Characteristics and implications of leaf wax n-alkanes in typical vegetation of the northern Ulan Buh Desert

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00006

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (5): 45-54.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00006

Characteristics and implications of leaf wax n-alkanes in typical vegetation of the northern Ulan Buh Desert

Shangzhe Zhou^a^,^b(), Lei Xi^a^,^b, Mengchun Cui^a^,^b, Guipeng Cui^a^,^b^,^c, Weiyuan Kong^a^,^b^,^c, Pan Gao^a^,^b, Qi Lu^a^,^b^,^c()

^a.Institute of Ecological Conservation and Restoration /, Chinese Academy of Forestry，Beijing 100091，China
^b.Institute of Desertification Studies /, Chinese Academy of Forestry，Beijing 100091，China
^c.Institute of Great Green Wall, Chinese Academy of Forestry，Beijing 100091，China

Received:2024-09-25 Revised:2024-12-24 Online:2025-09-20 Published:2025-09-27
Contact: Qi Lu

Abstract

Abstract:

Long-chain n-alkane biomarker compounds in sediments are mainly originated from higher plant leaf waxes and are important indicators of paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstruction in desert areas. Environmental factors such as temperature， precipitation and altitude have a profound impact on the abundance and distribution characteristics of leaf wax n-alkanes in extant desert plants. However， the effects and mechanisms of these environmental factors on the synthesis of leaf wax n-alkanes in desert regions are not yet clear. For this reason， the Ulan Buh Desert， which is highly sensitive to the response to climate and environmental changes， is selected as study area， and the n-alkane composition and distribution， as well as the indicators of total n-alkane abundance （∑ALK）， average carbon chain length （ACL）， and carbon predominance index （CPI） of the typical vegetation in the northern part of the desert were analyzed and compared. We found that n-alkane distribution pattern of Nitraria roborowskii shows a predominance of n-C₂₇， Haloxylon ammodendron shows a predominance of n-C₂₇ and n-C₂₉， while Ammopiptanthus mongolicus shows a predominance of n-C₂₉； mean values of ∑ALK and CPI are 86 μg·g^-1 and 10.4 for H. ammodendron， 410 μg·g^-1 and 23.3 for N. roborowskii， and 7 383 μg·g^-1 and 47.1 for A. mongolicus， and the n-alkane characteristics differs significantly among the three typical vegetation types， with A. mongolicus being particularly distinctive. We also found that the leaf wax n-alkane ∑ALK of Ulan Buh Desert vegetation is strongly influenced by environmental precipitation， and in general ∑ALK shows an increasing trend with increasing precipitation； additionally， as the leaf morphology of desert plants adapted to drought stress， i.e.， from ovate to lanceolate， and ultimately to scale （assimilative shoot）， the leaf wax n-alkane characteristics also show adaptive variations， i.e.， the ACL and CPI shows a gradual decrease. Overall， the leaf wax n-alkane ∑ALK， ACL and CPI characteristics of Ulan Buh Desert vegetation are effective for indicating wet and dry changes in the area.

Key words: n-alkanes, desert plants, Ulan Buh Desert, paleoclimatic reconstruction, paleoenvironmental reconstruction

CLC Number:

S288

Shangzhe Zhou, Lei Xi, Mengchun Cui, Guipeng Cui, Weiyuan Kong, Pan Gao, Qi Lu. Characteristics and implications of leaf wax n-alkanes in typical vegetation of the northern Ulan Buh Desert[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2025, 45(5): 45-54.

