Morphological investigation of desert shrubs of China’s Junggar Basin based on allometric theory

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00471

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Our objectives were to investigate how shape and structure affect shrub architecture and to understand its function in the desert ecosystem through simulating differences in crown architecture of desert shrubs in China’s Junggar Basin.

Methods We analyzed shrub height and crown form. The difference between observed crown area and height and the estimated crown model was found to be a good measure of degree of crown development. A Malthusian conceptual model is proposed where crown area and height modify the crown architecture, shrub surface area and volume. We assumed that the three-dimensional structure of desert shrubs is the triaxial ellipsoid and chose shrub desert island in Junggar Basin as our object of study. According to plant allometric theory, we started from the differential form of the Malthusian equation and set up models describing (a) crown area and height growth and (b) surface area and volume growth. In addition, simulations were used for calculating the potential crown architecture of the desert shrub.

Important findings The assumption that the vertical distribution of desert shrub crown shape is semi-triaxial ellipsoid is valid. Three crown types were identified: flat, nearly hemispherical, and upright. These crown types corresponded well with the vertical distribution patterns of maximum height. The consistency of quantitative relationship between volume and surface area of desert shrubs is suggested as a useful tool for characterizing similar water-use strategy in the same environmental condition.

Key words: allometric theory, crown area, crown-type, desert shrub, relative growth rate

LI Song, ZHENG Xin-Jun, TANG Li-Song, LI Yan. Morphological investigation of desert shrubs of China’s Junggar Basin based on allometric theory[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2011, 35(5): 471-479.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00471

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2011/V35/I5/471

Figures/Tables 5

Table 1 Shrub types and their quantitative characteristics

物种 Species	代号Code	相对密度Relative density (RD) (%)	相对频度Relative frequency (RF) (%)
白刺 Nitraria sibirica	Ns	1.2	13.3
淡枝沙拐枣 Calligonum leucocladum	Cal	3.3	56.7
白梭梭 Haloxylon persicum	Hp	4.0	56.7
柽柳 Tamarix spp.	Tr	2.9	26.7
黑果枸杞 Lycium ruthenicum	Lr	0.8	6.7
花花柴 Karelinia caspica	Kc	1.5	3.3
铃铛刺 Halimodendrom halodendron	Hh	0.4	6.7
疏叶骆驼刺 Alhagi sparsifolia	Als	1.4	6.7
毛足假木贼 Anabasis eriopoda	Ae	1.3	6.7
琵琶柴 Reaumuria soongorica	Rs	24.2	33.3
梭梭 Haloxylon ammodendron	Ha	38.5	93.3
驼绒藜 Ceratoides lateens	Cel	0.7	3.3
小叶碱蓬 Suaeda microphylla	Sm	0.7	13.3
盐节木 Halocnemum strobilaceum	Hs	0.6	3.3
盐生假木贼 Anabasis salsa	Ans	0.7	3.3
盐穗木 Halostachys caspica	Hc	2.3	10.0
盐爪爪 Kalidium spp.	Kf	13.2	16.7
准噶尔沙蒿 Artemisia songarica	Ars	2.3	13.3

Fig. 1 Distribution of 18 shrubs’ height (A), crown area (B), shrub surface area (C) and volume (D). On each box, the reft and right edges of the box are the 25th and 75th percentiles, the difference of the top and bottom is quartile extreme; the central mark is the median, if the line doesn’t lie the central of the box, it shows skewness; box to the left or right extension of the line were known as “whisker”, if there were no statistical outliers, the maximum value of the sample should be the top of the right whiskers, and the sample minimum should be the bottom of the left whisker. It will be considered as statistical outliers in the samples if there are values more than 1.5 times of the quartile extreme from the left or right side of the box (see Figure with “+” indicates). A dot will be at the bottom of the tentacles if no data out of tentacles; the notch of both sides of the box corresponding to 95% confidence interval of the samples. Species code see Table 1.

Fig. 2 Relationship between height (H) and crown area (CA) of 18 shrubs. Species code see Table 1.

Fig. 3 Relationship between surface area and volume of 18 shrubs. Species code see Table 1.

Fig. 4 Crown-type simulative diagrams of 18 desert shrubs. Species code see Table 1.

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