Some physiological parameters of the resistance of woody plants in the arid conditions of the Mangystau desert

The purpose of this study was to identify the possibility of using physiological parameters of growth and development of woody plants as markers of their tolerance to the arid conditions of the Mangistau desert zone. Using the generally accepted representative methods for 21 species of trees and shrubs, we studied the seasonal dynamics of the intensity of transpiration and water content of leaves, chlorophyll concentration and heat resistance. According to the magnitude of transpiration consumption of moisture, three groups of introducents were identified: weakly transpiring ( 500). A close correlation was established between the intensity of transpiration (IT) and the water content of the leaves of woody plants (r = 0.79). Soil moisture predetermines from 11.6 to 43.6 % of changes in transpiration flow (r = 0.34-0.66). The close connection between the transpiration intensity and relative humidity (r = -0.59) and air temperature (r = 0.46) is credible at 5 % significance level. With the amount of illumination it is associated statistically incredible (r = 0.19). Seasonal dynamics of IT in most introductions looks like a one-peak curve with a maximum in June. For the daytime course of transpiration changes, three types of rhythms are distinguished: “increasing” (from morning to evening), “falling” (from morning to evening) and “variable” (with a maximum at noon). The intensity of the transpiration process due to significant variability and multifactorial nature cannot be counted among the criteria for resistance of woody plants. However, at the same time, a significant correlation was revealed between the biological resistance of introducents and the coefficient of variation of IT. With an increase in its values, the tolerance of plants to arid habitat conditions usually increases due to their increased ability to self-regulate water exchange. Chlorophyll content is characterized by a double-vertex curve with a maximum in June and September. In the most biologically resistant species (elm elm, spinefly), its concentration is less susceptible to seasonal fluctuations. According to the collected research materials, the chlorophyll content cannot yet be considered a credible parameter of plant resistance, since it strongly depends on the bioecological properties of introduced species, especially in adverse conditions of the Mangistau desert. By heat resistance, plants are ranked in three groups: “low” (50 °С) – 3 species; “medium” (60 °С) – 8 and “high” (70 °С) – 3 taxon. As a genetically fixed bioecological parameter, weakly subject to intraspecific changes, it may well be used as a diagnostic characteristic of the introduction value of plants in arid conditions.