克隆繁殖是極端干旱區(qū)植物繁殖最普遍的繁殖方式之一。塔克拉瑪干沙漠南緣是降水極端稀少的地區(qū),，疏葉駱駝刺(Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. )是這一區(qū)域荒漠--綠洲過渡帶上的主要建群種植物,。
為深入了解疏葉駱駝刺在不同潛水埋深下的克隆繁殖過程變化，中國科學院新疆生態(tài)與地理研究所策勒國家站曾凡江研究員和桂東偉副研究員，開展了不同潛水埋深下的定點調查實驗,，研究了策勒綠洲荒漠區(qū)的駱駝刺在不同潛水埋深下的克隆繁殖過程中根系構型及分株變化,。
研究結果表明：潛水埋深可以顯著影響駱駝刺的克隆生長及繁殖特性,。隨著地下潛水的不停增加，駱駝刺會主動調節(jié)克隆繁殖策略,，如增加橫向側根的分株深度和生物量,，減少克隆分株數，增加地上部生物量及株高,、冠幅、基莖等。目前,，隨著塔南區(qū)域經濟的發(fā)展和人口的顯著增加，綠洲面積不斷擴大,。在綠洲擴大化過程中,，地下水被大量開采,，造成了地下潛水埋深的不斷下降,，本研究可為塔南極端干旱荒漠區(qū)的植被修復提供理論指導和支撐。
相關研究成果以Characteristics of the clonal propagation of Alhagi sparsifolia shap.(Fabaceae) under different groundwater depths in Xinjiang,， China為題發(fā)表于The Rangeland Journal,。（生物谷Bioon.com）
生物谷推薦的英文摘要
The Rangeland Journal doi.org/10.1071/RJ13004
Characteristics of the clonal propagation of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. (Fabaceae) under different groundwater depths in Xinjiang， China
Dongwei Gui ,，Fanjiang Zeng ,，Zhen Liu and Bo Zhang
Clonal reproduction of plants commonly occurs in arid areas because seedling establishment is rare in such severe environments. The features of clonal architecture differ not only among plant species but also within the same species growing in different environments. The characteristics of clonal propagation of Alhagi sparsifolia Shap. (Fabaceae)， growing on the margins of Cele Oasis on the southern rim of the Taklamakan Desert,， were investigated in September 2010. The study was conducted on three sites with different groundwater depths (2.5,， 4.5， and 11.0 m). The results showed that the root suckering depth and the ability to expand and the biomass of coarse lateral roots of A. sparsifolia significantly increased when the groundwater depth increased. Moreover,， the vegetative regeneration capacity of A. sparsifolia significantly declined with increasing groundwater depth,， and the canopy cover at the site with a groundwater depth of 2.5 m was significantly greater than at the other two sites. There was no difference in aboveground biomass at the three sites. In such hyper-arid environments with a scarcity of soil nutrients， it was demonstrated that groundwater depth plays an important role in the clonal growth and propagation traits of A. sparsifolia. Increases in the groundwater depth as a result of over-use of oasis water for irrigation could lead to reduced populations of this important species in the interfaces between oases and the surrounding desert.
