How soil environmental factors shape leaf traits in arid-land vegetation

doi:10.17520/biods.2025158

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims: Plant traits serve as a bridge linking plants and their environment. As the basic unit for studying this relationship, functional groups carry key information on responses to environmental changes. Investigating how the composition of plant functional groups and leaf traits varying along resource gradients is crucial for understanding the environmental adaptation strategies of desert plants.

Methods: This study focused on the Artemisia ordosica communities in the Mu Us sandy land including four typical restoration stages: semi-fixed dune (D1), fixed dune (D2), fixed dune with biological soil crusts (D3), fixed dune with abundant herbaceous plants (D4). Plant communities were categorized into three functional groups: Poaceae, non- Poaceae, and shrub. We revealed the species composition of different plant functional groups at each restoration stage, the characteristics of their leaf traits, and the key soil environmental factors, with redundancy analysis (RDA) and variation partitioning.

Results: As the sand dunes gradually stabilized, the composition of plant functional groups became more complex, and the number of Poaceae and non-Poaceae species showed an increasing trend. However, shrub species showed relatively stable. Leaf traits of plant functional groups during the D1 and D2 stages exhibited higher specific leaf area (SLA) and lower leaf dry matter content (LDMC), suggesting that plants prioritized investment in leaf morphological development to enhance resource utilization under harsh environmental conditions. Among these, grass had higher LDMC and carbon assimilation capacity, which enhanced their ability to adapt to stressful environments. RDA revealed that soil water content (SWC), soil carbon to nitrogen ratio (SC : SN), and soil organic carbon content (SOC) significantly influenced the leaf trait assemblages of all three plant functional groups (P < 0.01). Variation partitioning and hierarchical partitioning analysis indicated that nine soil factors explained 18.5% of the total variance in plant leaf traits. The SC : SN had the largest individual effect (4.13%), and both SC : SN and SWC exhibited co-effects with most other factors.

Conclusion: This study employed multiple statistical analytical approaches to identify the key soil drivers of trait variation in desert plants and their synergistic effects, providing a robust theoretical foundation for regional vegetation restoration and sustainable ecosystem management.

Key words: leaf traits, soil environmental factors, redundancy analysis, sand-fixation stages, plant functional groups

Xiaoqian Ju, Yun Tian, Mingze Xu, Yuanmeng Dai, Manle Li, Yuhan Zhou, Peng Liu, Xin Jia, Tianshan Zha. How soil environmental factors shape leaf traits in arid-land vegetation[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2025, 33(11): 25158.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2025158

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2025/V33/I11/25158

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固沙阶段 Sand-fixation stages	半固定沙地 Semi-fixed dune (D1)	固定沙地 Fixed dune (D2)	土壤结皮固定沙地 Fixed dune with biological soil crusts (D3)	草本植物固定沙地 Fixed dune with abundant herbaceous plants (D4)
样地图 Plot photograph
经纬度 Latitude and longitude	107.23° N, 37.70° E	107.23° N, 37.71° E	107.23° N, 37.71° E	107.22° N, 37.70° E
海拔 Elevation (m)	1,549	1,541	1,508	1,549
土壤容重 Soil bulk density (BD) (g/cm)	1.54 ± 0.03^a	1.43 ± 0.12^b	1.62 ± 0.03^a	1.57 ± 0.02^a
土壤碳氮比 Soil carbon to nitrogen ratio (SC : SN)	2.53 ± 0.42^c	7.44 ± 1.70^a	3.97 ± 0.65^b	4.84 ± 1.04^b
土壤碳磷比 Soil carbon to phosphorus ratio (SC : SP)	12.63 ± 9.35^a	14.33 ± 4.80^a	13.85 ± 3.90^a	13.41 ± 4.47^a
土壤氮磷比 Soil nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (SN : SP)	4.98 ± 3.63^a	2.02 ± 0.79^b	3.59 ± 1.29^ab	2.95 ± 1.26^ab
土壤有机碳含量 Soil organic carbon content (SOC) (g/kg)	0.75 ± 0.07^c	2.69 ± 1.32^a	1.20 ± 0.27^bc	1.91 ± 0.64^ab
土壤温度 Soil temperature (ST) (℃)	25.18 ± 1.37^a	23.22 ± 2.82^a	24.87 ± 3.06^a	24.47 ± 2.11^a
土壤含水量 Soil water content (SWC) (%)	0.08 ± 0.02^a	0.10 ± 0.03^a	0.03 ± 0.01^b	0.04 ± 0.02^b
土壤全氮含量 Soil total nitrogen content (TN) (g/kg)	0.22 ± 0.03^b	0.31 ± 0.12^a	0.24 ± 0.02^ab	0.30 ± 0.02^ab
土壤全磷含量 Soil total phosphorus content (TP) (g/kg)	0.05 ± 0.02^b	0.19 ± 0.14^a	0.07 ± 0.02^b	0.12 ± 0.06^ab

