Head of Direction 1: Professor Li Zhijun

Members: Wang Haizhen, Yang Zhaoping, Huang Wenjuan

1.Studies on the origin and adaptive evolution of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa : According to the distribution characteristics of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa, the origin and evolution of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa were analyzed by using morphology, highly conserved organelles (calcium carbonate bodies) or representative genes as targets;To study the relationship between speciation and phylogeny of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa, to clarify the origin pattern, population distribution pattern and survival and adaptation mechanism of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa.

2.Research on life history types of Populus euphratica and Populus euphratica: focus on the life history characteristics such as growth and reproduction, morphological structure, photosynthesis and biomass allocation of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa, and clarify the growth and reproduction strategies of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa and their physiological and ecological mechanisms in response to extreme drought environment.

3.Studies on developmental biology of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa : focusing on the relationship between heteromorphic leaf characteristics and growth and development of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa as well as its molecular regulation mechanism;To study the molecular mechanisms of growth transition and flowering;The study on the molecular mechanism of sex differentiation will lay the foundation for elucidating the developmental regulation mechanism of leaf shape change, growth transformation, flowering and sex differentiation during the development of Populus euphratica and Populus Pruinosa at the molecular level.