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The Populus euphratica Forest in Hotan

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Populus euphratica trees thrive in sunlight, tolerate heat, drought, and saline-alkali conditions, and are highly adaptable and fast-growing. However, they cannot endure prolonged low-moisture, strongly alkaline environments or heavy clay soils, and cannot survive in deserts without access to groundwater or flowing water. As typical phreatophytic xerophytes, they grow in a "corridor"-like pattern along both banks of rivers, forming one of the desert riparian tree species that develop under arid, windy, and saline conditions. Due to their unique physiological traits, their ecological role is irreplaceable. Populus euphratica trees also have long lifespans — for example, in Anjir River near Minfeng County, there stands a 32-meter-tall tree with a trunk circumference of 5.5 meters and an age of 240 years, which remains lush and vibrant. The young trees are rich in protein, sugar, and various trace elements essential for livestock, offering high nutritional value. The forest floor supports dense grass layers and benefits the growth of medicinal plants such as licorice and Apocynum pictum. Populus euphratica also serves as a habitat for wildlife including deer and Mongolian gazelles, making it ecologically and economically significant.

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Populus euphratica trees thrive in sunlight, tolerate heat, drought, and saline-alkali conditions, and are highly adaptable and fast-growing. However, they cannot endure prolonged low-moisture, strongly alkaline environments or heavy clay soils, and cannot survive in deserts without access to groundwater or flowing water. As typical phreatophytic xerophytes, they grow in a "corridor"-like pattern along both banks of rivers, forming one of the desert riparian tree species that develop under arid, windy, and saline conditions. Due to their unique physiological traits, their ecological role is irreplaceable. Populus euphratica trees also have long lifespans — for example, in Anjir River near Minfeng County, there stands a 32-meter-tall tree with a trunk circumference of 5.5 meters and an age of 240 years, which remains lush and vibrant. The young trees are rich in protein, sugar, and various trace elements essential for livestock, offering high nutritional value. The forest floor supports dense grass layers and benefits the growth of medicinal plants such as licorice and Apocynum pictum. Populus euphratica also serves as a habitat for wildlife including deer and Mongolian gazelles, making it ecologically and economically significant.