Characteristics and quantitative analysis of K, Na, Ca, Mg and S contents in the dominant plant species on the Hutubi cattle stock farm area, Xinjiang

The characteristics on K, Na, Ca, Mg and S contents of 25 plant species were analysed at the grassland on the Hutubi Cattle Stock Farm area, Xinjiang. The level of content is in the order of Na>S>K>Mg>Ca. Different plant species have considerable variation in contents of Na and S, for example, the contents of Na and S are more than 100000 ppm and 30000 ppm respectively in Suaeda physophora and Halocnemum strobilaceum and less than 30000 ppm and 4000 ppm respectively in Phragmites communis and Aeluropus littoralis; their interspecific coefficent of variation (c.v.) are 95.10% and 63.16% respectively. The interspecific c.v.of K content, 34.42%, is the lowest. The contents of K, Na, Ca and S in all innerspecific lants at different sites are less various than interspecific ones; the content of Mg in some innerspecific plants is more various than in interspecific ones. The analysis of correlation between contents of elements in plants and soil shows that Nitraia sibirica is the only plant specie whose coefficient of correlation (c.c.) of Na content in plant with that in soil reaches the significant negative level in seven plant species; among 5 elements in plants, the c.c.between Na and