近丘间低地沙障促进沙丘植被恢复的效应

流动沙丘区的丘间低地的土壤种子库大,种类丰富,但其对流动沙丘植被恢复的作用尚不清楚.以科尔沁沙地为研究对象,在靠近丘间低地的下风向裸沙段设置沙障,研究了其对土壤种子库、幼苗出土与植物定居的效应.结果表明:沙障处土壤种子库物种数和密度都显著大于对照处(P<0.05),5-10 cm深度种子密度达到土壤种子库密度的60%,而对照处低于50%;沙障内的沙生植物出土和定居幼苗密度都显著大干对照处(P<0.001),沙障处与对照处的非沙生植物出土幼苗密度低于1株·m~(-2),建植幼苗密度低至0.1株·m~(-2);对照处种子数与幼苗出土和定居的相关性相对于沙障处的更强,沙生植物种子数与幼苗出土和定居的相关性相对于非沙生植物的更强;对照处种子库与幼苗出土和定居的物种组成相似性较沙障处大,沙生植物种子库与幼苗出土和定居的相似性较非沙生植物大.可见,沙障截留来自丘间低地的种子增加了流动沙丘的土壤种子库种类和密度,改变了土壤种子库的空间格局;沙障的设立提高了沙生植物幼苗的出土和物种定居的水平,但没有显著提高非沙生植物幼苗的萌发和建植.     

Functions of canopy-stored seeds in the dune ecosystem: conclusions from Agriophyllum squarrosum and Artemisia wudanica

Delay in seed release is found in the dune ecosystem. However, its functions have been rarely reported. We studied delayed seed release in the Agrio-phyllum squarrosum (Chenopodiaceae), an annual psam-mophyte, and the Artemisia wudanica (Asteraceae), a psammophilous subshrub in an active sand dune field in Inner Mongolia, China, to get insights into its functions in dealing with sand movement. We concluded that delay in seed release in the dune ecosystem are as follows: (1) postponing dispersal of a portion of seeds until the end of windy season and the start of growing season; (2) regulating the spatiotemporal pattern of seed bank; (3) helping psammophytes adapt to wind erosion on the active sand dune; and (4) helping psammophytes realize long-distance dispersal.     

The role of reproductive phenology, seedling emergence and establishment of perennial Salix gordejevii in active sand dune fields

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The function of sexual reproduction of perennials in restoration of vegetation of active dune fields frequently has been underestimated. The objective of this study was to evaluate the role of sexual reproduction of the perennial Salix gordejevii in the revegetation of active dunes. METHODS: Seedling emergence and establishment of S. gordejevii were examined both in controlled experiments (germination at different burial depths with different watering regimes) and in field observations in three dune slacks. The reproductive phenology and soil seed bank of S. gordejevii, the dynamics of soil moisture, the groundwater table and the landform level of three dune slacks were monitored. KEY RESULTS: Seeds of S. gordejevii began maturation on 1 May, and seed dispersal lasted from 8 May to 20 May. Seeds on the soil surface germinated significantly faster than those buried in soil (P<0.05). Seedling emergence was negatively correlated with landform level. When most seedlings emerged, there was a significantly positive correlation between soil moisture and seedling emergence (P<0.01). Rainfall was negatively correlated with seedling emergence. Seedling establishment was significantly and positively correlated with seedling emergence (P<0.05), and 72.3 % of the emergent seedlings were established at the end of the growing season. These results indicated that (a) seeds matured and dispersed before the rainy season; (b) seeds germinated as soon as they contacted a moist surface and relied more on soil moisture than on rainfall; and (c) more seedlings emerged at lower sampling points in dune slacks. CONCLUSIONS: In natural conditions, restoration of active sand dune fields generally commences with revegetation of dune slacks where sexual reproduction of perennials contributes greatly to species encroachment and colonization and hence plays an important role in restoration of active dune fields. Furthermore, aeolian erosion in dune slacks, leading to good soil moisture, facilitates seed germination, seedling emergence and establishment of S. gordejevii.     

