Lack of tree layer control on herb layer characteristics in a subtropical forest,China

Question: Knowledge of the interaction between understorey herb and overstorey tree layer diversity is mostly restricted to temperate forests. How do tree layer diversity and environmental variables affect herb layer attributes in subtropical forests and do these relationships change in the course of succession? Do abundance and diversity of woody saplings within the herb layer shift during succession? Location: Subtropical broad‐leaved forests in southeast China (29°8′18″‐29°17′29″N, 118°2′14″118°11′12″E). Methods: A full inventory of the herb layer including all plants below 1‐m height was done in 27 plots (10 × 10 m) from five successional stages (<20, <40, <60, <80 and ≥80 yr). We quantified the contribution of different life forms (herbaceous, woody and climber species) to herb layer diversity and productivity and analysed effects of environmental variables and tree layer diversity on these attributes. Results: Herb layer composition followed a successional gradient, as revealed by non‐metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), but diversity was not correlated to the successional gradient. There was no correlation of diversity across layers. Herb layer productivity was neither affected by tree layer diversity nor by herb layer diversity. Although abundance of woody species in the herb layer decreased significantly during succession, woody species contributed extraordinarily to herb layer species diversity in all successional stages. All environmental factors considered had little impact on herb layer attributes. Conclusions: The subtropical forest investigated displays an immense richness of woody species in the herb layer while herbaceous species are less prominent. Species composition of the herb layer shows a clear successional pattern, however, the presence or absence of certain species appears to be random.     

The species richness–productivity relationship in the herb layer of European deciduous forests

Aim In contrast to non‐forest vegetation, the species richness–productivity (SR‐P) relationship in forests still remains insufficiently explored. Several studies have focused on the diversity of the tree layer, but the species richness of temperate deciduous forests is mainly determined by their species‐rich herb layer. The factors controlling herb‐layer productivity may differ from those affecting tree layers or open herbaceous vegetation, and thus the SR‐P relationship and its underlying processes may differ. However, the few relevant studies have reported controversial results. Here we explore the SR‐P relationship in the forest herb layer across different areas from oceanic to continental Europe, and put the effect of habitat productivity on species richness into context with other key factors, namely soil pH and light availability. Location North‐western Germany, Czech Republic, Slovakia and southern Urals (Russia). Methods We measured herb‐layer species richness and biomass, soil pH and tree‐layer cover in 156 vegetation plots of 100 m² in deciduous forests. We analysed the SR‐P relationship and the relative importance of environmental variables using regression models for particular areas and separate forest types. Results We found a consistent monotonic increase in the herb‐layer species richness with productivity across all study areas and all forest types. Soil pH and light availability also affected species richness, but their relative importance differed among areas. Main conclusions We suggest that the monotonically increasing SR‐P relationship in the forest herb layer results from the fact that herb‐layer productivity is limited by canopy shading; competition within the herb layer is therefore not strong enough to exclude many species. This differs fundamentally from open herbaceous vegetation, which is not subject to such productivity limits and consequently exhibits a unimodal SR‐P relationship. We present a conceptual model that might explain the differences in the SR‐P relationship between the forest herb layer and open herbaceous vegetation.     

Plant species richness–productivity relationships in a low-productive boreal region

Local species richness–productivity (SR–P) relationship is usually reported as unimodal if long productivity gradients are sampled. However, it tends to be monotonically increasing in low-productive environments due to the decreasing part of the SR–P curve being truncated. Previous work indicated that this can hold true for forest herb layers, because of an upper bound on productivity caused mainly by canopy shading. Here, we ask whether the same pattern exists in a region with an upper bound on productivity caused by a harsh climate. We sampled herbaceous vegetation of boreal forests and grasslands in a low-productive region of central Yakutia (NE Siberia) with dry and winter-cool continental climate. We collected data on species composition, herb-layer productivity (aboveground herbaceous biomass), soil chemistry and light availability. We applied regression models to discriminate between monotonically increasing, decreasing and unimodal responses of herb-layer species richness to measured variables and analysed trends in the species-pool size and beta diversity along the productivity gradient. Our expectation of the monotonically increasing SR–P relationship was confirmed for neither forest herb layers nor grasslands. In the forest herb layers, no relationship was detected. In grasslands, the relationship was unimodal with species richness decline starting at much lower productivity levels than in more productive temperate grasslands. Potential causes for this decline are either limitation of local species richness by the species pool, which contains few species adapted to more productive habitats, or competitive exclusion, which can become an important control of species richness under lower levels of productivity than is the case in temperate grasslands.     

