Variability Of Plant Functional Traits In The Soli Water And Soil Salinity Gradient

Response mechanism of plants to the environment and adaptation strategies has always been the hot topic in the field of Ecology. In arid regions, water and salt are the main limitations for restricting the growth of plants. Plants will show different morphological and physiological characteristics under different conditions of water and salt in soil. This is significant for vegetation construction and conservation of biological diversity in arid desert nature reserve.In this paper, we choose plant crown area, plant height,(Arbor) diameter at breast height, leaf thickness, specific leaf weight, specific leaf area and the organic carbon of leaves, total nitrogen content of leaves, total phosphorus of leaves, which in total of 11 plant functional traits, taking the East Bridge station for management and protection of the surrounding territory Ebinur Lake National Nature Reserve for the study area, choosing thirty plots in five transects which perpendicular to the Aqikesu River as the object. Take surveys of community information, plant functional traits, soil moisture and soil salinity content within each plots. In the community and species level, using one-way ANOVA, regression analysis, clustering analysis, to reveal the water and salt gradient, the differences of plant functional traits in Ebinur area on the water and salt gradient and the impact of water and salt on the plant functional traits variability. The results showed that:(1) In the study area, there are a total of eight families and 20 species, all plots of species richness at different distances from the banks of the mean of about 9. Chenopodiaceous species accounted for 40% of all species;(2) In the wetland nature reserve, the water and salt in soil of 30 plots can be divided into high, medium, and low water and salt gradient;(3) Between community level and species level, water and salt gradient, plant functional traits have significant differences, but there is a difference of different traits in response to the degree of moisture and salt restriction;(4) With moisture content decreased, crown area, plant height, plant community level, specific leaf area, total nitrogen content of leaves significantly reduced specific leaf weight, a significant increase in organic carbon content; significantly reduce at the level of species plant height;(5) With salt content increases, the plant community level canopy area, height, leaf area, total nitrogen content increased significantly, specific leaf weight and the organic carbon content significantly reduced. At species level the height, crown area of Populus euphratica Olivier and Nitraria schoberi have a significant increase, Salsola collina is significantly reduced;(6) At community and species level, there is a linear regression between water, salt and plant functional traits. Water, salt can affect the variability of the spatial distribution of plant functional traits;(7) In the wetland nature reserve, the spatial distribution of water and salt have high consistency. Namely: 30 plots can be divided into three gradient such as high salt high water, medium water and salt, low salt and water collaborative gradient. After multiple regression found between water and salt and plant functional traits had significant relationship, water and salt synergistic affect the variation Ebinur Lake desert plant functional traits.