Water and nitrogen (N) are two primary factors controlling plant growth in desert ecosystems. Most studies have focused on water stress resulting from the low rainfall and high evaporation rates in arid areas. However, irrigation has become the main strategy for vegetation recovery in the southern rim of Tarim Basin. Many studies have shown that irrigation is most effective when nutrients are not limited, and fertilization is most effective when plants are not water鄄stressed. In addition, N not only affects drought tolerance through changing dry matter partitioning, but also plays an important role in ecosystem functioning and vegetation succession. Therefore, the combined effects of water and N on vegetation recovery and reconstruction in this area should be evaluated. We conducted a pot experiment to study characteristics of N allocation, use, and resorption, and growth of Calligonum caput鄄medusae Schrenk seedlings under different irrigation treatments (4.6, 6.1, 7.7, 9.2, 13.0 kg / plant per irrigation event). The results showed that the amounts of both N and dry matter per whole plant significantly increased with increasing amounts of irrigation. However, C. caput鄄medusae Schrenk seedlings were infected with powdery mildew at the high irrigation level (13.0 kg / plant). During the early growth stage, irrigation promoted dry
Trace elements are important components of soil and their characterization is necessary for determining soil quality. Farming practices can change soil properties, thereby altering the effectiveness of the soil trace elements present. Soil trace element research in extremely arid regions, aiming at the determining effects of different land uses, has received little attention until now. The Cele Oasis (80°03′24″ 82°10′34″E, 35°17′55″ 39°30′00″N) located on the southern margin of the Tarim Basin, Xinjiang, China, was selected as a study area. Agriculture is the main land use here; however, management intensities differ across the oasis and as the oasis area has grown. In 2005, four experimental fields were selected, representing typical land use types according to local tillage practices. These were newly cultivated, fertilized land (NEF) , a field receiving a normal manure application rate (NMF) , a field receiving a high manure application rate (HMF) and a field in the Oasis interior (OIF). A single index (E i) and integral index (E c) were calculated to evaluate
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