Impact of the non-indigenous shrub species Spartium junceum (Fabaceae) on native vegetation in central Spain

Aims The introduction of potentially invasive species through ornamental cultivation or for rehabilitation purposes is a serious environmental problem. They cause damage to biodiversity through loss, increased mortality or ' in situ ' selection phenomena in natural flora. Spartium junceum is a Mediterranean shrub that is not native in most areas of the Iberian Peninsula, although it is extensively grown for the rehabilitation of roadsides. We have investigated the effect on the native vegetation of an old S. junceum (Fabaceae) plantation in a conservation area in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula: the Cuenca Alta del Manzanares nature reserve in Madrid.Methods We compared S. junceum stands with the native nanophanerophytic Cistus ladanifer community at different ecosystem properties: soil properties, temporal soil seed bank contents, standing vegetation and net primary production of annual grasslands growing in these shrublands.Important findings The results highlighted S. junceum 's ability to become established in the new environment (marginal areas of the nature reserve) and ensure its successful growth. This is more apparent in northern and eastern exposures where this formation contacts with the core of the best conserved native vegetation in the nature reserve. Soils under Spartium showed a higher nitrogen content, indicating its capacity—in common with other legumes—to fix N, and conferring an advantage over Cistus, which is N-limited. Other soil nutrients such as phosphorus, magnesium and calcium and water availability are also higher in Spartium soils than in Cistus. Phosphorus is usually a constraint for N-fixers, but in our study, it is the most significant soil variable in both shrub formations and is important to the success of Spartium. Water availability is a key factor for Mediterranean vegetation, and particularly in autumn when soils are recharged. The Spartium formation is able to retain water as its growth produces a closer canopy than Cistus, thereby preventing water evaporation and contributing to the success of this species. Perennials are more frequent in the standing vegetation than in the seed bank, whereas therophytes are similar. The standing vegetation has therophytes and chamaephytes as the predominant growth forms in Spartium sites, and hemicryptophytes and phanerophytes in Cistus. Therophytes are dominant in Spartium and Cistus seed banks, although the first formation has more species. Spartium has a higher number of hemicryptophytes and Cistus is higher in phanerophytes. Northern and eastern aspects show significant differences in richness—with a predominance of annual weed species in Spartium —and in above-ground net primary production, probably as a consequence of the nutrients present in the soils. Ruderal annual species under Spartium (Bromus tectorum, Chenopodium album) have higher germination rates in the greenhouse than in the standing vegetation, suggesting they are at potential risk if environmental conditions change.     

Assessing facilitative responses to a nurse shrub at the community level: the example of Potentilla fruticosa in a sub‐alpine grassland of northwest China

Biotic interaction studies have revealed a large discrepancy among experiments in target responses to the effects of neighbours, which may in part be due to both high species‐specificity of plant responses and low number of target species used in experiments. Our aim was to assess facilitative responses at the community level and the role of both functional groups and ecological attributes of target species. In a sub‐alpine grassland on the eastern Tibet plateau, we assessed growth responses of all species in the community to removal of a dominant shrub. We also measured changes in the main environmental variables. Species responses were analysed by functional group and in relation to their mean regional altitudinal distribution. All significant interactions were positive and affected one‐third of the total species richness of the community. All functional groups were facilitated but forbs were less strongly facilitated than in the two other groups. High‐alpine species were less strongly facilitated than low‐sub‐alpine species, but the strength of this relationship was weaker than that reported in previous work. There was evidence of a decrease in extreme temperatures below the canopy of the shrub but no variations in soil moisture. We conclude that the highly stressful conditions induced by the dry continental climate of the eastern Tibet plateau are a main driver of the exclusive dominance of positive interactions. Assessing interactive responses at the community level is likely to provide a useful tool to better understand the role of biotic interactions in community responses to environmental changes.     

秦岭中段不同坡向锐齿栎种子雨、土壤种子库与幼苗更新

以秦岭中段不同坡向(阳坡、半阳坡、半阴坡及阴坡)锐齿栎天然林为对象,对锐齿栎种子雨、种子库的数量、质量动态以及幼苗发育过程进行研究.结果表明: 锐齿栎种子雨一般从8月中旬开始,9月中下旬到10月上旬达到高峰期,11月中上旬结束;不同坡向的种子雨降落历程、发生时间和组成不同;半阳坡种子雨强度最大,为134.13粒·m^-2,其余大小依次为阳坡、半阴坡、阴坡;阳坡种子雨降落时间最早、持续时间最长,高峰期持续时间也最长,阴坡种子雨降落时间最晚、持续时间最短,高峰期持续时间也最短;种子活力及成熟种子占其种子雨的比例大小顺序为半阳坡>阳坡>半阴坡>阴坡.从种子雨降落结束到翌年8月,各坡向土壤种子库总储量大小顺序均为半阳坡>阳坡>半阴坡>阴坡;各坡向的土壤种子库中成熟、未成熟、被啃食种子数量和种子活力均随时间变化呈递减趋势,而霉烂种子数量增加;各坡向土壤种子库中的种子均主要集中在枯落物层,其次为0~2 cm土层,而在2~5 cm土层中只有极少量种子存在.4种坡向中锐齿栎幼苗的密度差异显著,半阳坡幼苗最多,其余依次是阳坡、半阴坡和阴坡.半阳坡更适合锐齿栎种子的萌发和幼苗生长.     

