Impacts of Defoliation on Morphological Characteristics and Non-Structural Carbohydrates of Populus talassica × Populus euphratica Seedlings

Leaves are important‘source’organs that synthesize organic matter,providing carbon sources for plant growth.Here,we used Populus talassica×Populus euphratica,the dominant species in ecological and timber forests,to simulate carbon limitation through artificial 25%,50%,and 75%defoliation treatments and explore the effects on root,stem,and leaf morphology,biomass accumulation,and carbon allocation strategies.At the 60th d after treat-ment,under 25%defoliation treatment,the plant height,specific leaf weight,root surface area and volume,and concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates in stem and root were significantly increased by 9.13%,20.00%,16.60%,31.95%,5.12%,and 9.34%,respectively,relative to the control.There was no significant change in the growth indicators under 50%defoliation treatment,but the concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates in the leaf and stem significantly decreased,showing mostly a negative correlation between them.The opposite was observed in the root.Under 75%defoliation treatment,the plant height,ground diameter,leaf number,single leaf area,root,stem,and total biomass were significantly reduced by 14.15%,10.24%,14.86%,11.31%,11.56%,21.87%,and 16.82%,respectively,relative to the control.The concentrations of non-structural carbohydrates in various organs were significantly reduced,particularly in the consumption of the starch concentrations in the stem and root.These results indicated that carbon allocation strategies can be adjusted to increase the con-centration of non-structural carbohydrates in root and meet plant growth needs under 25%and 50%defoliation.However,75%defoliation significantly limited the distribution of non-structural carbohydrates to roots and stems,reduced carbon storage,and thus inhibited plant growth.Defoliation-induced carbon limitation altered the carbon allocation pattern of P.talassica×P.euphratica,and the relationship between carbon reserves in roots and tree growth recovery after defoliation was greater.This study provides a theoretical basis for the comprehen-sive management of P.talassica×P.euphratica plantations,as well as a reference for the study of plantation car-bon allocation strategies in the desert and semi-desert regions of Xinjiang under carbon-limitation conditions.

Gas Exchange, Xylem Ions and Abscisic Acid Response to Na^+-Salts and Cl^--Salts in Populus euphratica

We investigated the osmotic stress and ion-specific effects on xylem abscisic acid (ABA), ion uptake and transport and gas exchange in one-year-old seedlings of Populus euphratica Oliv. Net photosynthetic rates (P-n) and unit transpiration rates (TRN) were both significantly decreased upon an osmotic shock caused by PEG 6000 solution (osmotic potential = -0.24 MPa) or a saline, which was applied by 50 mmol/L Na+-salts (NaNO3 : NaHCO3 : NaH2PO4 = 5 : 4 : 1, pH 6.8, osmotic potential = -0.24 MPa) or by 50 mmol/L Cl--salts (KCl : NH4Cl = 1:1, osmotic potential = -0.24 MPa). However, salt-treated P. euphratica plants maintained typically higher TRN than those exposed to PEG. Xylem ABA concentrations increased rapidly following the PEG treatment, exhibiting peaking values at 1 h, then returning to pre-stress levels, followed by a gradual increase. Similarly, both Na+-treated and Cl--treated trees exhibited a rapid rise of ABA after salt stress was initiated. Notably, salt-treated plants maintained a relatively higher ABA than PEG-treated plants in a longer term. Collectively, results suggest that osmotic stress and ion-specific effects were both responsible for salt-induced ABA in P. euphratica : the initial rapid increase of xylem ABA appears to be a consequence of an osmotic shock, whereas specific salt effects seem to be responsible for ABA accumulation later on. Compared with Cl--treated trees, a higher inhibitory effect on gas exchange (P-n and TRN) was observed in Na+-salt plants, resulting from its long-sustained ABA and higher salt concentrations in the xylem. Displacement of membrane-associated Ca2+ by Na+ and the lesser capacity in Na+ compartmentation in root vacuoles likely contribute to the high influx of Na+ and Cl- in Na+-treated plants. Xylem K+, Ca2+ and Mg2+ concentrations were elevated by external Na+ -salts and Cl--salts, suggesting that P. euphratica maintained a higher capacity in nutrient uptake under saline conditions, which makes a contribution to its salinity tolerance.

