Water use traits and survival mechanisms of psammophytes in arid ecosystems

A combination of dune-scale observation to distinguish psammophyte distribution, field experiments to determine gradients of soil moisture and physicochemical properties, and controlled quantitative manipulation for psammophytes water use traits was employed to study an arid desert margin area in China. This study aims to: (1) interpret the survival mechanisms of plants in arid desert ecosystems, especially for pioneer species; (2) interpret the links among distribution pattern, stress-gradients, and water use traits; (3) discuss the mechanisms and probable succession processes under natural fixation for artificial ecosystem rehabilitation; and (4) discuss the possibility of recognizing quantified water use traits as a predictor to compare the variations in adaptability among different species. We classified seven psammophytes into three major types in terms of water use: prodigal, moderate, and frugal plants. Results showed that vegetation cover of all the dominant species, including shrubs and herbs, was negatively correlated with diurnal transpiration at rhizosphere moisture (P < 0.01, R² = 0.94). Herbaceous pioneer species (e.g., Agriophyllum squarrosum) survive harsh environments (shifting, hot and arid surface of dunes) by prodigal water use (high transpiration rate), low species cover, and fast production (high water use efficiency, which peaks at low soil moisture). By contrast, intrusive species (e.g., Eragrostis poaeoides) behaved as frugal plants to survive drought, thereby maintaining high vegetation cover and biomass, as well as soil water equilibration.