Effects of sand burial depth on the root system of Salix cheilophila seedlings in Mu Us Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China

Abstract

Salix cheilophila Schneid. is a naturally occurring Salix species in Mu Us Sandy Land, Inner Mongolia, China. We focused on the morphological adaptability of S. cheilophila to sand dune burial. For morphological measurements, 32 S. cheilophila seedlings were removed from a community which was in the process of being buried by a shifting sand dune. Each seedling collected included the entire root system. We measured the number, length, and biomass of the adventitious roots, primary lateral roots, and taproot, and compared the morphological characteristics of the root system, including adventitious roots, for seedlings buried to various levels in the sand. The growth range of adventitious roots increased as the length of the buried portion of the main shoot increased. In addition, the total dry weight of all current-year shoots tended to increase gradually with increasing total dry weight of the adventitious roots. These results suggest that S. cheilophila tends to make use of the sedimentary sand layer that accompanies shifting sand dunes. However, there was no correlation between biomass or number of adventitious roots and the length of the buried part of the main shoot. Thus, S. cheilophila does not grow adventitious roots proportional to the buried part. These morphological characteristics of the root system, including the adventitious roots, may indicate that S. cheilophila has poor morphological adaptability to sand dune burial.