Arid Zone Research ›› 2020, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (5): 1256-1263.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2020.05.18

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Study on leaf water uptake traits of desert plants in Minqin

WANG Fei1, 2, GUO Shu-jiang1, 3, HAN Fu-gui1, 2, WANG Fang-lin1, 2, ZHANG Wei-xing1, ZHANG Yu-nian1, 2   

  1. (1. Gansu Desert Control Resesrch Institiute, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China; 2. State Key Laboratory Breeding Base of Desertification and Aeolian Sand Disaster Combating, Wuwei 733000, Gansu, China; 3. Gansu Minqin National Studies Station for Desert Steppe Ecosystem, Minqin 733300, Gansu, China)
  • Received:2019-12-09 Revised:2020-06-22 Online:2020-09-15 Published:2020-12-16

Abstract: Leaf water absorption strategy is of great ecological significance in arid areas, where the water input is dominated by small precipitation and condensate water. In this study, 20 desert plants were taken as the study object in Minqin.We measured LWUC, RW, WSD, SLA, and LDMC and analyzed the distribution characteristics of plant leaf traits and their correlation; the variation characteristics of leaf water uptake traits of small functional groups were compared. The results showed that (1) the leaves could absorb water and could make use of small precipitation. There were significant interspecific differences in leaf traits. (2) LWUC was significantly negatively correlated with LDMC (P<0.01), and RW was positively correlated with WSD (P<0.01). (3) There were no significant differences in LWUC, RW, and WSD of different plant growth forms (P>0.05). (4) There was a significant difference in LWUC among plants with different leaf textures (P<0.01); the succulents had significantly (P<0.05) higher LWUC than the herbaceous and coriaceous plants, and there was no significant difference between the succulents and the aphyllous plants. (5) There was no significant difference in LWUC between plants with different leaf surface traits (P>0.05), but the RW and WSD of tomentose leaves were significantly higher than those of smooth leaves (P<0.01).This study is expected to help better understand the water use manners and strategies of different functional plantsin desert ecosystems and to improve our knowledge of ecological adaption strategies of desert plants and the changes of desert vegetation patterns to provide a scientific basis for their protection and restoration.

Key words: desert plants, small precipitation leaf water, uptake traits, Minqin