人工固沙区与流沙区准噶尔无叶豆种群数量特征与空间格局对比研究

准噶尔无叶豆(Eremosparton songoricum) 是中亚荒漠特有小半灌木,稀有种,在我国仅片段化分布于新疆古尔班通古特沙漠;它是流动沙丘的先锋物种,也能成功定居于人工固沙区(草方格)。对比研究了人工固沙区及自然流沙区的准噶尔无叶豆群落物种组成、种群密度、高度、盖度、生物量等特征及种群空间分布格局。结果表明:人工固沙区内的准噶尔无叶豆群落物种的科、属、种数均明显多于流沙区,而且2种生境物种相似性指数仅为0.522,表明人工固沙生境显著改变了群落物种组成与结构。除植株密度外,人工固沙区种群的高度,盖度,地上、地下及总生物量密度,单株地上、地下及总生物量等数量特征均显著高于流沙区。2种生境中准噶尔无叶豆种群空间分布的关联维数均接近2.0,体现了较强的个体空间相关性和空间占据能力。2种尺度(1 m和2 m)下的聚集度分析表明,2种生境中种群基本为随机分布。因而,人工固沙生境并未明显改变种群空间分布格局,这可能是种群的固有特性。人工固沙区的土壤有机质、全氮和有效氮含量显著高于流沙区,且与种群数量特征(植株密度除外)呈显著正相关。总之,与流沙区相比,人工固沙使地表得到固定,提高了土壤有机质和氮素含量,明显改变了定居于其中的准噶尔无叶豆种群主要数量特征,增强了种群的生存和适应能力。该结论对荒漠濒危植物的保育具有重要指示意义。     

Alpine community recruitment potential is determined by habitat attributes in the alpine ecosystems of the Himalaya‐Hengduan Mountains,SW China

The fragility and sensitivity to climate change of alpine ecosystems make it difficult to maintain the stability of their plant communities. Thus, it is important to determine which plant propagules are stored in the soils in order to understand community recruitment potential, especially under different environmental conditions. Based on a soil seed germination and seedling cultivation experiment, we aimed to identify differences in the soil seed attributes between three typical habitat types in the alpine subnival ecosystems of the Himalaya‐Hengduan Mountains and hence to predict the community recruitment potential of each of these different communities. We found that the seed assemblages in the soils differed between habitats. The most abundant taxa were from the genera Saxifraga, Kobresia, Arenaria, Polygonum, Draba, and Viola, while the taxa with lowest abundance were Apiaceae, Campanulaceae, Circaea, Crassulaceae, and Gentiana. Different habitats exhibited variable soil seed richness, diversity, and density. However, the patterns differed between study sites. Specifically, at Baima (BM) and Shika (SK) snow mountains, soil seed richness, diversity, and density were generally highest in grassland, followed by rock bed and bare ground. In contrast, on Jiaozi (JZ) snow mountain, the rock bed supported the highest soil seed richness and density, followed by grassland and bare ground. These results suggest that the attributes of habitats and communities can both affect the accumulation of soil seeds. Bare ground supports the lowest seed diversity and density but also harbors the most empty niches. We, therefore, predict that, once the thermal conditions become suitable as a result of global warming, this habitat has the potential to see greater changes than grassland and rock bed in terms of community recruitment.     

普洱市周边地区4种土地利用类型土壤种子库特征

通过对云南普洱市周边地区次生季风常绿阔叶林、针阔混交林、人工更新形成的针叶林及茶园等4种土地利用类型的野外调查及土壤种子库的萌发实验,探讨其土壤种子库的密度大小、物种丰富度和组成及与地上植被的关系。结果表明:干扰强度与频度不同导致土地利用类型之间土壤种子库密度与物种丰富度存在较大差异,土壤种子库密度大小顺序为:针叶林(248.67±116.86)粒·m-2>针阔混交林(186.00±43.27)粒·m-2>次生季风常绿阔叶林(107.33±16.48)粒·m-2>茶园(51.67±10.17)粒·m-2;茶园土壤种子库物种丰富度要显著低于其他类型。4种土地利用类型土壤种子库生活型组成差异极显著,主要以草本植物组成,以菊科与禾本科占优势;针阔混交林的草本植物种子密度最多,非森林的原生物种是草本植物的主要组成;针叶林外来物种的种子密度要显著高于其他类型,紫茎泽兰(Eupatorium adenophorum)是其主要组成。土壤种子库与地上植被的相似性系数较低,其大小顺序为:次生季风常绿阔叶林(0.175)<针阔混交林(0.176)<针叶林(0.215)。