Plants in arid environments have evolved many strategies to resist drought. Among them, the developed water storage tissue is an essential characteristic of xerophytes. To clarify the role of water storage capacity in plant performance, we originally formulate a stoichiometric model to describe the interaction between plants and water with explicit water storage. Via an ecological reproductive index, we explore the effects of precipitation and water storage capacity on plant dynamics. The model possesses saddle–node bifurcation and forward or backward bifurcation, and the latter may lead to the emergence of alternative stable states between a stable survival state and a stable extinction state. Numerical simulations illustrate the persistence and resilience of plants regulated by soil conditions, precipitation and water storage capacity. Our findings contribute to the botanical theory in the perspectives of environmental change and plant water storage traits.

干旱环境中的植物进化出了许多抵抗干旱的策略。其中，发达的储水组织是旱生植物的一个重要特征。为了阐明储水能力在植物性能中的作用，我们最初制定了一个化学计量模型来描述具有显式储水能力的植物与水之间的相互作用。通过生态繁殖指数，我们探讨了降水和蓄水能力对植物动态的影响。该模型具有鞍节点分岔和前向或后向分岔，后者可能导致稳定生存状态和稳定灭绝状态之间出现替代稳定状态。数值模拟说明了植物的持久性和恢复力受土壤条件、降水和储水能力的调节。我们的研究结果从环境变化和植物储水特性的角度为植物学理论做出了贡献。