Structure of herbaceous plant assemblages in a forested riparian landscape

We assessed patterns of herbaceous and woody species richness, plant-environment interactions, and correspondence between the herb and tree layer in a riparian landscape (the Ozark National Scenic Riverways, Missouri, USA). A total of 269 herb and 70 tree species were identified on 94 sample plots. Gradient analysis revealed that environmental variables and vegetation were influenced by a strong elevation gradient. However, high variability in environmental variables (pH, elevation, slope, sand, clay, organic matter) indicated a high level of substrate heterogeneity across the riparian landscape. We were unable to predict the composition of the herb understory from the canopy trees with any detailed accuracy and no clear characterization of herb species assemblages was found using cluster analysis or ecological land type (ELT) classifications. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) results for both tree and herb plots showed that elevation (height above river) and pH were the dominant environmental gradients influencing vegetation patterns on the first CCA axis while soil particle size exhibited the strongest correlation with the second CCA axis. Secondary gradients of importance included slope, soil container capacity, and organic matter. No significant linear or quadratic correlation was found between elevation and herb or woody species richness. Environmental variables alone or in combination, were weak predictors of herb and woody species richness, despite the patterns observed in the gradient analysis and the correlations observed in the CCA results. Ecotonal analysis showed that the herb layer exhibited a high species replacement rate at the lower elevations most susceptible to flooding (0–3 m). Above the flooding zone, there was more or less continuous species replacement, suggesting the presence of a gradual ecotone/ecocline. The tree layer exhibited much stronger discontinuities than the herb layer in the lower elevations along the height gradient (0–10 m). Recognizing the limitations of classification techniques for riparian herb assemblages and the importance of scale and heterogeneity in vegetation layers is especially important in light of mandates to preserve, protect, and manage for plant diversity.     

Within-community vegetation structure in the conifer woodlands of the Siskiyou Mountains,Oregon

The conifer woodlands found on serpentine-derived soils in southwest Oregon, USA, are characterized by a debse but discontinuous shrub stratum and a species-rich herbaceous stratum. Quantitative analysis of shrub and herb distributions within 10 sites showed that small-scale patterns within the conifer woodland sites are as important as landscape-scale patterns in community organization. Gradient analysis was used to describe the distribution of herbaceous species with respect to gradients of shrub influence (shading, decreased soil temperature, increased soil moisture, increased litter depth) within sites and topographic moisture among sites. Regression analysis of the resulting species distributions and calculations of alpha and beta diversity showed that (a) the shrub-influence microgradient significantly affected distributions for 15 out of 20 major herbaceous species, and the topographic-moisture gradient influenced 13 out of the 20 species, (b) species richness was higher under intermediate conditions along both gradients, and (c) beta diversity within communities was 2.5 to 3.8 times the beta diversity of the site-to-site topographic-moisture gradient.     

长白山阔叶红松林草本层物种多度分布格局及其季节动态

草本层是森林生态系统的重要组成部分, 对维持森林生物多样性具有重要意义。本文以长白山阔叶红松(Pinus koraiensis)林25 ha固定监测样地为研究平台, 运用不同的统计模型(对数正态模型和对数级数模型)及机理模型(包括生态位模型: 断棍模型和生态位优先占领模型; 中性模型: 复合群落零和多项式模型和Volkov模型), 对不同季节草本物种多度分布进行拟合。采用Kolmogorov-Smirnov和AIC检验确定最优模型, 以揭示草本层物种多度分布格局随季节的变化规律, 探讨草本层物种组成与结构背后的生态学过程。结果表明: (1)草本层物种多度分布季节差异明显。春季各多度级物种数差异不大, 夏季中间种较多, 秋季则是稀有种较多; (2)模型拟合结果显示, 不同季节草本层物种多度分布的最优拟合模型相近。统计模型中对数级数模型表现最优, 机理模型中中性模型的拟合效果优于生态位模型。复合群落零和多项式模型较好地拟合了春夏季草本物种多度分布, Volkov模型较好地拟合了秋季草本物种多度分布。综上所述, 尽管长白山阔叶红松林草本植物不同季节的物种多度分布格局不尽一致, 但其背后的构建机制相似, 中性随机过程在草本层物种多样性维持过程中显得更为重要。     