Isolation of Protoplast and Ion Channel Recording in Plasma Membrane of Suspension Cells of Populus euphratica

The authors used suspension cells of Populus euphratica to isolate protoplast in the present study. Protoplasts were successfully obtained after 4 hours incubation in enzyme solution containing 1 0% cellulase “onozuka” R\|10, 0\^01% pectolyase Y\|23,0\^15% macerozyme R\|10 and 0\^1% hemicellulase at 25℃. Outward and inward single channels in plasma membrane were observed using cell\|attached recording of patch\|clamp technique. In this study, single channel records showed that more than one species of channel were obtained. These attempts in protoplast isolation and ion channel recording offers the opportunity to characterize cellular mechanisms of salt tolerance in tree species.

Studies on the Proton Pumping Activity of H^+-ATPase in Tonoplast Vesicles of Populus euphratica

Tonoplast-enriched vesicles were prepared from suspension-cultured Populus euphratica Oliv. cells by differential centrifugation and discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The properties of the proton pumping activity of H+-ATPases in tonoplast vesicles were studied by acridine orange fluorescent quenching measured at 22 degreesC. The proton pumping activity of ATPase was ATP-dependent with apparent Michaelis-Menten Constant (K-m) for ATP about 0.65 mmol/L. The optimal pH for H+-ATPases activity was 7.5. The proton pumping activity of H+-ATPase could be initiated by some divalent cations, Mg2+ being highly efficient, much more than Fe2+; and Ca2+, Cu2+ and Zn2+ were inefficient under the experimental condition. The proton translocation could be stimulated by halide anions, with potencies decreasing in the order Cl- > Br- > I- > F-. The proton pumping activity was greatly inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM), N, N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD), NO3- and Bafilomycin A(1), but not by orthovanadate and azide. These results demonstrated that the H+-ATPase in the tonoplast of Populus euphratica belonged to vacuolar type ATPase. This work was the first time that tonoplast-enriched vesicles were isolated from Populus euphratica cells.

Extraction of Total DNA from Populus euphratica Oliv. and Populus pruinosa Schrenk. by Improved CTAB Method

This study presented an improved CTAB method for extracting DNA from leaves of Populus euphratica Oliv. and Populus pruinosa Schrenk. based on the conventional CTAB method. The results showed that preventing DNA from browning is a key step to obtain the high-quality DNA during DNA extraction, and under the condition of grinding in the presence of liquid nitrogen, adding such three antioxidants as PVP dry powder, Vc and β-mercaptoethanol could prevent DNA from browning effectively. The total DNA extracted by the improved CTAB method was subjected to PCR detection which proved that it totally satisfied the requirements of subsequent study.

Electrophoresis Analysis on the Protein Expression in Heteromorphic Leaves of Populus euphratica Oliv.

[Objective] This study was to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanism of the development of heteromorphic leaves of Populus euphratica Oliv. [Method] By employing SDS-PAGE and 2-demensional electrophoresis (2-DE) techniques,proteins in various heteromorphic leaves from the same adult tree of P. euphratica were isolated and separated to the electrophoresis technique suitable for the separation and analysis of proteins in leaves of P. euphratica tree. [Results] There were significant differences in the expressions of proteins in various heteromorphic leaves of P. euphratica tree. SDS-PAGE pattern showed that bands of proteins with molecular weight of 57.2,13.2,30.2,23.9 and 33.3 kDa were remarkably different. 2-D electrophoresis pattern presented that proteins in leaves of P. euphratica tree mainly belong to acidic proteins distributed at pH value of 5.0-6.5 and with molecular weight of 20-40 kDa; totally 73 different protein spots were observed,of which 51 were up expressed and other 22 were down expressed in the serrated ovate leaves. [Conclusion] Based on these results,we speculate that regulated gene expression in leaves of P. euphratica tree results in the generation of different shapes of leaves,in order to adapt to the surroundings better.

