Arid Zone Research ›› 2025, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (5): 852-865.doi: 10.13866/j.azr.2025.05.08

• Plant Ecology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of saline-alkali stress on the fine root growth and photosynthetic physiological characteristics of Atriplex canescens seedlings

GU Huli1,2(), ZHOU Hai1(), HE Zhibin1, CHEN Guopeng2, REN Heng1, FAN Mingyan1,3   

  1. 1. Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China
    2. College of Forestry, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, Gansu, China
    3. State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, Qinghai, China
  • Received:2024-12-09 Revised:2025-01-08 Online:2025-05-15 Published:2025-10-22
  • Contact: ZHOU Hai E-mail:guhuli2023@163.com;zhouhai1201@lzb.ac.cn

Abstract:

To determine Atriplex canescens seedlings adaptive capacity to saline-alkali stress, a pot-controlled experiment was carried out to investigate their responses in biomass allocation, root architecture, photosynthetic physiology, and water use efficiency under gradient saline-alkali concentrations. The study found that (1) a saline-alkali stress of 0-100 mmol·L-1, significantly increased the fine root length, fine root surface area, specific root length, specific root area, root tissue density, total root length, total root volume, total root surface area, and total root mean diameter of Atriplex canescens seedlings. (2) When the solution concentration exceeded 150 mmol·L-1, all biomass and root metrics decreased dramatically as the saline-alkali stress concentration increased over time. (3) The net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance all decreased with the duration of saline-alkali stress, and the degree of decrease was positively linked with solution concentration. (4) As stress duration increased, both instantaneous and intrinsic water use efficiency improved. The study revealed the relationship between the growth of Atriplex canescens seedlings in response to different saline-alkali stress concentrations and stress durations, as well as a scientific basis for Atriplex canescens seedlings adaptive growth for saline-alkali land management.

Key words: Atriplex canescens, saline-alkali stress, seedling growth, photosynthetic physiological, water use efficiency