物种多样性及生物量与地下水位的关系——以海流兔河流域为例

以3条样带上117块植被群落调查样方为基础资料,研究了海流兔河流域植被物种多样性及生物量与地下水位之间的关系。结果表明:1)地下水位高低及地貌类型均会影响草本层植物群落组成及优势种构成。滩地样地中,随地下水位降低,优势草本的更替方向为寸草,芨芨草,马蔺,狗尾草,碱茅;沙坡样地中,优势草本的更替方向为大针茅,沙鞭,沙蓬,沙打旺。2)地下水位为1.5 m时是草本植物群落生长发育最适宜区域,物种多样性及丰富度达到最大,而灌木层物种多样性及丰富度随地下水位下降呈现波动变化的特征;当地下水位埋深小于5.0 m时,草本层物种多样性及丰富度明显高于灌木层,在地下水位埋深大于5.0 m时,草本层物种多样性指数开始出现低于灌木层的现象。3)草本植物多样性及丰富度和生物量之间关联性不强,滩地样地中,草本层地上生物量及地下生物量在地下水位为1.8 m时具有最大值,但植物群落结构较为单一;沙坡样地中,地上生物量最大值出现在地下水位为5.0 m的区域内,而地下生物量最大值出现在地下水位为3.5 m时。综上,物种多样性、地上及地下生物量与地下水位都不是简单的线性关系,而是有一个最适水位;高于或低于这个最适水位,多样性和生物量都会下降。     

坡向和坡位对四川夹金山灌丛群落结构与物种多样性特征的影响

研究不同坡向、坡位夹金山灌丛群落结构和物种多样性特征。结果表明: 在 24 个样地中,共有维管植物 186 种,隶属于 50 科 127 属。其中,灌木层有 32 种,隶属于 14 科 22 属,阴坡下坡位物种数最多;草本层有 154 种,隶属于 43 科 109 属,阴坡物种数最少。灌木层的平均高度表现为阳坡>半阳坡>阴坡,平均密度则相反;草本层平均高度表现为阴坡>半阳坡>阳坡,平均密度无显著变化。坡位仅对阳坡草本层平均高度有显著影响,灌木层物种多样性在阴坡较高,草本层物种多样性在阳坡下坡位和阴坡中坡位较高。坡向对灌木层和草本层 Shannon多样性指数、Simpson优势度指数、物种丰富度指数、Pielou均匀度指数影响显著(除草本层 Simpson 指数),坡位对灌木层和草本层物种多样性指数均无显著影响,坡向和坡位的交互作用对草本层物种多样性的影响大于灌木层。冗余分析(RDA)表明,物种多样性不仅与坡向正弦值、坡向余弦值相关,也与群落结构特征相关性较大。     

Rapid Increases in Forest Understory Diversity and Productivity following a Mountain Pine Beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) Outbreak in Pine Forests

The current unprecedented outbreak of mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae) in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of western Canada has resulted in a landscape consisting of a mosaic of forest stands at different stages of mortality. Within forest stands, understory communities are the reservoir of the majority of plant species diversity and influence the composition of future forests in response to disturbance. Although changes to stand composition following beetle outbreaks are well documented, information on immediate responses of forest understory plant communities is limited. The objective of this study was to examine the effects of D. ponderosae-induced tree mortality on initial changes in diversity and productivity of understory plant communities. We established a total of 110 1-m² plots across eleven mature lodgepole pine forests to measure changes in understory diversity and productivity as a function of tree mortality and below ground resource availability across multiple years. Overall, understory community diversity and productivity increased across the gradient of increased tree mortality. Richness of herbaceous perennials increased with tree mortality as well as soil moisture and nutrient levels. In contrast, the diversity of woody perennials did not change across the gradient of tree mortality. Understory vegetation, namely herbaceous perennials, showed an immediate response to improved growing conditions caused by increases in tree mortality. How this increased pulse in understory richness and productivity affects future forest trajectories in a novel system is unknown.     

