Desert phreatophytes are greatly dependent on groundwater, but how their root systems adapt to different groundwater depths is poorly understood. In the present study, shoot and root growths of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. seedlings were studied across a gradient of groundwater depths. Leaves, stems and roots of different orders were measured after 120 days of different groundwater treatments. Results indicated that the depth of soil wetting front and the vertical distribution of soil water contents were highly controlled by groundwater depths. The shoot growth and biomass of A. sparsifolia decreased, but the root growth and rooting depth increased under deeper groundwater conditions. The higher ratios of root biomass, root/shoot and root length/leaf area under deeper groundwater conditions implied that seedlings of A. sparsifolia economized carbon cost on their shoot growths. The roots of A. sparsifolia distributed evenly around the soil wetting fronts under deeper groundwater conditions. Root diameters and root lengths of all orders were correlated with soil water availabilities both within and among treatments. Seedlings of A. sparsifolia produced finer first- and second-order roots but larger third- and fourth-order roots in dry soils. The results demonstrated that the root systems of desert phreatophytes can be optimized to acquire groundwater resources and maximize seedling growth by balancing the costs of carbon gain.
LI ChangjunZENG FanjiangZHANG BoLIU BoGUO ZichunGAO HuanhuanTIYIP Tashpolat
采用全根挖掘法挖取塔克拉玛干沙漠南缘3种主要防护林植物种——多枝柽柳(Tamarix ramosissima)、梭梭(Haloxylon ammodendron)和新疆杨(Populus alba var.pyramidalis)成年植株根系,测定并分析了根系构型及其拓扑结构。结果表明:1)多枝柽柳和梭梭的根系趋向于鱼尾状分支结构,新疆杨根系为叉状分支结构,根系分支结构的差异使其资源获取能力和对环境的适应能力有所差异;2)三种植物最小的根系平均连接长度为33.67 cm,多枝柽柳和梭梭的根系连接长度大于新疆杨,增加连接长度对植物在资源贫瘠的沙质土壤环境的生存有利;3)新疆杨的根系分支率显著高于多枝柽柳和梭梭,但其对干旱的适应性不如多枝柽柳和梭梭。4)三种植物根系分支均遵循Leonardo da Vinci法则,且不受根系直径的约束。三种防护林植物在水、养资源获取与土壤空间拓展方面具有差异性,表明在相似的极端干旱环境中3种植物采取了不同的生态适应策略。
