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Abiotic stresses increase plant regeneration ability

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Abstract

In disturbed habitats, vegetative regeneration is partly ruled by plant reserves and intrinsic growth rates. Under nutrient-limiting conditions, perennial plants tend to exhibit an increased allocation to storage organs. Under mechanically stressful conditions, plants also tend to increase allocation to below-ground biomass and storage organs. We tested whether those stresses acting differently on plants (nutrient level versus mechanical forces) led to similar effect on storage organs and regeneration ability. We measured, for an aquatic plant species, (1) the size and allocation to storage organs (stems) and (2) the regeneration ability of the storage organs. Plant stems were collected in 4 habitats ranked along a nutrient stress gradient, and having encountered null versus significant mechanical stress (flowing water). All stems were placed in similar neutral conditions and left for a period of 6 weeks before measuring their survival and growth. Dry mass allocation to the storage organ (stem) was higher in stressful habitats. Moreover, stress encountered by plants before the experiment significantly affected regeneration: stems of previously stressed plants (i.e. plants that had grown in nutrient-poor or mechanically stressful habitats) survived better than unstressed ones. Stems of plants having encountered mechanical stress before the experiment had increased growth in nutrient-rich habitats but reduced growth in the poorest habitats. These results demonstrate that regeneration could rely on the level of stress previously encountered by plants. Stress could lead to greater regeneration ability following mechanical failure. The possible mechanisms involved in these results are discussed.

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Acknowledgements

The authors thank D. Reynaud and E. Malet for their technical assistance. This study was partly funded by the “Thématiques Prioritaires” of the Rhône-Alpes Region and was carried out under the aegis of the long-term ecological research programme on the Rhône River Basin (Zone Atelier Bassin du Rhône).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UMR CNRS 5023, “Ecology of Fluvial Hydrosystems”, Université Lyon 1, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Sara Puijalon & Gudrun Bornette

  2. EA 3731, “Génome et Evolution des Plantes Supérieures”, Université Lyon 1, 43 Boulevard du 11 novembre 1918, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Florence Piola

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  1. Sara Puijalon
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  2. Florence Piola
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Correspondence to Sara Puijalon.

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Puijalon, S., Piola, F. & Bornette, G. Abiotic stresses increase plant regeneration ability. Evol Ecol 22, 493–506 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10682-007-9177-5

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