Photosynthetica X:X | DOI: 10.32615/ps.2026.023

From water deficit to growth suppression: meta-analytic evidence for a functional hierarchy of drought adaptation in Hippophae rhamnoides

X.Y. SHI, Y. ZHAO, Y.E. BAI, D.M. YE, W.B. JIA, X.H. LI, Y.H. HE, H. LI
Academy of Forestry, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, 010010 Hohhot, China

Drought constrains shrub establishment and persistence in arid and semi-arid restoration systems. Although Hippophae rhamnoides is widely planted in northern China, its drought responses vary among studies, hindering the identification of stable indicators. We synthesized 3,855 treatment-control comparisons from 49 controlled experiments across 12 Chinese provinces using random-effects meta-analysis and structural equation modeling. Results showed that drought adaptation in H. rhamnoides follows a functional cascade. Water status and membrane stability were the most consistent early constraints, followed by strong suppression of photosynthetic and gas-exchange traits. Photosynthesis acted as a key mediating factor linking water deficit, hormonal adjustment, and growth reduction. Under severe drought, membrane permeability increased by 89.5%, while leaf water content, net photosynthetic rate, transpiration rate, and stomatal conductance decreased by 37.2, 83.3, 91.2, and 92.9%, respectively. Therefore, drought evaluation should prioritize water status, membrane stability, photosynthetic performance, and growth traits.

Additional key words: abscisic acid; gas exchange; membrane permeability; osmotic adjustment; physiological traits; shrub restoration; water deficit.

Received: May 6, 2026; Revised: July 4, 2026; Accepted: August 14, 2026; Prepublished online: September 17, 2026 

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