Water uptake of Haloxylon ammodendron in desert regions of Iran

Abstract

Abstract The complex relationships in the functioning of desert ecosystems and their environmental conditions can be expressed by the patterns of plant water use. In these areas, the water use sources of plants are a useful tool for resource management. Therefore, it is necessary to identify and track the available water resources and water use patterns. In this study, we investigated water use pattern of Haloxylon ammodendron growing in Semnan province, a semi-arid area of IRAN, using the stable isotope method. We used a simple, home-made Cryogenic Vacuum Distillation (CVD) system to direct extract the water in soil samples and different plant components before isotope analysis by mass spectrometer. The contribution of each possible water source of the plant xylem water was estimated using the IsoSource mixing model. The patterns in δ18O values in plant xylem water indicates the ability of H. ammodendron to use groundwater as the most important water resources in wet season to maintain its life. The results showed that there is a significant correlation between the isotope values with sand particles in the soil layers (P < 0.05). The results of this research can be of great help in strategic planting of H. ammodendron to prevent damages to groundwater resources and maintaining the long-term sustainability of groundwater.