Structural Characteristics and Eco-adaptability of Heteromorphic Leaves of Populus euphratica

The microstructural and ultrastructural traits of three kinds of typical leaves of Populus euphratica Olive, including lanceolate, broad-ovate and dentate broad-ovate leaves, were studied by using electron microscope and optical microscope. The re- sults showed that with the leaves changing from lanceolate shape to dentate broad-ovate shape, their structure obviously tended to be xeromorph: developed palisade tissue, undeveloped spongy tissue, thick cutin layer and sunken stomas. The amount of mitochondria tended to be increased, and the shape of chloroplasts varied from regular spindle to irregular rotundity or oval. The leaves were cov- ered with wax without cilium, and the stomas on the upper and lower epidermis of the leaves opened unevenly. The stomas on the lower epidermis were deeper than those on the upper epidermis under the scanning electron microscope. The results implied that the structural characteristics of the diversiform-leaves of P. euphratica are related to its eco-adaptability.

Stand structure and height-diameter relationship of a degraded Populus euphratica forest in the lower reaches of the Tarim River, Northwest China

Understanding stand structure and height-diameter relationship of trees provides very useful information to establish appropriate countermeasures for sustainable management of endangered forests. Populus euphratica, a dominant tree species along the Tarim River watershed, plays an irreplaceable role in the sustainable development of regional ecology, economy and society. However, as the result of climate changes and human activities, the natural riparian ecosystems within the whole river basin were degraded enormously, particularly in the lower reaches of the river where about 320 km of the riparian forests were either highly degraded or dead. In this study, we presented one of the main criteria for the assessment of vitality of P. euphrafica forests by estimating the defoliation level, and analyzed forest structure and determined the height-diameter （height means the height of a tree and diameter means the diameter at breast height （DBH） of a tree） relationship of trees in different vitality classes （i.e. healthy, good, medium, senesced, dying, dead and fallen）. Trees classified as healthy and good ac- counted for approximately 40% of all sample trees, while slightly and highly degraded trees took up nearly 60% of total sample trees. The values of TH （tree height） and DBH ranged from 0-19 m and 0-125 cm, respectively. Trees more than 15 m in TH and 60 cm in DBH appeared sporadically. Trees in different vitality classes had different distribution patterns. Healthy trees were mainly composed more of relatively younger trees than of degraded tress. The height-diameter relationships differed greatly among tress in different vitality classes, with the coefficients ranging from 0.1653 to 0.6942. Correlation coefficients of TH and DBH in healthy and good trees were higher than those in trees of other vitality classes. The correlation between TH and DBH decreased with the decline of tree vitality. Our results suggested that it might be able to differentiate degraded P. euphratica trees from healthy trees by determining the height-diameter correlation coefficient, and the coefficient would be a new parameter for detecting degradation and assessing sustainable management of floodplain forests in arid regions. In addition, tree vitality should be taken into account to make an accurate height-diameter model for tree height prediction.

Characteristics and dynamics analysis of Populus euphratica populations in the middle reaches of Tarim River

Populus euphratica Oliv. is widely distributed along the Tarim River. Maintaining stability of P. euphratica population is important to local development. This study explored the static life table, survivorship curves and four function curves (survival rate, cumulative mortality rate, mortality density, and hazard rate), and development index of P. euphratica population in the middle reaches of Tarim River. The results indicated that the age structure of P. euphratica population belonged to positive pyramidal type, which meant young age-class individuals occupied most populations. The number ofⅠ-Ⅱage classes accounted for 66.2% of whole population, and this indicated that there were abundant subsequent seedlings resources to support the growth of P. euphratica population in the middle reaches of Tarim River. The survivorship curve of P. euphratica belonged to the Deevey Ⅲ (concave-type) and the development index was 47.72%. Four function curves revealed that the individuals of P. euphratica sharply decreased at the initial stage and then leveled off at the late stage of survival curve. Time sequence prediction models predicted that the number of midlife individuals would increase in future 10, 20, 30 years, and P. euphratica population grew steadily as a result of rich saplings.

