Isotope-based water-use efficiency of major greening plants in a sponge city in northern China

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 14; no. 7; p. e0220083
• Main Authors: Li, Changchao, Huang, Miansong, Liu, Jian, Ji, Shuping, Zhao, Ruiqi, Zhao, Di, Sun, Ruilian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Public Library of Science 25.07.2019; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Agricultural production; Analysis; Biology and Life Sciences; Carbon; Carbon isotopes; Carbon Isotopes - chemistry; Carbon Isotopes - pharmacokinetics; China; Cities; Cities and towns; Climate change; Construction; Crop science; Drought; Earth Sciences; Ecological function; Ecology; Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Ecosystem; Ecosystem biology; Ecosystems; Efficiency; Environmental research; Fractionation; Green infrastructure; Greening; Groundwater - analysis; Groundwater - chemistry; Health aspects; Isotope fractionation; Isotopes; Methods; Metropolitan areas; Nitrogen; People and Places; Physiology; Plant species; Plants - chemistry; Plants - metabolism; Precipitation; Rain; Ratios; Species; Species classification; Stormwater management; Studies; Sustainable living; Technology; Urban areas; Viridiplantae - chemistry; Viridiplantae - metabolism; Water; Water - analysis; Water - metabolism; Water Resources - supply & distribution; Water shortages; Water Supply - standards; Water use; China; Cities; Beijing China
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0220083

To tackle urban water issues, the Chinese government has promoted the construction of sponge cities in recent years. Thirty cities have been designated as experimental sites to serve as models for future sponge city construction, as more than 80% of the built-up urban areas in China must reach the standards of sponge cities by 2030. Greening plants play an important role in sponge cities, and water-use efficiency (WUE) is a vital index to determine whether plants could adapt to and grow healthily in environments with water deficits. In this study, WUE of greening plants was quantified by measuring the stable carbon isotope fractionation. Suitable plants for the green spaces in Guyuan sponge city, in northern China, were selected based on their WUE, and the main factors affecting WUE were studied in four habitats within the city. Plant species identity had the greatest effect on WUE, while habitat and plant life form had lower effect, illustrating that WUE is a relatively stable and reliable index for the classification of plant species. We can improve the WUE and ecological function of green spaces in sponge cities by using isotope technology to select suitable plant species with high WUE. To our knowledge, this study is the first to select plant species for sponge city by using this method, providing a quick and scientific method for the selection of greening plants for future sponge cities.