Herb layer response to broadleaf tree species with different leaf litter quality and canopy structure in temperate forests

Question: How do broadleaf tree species affect humus characteristics, herb layer composition and species diversity through their leaf litter quality and canopy structure? Location: Mixed broadleaf forests in Brandenburg, NE Germany. Methods: We studied the herb and tree layer composition in 129 undisturbed stands using a 10‐degree cover‐abundance and percentage scale, respectively. The main floristic gradients were extracted by non‐metric multidimensional scaling. Effects of tree species on the herb layer were analysed with partial Spearman rank correlation. We assessed affinities for specific tree species using indicator species analysis. Results: Both beech and oak influenced herb layer composition mainly through their litter quality, which resulted in deep Ol and Of horizons, respectively. The less dense canopy of oak, in contrast to the dense beech canopy, enhanced species diversity in favour of indifferent herb species (species not closely tied to forests). Lime was correlated with a distinct floristic gradient, but a direct effect on the herb layer cannot be proven with the available data. Effects of hornbeam were less pronounced. Conclusions: The relationship between the tree and herb layer must be partly attributed to pH differences. However, tree species effects on humus characteristics and on light flux to the ground were largely responsible as well. The results suggest that tree species can influence herb layer composition and diversity, but the missing correlation with lime and hornbeam raise questions requiring further detailed investigation.     

Environmental factors influencing herb layer productivity in Central European oak forests: insights from soil and biomass analyses and a phytometer experiment

Habitat productivity and vegetation biomass are important factors affecting species diversity and ecosystem function, but factors determining productivity are still insufficiently known, especially in the forest herb layer. These factors are difficult to identify because different methods often yield different results. We sampled the herb layer biomass and assessed soil nutrients, moisture and light availability in 100 m² plots in Czech oak forests. Habitat productivity was estimated independently from nutrient content in the soil, herb layer biomass and using a bioassay experiment (growing phytometer plants of Raphanus sativus under standardised conditions in soil samples taken from forest plots). The generalised linear model for herb layer biomass showed it to increase with light, soil phosphorus and moisture availability, but only 10.7% of its variation was explained by these factors. The phytometer biomass increased mainly with soil pH and phosphorus availability; together with soil C/N ratio these factors explained 56.1% of the phytometer biomass variability. Combined evidence based on different approaches indicates that canopy shading and soil phosphorus tend to be the most important factors influencing the herb layer productivity of the studied oak forests.     

广西大石围天坑群草本植物多样性及其生态位变化规律

研究不同发育时期天坑草本植物的多样性,能更好的理解草本层对天坑环境变化的响应机制。以广西大石围天坑群中不同发育时期天坑(初期、中期和后期)为研究对象,采用空间代替时间的方法,分析不同发育时期天坑草本植物多样性和生态位变化规律。结果表明：(1)广西大石围天坑群调查样地共记录到草本植物34科71属98种,以鳞毛蕨科、荨麻科、凤尾蕨科、菊科和禾本科为主。(2)后期天坑草本植物的Pielou′s指数和Shannon-Wiener指数均显著高于初期天坑(P<0.05),表明随着天坑发育到后期,草本层物种数逐渐增多,物种分布更为均匀。(3)随着天坑的发育,草本层喜阴植物重要值下降,喜阳、半阴植物重要值上升,喜阳植物逐渐取代喜阴植物在群落中占据优势地位,草本层将经历喜阴植物—喜阴、半阴植物—喜阳植物的三个生态型转变过程。(4)各发育时期优势草本生态位相似性比例和生态位重叠平均值均<0.5,表明天坑不同发育时期对草本植物的生态位影响较小,各时期草本层总体呈现生态分化明显、种间竞争较弱的特点。(5)各发育时期优势草本生态位重叠值大、相对高度差小的种对数中,不同生态习性的种对数占比不同,中期天...     

