Investigations on the Concentrations of K, Na Ca, Fe and P in <i>Cymomorium</i> from the Gobi Arid Desert Ecosystem, North-Western China

Abstract

Investigations on macronutrients (K, Na, Ca, Mg and P) and micronutrients (Fe) in windy sand- and salt-resistant plant species such as Cymomorium can help us to get a better understand their behaviours of ecologically environment geochemistry in the Gobi arid desert ecosystem. This study presents our investigations on the concentrations of K, Na Ca, Mg, Fe and P in xerophilous, sabulicolous, superhalophilous Cymomorium from the oasis ecosystem in the Beishan-Tianshan Gobi arid desert, northwestern China. The mean concentrations of macronutrients (K, Na, Ca, Mg and P) in Cymomorium Songaricum Rupr. are, respectively, 1.29±0.29 % K, 2.45±1.08 % Na, 2966±2038 μg g–1 Ca, 2038±1746 μg g–1 Mg and 1462±457 μg g–1 P. Although the average concentrations of Fe concentrations (341±361 μg g–1) is within the normal range of Fe in plant species, the maximum Fe concentrations (1400 μg g-1) were detected in Cymomorium stemmed from the sandy lowland around the Shaquanzi iron mine of the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in China. It suggested that the indigenous species of Cymomorium might be one of the appropriate xerohalophyte species to restore the vegetation of the oasis, saline land use for agriculture or arid environments destroyed by mining activities in the dry land because it may have higher ability to accumulate K, Na, Ca, Mg, Fe and P from saline soils, and it belongs to the native salt-resistant plant species.