Gas exchange of Populus euphratica leaves in a riparian zone

Riparian vegetation belts in arid regions of Central Asia are endangered to lose their ecosystem services due to intensified land use.For the development of sustained land use,management knowledge of plant performance in relation to resource supply is needed.We estimated productivity related functional traits at the edges of the habitat of Populus euphratica Oliv.Specific leaf area （SLA） and carbon/nitrogen （C/N） ratio of P.euphratica leaves growing near a former river bank and close to moving sand dunes in the Ebinur Lake National Nature Reserve in Xinjiang,Northwest China （near Kazakhstan） were determined and daily courses of CO2 net assimilation （PN）,transpiration （E）,and stomatal conductance （gs） of two consecutive seasons were measured during July-August 2007 and June-July 2008.Groundwater level was high （1.5-2.5 m below ground） throughout the years and no flooding occurred at the two tree stands.SLA was slightly lower near the desert than at the former river bank and leaves contained less N in relation to C.Highest E and gs of P.euphratica were reached in the morning before noon on both stands and a second low maximum occurred in the afternoon despite of the unchanged high levels of air to leaf water vapor pressure deficit （ALVPD）.Decline of gs in P.euphratica was followed by decrease of E.Water use efficiency （WUE） of leaves near the desert were higher in the morning and the evening,in contrast to leaves from the former river bank that maintained an almost stable level throughout the day.High light compensation points and high light saturation levels of PN indicated the characteristics of leaves well-adapted to intensive irradiation at both stands.In general,leaves of P.euphratica decreased their gs beyond 20 Pa/kPa ALVPD in order to limit water losses.Decrease of E did not occur in both stands until 40 Pa/kPa ALVPD was reached.Full stomatal closure of P.euphratica was achieved at 60 Pa/kPa ALVPD in both stands.E through the leaf surface amounted up to 30％ of the highest E rates,indicating dependence on water recharge from the ground despite of obviously closed stomata.A distinct leaf surface temperature （Tleaf） threshold of around 30℃ also existed before stomata started to close.Generally,the differences in gas exchange between both stands were small,which led to the conclusion that micro-climatic constraints to E and photosynthesis were not the major factors for declining tree density with increasing distance from the river.

Effect of stand age and individual growth on seed germination of Populus euphratica in the Ejina Oasis, China

We conducted an investigation into the germination of seeds from individual Populus euphratica trees of different ages and growing conditions in order to discover the effect of intraspecific factors on their sexual reproduction in the Ejina Oasis, Inner Mongolia of China. By carrying out germination experiments of seeds collected at various seed dispersal periods, we found that P. euphratica seeds could be germinated intensively within 8 h from the start of the experiments, that the germination percentage decreased with the time of seed dispersal and that the germination percentage of seeds collected at the early stage of seed dispersal was 1.86 times greater than those collected at the final stage. There was no significant difference in the germination percentage or the germination index between seeds collected at the early and peak stages. The vitality of seeds from the mature forest was clearly higher than that of the half-mature and near-mature forests. The rate of branch dieback only affected seed germination at the final stage. Therefore, we conclude that the mature P. euphratica forest was the main contributor to reproduction. The results show that both the time of seed harvest and stand age were the main factors affecting the germination percentage of P. euphratica seeds.

