Advanced search

Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions ›› 2020, Vol. 12 ›› Issue (2): 119-124.doi: 10.3724/SP.J.1226.2020.00119.

Previous Articles    

Distribution patterns of planted-shrubs of different restoration ages in artificial sand-fixing regions in the southeastern Tengger Desert

MeiLing Liu1,2,Ning Chen3,RuiQing Zhu4()   

  1. 1.Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    2.Shapotou Desert Research & Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    3.School of Life Science, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
    4.Key Laboratory of Microbial Resources Exploitation and Application of Gansu Province, Institute of Biology, Gansu Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
  • Received:2019-08-28 Accepted:2020-01-13 Online:2020-04-30 Published:2020-04-27
  • Contact: RuiQing Zhu E-mail:153380101@qq.com

RichHTML

20

PDF (PC)

348

Abstract:

Plant density and spatial distribution in artificial vegetation is obviously initialized at the planting stage. Plant dynamics and spatial pattern may change over time as the result of interactions between individual plants and habitats, but whether it's applied for desert shrubs in artificial sand-fixing regions remains unknown. Here we examined changes in plant density and distribution patterns of three shrubs (Artemisia ordosica Krasch, Caragana korshinskii Kom, and Hedysarum scoparium Fisch.) in different regions, which have been restored for 27, 32 and 50 years (R27, R32, R50), respectively. The vegetation analysis shows that A. ordosica was the dominated species across the 3 restoration regions. The density of A. ordosica and H. scoparium show a significant increase from R27 to R32, then decreased in R50. The density of C. korshinskii was low in R32 and R50, lower in R27. The variance-to-mean ratio (VMR) was used to characterize spatial distribution patterns to ?t the observed densities of the three shrubs by frequency. A. ordosica and C. korshinskii both show significantly clumped distributions in three restoration regions. H. scoparium show a uniform distribution in R27 and R50, but a clumped distribution in R32. These results show that A. ordosica seems to be more adaptable in revegetated desert areas compared to C. korshinskii and H. scoparium. Pattern analysis suggests a successive replacement of C. korshinskii, which had low proportions of survived shrubs, by the dominant A. ordosica. This study contributes to the understanding of the distribution patterns of shrubs plants in revegetation projects in arid desert areas.

Key words: restoration, shrubs, density, spatial pattern

Figure 1

Sketch of planting distribution in artificial sand-fixed regions"

Figure 2

The location of studied area, and three restoration sites (R50, R32 and R27 site) in Shapotou region. The red marked region denotes the location of sampling plots where the data are obtained"

Figure 3

1964-2014 mean precipitation"

Table 1

Vegetation properties of the study sites (mean±se) / denotes that no shrubs were found"

SpeciesIndexR27R32R50
A. ordosicaDensity (100 m2)29.591.448.0
Coverage9.9%19.5%13.1%
C. korshinskiiDensity (100 m2)/1.12.5
Coverage/8.5%18.6%
H. scopariumDensity (100 m2)3.86.92.8
Coverage14.0%7.6%7.6%
TotalDensity (100 m2)33.399.453.4
Coverage23.8%35.7%39.3%

Figure 4

Spatial distributions of three shrub species (A. ordosica, C. korshinskiiin, H. scopariu) in the experimental region. The circles represent the cover of shrub crowns. Each shrub cover was calculated by assuming that crowns have an elliptical shape"

Table 2

Distribution patterns of three shrubs in different restoration regions"

