A new method to identify the colonization level of riparian vegetation species

Riparian vegetation is constantly subjected to environmental stresses and reactive oxygen species are generated in the plant tissue due to the stress. The study examined the effect of elevation on riparian vegetation along the Hii River in Japan by quantifying the environmental stresses, using foliar hydrogen peroxide (H2O2 ) concentration. In the riparian zone, soil moisture uniquely decreased with the elevation from the ordinary water level. Lea samples of four common riparian species, Phragmites australis, Phragmites karka, Juglans mandshurica, and Salix pierotii, were used for the investigation. Leaf samples were collected at different elevations along the river. The results indicated that foliar H 2O2 concentrations of P. australis, P. karka, and S. pierotii decrease with increasing soil moisture, indicating low levels of stress due to higher availability of soil moisture. However, J. mandshurica showed the opposite trend. Biomass and chlorophyll data indicated the threshold H2O2 concentration for colonization. The colonization levels of individual species could be determined by combining the studied parameters. Our study revealed that H2O2 is a very efficient and reliable index for quantifying environmental stress and the colonization level for vegetation management.

Publication year:2021

Keywords:P1 Proceeding

Accessibility:Open