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Stable isotope insights into water use sources and adaptation strategies of Tamarix Chinensis in desert ecotone of arid regions

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Abstract

Water availability is a critical determinant of ecosystem stability and vegetation persistence in arid environments. Understanding the water-use strategies of xerophytic shrubs under diverse hydrological conditions is essential for elucidating plant-water interactions and informing ecological restoration practices. This study focuses on Tamarix chinensis communities across the desert-steppe ecotone in northwestern China. By analyzing the stable isotopic compositions of hydrogen and oxygen (δ²H and δ¹⁸O) in precipitation, soil water, xylem water, and groundwater, and applying a Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR), this study quantitatively assessed the sources and controlling factors of water uptake under varying groundwater depths. The results reveal that Tamarix chinensis employs flexible water-use strategies that vary with habitat conditions. Rainfall contributed only (10% ± 2%) to total water uptake, while groundwater (24% ± 3%), mid-soil water (22% ± 3%), and deep-soil water (22% ± 3%) were the predominant sources. Under conditions of shallow groundwater and low salinity, the species accessed deep-soil water (27%) and groundwater (29%). As groundwater levels declined, reliance on groundwater decreased, and uptake shifted toward mid- (25%) and deep-soil layers (26%). Additionally, in areas with reduced vegetation richness, the contribution from shallow-soil water increased significantly, reaching 24.8%. These results demonstrate the strong ecological plasticity of Tamarix chinensis, which adjusts its water-use strategy in response to variation in groundwater depth, soil salinity, and community structure. The study provides critical insights for vegetation management and ecological restoration in arid and transitional desert regions.

Data availability

The datasets used and/or analysed during the current study available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Funding

This work was financially supported by grants from the Major Science and Technology Projects of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region [2022A03009-4].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Water and Environment, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Lei Liu, Jiaxin Bian & Yudong Lu

  2. Key Laboratory of Subsurface Hydrology and Ecological Effect in Arid Region of Ministry of Education, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Lei Liu, Jiaxin Bian & Yudong Lu

  3. Key Laboratory of Eco-hydrology and Water Security in Arid and Semi-arid Re-gions of Ministry of Water resources, Chang’an University, Xi’an, 710054, China

    Lei Liu, Jiaxin Bian & Yudong Lu

  4. Urumqi Comprehensive Survey Center on Natural Resources, Geological Survey, Ürümqi , 830057, China

    Lei Liu, Lihe Yin, Zhi Yang & Liyang Cui

  5. College of Life Sciences, Shihezi University, Shihezi , China

    Baohua Han

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  1. Lei Liu
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  2. Lihe Yin
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  3. Zhi Yang
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Contributions

**Jiaxin Bian** and **Liu Lei** : Conceptualization, Writing-review & editing, Supervision, Funding acquisition, Writing-Original draft. **Lu Yudong** and **Lihe Yin** : Conceptualization, Methodology, Data curation. **Zhi Yang** and **Liyang Cui** : Writing-review, Supervision. **Baohua Han** : Data curation & editing.

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Jiaxin Bian or Yudong Lu.

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Competing interests

No conflict of interest exists in the submission of this manuscript, and all authors approve the manuscript for publication. The work described was original research that had not been published previously. We declare that we do not have any commercial or associative interest that represents a conflict of interest in connection with the work submitted.

Ethical Compliance Statement

All experimental research and field studies involving plants in this study complied with relevant institutional, national, and international guidelines and legislation. The collection of Tamarix chinensis and Halocnemum strobilaceum did not involve any endangered or protected species, and no special permissions were required at the study sites. All sample testing and isotope analyses were conducted at the Urumqi Comprehensive Survey Center on Natural Resources, China Geological Survey (830057, China). The plant species Tamarix chinensis and Halocnemum strobilaceum used in this study were identified following the guidelines of the Flora of China and confirmed based on morphological characteristics such as leaf shape, bark texture, and floral structure. The formal identification was conducted by Professor Jinhu Zhi from Tarim University, who specializes in desert plant taxonomy. A voucher specimen has been deposited at the Urumqi Comprehensive Survey Center on Natural Resources, China Geological Survey (830057, China), and is available upon reasonable request.

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Liu, L., Yin, L., Yang, Z. et al. Stable isotope insights into water use sources and adaptation strategies of Tamarix Chinensis in desert ecotone of arid regions.
Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38933-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-38933-6

Keywords

  • Hydro-salinity heterogeneity
  • MixSIAR model
  • Stable isotopes
  • Water-use strategy

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