Response of the accumulation of proline in the bodies of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Populus euphratica</Emphasis> to the change of groundwater level at the lower reaches of Tarim River

The content of proline in the plant bodies is closely related to the converse-succession-resistant capability of the plants. In this paper, the relationship between the proline accumulation in the bodies of Populus euphratica and the change of groundwater level is analyzed by taking Populus euphratica, the main community-building species of the desert riparian forests along the Tarim River, as the research object. The research results show that the accumulation of proline in the bodies of Populus euphratica is closely related to the change of groundwater level gradient under drought stress, it increases with the drawdown of groundwater level and the increase of moisture stress degree; the accumulation of proline in the bodies of Populus euphratica has two extremely high points at the groundwater depth ranges of 3.64-5.14 m and 9.46-10.16 m. Combining the field investigation and the analysis of the plots, it is considered that the groundwater level of 3.5-4.5 m is rational for the growth of Populus euphratica. The stress groundwater depth for the normal growth and the critical one for the survival of Populus euphratica are below 4.5 m and 9-10 m respectively at the lower reaches of the Tarim River.