Interactive response of photosynthetic characteristics in Haloxylon ammodendron and Hedysarum scoparium exposed to soil water and air vapor pressure deficits

C₄ plants possess better drought tolerance than C₃ plants. However, Hedysarum scoparium, a C₃ species, is dominant and widely distributed in the desert areas of northwestern China due to its strong drought tolerance. This study compared it with Haloxylon ammodendron, a C₄ species, regarding the interactive effects of drought stress and different leaf–air vapor pressure deficits. Variables of interest included gas exchange, the activity levels of key C₄ photosynthetic enzymes, and cellular anatomy. In both species, gas exchange parameters were more sensitive to high vapor pressure deficit than to strong water stress, and the net CO₂ assimilation rate (A_n) was enhanced as vapor pressure deficits increased. A close relationship between A_n and stomatal conductance (g_s) suggested that the species shared a similar response mechanism. In H. ammodendron, the activity levels of key C₄ enzymes were higher, including those of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-malate enzyme (NADP-ME), whereas in H. scoparium, the activity level of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide-malate enzyme (NAD-ME) was higher. Meanwhile, H. scoparium utilized adaptive structural features, including a larger relative vessel area and a shorter distance from vein to stomata, which facilitated the movement of water. These findings implied that some C₄ biochemical pathways were present in H. scoparium to respond to environmental challenges.