SpeciesR27R32R50
VMRDistribution patternVMRDistribution patternVMRDistribution pattern
A. ordosica18.02Clumped57.67Clumped30.53Clumped
C. korshinskii//1.43Clumped1.39Clumped
H. scoparium0.25Uniform12.60Clumped0.32Clumped
Total16.85Clumped51.69Clumped27.56Clumped
Albrecht MA, McCarthy BC, 2009. Seedling establishment shapes the distribution of shade-adapted forest herbs across a topographical moisture gradient. Journal of Ecology, 97(5): 1037-1049. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009. 01527.x
doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2745.2009. 01527.x
Borgogno F, D’Odorico P, Laio F, et al., 2009. Mathematical models of vegetation pattern formation in ecohydrology. Reviews of Geophysics, 47: RG1005. DOI: 10.1029/2007RG000256.
doi: 10.1029/2007RG000256
Castillo VM, Martínez-Mena M, Albaladejo J, 1997. Runoff and soil loss response to vegetation removal in a semiarid environment. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 61: 1116-1121. DOI: 10.2136/sssaj1997.03615995006100040018x.
doi: 10.2136/sssaj1997.03615995006100040018x
Caylor KK, Shugart HH, Dowty PR, et al., 2003.Tree spacing along the Kalahari transect in southern Africa. Journal of Arid Environments, 54(2): 281-296. DOI: 10.1006/jare. 2002.1090.
doi: 10.1006/jare. 2002.1090
Chen N, Jayaprakash C, Yu K, et al., 2018. Rising variability, not slowing down, as a leading indicator of a stochastically driven abrupt transition in a dryland ecosystem. The American Naturalist, 191(1): E1-E14. DOI: 10.1086/694821.
doi: 10.1086/694821
Condit R, Ashton PS, Baker P, et al., 2000. Spatial patterns in the distribution of tropical tree species. Science, 288: 1414-1418. DOI: 10.1126/science.288.5470.1414.
doi: 10.1126/science.288.5470.1414
Crist TO, Wiens JA, 1996. The distribution of ant colonies in a semiarid landscape: implications for community and ecosystem process. Oikos, 76: 301-311. DOI: 10.2307/3546202.
doi: 10.2307/3546202
Greig-Smith P, 1964. Quantitative Plant Ecology. 2nd edition. Butterworths, London. pp. 15-20.
Jiao JY, Tzanopoulos J, Xofis P, et al., 2008. Factors affecting distribution of vegetation types on abandoned cropland in the hilly-gullied Loess Plateau region of China. Pedosphere, 18(1): 24-33. DOI: 10.1016/S1002-0160(07)60099-X.
doi: 10.1016/S1002-0160(07)60099-X
Le H, Henry NL, 2002. Man-made deserts: desertification processes and threats. Arid Land Research and Management, 16: 1-36. DOI: 10.1080/153249802753365296.
doi: 10.1080/153249802753365296
Li QY, Zhao WZ, 2006. Seedling emergence and growth responses of five desert species to sand burial depth. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 26(6): 1802-1807. DOI: 1000-0933(2006)06-1802-07.
doi: 1000-0933(2006)06-1802-07
Li XR, He MZ, Stefan Z, et al., 2010. Micro-geomorphology determines community structure of biological soil crusts at small scales. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 35: 932-940. DOI: 10.1002/esp.1963.
doi: 10.1002/esp.1963
Li XR, Ma FY, Xiao HL, et al., 2004. Long-term effects of revegetation on soil water content of sand dunes in arid desert region of north China. Journal of Arid Environments, 28: 149-157. DOI: 10.1016/S0140-1963(03)00089-2.
doi: 10.1016/S0140-1963(03)00089-2
Li XR, Zhang ZS, Huang L, et al., 2013. Review of the ecohydrological processes and feedback mechanisms controlling sand-binding vegetation systems in sandy desert regions of China. Chinese Science Bulletin, 58(13): 1483-1496. DOI: 10.1007/s11434-012-5662-5.
doi: 10.1007/s11434-012-5662-5
Li XY, 2011. Mechanism of coupling, response and adaptation between soil, vegetation and hydrology in arid and semiarid regions. Scientia Sinica Terrae, 41: 1721-1730. (in Chinese)
Molles MC, 1999. Ecology: Concepts and Applications. McGraw-Hill, New York.
Munguia P, Mackie C, Lecitan DR, 2009. The influence of stage-dependent dispersal on the population dynamics of three amphipod species. Oecology, 153: 533-541. DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0762-7.
doi: 10.1007/s00442-007-0762-7
Robroek BJM, Ruijven JV, Schouten MGC, et al., 2009. Sphagnum re-introduction in degraded peatlands: The effects of aggregation, species identity and water table. Basic and Applied Ecology, 10: 697-706. DOI: 10.1016/j.baae. 2009.04.005.
doi: 10.1016/j.baae. 2009.04.005
Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station. 1991. Principles and Measures for Baotou─Lanzhou Railway Snad-fifixing at Shapotou Section. People Press, Yinchuan, Ningxia. (in Chinese)
Sun GQ, Wu ZY, Wang Z, et al., 2016. Influence of isolation degree of spatial patterns on persistence of populations. Nonlinear Dynamics, 83: 811-819. DOI 10.1007/s11071-015-2369-6.
Wang XP, Li XR, Xiao HL, et al., 2007. Effects of surface characteristics on infiltration patterns in arid shrub desert. Hydrological Processes, 21: 72-79. DOI: 10.1002/hyp. 6185.
doi: 10.1002/hyp. 6185
Xiao HL, Li XR, Duan ZH, et al., 2003. Succession of soil-vegetation system in moving sand stabilization process. Journal of Desert Research, 23: 605-611. DOI: 1000-694X(2003)06-0605-07. (in Chinese)
doi: 1000-694X(2003)06-0605-07
Yin ZY, Guo QF, Ren H, et al., 2005. Seasonal changes in spatial patterns of two annual plants in the Chihuahuan Desert, USA. Plant Ecology, 178: 189-199. DOI: 10.1007/s11258-004-3285-x.
doi: 10.1007/s11258-004-3285-x
Zhang ZS, Li XR, Wang T, et al., 2008. Distribution and sea-sonal dynamics of roots in a revegetated stand of Artemisia ordosica Kracsh. in the Tengger Desert (North China). Arid Land Research and Management, 22(3): 195-211. DOI: 10.1080/15324980802182980.
doi: 10.1080/15324980802182980
[1] Rong Yang, JunQia Kong, ZeYu Du, YongZhong Su. Altitude pattern of carbon stocks in desert grasslands of an arid land region [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2018, 10(5): 404-412.
[2] Jan Felix Köbbing, Niels Thevs, Stefan Zerbe. Cutting of Phragmites australis as a lake restoration technique: Productivity calculation and nutrient removal in Wuliangsuhai Lake, northern China [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(5): 400-410.
[3] YongQing Luo, XueYong Zhao, JiePing Ding, Tao Wang. Vertical distribution of Artemisia halodendron root system in relation to soil properties in Horqin Sandy Land, NE China [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2016, 8(5): 411-418.
[4] JinChang Li, HaiXia Liu, Yong Liu, ZhiZhu Su, ZiQiang Du. Land use and land cover change processes in China's eastern Loess Plateau [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2015, 7(6): 722-729.
[5] Jun Du, WeiJun Zhao, ZhiBin He, JunJun Yang, LongFei Chen, Xi Zhu. Characterizing stand structure in a spruce forests: effects of sampling protocols [J]. Sciences in Cold and Arid Regions, 2015, 7(3): 245-256.
Viewed
Full text


Abstract

Cited
  Shared   
  Discussed   
No Suggested Reading articles found!