Leaf water uptake strategy of desert plants in the Junggar Basin, China

Abstract

Aims Our objective is to understand leaf water uptake strategy of desert plants and the relationship between leaf water uptake capability and plant ecological functional types in the southeastern Junggar Basin, China. Methods We collected or classified (by the inverse of the normal cumulative distribution function) information from 51 species from five plant communities: growth form, life form, leaf texture trait, leaf surface trait, leaf wa- ter uptake content, percentage increase in leaf water content, leaf water deficit, specific leaf area and leaf dry mat- ter content. The correlation coefficient and degree of association were calculated between each pair of traits based on information theory. One-way analysis of variance and Fisher's multiple comparison, if applicable, were carried out on means of different soft ecological functional types at the community scale, for comparing leaf water uptake content and the percentage increase in leaf water content. Important findings Leaf water uptake content is more appropriate than percentage increase in leaf water for assessing plant leaf water uptake capability. Plant life form is the most rational soft trait to replace hard plant eco- logical functional ones in studying plant leaf water uptake strategy. There are tradeoffs between aboveground and belowground water uptake strategies and between leaf water consumption and uptake in the desert ecosystem.