Phenotypic Plasticity of Zygophyllum xanthoxylum in Response to Soil Moisture
Plant phenotypic plasticity is affected by different environments,and it is an adaptation of plants to the environment.In order to explore the phenotypic plasticity of Zygophyllum xanthoxylum in different habitats and its resource allocation pattern,we selected two habitats,fixed sand and gravelly sand,to study the changes in growth parameters,leaf traits and floral traits of Z.xanthoxy-lum in different habitats.The results showed that:(1)Z.xanthoxylum showed better growth in terms of greater plant height,volume,and aboveground biomass;(2)it showed greater leaf area,greater leaf fleshing,and greater leaf water content and specific leaf area;(3)it has fewer total flowers,smaller flower diameters and smaller petal areas,manifesting a reduced investment in repro-duction.Under conditions of low soil water availability in the habitat,Z.xanthoxylum adopts a more conservative survival strategy,investing more material and energy in nutrient growth,thus re-ducing reproductive investment to ensure its survival.This study can help to explain the phenotypic plasticity and resource allocation of Z.xanthoxylum in response to environmental changes,and pro-vide a theoretical basis for the restoration and conservation of desert plants.
phenotypic plasticityfloral traitsreproductive strategytrait trade-offsoil water con-tent
万方数据
维普
