Professor Dr. Li Xinrong

Alfried Krupp Senior Fellow
(Oktober 2009 - September 2010)
 
 
Born 1966 in Gansu, China
 
Studies of Forestry and Forest Ecology, and Biology in Yangling and Moscow
 
Director of the Laboratory of Ecology and Agriculture, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences
 
 
The Restoration and Adaptive Traits of Reed Plants in the Desert Regions, Northwestern China: Importance for Arid Land Restoration
 
Desert plants are affected by many factors, such as drought, salinity, high temperature, etc. Phragmites (reeds) growing in different habitats exhibits significant variations in morphological, structural, physiological characteristics and carbon assimilating pathways. In arid desert regions of northwest China, there are approximately 330 000 hm² areas covered by reeds which exhibit different ecotypes. The objectives of this project are to understand the relationships between the pattern of Phragmites distribution and environmental factors; to explore the adaptive characteristics of the plants to various desert habitats, and to draw out the main factors that influence on the dynamics of reed population, thus, to enhance our knowledge of the ecosystem management and vegetation restoration in the arid desert regions.