固沙阶段 Sand-fixation stages	半固定沙地 Semi-fixed dune (D1)	固定沙地 Fixed dune (D2)	土壤结皮固定沙地 Fixed dune with biological soil crusts (D3)	草本植物固定沙地 Fixed dune with abundant herbaceous plants (D4)
样地图 Plot photograph
经纬度 Latitude and longitude	107.23° N, 37.70° E	107.23° N, 37.71° E	107.23° N, 37.71° E	107.22° N, 37.70° E
海拔 Elevation (m)	1,549	1,541	1,508	1,549
土壤容重 Soil bulk density (BD) (g/cm)	1.54 ± 0.03^a	1.43 ± 0.12^b	1.62 ± 0.03^a	1.57 ± 0.02^a
土壤碳氮比 Soil carbon to nitrogen ratio (SC : SN)	2.53 ± 0.42^c	7.44 ± 1.70^a	3.97 ± 0.65^b	4.84 ± 1.04^b
土壤碳磷比 Soil carbon to phosphorus ratio (SC : SP)	12.63 ± 9.35^a	14.33 ± 4.80^a	13.85 ± 3.90^a	13.41 ± 4.47^a
土壤氮磷比 Soil nitrogen to phosphorus ratio (SN : SP)	4.98 ± 3.63^a	2.02 ± 0.79^b	3.59 ± 1.29^ab	2.95 ± 1.26^ab
土壤有机碳含量 Soil organic carbon content (SOC) (g/kg)	0.75 ± 0.07^c	2.69 ± 1.32^a	1.20 ± 0.27^bc	1.91 ± 0.64^ab
土壤温度 Soil temperature (ST) (℃)	25.18 ± 1.37^a	23.22 ± 2.82^a	24.87 ± 3.06^a	24.47 ± 2.11^a
土壤含水量 Soil water content (SWC) (%)	0.08 ± 0.02^a	0.10 ± 0.03^a	0.03 ± 0.01^b	0.04 ± 0.02^b
土壤全氮含量 Soil total nitrogen content (TN) (g/kg)	0.22 ± 0.03^b	0.31 ± 0.12^a	0.24 ± 0.02^ab	0.30 ± 0.02^ab
土壤全磷含量 Soil total phosphorus content (TP) (g/kg)	0.05 ± 0.02^b	0.19 ± 0.14^a	0.07 ± 0.02^b	0.12 ± 0.06^ab

固沙阶段 Sand-fixation stages	禾本科 Poaceae	非禾本科 Non-Poaceae	灌木 Shrub
半固定沙地 Semi-fixed dune (D1)	赖草 Leymus secalinus	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 草木樨状黄芪 Astragalus melilotoides 沙蓬 Agriophyllum squarrosum 乳白黄芪 Astragalus galactites	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 蒙古羊柴 Corethrodendron fruticosum 沙芥 Pugionium cornutum
固定沙地 Fixed dune (D2)	赖草 Leymus secalinus 沙生针茅 Stipa glareosa 隐子草 Cleistogenes caespitosa	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 狗娃花 Aster hispidus 乳白黄芪 Astragalus galactites 草木樨状黄芪 Astragalus melilotoides 砂珍棘豆 Oxytropis racemosa 大翅蓟 Onopordum acanthium	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 华北白前 Cynanchum komarovii 柠条锦鸡儿 Caragana arborescens 达乌里胡枝子 Lespedeza daurica
土壤结皮固定沙地 Fixed dune with biological soil crusts (D3)	沙生针茅 Stipa glareosa 中华草沙蚕 Tripogon chinensis 隐子草 Cleistogenes caespitosa	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 角蒿 Incarvillea sinensis 乳白黄芪 Astragalus galactites 狗娃花 Aster hispidus 银灰旋花 Convolvulus ammannii	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 蒙古羊柴 Corethrodendron fruticosum 华北白前 Cynanchum komarovii 达乌里胡枝子 Lespedeza daurica
草本植物固定沙地 Fixed dune with abundant herbaceous plants (D4)	赖草 Leymus secalinus 沙生针茅 Stipa glareosa 隐子草 Cleistogenes caespitosa 沙芦苇 Agropyron mongolicum 中华草沙蚕 Tripogon chinensis	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 角蒿 Incarvillea sinensis 狗娃花 Aster hispidus 甘草 Glycyrrhiza uralensis 大翅蓟 Onopordum acanthium 苦豆子 Sophora alopecuroides 鹅绒藤 Cynanchum chinense 雾冰藜 Grubovia dasyphylla	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 蒙古羊柴 Corethrodendron fruticosum 华北白前 Cynanchum komarovii

