Analysis of water sources of plants in artificial sand-fixation vegetation area based on large rainfall events.

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201604.005

Abstract

Abstract: Water is a major limiting factor for plant growth in arid and semi-arid regions. To find out the main sources of water for two artificial sand-fixation plants (Caragana korshinskii and Artemisia ordosica), we analyzed the characteristics of hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes in water molecules of rainfall, soil water and xylem water. To analyze water sources of these two plants, we used a direct comparison method and a multi-variate mixed linear model. The results showed that an equation of local meteoric water line in Shapotou was δD=7.83δ¹⁸O+5.64 (R²=0.91). The value for rainfall δ¹⁸O varied during plant-growing season, which was higher in the beginning and end of growing season, and lower in the peak of growing season. The value for soil water δ¹⁸O in the upper layers changed dramatically. The change range became smaller in the deeper soil layer. C. korshinskii had a greater efficiency (56.1%) in utilizing soil water in 40-80 cm soil layer. A. ordosica had a utilizing efficiency of 56.4% in 20-60 cm soil layer. A week after rain event, C. korshinskii and A. ordosica showed a higher efficiency in upper soil water. C. korshinskii showed an increase of 12.5% in utilizing soil water in 0-40 cm soil layer and A. ordosicas showed an increase of 10% in utilizing soil water in 0-20 cm layer. These results suggested that C. korshinskii and A. ordosica changed their water use strategy after large rainfall events, which might enable them to more easily adapt to arid environment.

WANG Yan-li, LIU Li-chao, GAO Yan-hong, LI Gang, ZHAO Jie-cai, XIE Min. Analysis of water sources of plants in artificial sand-fixation vegetation area based on large rainfall events.[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2016, 27(4): 1053-1060.

