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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2022, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (5): 63-72.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2022.00016

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Effects of sand burial on typical desert plants

Chunyan Zhao1(), Jie Qin1, Xiaohui He1,2, Dongmeng Zhou1   

  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin,Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    2.Baotou Teachers College,Baotou 014030,Inner Mongolia,China
  • Received:2021-12-30 Revised:2022-03-02 Online:2022-09-20 Published:2022-09-22

Abstract:

Desert ecosystem is the major components in the arid area of Northwest China, which is one of the most typical fragile ecosystems. Sand burial has an important impact on the survival and colonization of plant, distribution and composition of vegetation in this area, as well as the function and structure of desert ecosystem. This study compared the physiological and growth differences of the typical desert plants, Haloxylon ammodendronTamarix chinensisNitraria tangutorum and Calligonum mongolicum under light sand burial and no sand burial, and explored the reasons for the differences from the aspects of soil salinity, soil moisture and soil temperature. The results showed that the photosynthetic rate of H. ammodendronT. chinensis, N. tangutorum and C. mongolicum under sand burial were generally higher than that of no sand burial, and the transpiration rate was significantly lower than that of no sand burial, and the water use efficiency was also higher than that under no sand burial. The plant height of H. ammodendronT. chinensis,C. mongolicum and N. tangutorum under sand burial was significantly lower than that of no sand burial, but the ground diameter, crown width and leaf area index were generally higher than those of no sand burial. The main reason was that soil clay content and soil moisture under sand burial were higher than those under no sand burial. Whereas soil temperature and soil salt under sand burial was lower than that under no sand burial. The research can provide a theoretical basis for vegetation reconstruction and restoration in desert.

Key words: sand burial, photosynthesis, soil moisture, soil salinity, desert plant

CLC Number: