RESUMO
At present, the objective of cutting and pruning Cistanche deserticola is to harvest in successive years and enhance the harvesting yield and quality of C. deserticola in the process of the artificial cultivating C. deserticola. An experiment was conducted focusing on cutting and pruning C. deserticola in artificial forests of Haloxylon ammodendron drip-irrigated with saline water at the hinter-land of the Taklimakan desert, according to different growth stages and lengths. The results were following: (1) The effect of cutting on C. deserticola was similar to that of pruning, which resulted in three kinds of morphological types, not related to the bloom and size of C. deserticola. (2) The growth forms were diversified after pruning. Among them, there had sprouting new body, died or maintaining life with no sprouting, mildewed on its surface layer, etc. However, some of new bodies were sprouting from the lower part of the old body. The death rate of bloomed C. deserticola was higher than that of the underground, and the death rate of the 40 cm in stubble height for C. deserticola was higher than those with the stubble height of 20 cm and 5 cm. (3) Most of the diameter of living C. deserticola after pruning was increasing, but some of them changed little. (4) The mildew and rot of C. deserticola and the broken of the roots of the H. ammodendron and the fallen of the point of the inoculated when it was dug, which would cause the death of the C. deserticola. On the other, the yield-increasing effect and the economic benefit of the techniques of the pruning of Cistanche would need further research and evaluate. Therefore, the application of this technique needs to be cautious.
Assuntos
Amaranthaceae/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Cistanche/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Florestas , Frutas/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Raízes de Plantas/crescimento & desenvolvimentoRESUMO
Stem photosynthesis widely presents in desert plants, which increases carbon uptake capacity. In this study, we measured the photosynthetic characteristics of leaves and stems in seven desert woody plants (Populus euphratica, Populus alba var. pyramidalis, Populus pruinose, Haloxylon ammodendron, Calligonum rubicundum, Calligonum caput-medusae, Ammopiptanthus mongolicus) in the same habitat, using a portable Li-6400XT photosynthesis system combined with P-Chamber. We analyzed stem photosynthetic rate and its relationship with leaf photosynthetic rate. We measured the stem functional traits, including water content, stem dry matter content, chlorophyll content, water potential, non-structure carbohydrate (NSC), etc., to find out the main affecting factors of stem photosynthesis. The results showed that stem photosynthetic rate of seven species ranged from 0.72 to 1.71 µmol·m-2·s-1, with the largest of P. pruinose and the smallest of H. ammodendron. Stem photosynthetic rate could offset CO2 of stem respiration by 57%-83%. Leaf photosynthetic rate of the seven sepceis ranged from 12.80 to 22.54 µmol·m-2·s-1, with H. ammodendron and A. mongolicus being lower than those of the other five species. There was a significant positive correlation between leaf photosynthetic rate and stem photosynthetic rate. Stem water use efficiency was 2.2-7.7 times of the leaf. Chlorophyll content, NSC, stem respiration rate, and leaf photosynthetic rate were the main factors affecting stem photosynthesis.
Assuntos
Fabaceae , Fotossíntese , Clorofila , Folhas de Planta , Carboidratos , ÁguaRESUMO
Changes in nitrogen (N) deposition and litter mixtures have been shown to influence ecosystem processes such as litter decomposition. However, the interactive effects of litter mixing and N-deposition on decomposition process in desert regions remain poorly identified. We assessed the simultaneous effects of both N addition and litter mixture on mass loss in a litterbag decomposition experiment using six native plants in single-species samples with diverse quality and 14-species combinations in the Gurbantunggut Desert under two N addition treatments (control and N addition). The N addition had no significant effect on decomposition rate of single-species litter (expect Haloxylon ammodendron), whereas litter mass loss and decomposition rate differed significantly among species, with variations positively correlated with initial phosphorus concentration and negatively correlated with initial lignin concentration. After 18 months, the average mass loss across litter mixtures did not overall differ from those predicted from single species either in control or N addition treatments, that is, mixing of different species had no non-additive effects on decomposition. The N addition, however, did modify the direction of mixture effects and interacted with incubation time. Added N transformed synergistic effects of litter mixtures to antagonistic effects on mass loss after 1 month of decomposition, while transforming neutral effects of litter mixture to synergistic effects after 6 months of decomposition. Our results demonstrated that initial chemical properties played an important role in litter decomposition, while no effects of litter mixture on decomposition process in this desert region. The N addition altered the litter mixture effects on mass loss with incubation time, implying that increased N deposition in the future may have profound effects on carbon turnover to a greater extent than previously thought in desert ecosystems.
RESUMO
Stem photosynthesis (Pg) is an alternative and significant carbon source, playing a crucial role in plant survival under extreme environment. The main aims of this study were to quantify stem and leaf photosynthesis, find out the main drivers of Pg, and estimate the contributions of Pg to plant individual carbon balance of two dominant species Haloxylon ammodendron and Tamarix ramosissima in Gurbantunggut Desert. A Li-Cor 6400 portable photosynthesis system and a special chamber were used to measure leaf and stem photosynthesis. Ancillary measurements included leaf/stem functional trait (chlorophyll content, water content, leaf/stem area, carbon/nitrogen content, etc.) and environmental factors (air temperature and humidity, photosynthetically active radiation, soil temperature, and soil water content). Our results showed that Pg of H. ammodendron and T. ramosissima was 2.37 and 0.98 µmol·m-2·s-1, Pg refixation CO2 of stem respiration by 65%-76% and 57%-77% in H. ammodendron and T. ramosissima. Pg was influenced by photosynthetically active radiation, air temperature, soil temperature and water vapor deficit. Pg assimilation CO2 accounted for 8.2%-16.6% and 3.6%-8.3% of CO2 assimilation of H. ammodendron and T. ramosissima, respectively. The maximum value appeared at noon when temperature was high. There might be fundamental defects if we ignore the contribution of branch photosynthesis when predicting carbon process of desert ecosystem under the background of climate change.