Effect of sand burial on water use and growth of Simon poplar (Populus simonii Carr.) in Kubuqi desert, Inner Mongolia of China

Abstract

Populus simonii is one of the effective species for revegetation of arid lands in China, because of rapid growth, adventitious root formation and high resistance to being buried in sand. To evaluate the effect of sand burial on water use and growth of Simon poplar, we compared physiological characteristics of Simon poplar on a slope of a sand hill (sand burial site) and on flat plane at the base of the hill (reference site) in growing season of 2012. Although sap flux density and its response to water vapor deficit were similar between the sites, leaf scale measurement of stomatal conductance and transpiration were lower in the sand burial site than the flat site. Whole-tree sap flow was larger in the sand burial site due to larger tree size.