Figures/Tables 10

References 60

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采样点	经度(E) /(°)	纬度(N) /(°)	海拔 /m	年平均温度/℃	年降水量 /mm	采样点描述
P1	106.95	40.23	1 048	9.3	161.6	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、沙枣、枸杞、黑沙蒿、柽柳
P2	106.91	40.20	1 058	9.2	149.9	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、榆
P3	106.85	40.17	1 050	9.2	156.7	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为梭梭、北沙柳、细枝岩黄芪、柽柳、沙枣
P4	106.82	40.15	1 050	9.4	145.5	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、柽柳
P5	106.87	40.27	1 048	9.3	145.8	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺
P6	106.70	40.44	1 037	9.3	130.7	流动沙丘，分布植物为沙冬青
P7	106.93	40.32	1 040	9.3	153.9	磴口县以西流动沙丘，分布植物为沙冬青
P8	106.26	40.49	1 053	9.6	115.8	狼山以南流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、沙冬青、蒙古扁桃
P9	106.05	40.39	1 154	9.2	119.2	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、沙冬青
P10	105.98	40.17	1 047	9.8	113.3	流动沙丘，分布植物为梭梭
P11	106.07	40.10	1 024	9.8	121.1	流动沙丘，分布植物为沙冬青、红砂
P12	106.15	39.96	1 016	9.6	125.0	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、沙冬青、盐爪爪
P13	106.48	39.95	1 058	9.4	144.4	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、沙冬青
P14	106.70	40.09	1 066	9.4	152.3	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为细枝岩黄芪、黑沙蒿

采样点	经度(E) /(°)	纬度(N) /(°)	海拔 /m	年平均温度/℃	年降水量 /mm	采样点描述
P1	106.95	40.23	1 048	9.3	161.6	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、沙枣、枸杞、黑沙蒿、柽柳
P2	106.91	40.20	1 058	9.2	149.9	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、榆
P3	106.85	40.17	1 050	9.2	156.7	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为梭梭、北沙柳、细枝岩黄芪、柽柳、沙枣
P4	106.82	40.15	1 050	9.4	145.5	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、柽柳
P5	106.87	40.27	1 048	9.3	145.8	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺
P6	106.70	40.44	1 037	9.3	130.7	流动沙丘，分布植物为沙冬青
P7	106.93	40.32	1 040	9.3	153.9	磴口县以西流动沙丘，分布植物为沙冬青
P8	106.26	40.49	1 053	9.6	115.8	狼山以南流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、沙冬青、蒙古扁桃
P9	106.05	40.39	1 154	9.2	119.2	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、沙冬青
P10	105.98	40.17	1 047	9.8	113.3	流动沙丘，分布植物为梭梭
P11	106.07	40.10	1 024	9.8	121.1	流动沙丘，分布植物为沙冬青、红砂
P12	106.15	39.96	1 016	9.6	125.0	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、梭梭、沙冬青、盐爪爪
P13	106.48	39.95	1 058	9.4	144.4	流动沙丘，分布植物为白刺、沙冬青
P14	106.70	40.09	1 066	9.4	152.3	黄河以西流动沙丘，分布植物为细枝岩黄芪、黑沙蒿

植物种拉丁名	种名	属	科	生活型	叶形
Haloxylon ammodendron	梭梭	梭梭属	藜科	小乔木	鳞片状宽三角形，同化枝
Nitraria roborowskii	白刺	白刺属	白刺科	灌木	宽倒披针形
Ammopiptanthus mongolicus	沙冬青	沙冬青属	豆科	常绿灌木	菱状椭圆形、阔披针形

植物种拉丁名	种名	属	科	生活型	叶形
Haloxylon ammodendron	梭梭	梭梭属	藜科	小乔木	鳞片状宽三角形，同化枝
Nitraria roborowskii	白刺	白刺属	白刺科	灌木	宽倒披针形
Ammopiptanthus mongolicus	沙冬青	沙冬青属	豆科	常绿灌木	菱状椭圆形、阔披针形

植物种	C_MAX	∑ALK_21-35/(μg·g^-1)	ACL_21-35	CPI_21-35
梭梭	27, 29	86±32 (51~131)	27.5±0.4 (27.3~28.2)	10.4±1.6 (8.3~12.3)
白刺	27	410±168 (201~653)	27.9±0.3 (27.3~28.2)	23.2±8.2 (6.5~33.7)
沙冬青	29	7 383±2 742 (2 452~10 111)	29.0±0.0 (29.0~29.1)	47.1±3.2 (44.1~53.4)

Characteristics and implications of leaf wax n-alkanes in typical vegetation of the northern Ulan Buh Desert

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