Coexisting salt and alkaline stresses seriously threaten plant survival. Most studies have focused on halophytes; however, knowledge on how plants defend against saline-alkali stress is limited. This study investigated the role of Taraxacum mongolicum in a Puccinellia tenuiflora community under environmental saline-alkali stress to analyse the response of elements and metabolites in T. mongolicum, using P. tenuiflora as a control. The results show that the macroelements Ca and Mg are significantly accumulated in the aboveground parts (particularly in the stem) of T. mongolicum. Microelements B and Mo are also accumulated in T. mongolicum. Microelement B can adjust the transformation of sugars, and Mo contributes to the improvement in nitrogen metabolism. Furthermore, the metabolomic results demonstrate that T. mongolicum leads to decreased sugar accumulation and increased amounts of amino acids and organic acids to help plants resist saline-alkali stress. The resource allocation of carbon (sugar) and nitrogen (amino acids) results in the accumulation of only a few phenolic metabolites (i.e., petunidin, chlorogenic acid, and quercetin-3-O-rhamnoside) in T. mongolicum. These phenolic metabolites help to scavenge excess reactive oxygen species. Our study primarily helps in understanding the contribution of T. mongolicum in P. tenuiflora communities on coping with saline-alkali stress.
Keywords: Puccinellia tenuiflora community; Taraxacum mongolicum; elements; phenolic metabolites; primary metabolites; saline–alkali stress.