To clarify stage-specific differences in the functional status of a typical sand-fixing shrub following stubble treatment in an ecologically fragile zone, we investigated approximately 50-year-old Haloxylon ammodendron individuals in the Minqin desert-oasis ecotone, Gansu Province, China. Four treatments were compared: no stubble, half stubble by branch number(50%), half stubble by height(50%), and complete stubble. Approximately two years after treatment, architectural traits, water-related functional traits, carbon acquisition traits, non-structural carbohydrate(NSC) contents during the peak growing season, and fine-root segment traits from the 80-90 cm soil layer were measured. Correlation analysis, principal component analysis, and the entropy-weighted TOPSIS method were used to evaluate trait associations and overall functional performance among treatments. The results showed that the multidimensional functional trait configuration of H. ammodendron varied among stubble treatments. Compared with no stubble and complete stubble, the two half-stubble treatments generally showed better aboveground architectural status and functional maintenance characteristics. Half stubble by height(50%) demonstrated relatively better performances in mean crown width, number of living branches, native water transport capacity, hydraulic safety margin, and organ NSC contents. In contrast, half stubble by branch number(50%) showed certain advantages in net photosynthetic rate, fine-root segment length, and specific root length. Correlation and principal component analyses revealed associations among native water transport capacity, hydraulic impairment, stomatal regulation, chlorophyll content, NSC accumulation, and fine-root segment traits, suggesting linked variation among multiple functional traits following stubble treatment. The entropy-weighted TOPSIS evaluation indicated that half stubble by height(50%) had the highest comprehensive score, followed by half stubble by branch number(50%), whereas no stubble and complete stubble exhibited lower overall functional performance. These results indicated that, for approximately 50-year-old H. ammodendron individuals observed two years post-treatment, half stubble by height(50%) showed relatively better performance in aboveground architecture, maintenance of native water transport capacity, and growing-season non-structural carbohydrate accumulation. This study provides a stage-specific reference for stubble management of aging H. ammodendron plantations in desert-oasis ecotones.
于2025年8月15—20日晴天分别测定各处理样株的凌晨和正午叶片水势。每个处理选择8株标准样株,在植株冠层中上部选取健康功能枝,采用便携式压力室水势仪PMS 1000(PMS Instrument Company,美国)测定凌晨水势(predawn water potential,Ψpd)和正午水势(midday water potential,Ψmd)。其中,凌晨水势测定时间为04:30—05:30,用于反映植株夜间水分平衡状态;正午水势测定时间为13:00—14:00,用于表征蒸腾高峰期植株水分亏缺程度。
1.2.3 叶片气体交换参数测定
于2025年8月15—20日晴天上午09:00—11:30,在各处理8株标准样株上选择树冠外围受光方向一致、健康且成熟的同化枝进行测定。若同化枝表面附着灰尘,则在原位测量前用干纸巾轻轻擦去表面沙尘。采用便携式光合作用测定系统Li-6400XT(Li-Cor,美国)的2 cm×3 cm透明叶室测定净光合速率(net photosynthetic rate,Pn)、气孔导度(stomatal conductance,Gs)和蒸腾速率(transpiration rate,Tr),并按下式计算内在水分利用效率(intrinsic water use efficiency,WUEi):
于2025年8月中旬,在各处理8株标准样株上采集长度大于1 m的健康阳生枝条,用于测定枝条导水率、导水率损失百分比(percentage loss of conductivity,PLC)及水力脆弱性参数。为避免自然导水功能测定与水力脆弱性曲线测定之间相互干扰,每株样株截取2个相近茎段,其中一个用于自然导水率、冲洗后最大导水率及自然状态下PLC计算,另一个未经加压冲洗的茎段用于水力脆弱性曲线构建和导水率损失50%时对应水势(P50)估算。
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