Sand activity is a common phenomenon that occurs in inland dune ecosystems. Plants that grow under these conditions inevitably suffer from sand burial. Shrubs are important for the healthy functioning of sand dune ecosystems because they control blowing sand. However, the survival mechanisms and physiological responses of shrubs relative to sand burial, particularly under different levels of sand dune stability, remain poorly understood. The seedlings of Artemisia halodendron and Lespedeza davurica, two shrubs that dominate different habitats of Horqin Sandy Land at different burial intensities, were selected for this study. The survival rate and physiological indices of these shrubs were studied. Results showed that A. halodendron seedlings survived burial depth beyond 6 cm, whereas L. da^urica seedlings survived burial depth beyond 3/4 of their height. After sand burial, most of the antioxidant enzyme activity and osmotic substance content of A. halodendron increased, whereas no physiological index of L. davurica was observed to increase significantly after burial. Thus, compared with L. davurica, A. halodendron can more significantly reduce the damage caused by sand burial through increased antioxidant enzyme activity and osmotic substance content, such that it can tolerate deeper sand burial.
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