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Clonal growth architecture and spatial dynamics of 10 species of the genus Potamogeton across different habitats in Kashmir Valley, India

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Abstract

The plasticity in clonal architecture may enable plants to effectively respond to environmental constraints and to enhance species ecological niche breadth but its role in plant tolerance to water flow is poorly documented. The present study was carried out to determine whether the clonal architecture varies with respect to water flow in 10 species of the genus Potamogeton colonizing habitats differing by flow conditions. For these 10 species, the traits describing clonal architecture were measured on individuals sampled in natural sites and plasticity in clonal architecture was examined in a common garden growth experiment. The clonal growth architecture did not vary significantly in the species which inhabit either standing (P. lucens, P. natans, and P. pusillus) or running water (P. amblyphyllus and P. berchtoldii). However, the species inhabiting both standing as well as running waters (P. crispus, P. nodosus, P. pectinatus, P. perfoliatus, and P. wrightii) showed considerable and significant variation in clonal growth architecture across these habitats. Transplantation experiment revealed that clonal architecture observed between the plants under different conditions is plastic and not due to genetic differentiation. The present study demonstrated that plasticity in the clonal architecture may enable these species to inhabit stressful conditions of flowing water.

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Acknowledgments

We are highly thankful to the Head, Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, for providing necessary facilities. We also greatly acknowledge the kind help of Dr. Zdenek Kaplan, Institute of Botany, Academy of Science of Czech Republic, who authenticated identification of some plant specimens.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Botany, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, Jammu & Kashmir, 190 006, India

    Aijaz Hassan Ganie, Zafar A. Reshi & B. A. Wafai

  2. Université de Lyon, UMR 5023 “Ecologie des hydrosystèmes Naturels et anthropisés”; Université Lyon 1; CNRS; ENTPE, 69622, Villeurbanne Cedex, France

    Sara Puijalon

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  1. Aijaz Hassan Ganie
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  2. Zafar A. Reshi
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  3. B. A. Wafai
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Correspondence to Aijaz Hassan Ganie.

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Handling editor: Sidinei Magela Thomaz

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Ganie, A.H., Reshi, Z.A., Wafai, B.A. et al. Clonal growth architecture and spatial dynamics of 10 species of the genus Potamogeton across different habitats in Kashmir Valley, India. Hydrobiologia 767, 289–299 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10750-015-2509-5

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