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<p>As a valuable yet understudied plant functional trait, leaf pH plays a key role in indicating plant survival environment, nutritional status and physiological and ecological processes. This trait may exhibit particularly high sensitivity and unique response patterns under the harsh conditions of desert ecosystems, characterized by water scarcity and severe soil salinization. This study investigated the pH of assimilating and non-assimilating branches in C<sub>3</sub> and C<sub>4</sub> woody plants from the Xinjiang desert, analyzing their responses to biotic and abiotic factors. The results showed that the average leaf pH of desert woody plants was 5.60 ± 0.02. Notably, C<sub>4</sub> plants had a significantly higher mean pH (5.67 ± 0.03) than C<sub>3</sub> plants (5.56 ± 0.02). Branch type also influenced pH, but the pattern differed between photosynthetic pathways: in C<sub>3</sub> plants, assimilating branches had a lower pH (5.51 ± 0.03) than non-assimilating branches (5.64 ± 0.03), whereas in C<sub>4</sub> plants, assimilating branches had a significantly higher pH (5.81 ± 0.03) than non-assimilating branches (5.19 ± 0.07). Furthermore, direct comparisons between pathways revealed that assimilating branches of C<sub>3</sub> plants were more acidic than those of C<sub>4</sub> plants, while the opposite was true for non-assimilating branches. Partial regression analysis indicated that plant nutrient status was the primary factor influencing pH in C<sub>3</sub> assimilating and non-assimilating branches, as well as in C<sub>4</sub> non-assimilating branches. In contrast, pH variation in C<sub>4</sub> assimilating branches was jointly affected by plant nutrients and soil factors. Overall, these findings demonstrate that pH variation in C<sub>3</sub> and C<sub>4</sub> plants appears to be largely associated with internal physiological regulation and plant functional characteristics. This study provides a novel perspective for understanding desert plant survival strategies and offers a scientific basis for the sustainable management and conservation of desert ecosystems.</p>

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Plant nutrients predominantly explain variation in pH value of C3 and C4 woody plants in the desert of Xinjiang, China

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月2日

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  • Kaijuan Du,
  • Yan Luo,
  • Yanming Gong,
  • Yaxuan Wang,
  • Sining Liu,
  • Jie Yang,
  • Jinze Wu

摘要

As a valuable yet understudied plant functional trait, leaf pH plays a key role in indicating plant survival environment, nutritional status and physiological and ecological processes. This trait may exhibit particularly high sensitivity and unique response patterns under the harsh conditions of desert ecosystems, characterized by water scarcity and severe soil salinization. This study investigated the pH of assimilating and non-assimilating branches in C3 and C4 woody plants from the Xinjiang desert, analyzing their responses to biotic and abiotic factors. The results showed that the average leaf pH of desert woody plants was 5.60 ± 0.02. Notably, C4 plants had a significantly higher mean pH (5.67 ± 0.03) than C3 plants (5.56 ± 0.02). Branch type also influenced pH, but the pattern differed between photosynthetic pathways: in C3 plants, assimilating branches had a lower pH (5.51 ± 0.03) than non-assimilating branches (5.64 ± 0.03), whereas in C4 plants, assimilating branches had a significantly higher pH (5.81 ± 0.03) than non-assimilating branches (5.19 ± 0.07). Furthermore, direct comparisons between pathways revealed that assimilating branches of C3 plants were more acidic than those of C4 plants, while the opposite was true for non-assimilating branches. Partial regression analysis indicated that plant nutrient status was the primary factor influencing pH in C3 assimilating and non-assimilating branches, as well as in C4 non-assimilating branches. In contrast, pH variation in C4 assimilating branches was jointly affected by plant nutrients and soil factors. Overall, these findings demonstrate that pH variation in C3 and C4 plants appears to be largely associated with internal physiological regulation and plant functional characteristics. This study provides a novel perspective for understanding desert plant survival strategies and offers a scientific basis for the sustainable management and conservation of desert ecosystems.