Abstract: Five indices of leaf structural traits, i.e., thickness (TH), area (AR), specific leaf area (SLA), dry weight (DW), and dry matter content (DMC), of five plant types of Populus euphratica were measured, and the relationships between the leaf structural traits and diameter breast height (DBH) of P. euphratica as well as the correlations among the five indices were analyzed. The results showed that the leaf AR, TH, and DW were very significantly positively correlated with DBH (P<0.01), the DMC was significantly positively correlated with DBH (P<0.05), while the SLA was very significantly negatively correlated with DBH (P<0.01). It was suggested that along with the plant growth, the leaf AR, TH, DW, and DMC increased gradually, while the SLA decreased. The correlations among the indices of the leaf structural characteristics showed that the leaf AR, TH, DW, and DMC of P. euphratica were significantly positively correlated each other, while the SLA was significantly negatively correlated with any of the four indices.

Key words: Gnotobiotic culture, Bacterivorous nematodes, Bacteria, Population