Photosynthetica 1998, 35(1):139-149 | DOI: 10.1023/A:1006842420191

Photosynthetic rates and vegetative production of Sorghastrum nutans in response to competition at two strip mines and a railroad prairie

V.A. Skeel1, D.J. Gibson2
1 Cooperative Wildlife Research Laboratory - Mined Land Reclamation, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, U.S.A.
2 Department of Plant Biology, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, U.S.A.

The effect of differing environmental conditions on competition for resources was investigated by a comparison of net photosynthetic rate (PN) and vegetative production of Indiangrass [Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash.] at two strip mine sites with differing reclamation histories, and a railroad prairie site where this species occurs naturally. The treatment for a competition experiment consisted of tying back all species of neighboring plants around a target plant, and measuring its PN and vegetative performance during the growing season. Environmental variables at each site were also measured during the growing season. Soil bulk density and pH were higher at the two mine sites than at the prairie site, and soil texture, nutrients, and water potential were different at each of the three sites. PN of target plants compared closely among the three sites, and were lowest for plants at the railroad prairie. The competition experiment indicated that lower canopy leaves were most affected by competition for photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) at all sites. Significant differences in PN of upper canopy leaves were found between treatment and control plants at one of the mine sites. This site had higher soil water potentials and higher soil levels of P and K than the other mine site or the railroad prairie. Target plants at the other mine site experienced a low competition for PAR, likely due to lower soil moisture availability and therefore lower aboveground productivity. The largest differences in PN and irradiances between upper and lower canopy leaves occurred in target plants with neighbors at the railroad prairie, likely due to inter-specific competition. Vegetative production of the target plants also reflected the environment at each site, but did not reflect PN differences between treatments. S. nutans is well adapted to the varying environment at these three sites, and aboveground competition for radiant energy was probably not as limiting for this C4 grass as belowground competition.

Additional key words: biomass; gas exchange; inflorescence; irradiance; seasonal course; soil texture; tillers

