Water-use strategies of two desert plants along a precipitation gradient in northwestern China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00789

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims In arid and semiarid regions, precipitation is the most important water source for plants. Our objective was to investigate the water-use strategies of two dominant desert plants along a precipitation gradient in northwestern China.

Methods We determined stable hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of the stem water from Artemisia ordosicaand Nitraria tangutorum and potential water sources (rain water, groundwater and soil water) at three study sites with different annual precipitation (Hanggin Banner and Dengkou County of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region and Minqin County of Gansu Province). The IsoSource model was then used to calculate probable contributions of potential water sources to total plant water uptake. We also determined foliar carbon isotope ratios and free proline contents of both species to indicate water use efficiency and osmotic-adjustment ability.

Important findings At the Hanggin Banner site (highest annual precipitation), both species obtained the highest proportion of water from shallow soil water and A. ordosicatook up water mostly from the 0-50 cm soil layer. However, they depended mainly on deep soil water or groundwater at the Dengkou and Minqin sites with lower annual precipitation. The water use efficiency of both species decreased with increasing annual precipitation. There was a positive correlation between carbon isotope ratio and free proline content in A. ordosica. These results suggest that desert plants can adjust their capabilities for up-take from different water sources and other physiological properties with variation in natural precipitation, but the strategies are species-specific.

Key words: arid and semiarid region, Artemisia ordosica, IsoSource model, Nitraria tangutorum, proline, stable isotope, water use efficiency

ZHOU Ya-Dan, CHEN Shi-Ping, SONG Wei-Min, LU Qi, LIN Guang-Hui. Water-use strategies of two desert plants along a precipitation gradient in northwestern China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2011, 35(8): 789-800.

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Figures/Tables 9

References 63

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研究点 Study site	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	年平均降水量Annual precipitation (mm)	地下水位Groundwater table (m)	植被类型 Vegetation type	优势种Dominant species	潜在水源的δ¹⁸O δ¹⁸O value of potential water source (‰)		有机碳 Organic C (g·kg^-1)	全N Total N (g·kg^-1)	全P Total P (g·kg^-1)	pH
研究点 Study site	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	年平均降水量Annual precipitation (mm)	地下水位Groundwater table (m)	植被类型 Vegetation type	优势种Dominant species	降水Rain	地下水Groundwater	有机碳 Organic C (g·kg^-1)	全N Total N (g·kg^-1)	全P Total P (g·kg^-1)	pH
甘肃民勤 Minqin, Gansu	38°36′ N, 102°56′ E	113	10-20	灌丛化荒漠 Desert shrub	白刺 Nitraria tangutorum	-4.04	-9.27	1.83 ± 0.07	0.18 ± 0.04		8.93 ± 0.07
内蒙古磴口Dengkou, Inner Mongolia	40°18′ N, 106°56′ E	145	1.5-3.0	灌丛化荒漠 Desert shrub	白刺 Nitraria tangutorum, 油蒿 Artemisia ordosica	-7.60	-9.63	1.58 ± 0.13	0.16 ± 0.02	0.08 ± 0.01	8.67 ± 0.09
内蒙古杭锦旗Hangjin Qi, Inner Mongolia	40°28' N, 108°37' E	258	1.7	灌丛化荒漠Desert shrub	油蒿 Artemisia ordosica	-0.81	-9.64	1.78 ± 0.09	0.13 ± 0.01		8.70 ± 0.21

研究点 Study site	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	年平均降水量Annual precipitation (mm)	地下水位Groundwater table (m)	植被类型 Vegetation type	优势种Dominant species	潜在水源的δ¹⁸O δ¹⁸O value of potential water source (‰)		有机碳 Organic C (g·kg^-1)	全N Total N (g·kg^-1)	全P Total P (g·kg^-1)	pH
研究点 Study site	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	年平均降水量Annual precipitation (mm)	地下水位Groundwater table (m)	植被类型 Vegetation type	优势种Dominant species	降水Rain	地下水Groundwater	有机碳 Organic C (g·kg^-1)	全N Total N (g·kg^-1)	全P Total P (g·kg^-1)	pH
甘肃民勤 Minqin, Gansu	38°36′ N, 102°56′ E	113	10-20	灌丛化荒漠 Desert shrub	白刺 Nitraria tangutorum	-4.04	-9.27	1.83 ± 0.07	0.18 ± 0.04		8.93 ± 0.07
内蒙古磴口Dengkou, Inner Mongolia	40°18′ N, 106°56′ E	145	1.5-3.0	灌丛化荒漠 Desert shrub	白刺 Nitraria tangutorum, 油蒿 Artemisia ordosica	-7.60	-9.63	1.58 ± 0.13	0.16 ± 0.02	0.08 ± 0.01	8.67 ± 0.09
内蒙古杭锦旗Hangjin Qi, Inner Mongolia	40°28' N, 108°37' E	258	1.7	灌丛化荒漠Desert shrub	油蒿 Artemisia ordosica	-0.81	-9.64	1.78 ± 0.09	0.13 ± 0.01		8.70 ± 0.21

