Root system is the most important bridge connecting the above-ground and underground ecosystems, and plays an important role in the energy flow and material circulation of ecosystems. Heterogeneous environment caused by intense water-salt exchange in coastal wetlands is one of the most important factors affecting the structure and function of plant roots. This paper reviewed the research progress of water and salt stress on wetland plant root system in the past few years, previous studies focused on the response mechanism of plant roots under constant stress simulation, however, the heterogeneous habitat characteristics in nature was ignored. The research on plant adaptation to habitat heterogeneity is mostly focused on the acquisition of resources by roots, but the research on root response mechanism in heterogeneous stress habitats is still scarce. The coastal wetlands in the Yellow River Delta have the characteristics of river-sea interaction, land-sea transition and newly-formed. It is natural ideal experimental site for studying the root response mechanism under the condition of habitat heterogeneity. However, there are few studies on plant roots in the coastal wetlands of the Yellow River Delta. Based on the research progress of plant root of coastal wetlands in the world, three aspects of future research on root ecology of coastal wetlands in the Yellow River Delta were suggested: 1) Effects of time heterogeneity of water and salt on vegetation of coastal wetlands; 2) the relationship of clonal integration of root system and community and ecosystem under heterogeneous habitat; 3) root response of wetland clonal plants to climate changes.

根系是连接地上和地下生态系统的最主要桥梁,在生态系统能量流动和物质循环中扮演着重要角色。 滨 海湿地强烈的水盐交换过程导致的异质性环境是影响植被根系结构和功能的最主要因素之一。 本文综述了过去国内 外学者关于水盐胁迫对湿地植被根系的影响研究进展,表明过去的相关研究主要集中于恒定胁迫模拟条件下植被根 系的响应机制,忽略了自然界普遍存在的异质性生境特征;而在植物适应生境异质性方面的研究则多集中于根系对于 资源的获取方面,关于异质性胁迫生境下的根系响应机制相关研究还很缺乏。 黄河三角洲滨海湿地具有河海交互性、 海陆过渡性、新生性等特点,是开展生境异质性条件下根系响应机制研究的天然理想实验场。 然而当前在黄河三角洲 滨海湿地开展的植物根系方面的研究寥寥无几,结合国际上滨海湿地植被根系相关研究进展,提出了未来在黄河三角 洲滨海湿地根系生态学方向需重点关注的三个研究方向: 1) 水盐时间异质性对滨海湿地植被的影响; 2) 异质性生 境下根系克隆整合与群落和生态系统的关系; 3) 气候变化背景下湿地克隆植物根系特征的响应。