Evapotranspiration of a Populus euphratica Oliv. forest and its controlling factors in the lower Heihe River Basin,Northwest China

Evapotranspiration (ET) within an ecosystem is crucial for die water-limited environment that currently lacks adequate quantification in the arid region of Northwest China, mainly covered by phreatophytes, such as the Populus euphratica Oliv. tree and the Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb. shrub species. Accordingly. ET was measured for an entire year using eddy covariance (EC) in P. euphratica stands in the lower Heihe River Basin, Northwest China. During the growing season, the total ET was 850 mm, with a mean of 4.0 mm/d, Which is obviously more than that observed at tree-level and stand level scales, which was likely due to the different level of soil evaporation induced by irrigation via water conveyance. Factors associated with ET fall into either environmental or plant eco-physiological categories. Environmental factors account for at least 79% variation of ET and the linear relationship between ET and the voundwater table (GWT) revealed the potential water use of P. euphratica forests under the non-water stress condition with die GWT less than 3 m deep. Plant eco-physiological parameters, specifically die leaf area 'index (LAI), have direct impact on the seasonal pattern of ET which provides a valuable reference to the wide-area estimates of ET for riparian forests by using LAI. In conclusion, P. euphratica forests have high water use after water conveyance, which may be the result of long-term adapting to local climates and limited water availability.

Isolation of protoplast from callus of Populus euphratica and H^+ fluxes across plasma membrane under NaCl stress

We used callus of Populus euphratica Olive to isolate protoplasts, and IT fluxes across plasma membrane were investigated. The concentration of enzymes for protoplast isolation, e.g. cellulase, pectolyase, macerozyme, hemicellulase, and sorbitol content, incubation time were systemically studied. High yield and viability of protoplast was achieved after 6-8 hours incubation of P. euphratica callus in enzyme solution containing 1.5% （w：v） cellulase R-10, 0.1% （w：v） pectolyase Y-23, 0.2% （w：v） macerozyme R-10, 0.05% （w：v） hemicellulase and 0.75M）.80 mol·L^-1 sorbitol. Non-invasively ion selective microelectrode technique was used to access proton fluxes in the absence and presence of NaCl （20 mmol.L-1）. Salt-induced transient net IT effiux was observed in the plasma membrane ofP. euphratica cells. The shift of IT flux response to NaC1 shock and the relevance to salt tolerance were discussed.

Retrieval of leaf biochemical properties by inversed PROSPECT model and hyperspectral indices:an application to Populus euphratica polymorphic leaves

Leaf biochemical properties have been widely assessed using hyperspectral reflectance information by inversion of PROSPECT model or by using hyperspectral indices, but few studies have focused on arid ecosystems. As a dominant species of riparian ecosystems in arid lands, Populus euphratica Oliv. is an unusual tree species with polymorphic leaves along the vertical profile of canopy corresponding to different growth stages. In this study, we evaluated both the inversed PROSPECT model and hyperspectral indices for estimating biochemical properties of P. euphratica leaves. Both the shapes and biochemical properties of P. euphratica leaves were found to change with the heights from ground surface. The results indicated that the model inversion calibrated for each leaf shape performed much better than the model calibrated for all leaf shapes, and also better than hyperspectral indices. Similar results were obtained for estimations of equivalent water thickness （EWT） and leaf mass per area （LMA）. Hyperspectral indices identified in this study for estimating these leaf properties had root mean square error （RMSE） and R2 values between those obtained with the two calibration strategies using the inversed PROSPECT model. Hence, the inversed PROSPECT model can be applied to estimate leaf biochemical properties in arid ecosystems, but the calibration to the model requires special attention.

