Search

Abstract The expansion of Pleioblastus amarus into tea plantations introduces environmental heterogeneity, significantly influencing the growth and quality of bamboo shoots. This study examined the effects of bamboo expansion on the appearance, nutrition, and palatability of bamboo shoots, utilizing partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to identify key influencing factors. Results revealed that bamboo expansion increased shoot diameter, length, and fresh weight, enhancing overall size and edibility, particularly in the tea-bamboo mixed forest center zone (TBC), where appearance quality peaked. Nutritional analysis revealed substantial increases in protein, fat, starch, and vitamin C content after bamboo expansion, along with the improvements in amino acid score (AAS), essential amino acid index (EAAI), and nutritional index (NI), indicating elevated nutritional value. However, despite the rise in soluble sugars and flavor-enhancing amino acids, higher levels of total acids, oxalic acid, tannins, and cellulose diminished the palatability, notably in TBC site. PLS-SEM further indicated that while bamboo expansion positively influenced shoot appearance and nutrition, soil factors predominantly drove these changes and concurrently detracted from overall palatability. These findings provide a framework for enhancing bamboo shoot quality and optimizing management practices in tea plantation ecosystems.

Abstract Background The expansion of bamboo forests increases environmental heterogeneity in tea plantation ecosystems, affecting soil properties and microbial communities. Understanding these impacts is essential for developing sustainable bamboo management and maintaining ecological balance in tea plantations. Methods We studied the effect of the continuous expansion of Pleioblastus amarus into tea plantations, by establishing five plot types: pure P. amarus forest area (BF), P. amarus forest interface area (BA), mixed forest interface area (MA), mixed forest center area (TB), and pure tea plantation area (TF). We conducted a comprehensive analysis of soil chemical properties and utilized Illumina sequencing to profile microbial community composition and diversity, emphasizing their responses to bamboo expansion. Results (1) Bamboo expansion significantly raised soil pH and enhanced levels of organic matter, nitrogen, and phosphorus, particularly noticeable in BA and MA sites. In the TB sites, improvements in soil nutrients were statistically indistinguishable from those in pure tea plantation areas. (2) Continuous bamboo expansion led to significant changes in soil bacterial diversity, especially noticeable between BA and TF sites, while fungal diversity was unaffected. (3) Bamboo expansion substantially altered the composition of less abundant bacterial and fungal communities, which proved more sensitive to changes in soil chemical properties. Conclusion The expansion of bamboo forests causes significant alterations in soil pH and nutrient characteristics, impacting the diversity and composition of soil bacteria in tea plantations. However, as expansion progresses, its long-term beneficial impact on soil quality in tea plantations appears limited.

Pleioblastus amarus, a bamboo species with wide distribution, can be utilized for its high quality shoot and timber. In order to explore the change characteristics of the culm form and the biomass distribution pattern of aboveground components in the interface area of P. amarus and to understand how the bamboo species adapt to heterogeneous habitats, pure stand of P. amarus, Cunninghamia lanceolata and mixed forest with P. amarus and C. lanceolata were selected to investigate culm form, culm, branch and leaf biomass of 1-2 year-old P. amarus in the central and boundary zone of the pure forest and mixed forests, and the differences culm shape and aboveground module biomass accumulation, allocation and allometric grouth relationship were analyzed. The results were as follows: (1) The differences of biomass accumulation and allocation of one-year old P. amarus in the interface area increased. Furthermore, the relative biomass of module and leaf biomass allocation under the interface area of P. amarus forest increased, while the relative biomass of module and leaf biomass allocation under the mixed forest interface decreased. However, the differences of biomass accumulation and allocation of two-year old bamboos decreased, and there was no significant difference on relative biomass of module and biomass allocation of two-year old bamboos on the two sides of the interface area. (2) Culm shape characteristics and the allometric growth relationship of module biomass of the one-year old bamboo changed slightly, while allometric growth rate of culm biomass of two-year old bamboo in the interface area of P. amarus stand increased, and those of the branches and leaves decreased. All the above results indicate that the culm shape and biomass allocation pattern of P. amarus obviously change under the interface area by balancing the relationship of resource allocation to enhance suitability and fitness to heterogeneous environment.