Edaphic factors determining variation of two ecotypes of Leymus chinensis in North China

To identify ecotypic variation of L. chinensis, the physiological characteristics and environmental factors were measured and assessed for grey-green and yellow-green ecotypes of L. chinensis grown in the salt-alkalized and aeolian sandy soils. Although both ecotypes presented a similar salt-alkaline tolerance under the experimental conditions, they differed in several aspects. The L. chinensis grown in the aeolian sandy soils had higher water potential and chlorophyll content and lower proline content in their leaves than those grown in the salt-alkalized habitat, and the grey-green ecotype of L. chinensis in both types of soils had higher water potential, chlorophyll and proline contents than the yellow-green ecotype. Besides, grey-green ecotypes had higher salt-alkaline tolerance than the yellow-green ecotype. The stepwise regression analysis showed that soil conductance and pH value were the main ecological factors affecting the physiology of L. chinensis. From the natural distribution of the two ecotypes, we considered that salt-alkaline in the soils is the leading factor in determining ecotypic variation of L. chinensis. The two ecotypes were first named grey-green and yellow-green ecotypes respectively.