Plant Functional Traits in Response to Fence Enclosure in Sierozem and Aeolian Sandy Soil Habitats of Ningxia Desert Grasslands

Plant functional traits reflect the response and adaptation of plants to the growing environment, and are the representations of plants adopting different ecological strategies to adapt to the environment. The study on the adaptation and survival strategies of plant functional traits is ecologically indicative of the recovery of vegetation in fragile grassland ecosystems in arid and semi-arid zones. In this study, the functional traits of plant communities of sierozem and aeolian sandy soil in desert grassland under grazing and enclosure conditions were determined based on the field survey data of plant communities, leaf specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf total phosphorus content (LTP), leaf total carbon content (LTC), leaf total nitrogen content (LTN) and carbon to nitrogen ratio (C/N). The functional traits of plant leaves in different soil habitats were measured in response to enclosure and grazing. The results showed that: 1) SLA and LTP increased significantly in aeolian sandy soil habitat, and LDMC, LTC and C/N increased significantly in sierozem soil habitat; LTP increased significantly in grazing treatment, and C/N increased significantly in enclosure treatment. Correlation analysis showed that LDMC and LTP were highly significantly negatively correlated (P>0.01) in the sierozem habitat and significantly negatively correlated (P>0.05) in the aeolian sandy soil habitat; LTN and LTP were highly significantly negatively correlated (P>0.01) in the sierozem habitat and significantly positively correlated (P<0.05) in the aeolian sandy soil habitat; total carbon and carbon to nitrogen ratio were highly significantly negatively correlated in both habitats ( P>0.01). Therefore, soil habitat has an impact on plant functional traits, and future management of grassland ecosystem should make specific decisions in combination with soil habitat.