Study of the relationship between compositions of shrub plant of stable-carbon-isotope and environmental factors in Xinjiang representatives of Chenopodiaceae

The paper analyses total of 58 samples representing 32 species of the 14 genera of shrub plant of the carbon isotope composition in Xinjiang representatives of Chenopodiaceae and a detailed discussion on the various factors that can influence them. The value of 38 samples fall between ?14.88‰ and ?11.55‰ with a mean of ?13.34‰, and values of 20 samples between ?27.93‰ and ?22.877‰ with a mean of ?25.38‰. So we obtained a total of 21 of C4 species (59.4%) and 11 of C3 species (40.6%) from 32 species studied Chenopodiaceae of shrubs plant. Then the relationship of plant-carbon-isotope and environmental factors has been analyzed. The results showed that the importance environmental factors for the δ¹³C-value of the Shrubs was annual precipitation (0.78) > temperature (0.66) > elevation (0.55). The three principal components has important factors to influence on C₃/C₄ shrub plant distribution. Environmental conditions play significant roles in the distribution and ecophysiological features of different photosynthetic types and even change the photosynthetic pathways. On the other hand, such as geographic location, Sunshine duration, evaporation capacity are more or less correlation with δ¹³C values, however, they would be interfered by annual precipitation. Desert plants to adapt to drought conditions by increasing water use efficiency (WUE) strategy. In short, plant physiology function is sensitive and timely to adapt environmental change.