固沙阶段 Sand-fixation stages	禾本科 Poaceae	非禾本科 Non-Poaceae	灌木 Shrub
半固定沙地 Semi-fixed dune (D1)	赖草 Leymus secalinus	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 草木樨状黄芪 Astragalus melilotoides 沙蓬 Agriophyllum squarrosum 乳白黄芪 Astragalus galactites	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 蒙古羊柴 Corethrodendron fruticosum 沙芥 Pugionium cornutum
固定沙地 Fixed dune (D2)	赖草 Leymus secalinus 沙生针茅 Stipa glareosa 隐子草 Cleistogenes caespitosa	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 狗娃花 Aster hispidus 乳白黄芪 Astragalus galactites 草木樨状黄芪 Astragalus melilotoides 砂珍棘豆 Oxytropis racemosa 大翅蓟 Onopordum acanthium	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 华北白前 Cynanchum komarovii 柠条锦鸡儿 Caragana arborescens 达乌里胡枝子 Lespedeza daurica
土壤结皮固定沙地 Fixed dune with biological soil crusts (D3)	沙生针茅 Stipa glareosa 中华草沙蚕 Tripogon chinensis 隐子草 Cleistogenes caespitosa	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 角蒿 Incarvillea sinensis 乳白黄芪 Astragalus galactites 狗娃花 Aster hispidus 银灰旋花 Convolvulus ammannii	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 蒙古羊柴 Corethrodendron fruticosum 华北白前 Cynanchum komarovii 达乌里胡枝子 Lespedeza daurica
草本植物固定沙地 Fixed dune with abundant herbaceous plants (D4)	赖草 Leymus secalinus 沙生针茅 Stipa glareosa 隐子草 Cleistogenes caespitosa 沙芦苇 Agropyron mongolicum 中华草沙蚕 Tripogon chinensis	虫实 Corispermum puberulum 角蒿 Incarvillea sinensis 狗娃花 Aster hispidus 甘草 Glycyrrhiza uralensis 大翅蓟 Onopordum acanthium 苦豆子 Sophora alopecuroides 鹅绒藤 Cynanchum chinense 雾冰藜 Grubovia dasyphylla	黑沙蒿 Artemisia ordosica 蒙古羊柴 Corethrodendron fruticosum 华北白前 Cynanchum komarovii

固沙阶段 Sand-fixation stages	功能群 Functional groups	相对多度 Relative abundance (%)	相对盖度 Relative coverage (%)	相对频度 Relative frequency (%)	Shannon-Wiener 多样性指数 Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H′)	物种丰富度指数 Species richness index (S)
半固定沙地 Semi-fixed dune (D1)	灌木 Shrub	11	94	48	0.70 ± 0.28^b	5.00 ± 1.00^b
	禾本科 Poaceae	3	1	8
	非禾本科 Non-Poaceae	86	5	44
固定沙地 Fixed dune (D2)	灌木 Shrub	38	79	32	1.86 ± 0.22^a	11.67 ± 0.58^a
	禾本科 Poaceae	34	2	28
	非禾本科 Non-Poaceae	28	19	40
土壤结皮固定沙地 Fixed dune with biological soil crusts (D3)	灌木 Shrub	68	98	46	1.57 ± 0.29^a	8.67 ± 2.08^ab
	禾本科 Poaceae	9	1	20
	非禾本科 Non-Poaceae	23	1	34
草本植物固定沙地 Fixed dune with abundant herbaceous plants (D4)	灌木 Shrub	36	89	30	1.89 ± 0.19^a	12.33 ± 1.15^a
	禾本科 Poaceae	35	8	30
	非禾本科 Non-Poaceae	29	3	40