Precipitation significantly influences desert steppe plant growth and survival. This study examined plant responses to precipitation variation by analyzing 15 leaf microstructural traits across 10 species under five precipitation gradients. Anatomical measurements and multivariate analyses revealed species-specific adaptation strategies to varying moisture levels. Gramineae species adjusted leaf mesophyll thickness and vein density while exhibiting divergent stomatal characteristics. Stomatal apertures in isobilateral-leaf species varied with moisture, shrinking during drought and expanding with increased moisture. Semi-shrubs displayed divergent strategies: smaller species prioritized the epidermis-mesophyll system, while larger species increased vascular bundle density. Linear regression and allometric growth analyses indicated trait coordination changes under drought, intensifying correlations between mesophyll and vascular traits. The linear fitting slope between the midrib thickness and palisade parenchyma thickness of the 50 % water reduction treatment was 84 % higher than that of the 50 % water increase treatment. Principal component analysis showed a trade-off between epidermal protective tissue and vascular transport efficiency. The study found that species, families, and leaf types exhibited divergence in leaf traits, forming a multidimensional ecological niche segregation and trait complementarity network. Plants employed cross-system synergies (epidermal-assimilatory-vascular system) and intra-system trade-offs to enhance environmental flexibility, forming an adaptive framework to cope with precipitation variability.
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