Abstract:

Wind-eroded areas account for approximately 70% of China's desertified land， where vegetation is subject to persistent wind stress. However， plant adaptation strategies and nutrient utilization mechanisms under long-term wind conditions remain poorly understood， limiting effective ecological restoration and management in these regions. In this study， we simulated two wind regimes low wind speed （3-4 m·s⁻¹） and high wind speed （7-8 m·s⁻¹） to analyze the effects of simulated wind stress （90 days） on leaf traits， structural nutrient content， and key functional nutrient resorption in poplar （Populus spp.） seedlings. The results showed that： （1） sustained wind stress significantly reduced leaf biomass accumulation， led to plant dwarfing and compact architecture， and decreased both leaf area and specific leaf area； （2） wind stress markedly increased leaf carbon （C） and calcium （Ca） concentrations， indicating enhanced structural investment； （3） wind stress significantly inhibited nitrogen （N）， phosphorus （P）， and potassium （K） resorption efficiency， with structural nutrient content negatively correlated with nutrient resorption. These findings suggest that poplar seedlings adapt to sustained wind stress by allocating more resources to structural reinforcement to resist mechanical damage， but this strategy compromises the remobilization of functional nutrients， reflecting a structural-functional trade-off in resource allocation. This study advances our understanding of plant ecological adaptation strategies under wind-dominated environments and provides insights for vegetation restoration in wind-eroded desertified regions.

Key words: wind-eroded zone, simulated wind stress, functional traits, nutrient resorption efficiency, structural nutrients