Effects of Waterlogging Stress on the Neighboring Relationships between Cleistocalyx operculatus (Roxb.) Merr. and Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen Saplings

• Published in: Forests Vol. 14; no. 2; p. 377
• Main Authors: Dadong Li, Luyao Guo, Mengjie Tian, Lingfeng Miao, Lishan Xiang, Fan Yang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 01-02-2023
• Subjects: Cleistocalyx operculatus; Dalbergia odorifera; eco-physiological; neighboring relationship; waterlogging
• ISSN: 1999-4907
• DOI: 10.3390/f14020377

Neighboring relationships among plants have been extensively reported, but little is known about the effect of waterlogging. In this study, Cleistocalyx operculatus (Roxb.) Merr. and Dalbergia odorifera T. Chen saplings were used in investigating the neighboring relationships between legumes and non-leguminous woody plants under different planting and watering regimes. Results showed that C. operculatus and D. odorifera are waterlogging-tolerant species, and C. operculatus with high proportion of adventitious roots would be at an advantage during waterlogging. The growth performance of D. odorifera was better than that of C. operculatus under well-watered single-planting conditions. However, under well-watered mixed-planting conditions, C. operculatus had an obvious inhibitory effect on the growth traits (increments in stem height and leaf number, total leaf area, and total plant fresh weight) and physiological responses (net photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, and transpiration) of D. odorifera, whereas the growth of C. operculatus slightly increased in the presence of D. odorifera. Under waterlogging mixed-planting conditions, the facilitative effect was more intensive; the total leaf area, underground fresh weight, and total plant fresh weight of C. operculatus significantly increased, but a negative effect was found in D. odorifer. These results showed that the neighboring relationship between these two species is predominantly favorable to C. operculatus. This research sheds new light on screening waterlogging-tolerant arbor species and species collocation during vegetation restoration and reconstruction activities in wetland systems.