		冠幅 Crown diameter (cm)	高 Height (cm)	地径 Diameter at ground height (cm)	根深 Root depth (cm)
白刺 Nitraria tangutorum	民勤 Minqin	323.33 ± 39.10	70.33 ± 7.67	0.89 ± 0.04	>200
	磴口 Dengkou	331.75 ± 3.79	85.28 ± 4.92	0.81 ± 0.05	>200
	杭锦旗 Hanggin Banner	355.67 ± 18.22	120.33 ± 12.91	0.93 ± 0.11	>150
油蒿 Artemisia ordosica	民勤 Minqin	108.00 ± 2.2	89.50 ± 4.99	1.24 ± 0.10	150.00 ± 32.15
	磴口 Dengkou	120.00 ± 6.76	82.25 ± 3.54	1.26 ± 0.17	133.33 ± 36.09
	杭锦旗 Hanggin Banner	129.75 ± 9.75	81.75 ± 5.27	1.22 ± 0.09	88.00 ± 18.90

		冠幅 Crown diameter (cm)	高 Height (cm)	地径 Diameter at ground height (cm)	根深 Root depth (cm)
白刺 Nitraria tangutorum	民勤 Minqin	323.33 ± 39.10	70.33 ± 7.67	0.89 ± 0.04	>200
	磴口 Dengkou	331.75 ± 3.79	85.28 ± 4.92	0.81 ± 0.05	>200
	杭锦旗 Hanggin Banner	355.67 ± 18.22	120.33 ± 12.91	0.93 ± 0.11	>150
油蒿 Artemisia ordosica	民勤 Minqin	108.00 ± 2.2	89.50 ± 4.99	1.24 ± 0.10	150.00 ± 32.15
	磴口 Dengkou	120.00 ± 6.76	82.25 ± 3.54	1.26 ± 0.17	133.33 ± 36.09
	杭锦旗 Hanggin Banner	129.75 ± 9.75	81.75 ± 5.27	1.22 ± 0.09	88.00 ± 18.90

水分来源 Water source		δ¹⁸O‰	民勤Minqin		δ¹⁸O‰	磴口Dengkou		δ¹⁸O‰	杭锦旗Hangjin Qi
水分来源 Water source		δ¹⁸O‰	油蒿 A. ordosica	白刺 N. tangutorum	δ¹⁸O‰	油蒿 A. ordosica	白刺 N. tangutorum	δ¹⁸O‰	油蒿 A. ordosica	白刺 N. tangutorum
土壤深度 Soil depth	0-10 cm	13.6	16.70 (0-50)	1.90 (0-8)	9.90	3.90 (0-16)	0 (0-1)	0.30	40.60 (0-72)	11.60 (0-27)
	10-50 cm	6.1	23.00 (0-75)	3.00 (0-12)	2.20	6.30 (0-25)	0.20 (0-1)	-1.80	37.70 (0-91)	14.50 (0-35)
	50-100 cm	0.7	23.90 (0-89)	4.90 (0-19)	-2.90	10.30 (0-41)	0.60 (0-2)	-8.70	11.40 (0-32)	37.10 (0-82)
	100-150 cm	-1.4	21.60 (0-77)	6.40 (0-25)	-8.50	29.70 (0-97)	2.70 (0-8)
地下水 Groundwater		-9.3	14.90 (0-50)	83.90 (75-92)	-11.50	49.90 (0-84)	96.50 (92-99)	-9.60	10.30 (0-29)	36.80 (0-74)