Carbon Dynamics Of Artemisia Ordosica Krasch. Shrublands Under Different Habitat Conditions In Mu Us Sandland, Inner Mongolia

Artemisia ordosica Krasch., a semi-shrubbery plant native to the Ordos Plateau of Inner Mongolia, northern China, is primarily distributed on the fixed and semi-fixed dunes, and is sometimes found on shifting dunes and forms dominant vegetation type in sandy lands of the region. Its status in economic value and fixing-sand and so on was incomparable. With increasing desertification of Mu Us sandland, that how above- and belowground process of A. ordosica shrubbery respond to different habitats is important not only in developing management strategies for for the stability of arid and semi-arid ecosystems, but also in understanding species adaptive strategy to long-term change of environments.A two-year study was conducted for determining the allometric equations for leaf area and biomass partitioning in A. ordosica at whole plant and branch levels under three types of habitats, and for investigating biomass pattern, carbon storage, production and fine root turnover, soil microbial carbon and soil respiration on sand dunes differentiated in mobility (i.e. fixed, semi-fixed, and shifting dunes) in Mu Us sandland. The following results were obtained:1. Allometric equations were developed for describing leaf, branch and fruit biomass at the branch level, and biomass of leaves, branches, fruits and coarse roots at the whole plant level for A. ordosica plants growing on fixed, semi-fixed and shifting dunes of Mu Us sandland. At the branch level, branch diameter, branch length, and leafy branch length had the best relationships with the biomass of leaves, branches, and fruits. At the whole plant level, crown area was significantly correlated with biomass of leaves, branches, fruits, and coarse roots. The allometric...