Effects of fragment traits, burial orientation and nutrient supply on survival and growth in Populus deltoides × P. simonii.

Clonal propagations of shoot or root fragments play pivotal roles in adaptation of clonal trees to environmental heterogeneity, i.e. soil nutrient heterogeneity and burials after disturbance. However, little is known about whether burial orientation and nutrient supply can alter the effects of fragment traits in Populus. Shoot and root fragments of Populus deltoides × P. simonii were subjected to burials in two different fragment diameters (0.5 and 2.0 cm), two fragment lengths (5 and 15 cm) and three burial orientations (horizontal, upward and downward). For the shoot fragments, survival and growth were significantly higher in the larger pieces (either in length or diameter) and the horizontal/upward burial position. On the contrary, the effect of burial position was reversed for the root fragments. Shoot/root fragments of 15 cm in length in horizontal burial position were then subjected to two different fragment diameters (0.5 and 2.0 cm) and four types of nutrient supplies (without nutrient, low frequency, high frequency and patchy). Growth of shoot fragments of 2.0 cm in diameter significantly increased in high frequency and patchy nutrient supplies than that of without nutrient treatment. These results suggest that burial orientation and nutrient supply could be employed in clonal propagations of cuttings, afforestation or regeneration in Populus.