The clonal growth of Zoysia japonica in response to the levels and orders of habitat resource gradient

The clonal growth characteristics of Zoysia japonica in response to the levels and orders of habitat resource gradient were studied in the current experiment. The treatments consisted of high, low nutrient level gradients, and a whole range nutrient level gradient; every gradient consisted of a series of micro-habitats whose nutrient level increased or decreased, respectively. The results showed that the total biomass of Z. japonica clones changed with the gradient in the following order: high nutrient level gradient>low nutrient level gradient>whole range nutrient level gradient, and in every nutrient level gradient. The total biomass of Z. japonica clone was higher at decreasing order habitat than that at increasing order habitat, which suggested that both increasing the nutrient level in habitat and matching the nutrient supply in a micro-habitat with the growth requirement of each ramet could significantly improve the clonal growth of Z. japonica. The ratios of root/shoot of Z. japonica changed with the gradient in the following order: low nutrient level gradient>whole range nutrient level gradient>high nutrient level gradient, which suggested that the ramets of Z. japonica tended to be independent, and plastically responded to each micro-habitat and less affected by the neighbor ramets within the clone. In every gradient and habitat with various nutrient level and order, the growth of ramet A was superior to ramets B. The biomass allocation in the stolon was the largest in the whole range nutrient level gradient habitat whose total nutrient was at moderate level. The response of clonal growth of Z. japonica to the levels and orders of habitat resource gradient reflected the adaptation of its morphological plasticity.