Water sources of dominant desert species in ebinur lake wetland nature reserve, Xinjiang, China

Huiying, 马辉英 Ma; Xiaodong, 杨晓东 Yang; Guanghui, 吕光辉 Lü; Xuemin, 何学敏 He; Xueni, 张雪妮 Zhang; Xiyuan, 汪溪远 Wang; Yan, 李岩 Li

doi:10.5846/stxb201508311804

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…In an arid desert region, shallow-rooted plants can usually grow in a variety of environments due to their lower requirements for water and other environmental resources. Oppositely, deep-rooted plants are mostly distributed in nutrient-rich environments due to their higher requirements for soil and other environmental resources [38]. In this study, it is reasonable that ephemeral stream affected the variation in soil properties across alluvial fan in an arid desert region, and therefore deep-rooted plants have inhabited washes as compared to the shallow-rooted plants.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

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Effects of the ephemeral stream on plant species diversity and distribution in an alluvial fan of arid desert region: An application of a low altitude UAV

Yang

Wang

et al. 2019

PLoS ONE

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Biodiversity conservation, plant growth and spatial distribution of plant species are the central issues in contemporary community ecology. Ephemeral stream may influence soil properties, which in turn may determine biodiversity and function of an ecosystem in alluvial fan of arid desert region. Ephemeral stream is one of the most common natural disturbances, yet the effects of the ephemeral stream on plant communities in terms of species diversity and plant species distribution remain poorly studied. In this study, the information of species distribution, ephemeral stream beds (‘washes’), and the characteristics of plant growth, i . e . height, crown area, were interpreted at different heights using the images of low altitude unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). After that, soil properties such as soil texture (sand, silt and clay), soil water content, p H, soil organic matter, soil electric conductivity, soil bulk density and the percentage of gravel content, and their relationships with UAV data were assessed in order to explore the influences of ephemeral stream on species diversity, plant growth characteristics and species distribution in an alluvial fan of arid desert region. The results showed that deep-rooted plants were only distributed in washes whereas shallow-rooted plants were distributed in both washes and the outside of washes (‘non-washes’). Species richness was significantly higher in washes than that in non-washes whereas the opposite pattern was true for abundance. Soil properties, plant height and crown area were higher in washes than that in non-washes. Plant height, crown area and the total number of individual plants increased with increasing wash width and per unit length of stream flow. This study highlights that the coupling factors of ephemeral stream, such as soil erosion, particle transport and sedimentation, can dramatically cause changes in soil properties and total number of individual plants, and hence, can influence species diversity, plant growth characteristics and spatial distribution of plant species in an alluvial fan of arid desert regions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…kaschgaricum and S . capillata are shallow-rooted herbaceous plants [38]. In an arid desert region, shallow-rooted plants can usually grow in a variety of environments due to their lower requirements for water and other environmental resources.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of the ephemeral stream on plant species diversity and distribution in an alluvial fan of arid desert region: An application of a low altitude UAV

Yang

Wang

et al. 2019

PLoS ONE

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“…The area is dominated by sunny days throughout the year; hence, precipitation is just an occasional event. The groundwater level is 1.50–2.30 m, and groundwater is the main water source for local plants and the desert ecosystem (Yang et al., 2014b; Ma et al., 2017).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The absorption of atmospheric water via plant aerial organs has been considered a crucial and universal phenomenon in previous studies (Schwerbrock and Leuschner, 2017). Although some recent studies have reported that the emergence of foliar water uptake might be related to the plant’s root functional type and water availability (Cassana et al., 2016; Ma et al., 2017), which environmental factors actually trigger this water absorption strategy is an ongoing debate among researchers (Goldsmith, 2013; Yan et al., 2015; Cassana et al., 2016; Wang et al., 2016b). In arid desert regions, shallow-rooted herbaceous plants usually absorb atmospheric water, whereas deep-rooted woody plants rely more on groundwater or deep soil water (Pan et al., 2016; Ma et al., 2017; Yang et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High Air Humidity Causes Atmospheric Water Absorption via Assimilating Branches in the Deep-Rooted Tree Haloxylon ammodendron in an Arid Desert Region of Northwest China

Gong

Lü

et al. 2019

Front. Plant Sci.

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Atmospheric water is one of the main water resources for plants in arid ecosystems. However, whether deep-rooted, tomentum-less desert trees can absorb atmospheric water via aerial organs and transport the water into their bodies remains poorly understood. In the present study, a woody, deep-rooted, tomentum-less plant, Haloxylon ammodendron (C.A. Mey.) Bunge, was selected as the experimental object to investigate the preconditions for and consequences of foliar water uptake. Plant water status, gas exchange, and 18 O isotopic signatures of the plant were investigated following a typical rainfall pulse and a high-humidity exposure experiment. The results showed that a high content of atmospheric water was the prerequisite for foliar water uptake by H. ammodendron in the arid desert region. After atmospheric water was absorbed via the assimilating branches, which perform the function of leaves due to leaf degeneration, the plant transported the water to the secondary branches and trunk stems, but not to the taproot xylem or the soil, based on the 18 O isotopic signatures of the specimen. Foliar water uptake altered the plant water status and gas exchange-related traits, i.e., water potential, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, and instantaneous water use efficiency. Our results suggest that atmospheric water might be a subsidiary water resource for sustaining the survival and growth of deep-rooted plants in arid desert regions. These findings contribute to the knowledge of plant water physiology and restoration of desert plants in the arid regions of the planet.

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Water sources of dominant desert species in ebinur lake wetland nature reserve, Xinjiang, China

Cited by 2 publications

References 0 publications

Effects of the ephemeral stream on plant species diversity and distribution in an alluvial fan of arid desert region: An application of a low altitude UAV

Effects of the ephemeral stream on plant species diversity and distribution in an alluvial fan of arid desert region: An application of a low altitude UAV

High Air Humidity Causes Atmospheric Water Absorption via Assimilating Branches in the Deep-Rooted Tree Haloxylon ammodendron in an Arid Desert Region of Northwest China

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