Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in Desert
Atriplex canescens (Pursh) is extensively utilized for the phytoremediation of degraded lands in regions worldwide where water is the primary growth-limiting factor. However, little is known about the dynamics of root water uptake and age-related water sources for the shrubs, which restricts the eff...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Ecosystem Health and Sustainability |
| Online Access: | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/ehs.0298 |
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| author | Hai Zhou Xiangyan Feng Zhibin He Bing Liu Fang Li Heng Ren Qiyue Yang Jianjun Kang Shuai Wang Wenzhi Zhao |
| author_facet | Hai Zhou Xiangyan Feng Zhibin He Bing Liu Fang Li Heng Ren Qiyue Yang Jianjun Kang Shuai Wang Wenzhi Zhao |
| author_sort | Hai Zhou |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Atriplex canescens (Pursh) is extensively utilized for the phytoremediation of degraded lands in regions worldwide where water is the primary growth-limiting factor. However, little is known about the dynamics of root water uptake and age-related water sources for the shrubs, which restricts the efficacy of vegetation restoration. Here, we examined the distribution of roots and isotopic values of δ18O and δD in soil water at depths ranging from 0 to 300 cm, groundwater, precipitation, and shrub xylem at different stages of shrub maturity to determine water use patterns in shrub plantations. Our findings showed that the number of fine roots in the soil profile increased as the A. canescens shrub aged. At 2 and 5 years old, approximately 50% of the shrub roots were within the shallow soil layer (0 to 0.5 m soil depth), and they relied on shallow and mid-soil (0.5 to 1.5 m soil depth) water sources, recharged primarily by precipitation, to supply more than 60% of their water during the growing season. In contrast, 10-year-old A. canescens relied heavily on deep soil water and groundwater sources, despite the fact that less than 10% of their roots extended beyond 2 m soil depth. Thus, the shrub A. canescens became more suited to extremely dry conditions as it grew older because its roots allowed it to absorb deeper water from the soil rather than simply superficial water. It also implies that deep soil water and groundwater are crucial for vegetation restoration in desert regions. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-de0ef237727c463896b3860bde987779 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2332-8878 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosystem Health and Sustainability |
| spelling | doaj-art-de0ef237727c463896b3860bde9877792025-01-23T08:00:55ZengAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Ecosystem Health and Sustainability2332-88782025-01-011110.34133/ehs.0298Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in DesertHai Zhou0Xiangyan Feng1Zhibin He2Bing Liu3Fang Li4Heng Ren5Qiyue Yang6Jianjun Kang7Shuai Wang8Wenzhi Zhao9Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in northwestern China, Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in northwestern China of Ministry of Education, School of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, ChinaLinze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 010010, China.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Linze Inland River Basin Research Station, Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands, Institutional Center for Shared Technologies and Facilities, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China.Atriplex canescens (Pursh) is extensively utilized for the phytoremediation of degraded lands in regions worldwide where water is the primary growth-limiting factor. However, little is known about the dynamics of root water uptake and age-related water sources for the shrubs, which restricts the efficacy of vegetation restoration. Here, we examined the distribution of roots and isotopic values of δ18O and δD in soil water at depths ranging from 0 to 300 cm, groundwater, precipitation, and shrub xylem at different stages of shrub maturity to determine water use patterns in shrub plantations. Our findings showed that the number of fine roots in the soil profile increased as the A. canescens shrub aged. At 2 and 5 years old, approximately 50% of the shrub roots were within the shallow soil layer (0 to 0.5 m soil depth), and they relied on shallow and mid-soil (0.5 to 1.5 m soil depth) water sources, recharged primarily by precipitation, to supply more than 60% of their water during the growing season. In contrast, 10-year-old A. canescens relied heavily on deep soil water and groundwater sources, despite the fact that less than 10% of their roots extended beyond 2 m soil depth. Thus, the shrub A. canescens became more suited to extremely dry conditions as it grew older because its roots allowed it to absorb deeper water from the soil rather than simply superficial water. It also implies that deep soil water and groundwater are crucial for vegetation restoration in desert regions.https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/ehs.0298 |
| spellingShingle | Hai Zhou Xiangyan Feng Zhibin He Bing Liu Fang Li Heng Ren Qiyue Yang Jianjun Kang Shuai Wang Wenzhi Zhao Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in Desert Ecosystem Health and Sustainability |
| title | Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in Desert |
| title_full | Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in Desert |
| title_fullStr | Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in Desert |
| title_full_unstemmed | Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in Desert |
| title_short | Age-Related Water Use Pattern of the Introduced Species Atriplex canescens Was Influenced by Root Distribution in Desert |
| title_sort | age related water use pattern of the introduced species atriplex canescens was influenced by root distribution in desert |
| url | https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/ehs.0298 |
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