significant role.</p>

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Soil nutrient heterogeneity induces foraging behavior but does not improve overall growth performance in six bamboo species

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月15日

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  • Lin-Xuan He,
  • Li-Li Zheng,
  • Jia-Yu Zhang,
  • Xiao-Mei Zhang,
  • Jing-Pin Lei,
  • Mai-He Li,
  • Fei-Hai Yu

摘要

Aims

Soil nutrient heterogeneity is common in natural ecosystems, where clonal plants may exhibit foraging responses that improve resource acquisition and growth. Many bamboos are woody, rhizomatous clonal plants, yet their responses to soil nutrient heterogeneity remain poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the foraging and growth responses of six bamboo species to soil nutrient heterogeneity.

Methods

We grew each of six bamboos (Sasa pygmaea, Pleioblastus viridistriatus, Pleioblastus fortunei, Phyllostachys heteroclada, Pleioblastus kongosanensis, and Pseudosasa japonica) in pots with either a homogeneous or a heterogeneous nutrient soil consisting of high-nutrient and low-nutrient patches.

Results

S. pygmaea, P. heteroclada, P. kongosanensis, and P. japonica exhibited significant or marginally significant root foraging ability, but P. viridistriatus and P. fortunei did not. Although most of the bamboo species exhibited greater growth performance in high-nutrient patches than those in low-nutrient patches, soil nutrient heterogeneity did not show a significant effect on biomass, morphological traits or bud production for any of the six species except P. heteroclada. Moreover, total mass was not significantly positively correlated with root foraging ability across the six bamboo species.

Conclusion

These findings demonstrate species-specific foraging strategies in bamboos. The absence of a positive relationship between total mass and root forging ability may result from the resource costs associated with physiological integration and shifts in allometric relationships among organs. Our findings suggest a potential role for species-specific foraging traits in informing restoration and management strategies in ecosystems where bamboo plays a significant role.