English

Abstract

Variations in plant functional traits might reveal the adaptation strategies of vegetation under changing environment. However, few studies have focused on the variation of dominant plant functional traits in changing soil water content in marsh wetland of the arid regions. In this study, functional traits were investigated in the dominant species Phragmites australis growing at distinct soil water contents in marshes of the arid middle-lower reaches of the Shule River Basin in Northwest China. Three soil water gradients (33.38 ± 1.40, 15.97 ± 1.99 and 10.22 ± 1.61%) were identified from three marsh sites. Results showed that leaf thickness, specific leaf area, maximum height and leaf phosphorous content in P. australis were significantly varied from the high soil water to low soil water in arid marshes. Soil water content driven variations in functional traits of P. australis, mainly by its effect on soil salinity and available nitrogen, affected the functional traits of P. australis. In conclusion, in marshes of arid regions, P. australis adapted well to resource-poor habitats through the coordinated combination of multiple functional traits i.e., low specific leaf area, leaf nitrogen content and leaf phosphorous content, high leaf dry matter content and leaf thickness, which reflected that P. australis had conservative strategy. © 2021 Friends Science Publishers