Experimental measurement of the water relations parameters of nine shrubs and some ecological interpretations

Determination of some water relations parameters of 9 shrubs with the pressure-volume technique has shown that there were considerable variations in the water relations parameteres of different shrubs and that some parameters were indicative for their adaptations to the ecological conditions. It has been found that two desert shrubs, Tetraena mongolica Maxim. and Zygophyllum xanthoxylon (Bge.) Maxim., exhibited strong ability of drought tolerance, whereas the typical sandy shrubs were quite diverse in adaptation stratgegy. Salix psammophila C. Wang et Ch. Y. Yang, Artemisia ordosica Krasch., Caragana intermedia Kuang et H.C.Fu and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (Maxim.) were more or less close to each other in water relations parameters. Their , ranged from -1.4 MPa to -2.4 MPa, and Vp/Vo lay between 62% and 76%. However, some special features of adaptation were found in the other three species, eg Sabina vulgaris Ant., Hedysarum mongolicum Turcz. and Artemisia sphaerocephala Krasch.

Experimental measurement of the water relations parameters of nine shrubs and some ecological interpretations Academic Article