Historical evolution and the effects of ecological management in Tarim Basin, China

Li, Zhuang; Dong, Yu; FeiHu, Yin; Chen, Yaning

doi:10.1007/s11434-010-4252-7

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 42 publications

(31 reference statements)

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“…Compared to many studies in the Tarim River region about climate change (Chen and Xu, 2005;Chen F H et al, 2006;Shi et al, 2007;Zhang et al, 2010;Tao et al, 2011), land-use and land cover change (Wu and Cai, 2004;Zhou et al, 2008;Zhao et al, 2009), water resources and groundwater Hai et al, 2006;Hao et al, 2009;Zhou et al, 2009;Chen et al, 2010;Aishan et al, 2014), vegetation or environmental management Fu et al, 2006;Huang and Pang, 2010;Zhuang et al, 2010;Pei et al, 2011;Aishan et al, 2013), there are several studies about soil (Zhuang et al, 2007;Jin et al, 2008;Gui et al, 2009;Zhang et al, 2013) and soil water dynamics of this region (Ji et al, 2001;Ishizuka et al, 2005;Chen et al, 2007;Hu et al, 2009;Ma et al, 2011;Kuba et al, 2013). As emphasized by Chen et al (2013), ecohydrological processes at a basin level are very complex with spatial and temporal changes in water dynamics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio-temporal variability of soil water at three seasonal floodplain sites: A case study in Tarim Basin, Northwest China

et al. 2014

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The floodplain vegetation of the Tarim River in Northwest China is strongly influenced by irrigated agriculture. The abstraction of river water disturbs the natural dynamics of the floodplain ecosystem. The human impact on the hydrological system by bank dams and the irrigation of cotton plantings have caused adverse changes of the Tarim River and its floodplains, so the current stocks of the typical Tugai vegetation show significant signs of degradation. Field studies of soils and statistical analysis of soil moisture data have shown that the vitality of the Tugai vegetation is primarily determined by its position to the riverbank and the groundwater. There exist complex interactions between soil hydrological conditions and the vitality of the vegetation. But the availability of water is not only influenced by the groundwater level and seasonal flood events. The spatial distribution of stocks at different states of vitality seems also to be decisively influenced by physical soil properties. Our results show that the water supply of plant communities is strongly influenced by the soil texture. Spatial differences of soil moisture and corresponding soil water tensions may be the decisive factors for the zonation of vegetation. Physical soil properties control the water retention and rising of capillary water from deeper soil layers and the phreatic zone and may supply the root systems of the phreatophytic vegetation with water.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatio-temporal variability of soil water at three seasonal floodplain sites: A case study in Tarim Basin, Northwest China

et al. 2014

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“…dominates riparian zones in arid central Eurasia [ 26 , 27 ], where it plays an important role in stabilizing these vulnerable ecosystems [ 26 , 28 ]. At present, the world’s largest P. euphratica forests occur along the Tarim River and its tributaries in the Tarim basin [ 28 , 29 ]. As a consequence of land opening campaigns, large areas of P. euphratica forests were destroyed after the 1950s [ 28 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Root Plasticity of Populus euphratica Seedlings in Response to Different Water Table Depths and Contrasting Sediment Types

Wang

Zhao

et al. 2015

PLoS ONE

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Riparian plants in arid regions face a highly variable water environment controlled by hydrological processes. To understand whether riparian plants adapt to such environments through plastic responses, we compared the root traits, biomass allocation and growth of Populus euphratica Oliv. Seedlings grown in lysimeters filled with clay or clay/river sand sediments under inundation and varying water table conditions. We hypothesized that adaptive phenotypic plasticity is likely to develop or be advantageous in seedlings of this species to allow them to adapt desert floodplain environments. Growth was significantly reduced by inundation. However, rather than following relatively fixed trait and allocation patterns, the seedlings displayed adaptive mechanisms involving the development of adventitious roots to enhance plant stability and obtain oxygen, together with a lower proportion of root biomass. At the whole-plant level, at deeper water table depths, seedlings allocated more biomass to the roots, and total root length increased with decreasing water table depths, regardless of the sediment, consistent with optimal partitioning theory. The sediment type had a significant effect on seedling root traits. P. euphratica displayed very different root traits in different sediment types under the same hydrological conditions, showing a greater first-order root number in clay sediment under shallower water table conditions, whereas rooting depth was greater in clay/river sand sediment under deep water table conditions. In clay sediment, seedlings responded to lower water availability via greater root elongation, while the root surface area was increased through increasing the total root length in clay/river sand sediment, suggesting that seedlings facing deeper water tables are not always likely to increase their root surface area to obtain more water. Our results indicate that P. euphratica seedlings are able to adapt to a range of water table conditions through plastic responses in root traits and biomass allocation.

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Experiences with a Transdisciplinary Research Approach for Integrating Ecosystem Services into Water Management in Northwest China

2014

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Historical evolution and the effects of ecological management in Tarim Basin, China

Cited by 4 publications

References 42 publications

Spatio-temporal variability of soil water at three seasonal floodplain sites: A case study in Tarim Basin, Northwest China

Spatio-temporal variability of soil water at three seasonal floodplain sites: A case study in Tarim Basin, Northwest China

Root Plasticity of Populus euphratica Seedlings in Response to Different Water Table Depths and Contrasting Sediment Types

Experiences with a Transdisciplinary Research Approach for Integrating Ecosystem Services into Water Management in Northwest China

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