石灰岩生态系统是一种脆弱的退化生态系统。由于岩石易水解形成溶蚀地貌,土壤水分难以保存,水土流失现象普遍,尤其原生植被破坏后,生境更加恶化,植被恢复非常困难(谢宗强等,1995)。改善植物根系形态和功能从而使植物体更加有效地吸收水分和矿质营养,对退化生态系统的植被恢复具有非常重要的意义(Folk et al.,1997)。
Effects of Glomus mosseae and water stress on morphology and fractal characteristic of root system in Broussonetia papyrifera were studied in this paper based on scanner-based image analysis. The results showed that drought and VAM inoculation had a large, significant effect on plant development. Biomass, total length, surface area, volume, number of root nodes, average diameter and fractal dimension of root system in B. papyrifera decreased with the reduction of soil moisture, while they were increased by VAM inoculation. Special root length in non-AM plants increased when soil moisture was reducing, but it was decreased by VAM inoculation. It was concluded that G. mosseae inoculation improved the drought resistance of B. papyrifera, especially in moderate stressed conditions. The contribution of AM symbiosis to plant to avoid the stress or to increase its tolerance might be the result of modification of root morphology and fractal character.