Arid Zone Research ›› 2022, Vol. 39 ›› Issue (5): 1486-1495.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2022.05.13

• Plant Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Responses of leaf structural and chemical trait of Tamarix ramosissima to soil water changes

LI Zehou1,2,3(),LI Ruixi1,2,3,ZHANG Shubin1,2,3,WANG Chongbin1,2,3,ZHENG Mingming1,2,3,DONG Yeqing1,2,3,WU Xue1,2,3,4()   

  1. 1. College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, Xinjiang, China
    2. Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Education Ministry, Urumqi 830017, Xinjiang, China
    3. Xinjiang Jinghe Observation and Research Station of Temperate Desert Ecosystem, Ministry of Education, Jinghe 833300, Xinjiang, China
    4. Ecology Post-Doctoral Research Station, Xinjiang University, Urumqi 830017, Xinjiang, China
  • Received:2022-02-27 Revised:2022-06-11 Online:2022-09-15 Published:2022-10-25
  • Contact: Xue WU E-mail:1534886844@qq.com;wuxue@xju.edu.cn

Abstract:

Desert plants have developed unique leaf traits as part of their ecological response to long-term drought stress. We investigated the population characteristics of Tamarix ramosissima under different soil water conditions at the northern edge of the Tarim Basin and measured and analyzed its leaf structural and chemical traits, along with the main soil physicochemical properties, in this study. that the following was found: (1) soil water had a significant effect on several leaf traits of Tamarix ramosissima, including total nitrogen and phosphorus content, C:P, C:N, mean leaf thickness, and mean leaf area. (2) With the increase of soil water content, the N:P of Tamarix ramosissima leaves decreased, and its growth gradually changed from phosphorus-limited to nitrogen-limited. (3) There was a significant negative correlation between the total phosphorus content and C:P and N:P of Tamarix ramosissima leaves (P < 0.01) and a significant positive correlation between C:N and the mean leaf area (P < 0.05). The results indicate that soil water content is an important factor affecting the leaf functional traits of Tamarix ramosissima, and it adapts to the arid environment through the synergistic changes of some leaf traits. This study provides a basis for the evaluation of plant ecological adaptations in the ecological conservation and restoration processes in arid desert areas.

Key words: Tamarix ramosissima, soil water content, leaf traits, ecological strategy, Tarim Basin