Measuring and modeling evapotranspiration of a Populus euphratica forest in northwestern China

Vegetation is sparsely distributed in the arid regions of northwestern China,and accurately measuring and partitioning of evapotranspiration is of importance for ecosystems in such areas.In this study,we measured and analyzed diurnal and phenological variations in evapotranspiration using the eddy-covariance method based on the Penman-Monteith,Priestley-Taylor,Shuttleworth-Wallace models,a newly proposed improved dual source model and a clumped model in a forest reserve in the Ejin oasis of Populus euphratica in 2015 and 2016 growing seasons.A sensitivity analysis was performed for the models with higher accuracies and we examined the biotic and abiotic controls on evapotranspiration.The results show that the total amounts of evapotranspiration during the two growing seasons in 2015 and 2016 were 622 and 612 mm,respectively.Phenological variations in evapotranspiration produced single-peak curves,while diurnal variations reflected the influence of high temperatures on some afternoons.The Priestley-Taylor and the improved dual source models gave the most accurate evapotranspiration values at the daily scale and appeared to be most suitable for the estimation of evapotranspiration for the species in arid regions.In addition,both models were the most sensitive to net radiation(Rn).

Differences in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and water content in heteromorphic leaves of Populus euphratica from Inner Mongolia, China

We studied three typical heteromorphic leaves of Populus euphratica trees growing in the Wuhai region of Inner Mongolia,China,i.e.,lanceolate,broad-ovate and dentate broad-ovate leaves and mainly focused on the changes in chlorophyll fluorescence parameters and free water and bound water content.The results show that the values of Fm（maximal fluorescence yield）,Fv/Fm（maximum photochemical quantum yield of PSII） and Fv/F0（potential quantum efficiency of PSII） of lanceolate leaves were the least on young trees,while these parameters were the least on the ovate leaves of old trees.Compared with young trees,the free water content of heteromorphic leaves of old trees increased significantly,i.e.,by 78.94% in lanceolate leaves and in the leaves of broad-ovate and dentate broad-ovate by 10.99% and 10.60%,respectively.Correlation analysis showed that free water content is significantly related to Fv/Fm and Fv/F0 in young trees,while the relationship of total water content with Fv/Fm and Fv/F0 is positive in old trees.

Ultrastructural and Extracellular Protein Changes in Cell Suspension Cultures of Populus euphratica Associated with Low Temperature-induced Cold Acclimation

Populus euphratica Olive is the only tree species that can grow in the saline land and also survive cold winters in northwest China, and it plays a very important role in stabilizing the vulnerable ecosystem there. A cell suspension culture was initiated from callus derived from plantlets of Populus euphratica. Cold acclimation was induced (LT50 of 17.5 ℃) in cell suspension at 45 ℃ in the dark for 30 days and the freezing tolerance increased from LT50 of 12.5 ℃ in nonacclimated cells to LT50 of 17.5 ℃ in cold-acclimated cells. Microvacuolation, cytoplasmic augmentation and accumulation of starch granules were observed in cells that were cold-acclimated by exposure to low temperatures. Several qualitative and quantitative changes in proteins were noted during cold acclimation. Antibodies to carrot extracellular (apoplastic) 36 kD antifreeze protein did not cross react on immunoelectroblots with extracellular proteins in cell suspension culture medium of Populus euphratica, indicating no common epitopes in the carrot 36 kD antifreeze protein and P. euphratica extracellular proteins. The relationship of these changes to cold acclimation in Populus euphratica cell cultures was discussed.

Plant diversity and its maintenance in Populus euphratica riparian forests in the Ejina Oasis,China

The dynamic environments in riparian zones support a variety of life-history strategies, which constitute a fundamental mechanism for development and maintenance of biodiversity in riparian forest ecosystems. To demonstrate the effect of life-history strategies on biodiversity, we investigated community-level diversity and its relationship to environmental variability in the riparian Populus euphratica forests of the Ejina Oasis. Communities were divided into 14 associations on the basis of their species impor- tance values. The Simpson＇s index, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou＇s evenness index and the regional Whittaker＇s index were applied to calculate community diversity. An ordination of the sample plots was carried out by correspondence analysis （CA）. Biodiversity was relatively low across the entire study area, but there was high community diversity （flw = 8.09） due to the spatial heterogeneity of habitats in different plots. In addition, we investigated the relationship between biodiversity and several environmental factors, such as water availability, community components and soil conditions. We conclude that the heterogeneity of soil and water availability drives community diversity patterns in riparian zones and that community-level diversity favors the maintenance of species diversity in the P euphratica forests in the Ejina Oasis.

