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Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4): 305-313.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00034

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The phenological responses of the dominant shrubs Artemisia halodendron and Caragana microphylla in the Horqin Sandy Land to climate change

Haojiang Bai1,4(), Yongqing Luo1,4(), Li Cheng1,4, Zhengjiaoyi Wang2,3,4   

  1. 1.Naiman Desertification Research Station /, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    2.Urat Desert-Grassland Research Station /, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    3.Gansu Province Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Region, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources,Chinese Academy of Sciences,Lanzhou 730000,China
    4.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China
  • Received:2024-09-18 Revised:2025-02-25 Online:2025-07-20 Published:2025-08-18
  • Contact: Yongqing Luo

Abstract:

Plant phenology is one of the most sensitive and accurate indicators of climate change, and it can reflect the response and adaptation of ecosystems to environmental changes. In order to explore the meteorological driving factors of dominant shrub phenological change in semi-arid sandy grassland. We collected the phenological observation data and corresponding meteorological data from 2005 to 2019 recorded by Naiman Desertification Research Station. We used the partial least squares regression (PLS) method to analyze the effects of meteorological variables, such as temperature, precipitation and solar radiation on shrub phenology. The results showed that: temperature, precipitation, and solar radiation increased in most months in Horqin Sandy Land during 2005-2019. The leaf unfolding of two dominant shrubs was significantly advanced (P<0.05), leaf discoloration and senescence was significantly delayed (P<0.05), the length of growing season was significantly prolonged (P<0.05). Over the past 15 years, the change of temperature made Artemisia halodendron and Caragana microphylla show a trend of earlier leaf unfolding, later leaf discoloration, later senescence and longer growing season. The change of precipitation made the later senescence and longer growing season of A. halodendron and C. microphylla. With the increase of solar radiation, A. halodendron and C. microphylla showed a trend of later leaf unfolding, earlier leaf discoloration,earlier senescence and shorter growing season. In conclusion, the effects of solar radiation on A. halodendron and C. microphylla were in the opposite direction to the effects of temperature and precipitation. Temperature and precipitation were the key meteorological factor to advance the leaf unfolding, delay the leaf discoloration and senescence, as well as prolong the length of growing season of A. halodendron and C. microphylla in the semi-arid sandy grassland.

Key words: phenology, Horqin Sandy Land, climate change, partial least squares regression, dominant shrubs

CLC Number: