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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Ecol. Evol.

Sec. Urban Ecology

Volume 13 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fevo.2025.1514533

The ecological adaptability of Sanchezia oblonga to biotic and abiotic stress in urban gardens

Provisionally accepted
Cong Chen Cong Chen *Yimin Peng Yimin Peng Lingling Liu Lingling Liu Xiaoxia Cai Xiaoxia Cai Zhiqiao Cao Zhiqiao Cao Xiaokun Mu Xiaokun Mu Danfeng Yan Danfeng Yan Yawen Wen Yawen Wen
  • College of Life Sciences, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    Sanchezia oblonga is a very important urban garden tree species. In order to investigate the ecological adaptability of S. oblonga against various stresses, this study examined physiological response of S. oblonga to biotic (feeding by the snail Achatina fulica) and abiotic (simulated pruning) independent interference. The changes in malondialdehyde content, catalase activity, and peroxidase activity were assessed over time. Our findings demonstrated that A. fulica significantly damaged S. oblonga, consuming a average of 0.22 ± 0.01 grams per hour. Furthermore, both simulated pruning and snail feeding significantly impacted the levels of malondialdehyde content and the activities of catalase and peroxidase in the plant's leaves. Compared to the control group, both stresses induced increased malondialdehyde synthesis and heightened catalase and peroxidase activity. Interestingly, both snail feeding and leaf cutting stresses can induce more persistent defense responses in S. oblonga. Additionally, the activity of defense enzymes declined over time following stress exposure, with a more sustained effect observed in the simulated pruning group compared to the snail feeding group. Overall, the study highlights ecological adaptability of plant to biotic and abiotic stresses, emphasizing the crucial roles of malondialdehyde, catalase, and peroxidase in response to adversity and stress in S. oblonga. These findings hold significant implications for breeding programs aimed at improving stress resistance and for developing cultivation practices that optimize the health of garden plants. This study present a new perspective on understanding plant ecological adaptability of plants to biotic and abiotic stress in urban gardens.

    Keywords: Leaf-cutting stimulation, Feeding stress, Achatina fulica, Malondialdehyde, Catalase

    Received: 21 Oct 2024; Accepted: 31 Mar 2025.

    Copyright: © 2025 Chen, Peng, Liu, Cai, Cao, Mu, Yan and Wen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Cong Chen, College of Life Sciences, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing, China

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.

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