Funding information
The Key Research and Development Program of the Xinjiang Uygur
Autonomous Region, Grant/Award number: No. 2022B02003; The Natural
Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Grant/Award
number: 2022D01A193; The National Natural Science Foundation of China,
Grant/Award number: No. 31960260.
Abstract: Root system architecture is limited by phylogenetic
relationships and ultimately affect the biomass allocation of resource
acquisition organs. However, many studies have only focused on the
impact of environmental driven trait variation and biomass allocation on
root system architecture, neglecting the impact of phylogenetic
relationships. Therefore, biomass allocation and phylogenetic
relationship affect the root system architecture and its variation
patterns were investigated in annual ephemerals. We found that the
interspecific variation of root tissue density (RTD) was the highest
(51.63%), and the topological index (TI) was the lowest (5.92%).
Moreover, the range of intraspecific variation for specific root length
(SRL) and specific surface area (SRA) is high, and the TI is low. This
convergence and divergence of root traits reflect the Phenotypic
plasticity of roots and their adaptation to environmental filtering and
interspecific competition. Maximum root depth (MRD) was detected
significantly and weakly phylogenetic signal (0<K<1,
P<0.05). The leaf mass fraction (LMF), which is significantly
positively correlated with MRD, SRA, and SRL, reflects the water demand
of plants. Meanwhile, the root mass fraction (RMF), which is
significantly positively correlated with MRD, is the foundation for
exploring soil spatial roots. These correlations are influenced by
phylogenetic relationships. Although biomass allocation indicators and
trait variation indicators can reflect the adaptive strategies of annual
ephemerals, the impact of phylogenetic relationships is equally
important.
Key word: Interspecific variation; Intraspecific variation;
Root mass fraction; Leaf mass fraction;