References

[1] Smith SD, Nowak RS. Ecophysiology of plants in the intermountain lowlands. Ecological Studies, 1990, 80: 179-241
[2] Dodd MB, Lauenroth WK, Welker JM. Differential water resource use by herbaceous and woody plant life-forms in a shortgrass steppe community. Oecologia, 1998, 117: 504-512
[3] Beatley JC. Phenological events and their environmental triggers in Mojave desert ecosystems. Ecology, 1974, 55: 856-863
[4] Sala OE, Lauenroth WK. Small rainfall events: An ecological role in semiarid regions. Oecologia, 1982, 53: 301-304
[5] Cheng X, An S, Li B, et al. Summer rain pulse size and rainwater uptake by three dominant desert plants in a desertified grassland ecosystem in northwestern China. Plant Ecology, 2006, 184: 1-12
[6] Zhu Y-J (朱雅娟), Lu Q (卢琦), Wu B (吴波), et al. Effects of increased precipitation on the water use of Nitraira tangutorum at southeast edge of Bad-dain Jaran Desert in China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2013, 24(1): 41-48 (in Chinese)
[7] Walter H. Ecology of Tropical and Subtropical Vegetation. Edinburgh, UK: Oliver and Boyd, 1971
[8] Ehleringer JR, Dawson TE. Water uptake by plants: Perspectives from stable isotope composition. Plant, Cell and Environment, 1992, 15: 1073-1082
[9] Zencich SJ, Froend RH, Turner JV, et al. Influence of groundwater depth on the seasonal sources of water accessed by banksia tree species on a shallow, sandy coastal aquifer. Oecologia, 2002, 131: 8-19
[10] Chimner RA, Cooper DJ. Using stable oxygen isotopes to quantify the water source used for transpiration by native shrubs in the San Luis Valley, Colorado U.S.A. Plant and Soil, 2004, 260: 225-236
[11] Ewe SML, Sternberg LSL, Busch DE. Water-use patterns of woody species in pineland and hammock communities of South Florida. Forest Ecology and Management, 1999, 118: 139-148
[12] Li H-X (李红勋). Study on Management System of Fo-restry Eco-environment Improvement during Development of West China. Beijing: Beijing Forestry University, 2002 (in Chinese)
[13] Hou Q-C (侯庆春). The key point of development of animal husbandry in Loess Plateau: From expert of soil and water conservation. Bulletin of Soil and Water Conservation (水土保持通报), 2001, 21(2): 1-10 (in Chinese)
[14] Liu Y-X (刘媖心). The establishment and effect of protecting system along the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway in Shapotou sandy area. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 1987, 7(4): 4-14 (in Chinese)
[15] Li X-R (李新荣), Xiao H-L (肖洪浪), Liu L-C (刘立超), et al. Long-term effects of sand-binding vegetation on the restoration of biodiversity in Shapotou Region of Tengger Desert in Northern China. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 2005, 25(2): 173-181 (in Chinese)
[16] Li XR, Ma FY, Xiao HL, et al. Long-term effects of revegetation on soil water content of sand dunes in arid region of northern China. Journal of Arid Environments, 2004, 57: 1-16
[17] Wang XP, Berndtsson R, Kang ES. Water balance change for a re-vegetated xerophyte shrub area. Hydrolo-gical Sciences Journal, 2009, 49: 283-295
[18] Ma F-Y (马风云), Li X-R (李新荣), Zhang J-G (张景光), et al. Spatial heterogeneity of soil moisture in Shapotou sand-fixing artificial vegetation area. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2006, 17(5): 789-795 (in Chinese)
[19] Wang X-P (王新平), Zhang Z-S (张志山), Zhang J-G (张景光), et al. Review to researches on desert ve-getation influencing soil hydrological processes. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 2005, 25(2): 196-201 (in Chinese)
[20] Yang H, Auerswald K, Bai Y, et al. Complementarity in water sources among dominant species in typical steppe ecosystems of Inner Mongolia, China. Plant and Soil, 2011, 340: 303-313
[21] Zhang Z-S (张志山), Fan H-W (樊恒文), Zhao J-L (赵金龙), et al. Root distribution and dynamics of re-vegetated communities in desert area. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 2006, 26(4): 637-643 (in Chinese)
[22] Zhang Z-S (张志山), Zhang J-G (张景光), Liu L-C (刘立超), et al. Interception of artificial vegetation in desert area. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology (冰川冻土), 2005, 27(5): 761-766 (in Chinese)
[23] Liu Y-B (刘元波), Chen H-S (陈荷生), Gao Q-Z (高前兆). A new view of sandy land soil moisture dynamics research. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 1997, 17(1): 95-98 (in Chinese)
[24] Sharma KD. Water resources: An overview of world de-serts. Annals of Arid Zone, 1991, 30: 283-300
[25] Dawson TE. Hydraulic lift and water use by plants: Implications for water balance, performance and plant-plant interactions. Oecologia, 1993, 95: 565-574
[26] Wang H-Y (王海燕), Liu Y-X (刘廷玺), Wang L (王力), et al. Spatial variation of soil moisture content in the dune-meadow ecotone in the Horqin Sandy Land. Arid Zone Research (干旱区研究), 2013, 30(3): 438-443 (in Chinese)
[27] Hou S-B (侯士彬), Song X-F (宋献方), Yu J-J (于静洁), et al. Stable isotopes characters in the process of precipitation and infiltration in Taihang Mountainous Region. Resource Science (资源科学), 2008, 30(1): 86-92 (in Chinese)
[28] Barnes CJ, Allison GB. Tracing of water movement in the unsaturated zone using stable isotopes of hydrogen and oxygen. Journal of Hydrology, 1988, 100: 143-176
[29] Xin RL, Feng YM, Hong LX, et al. Long-term effects of revegetation on soil water content of sand dunes in arid region of northern China. Journal of Arid Environments, 2004, 57: 1-16
[30] Feng Q (冯起), Cheng G-D (程国栋). Moisture distribution and movement in sandy lands of China. Acta Pedologica Sinica (土壤学报), 1999, 36(2): 225-226 (in Chinese)
[31] Huxman TE, Snyder KA, Tissue D, et al. Precipitation pulses and carbon fluxes in semiarid and arid ecosystems. Oecologia, 2004, 141: 254-268
[32] Flanagan LB, Ehleringer JR, Marshall JD. Differential uptake of summer precipitation among co-occurring trees and shrubs in a pinyon-juniper woodland. Plant, Cell and Environment, 1992, 15: 831-836
[33] Lin G, Phillips SL, Ehleringer JR. Monosoonal precipitation responses of shrubs in a cold desert community on the Colorado Plateau. Oecologia, 1996, 106: 8-17
[34] Schelz CD. Intra- and interspecific variation for summer precipitation use in pinyon-juniper woodlands. Ecological Monographs, 2000, 70: 517-537
[35] Duan DY, Ouyang H, Song MH, et al. Water sources of dominant species in three alpine ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau, China. Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 2008, 50: 257-264
[36] Xiao H-L (肖洪浪), Li X-R (李新荣). Fifty-year history of water balance research for artificial rained ecosystem in Shapotou, Tengger Desert. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 2005, 25(2): 166-172 (in Chinese)