Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (6): 1528-1536.

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Response of short-term grazing exclusion to individual functional traits of Seriphidium transiliense

JIANG Sha-sha1, SUN Zong-jiu1, 2, 3, CUI Yu-xuan1, DONG Yi-qiang1   

  1. 1. College of Pratacultureal and Environmental Sciences, Xinjiang Agricultural University, Urumqi 830052, China;
    2. Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology, Urumqi 830052, China;
    3. Key Laboratory of Grassland Resources and Ecology in Western Arid Region under Ministry of Education, Urumqi 830052, China

  • Received:2018-12-27 Revised:2019-03-22 Online:2019-11-15 Published:2019-11-15

Abstract: In this study, the phenotypic traits, biomass and allocation ratio of Seriphidium transiliense in the sagebrush deserts in Manas County, Hutubi County and Ashili Township of Changji City in Xinjiang were measured so as to understand the response mechanism of grazing exclusion. The response of individual functional traits of S. transiliense to short-term grazing exclusion was different from the different experiment plots, most of the traits, such as the plant height, aboveground biomass, leaf number and leaf biomass in Hutubi and Manas plots, were increased significantly (P<0.05), yet most of the functional traits in Changji plot were increased but not significantly. Compared with the control, the plant height, aboveground biomass, leaf number, stem biomass and leaf biomass of S. transiliense were significantly increased by 21.32%, 48.97%, 104.50%, 50.18% and 100.00% respectively (P<0.05), while the taproot diameter, first-grade branch number and third-grade branch number were decreased significantly, but there were no significant changes in the second-grade branch number, reproductive biomass and biomass allocation ratio (P<0.05). There was a significant linkage effect between the phenotypic traits and biomass allocation of S. transiliense, and the short-term grazing exclusion could significantly change the correlation of individual functional traits. In short, the short-term grazing exclusion could promote the recovery of individual functional traits of S. transiliense and facilitate the regeneration of degenerated sagebrush desert grassland.

Key words:  short-term grazing enclosure, Seriphidium transiliense, functional trait, phenotypic trait, biomass allocation, Xinjiang