Sap-flow measurement and scale transferring from sample trees to entire forest stand of Populus euphratica in desert riparian forest in extreme arid region

Understanding how the transpiration of this vegetation type responds to environmental stress is important for determining the wa-ter-balance dynamics of the riparian ecosystem threatened by groundwater depletion. Transpiration and sap flow were measured using the heat-pulse technique. The results were then projected up to the stand level to investigate the stand’s water-use in relation to climate forcing in the desert riparian forest in an extreme arid region. This study took place from April through October 2003 and from May through October 2004. The experimental site was selected in the Populus euphratica Forest Reserve (101o10' E, 41o59' N) in Ejina county, in the lower Heihe River basin, China. The sapwood area was used as a scalar to extrapolate the stand-water consumption from the whole trees’ water consumption measured by the heat-pulse velocity recorder (HPVR). Scale transferring from a series of individual trees to a stand was done according to the existing natural variations between trees under given environmental conditions. The application of the biometric parameters available from individual tree and stand levels was proved suitable for this purpose. A significant correlation between the sapwood area and tree diameter at breast height (DBH) was found. The prediction model is well fitted by the power model. On the basis of the prediction model, the sapwood area can be cal-culated by DBH. The sap-flow density can then be used to extrapolate the stand-water use by means of a series of mathematical models.

Trunk volume estimation of irregular shaped Populus euphratica riparian forest using TLS point cloud data and multivariate prediction models

Background: Trunk volume(Vt) is an essential parameter for estimating forest stand volume, biomass, and carbon sequestration potential. As the dominant tree species in desert riparian forests, Euphrates poplar(Populus euphratica) has a high proportion of irregularly shaped tree trunks along the Tarim River, NW China, where the habitat is very fragile owing to long-term water stress. This causes uncertainty in estimation accuracy as well as technical challenges for forest surveys. Our study aimed to acquire P. euphratica Vtusing terrestrial laser scanning(TLS) and to establish a species-specific Vtprediction model.Methods: A total of 240 individual trees were measured by TLS multiple-station in 12 sampling plots in three sections along the lower reaches of the Tarim River. Vtwas calculated by a definite integration method using trunk diameters(Di) at every 0.1-m tree height obtained from TLS, and all data were split randomly into two sets:70% of data were used to estimate the model parameter calibration, and the remaining 30% were used for model validation. Sixteen widely used candidate tree Vtestimation models were fitted to the TLS-measured Vtand tree structural parameter data, including tree height(H), diameter at breast height(DBH), and basal diameter(BD). All model performances were evaluated and compared by the statistical parameters of determination coefficient(R^(2)),root mean square error(RMSE), Bayesian information criterion(BIC), mean prediction error(ME), mean absolute error(MAE), and modeling efficiency(EF), and accordingly the best model was selected.Results: TLS point cloud reflection intensity(RI) has advantageous in the extraction of data from irregular tree trunk structures. The P. euphratica tree Vtvalues showed obvious differences at the same tree height(H). There was no significant correlation between Vtand H(R^(2)=0.11, P < 0.01), which reflected the irregularity of P. euphratica trunk shape in the study area. Among all the models, model(14): Vt=0.909DBH1.184H0.487BD0.836(R^(2)=0.97, RMSE=0.14) had the best prediction capability for irregularly shaped Vtwith the highest R^(2), BIC(-37.96), and EF(0.96), and produced a smaller ME(0.006) and MAE(1.177) compared to other models. The prediction accuracy was 93.18%.Conclusions: TLS point cloud RI has a potential for nondestructively measuring irregularly shaped trunk structures of P. euphratica and developed Vtprediction models. The multivariate models more effectively predicted Vtfor irregularly shaped trees compared to one-way and general volume models.