The occurrence of C<sub>4</sub> plants and their morphological functional types in the vegetation of Xinjiang, China

Abstract

Floristic composition, morphological functional types and habitat distributions for C4 species were studied in Xinjiang, North-western China. 89 species, in 9 families and 41 genera, were identified with C4 photosynthesis. 48 % of these C4 species were found in Monocotyledoneae, e.g. Cyperaceae (5 species), Gramineae (38 species), the other 52 % was in Dicotyledoneae, e.g. Chenopodiaceae (29 species), Amaranthaceae (7 species), and Polygonaceae (5 species). Compared with those in semi-arid grasslands in North China and tropical forests in South China, more plant families were found with the occurrence of C4 plants in this arid region. Relatively higher annual species (63 %), shrubs (18 %), and Chenopodiaceae C4 species (33 %) compositions were the primary characteristics for the C4 species occurring in Xinjiang, and this was remarkably related with its arid environment. More Chenopodiaceae C4 species occurring in the region suggested that this type of C4 species may have higher capacity to fit the air and soil droughts. There was a strong relationship between C4 occurrence and habitat distributions, more than half of the total 89 C4 species were found in disturbed and cultivated lands and early stages of vegetation successions, indicating C4 occurrence was not only related with climate changes, but also with land uses and vegetation dynamics.