Prepublished online: March 1, 1998; Published: January 1, 1998  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago Chicago Notes IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Skeel, V.A., & Gibson, D.J. (1998). Photosynthetic rates and vegetative production of Sorghastrum nutans in response to competition at two strip mines and a railroad prairie. Photosynthetica, 35(1), 139-149. doi: 10.1023/A:1006842420191
Share...
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Anderson, R.C., Birkenholz, D.E.: Growth and establishment of prairie grasses and domestic forage on strip-mine soils.-In: Kucera, C.L. (ed.): Proc. Seventh N. Amer. Prairie Conf. Pp. 183-188. S.W. Missouri State U., Springfield 1980.
    2. Ashby, W.C.: National Register of Reclamation Research and Demonstration Areas on Mined Land. Entry # 225.-S. Illinois Univ., Carbondale, Amer. Soc. Surface Mining Reclamation. Pp. 2-18. 1992.
    3. Ashby, W.C., Hannigan, K.P., Kost, D.A.: Coal mine reclamation with grasses and legumes in southern Illinois.-J. Soil Water Conser. 44: 79-83, 1989.
    4. Barnes, P.W., Tieszen, L.L., Ode, D.J.: Distribution, production and diversity of C3-and C4-dominated communities in a mixed prairie.-Can. J. Bot. 61: 741-751, 1983. Go to original source...
    5. Bonfert, G.A., Ashby, W.C.: Native prairie grasses for reclaiming ungraded mine spoil in southern Illinois.-In: 1984 Symp. Surface Mining, Hydrology, Sedimentology, and Reclamation. Pp. 19-24, Univ. Kentucky, Lexington 1984.
    6. Brown, R.H.: A difference in nitrogen use efficiency in C3 and C4 plants and its implications in adaptation and evolution.-Crop Sci. 18: 93-98, 1978. Go to original source...
    7. Corbett, E.A., Anderson, R.C., Rodgers, C.S.: Prairie revegetation of a strip mine in Illinois: fifteen years after establishment.-Rest. Ecol. 4: 346-354, 1996. Go to original source...
    8. Duralia, T.E., Reader, R.J.: Does abundance reflect competitive ability?: A field test with three prairie grasses.-Oikos 68: 82-90, 1993. Go to original source...
    9. Gibson, D.G., Skeel, V.A.: Effects of competition on photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance of Sorghastrum nutans.-Photosynthetica 32: 503-512, 1996.
    10. Gould, F.W., Shaw, R.B. Grass Systematics. 2nd Ed.-Texas A&M University Press, Galveston 1983. Go to original source...
    11. Grime, J.P.: Plant Strategies and Vegetation Processes.-John Wiley and Sons, Bath 1979.
    12. Gurevitch, J.: Competition and the local distribution of the grass Stipa neomexicana.-Ecology 67: 46-57, 1986. Go to original source...
    13. Herman, R.J., Miles, C.C., Dungan, L.E., Currie, B.E., Ice, P.W., Parks, W.D.: Soil Survey of Jackson County, Illinois. 1975.-U.S. Dep. Agr., Soil Conserv. Service, Forest Service, Illinois Agr. Exp. Station. Pp. 11-14, 1975.
    14. Hulbert, L.C., Wilson, J.K.: Fire interval effects on flowering of grasses in Kansas bluestem prairie. In: Kucera, C.L. (ed.): Proc. Seventh N. Amer. Prairie Conf. Pp. 255-257. Univ. Missouri, Columbia 1980.
    15. Hurlbert, S.H.: Pseudoreplication and the design of ecological field experiments.-Ecol. Monogr. 54: 187-211, 1984. Go to original source...
    16. Knapp, A.K.: Effect of fire and drought on the ecophysiology of Andropogon gerardii and Panicum virgatum in a tallgrass prairie.-Ecology 66: 1309-1320, 1985. Go to original source...
    17. Knapp, A.K.: Gas exchange dynamics in C3 and C4 grasses: Consequences of differences in stomatal conductance.-Ecology 74: 113-123, 1993. Go to original source...
    18. Kuenstler, W.F., Henry, D.S., Sanders, S.A.: Using prairie grasses for forage production on mine spoil.-In: Kucera, C.L. (ed.): Proc. Seventh N. Amer. Prairie Conf. Pp. 215-218. S.W. Missouri State Univ., Springfield 1980.
    19. Mitchley, J.: Diffuse competition in plant communities.-Trends Ecol. Evol. 2: 104-106, 1987. Go to original source...
    20. Polley, H.W., Norman, J.M., Arkebauer, T.J., Walter-Shea, E.A., Greegor, J.D.H., Bramer, B.: Leaf gas exchange of Andropogon gerardii Vitman, Panicum virgatum L., and Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash. in a tallgrass prairie.-J. geophys. Res. 97: 18837-18844, 1992. Go to original source...
    21. Potvin, C., Lechowicz, M.J., Tardif, S.: The statistical analysis of ecophysiological response curves obtained from experiments involving repeated measures.-Ecology 71: 1389-1400, 1990. Go to original source...
    22. SAS Institute: SAS/STAT User's Guide, Version 6. Vol. 2. 4th Ed.-SAS Institute, Cary 1989.
    23. Skeel, V.A.: Environmental Effects on Competition: Leaf Gas Exchange and Production of Sorghastrum nutans (L.) Nash. on Two Reclaimed Strip Mines and a Railroad Prairie.-M.S. Thesis. Southern Illinois University, Carbondale 1995.
    24. Skeel, V.A., Gibson, D.J.: Physiological performance of Andropogon gerardii, Panicum virgatum, and Sorghastrum nutans on reclaimed mine spoil.-Restor. Ecol. 4: 355-367, 1996. Go to original source...
    25. Thomas, D., Jansen, I.: Soil development in coal mine spoil.-J. Soil Water Conser. 40: 439-442, 1985.
    26. Tilman, D.: Competition, nutrient reduction and the competitive neighborhood of bunchgrass.-Funct. Ecol. 3: 215-219, 1989. Go to original source...
    27. Wedin, D., Tilman, D.: Nitrogen cycling, plant competition, and the stability of tallgrass prairie.-In: Smith, D., Jacobs, C.A. (ed.): Proc. 12th N. Amer. Prairie Conf. Cedar Falls, Iowa. Pp. 5-8. 1990.

    Return to the content