五大连池火山熔岩台地草本层物种多样性及环境解释

五大连池火山熔岩台地是一种火山地貌, 研究熔岩台地草本物种分布及其环境解释, 对认识火山原生演替过程中植物群落空间格局形成及适应机制具有重要意义。本文以五大连池熔岩台地的草本物种为研究对象, 调查了苔藓、草本、灌丛、阔叶林和针阔混交林等不同植被类型中的草本层样方, 并测定样方中的土壤养分和水分等状况, 采用多样性指数、优势度指数、均匀度指数、物种丰富度评价草本层物种多样性, 通过典范对应分析方法研究了群落组成与土壤因子的关系。结果表明: (1)熔岩台地草本层物种丰富, 共56种, 占本研究调查区总物种数的82.35%, 草本样地的草本层物种多样性、优势度和均匀性高于其他植被类型。(2)熔岩台地土壤pH值对群落草本层物种丰富度和物种个体的空间分布均有较大影响。(3)土壤因子解释了群落分布的79.39%, 其中土壤pH值、速效磷、硝态氮、铵态氮所占的解释量比较大。(4)岩败酱(Patrinia rupestris)、万年蒿(Artemisia sacrorum)、硬质早熟禾(Poa sphondylodes)和中华苦荬菜(Ixeris chinensis)对环境要求较低, 能够适应熔岩台地土壤贫瘠恶劣的环境。熔岩台地不同植被类型表现出对环境资源的特定需求, 熔岩地貌导致了土壤pH值、养分、水分的差异, 并影响植物群落的分布。     

Reproductive traits variation in the herb layer of a submediterranean deciduous forest landscape

In submediterranean ecosystems macro-environmental stress gradients (winter cold stress and summer drought stress linked to elevation, slope aspect, and angle) affect forest distribution and composition. We hypothesized that in the herb layer of submediterranean deciduous woods (central Apennines), environmental stress gradients, jointly with overstory type, determine patterns of reproductive strategies, which are supported by different acquisitive/retentive traits. We used indicator species analysis, canonical redundancy analysis, and variance partitioning to identify the main gradients of trait variation, detect trait patterns, and assess the contribution of each environmental variable to the explanation of trait variability. Our results indicated that reproductive traits, related to resource acquisition and conservation strategies, showed a pattern mainly linked to the joint effect of altitude and overstory type and, second, to slope aspect. Species with both sexual and vegetative propagation, more abundant than those reproducing only sexually, did not show any trend. Below 1,000 m a.s.l. the long-lasting growing season favored traits aimed at efficient light and soil resource acquisition and space exploitation (e.g., persistent green leaves, runners, tap roots, medium sized seeds) that support a long reproductive cycle. Over 1,000 m a.s.l. the intense and long-lasting winter cold stress and the shorter growing period fostered traits aimed at fast growth and reproduction (e.g., self-pollination, low seed weight, spring and overwintering green leaves), and at stress tolerance (rhizomes, bulbils).     

永定河干涸段(卢梁段)河流廊道植物群落数量分类及多样性特征

为探究永定河干涸段河流廊道的植物群落结构特征及多样性特征,给永定河河道防护林、水源涵养林建设等提供科学的理论依据,通过对河流廊道植物群落的实地调查,对124个植物群落进行了TWINSPAN数量分类,并探究了不同层次间的物种多样性的区别以及垂直和水平梯度上的分布格局。结果表明：（1）植物群落包括9种群丛类型,其中优势群丛为"狗尾草+猪毛菜+尖头叶藜群丛"、"狗尾草群丛"和"加杨-狗尾草+蒺藜群丛"。（2）草本层物种的丰富程度和均匀程度整体大于乔木层,且物种组成复杂程度的变化幅度更大。（3）从垂直梯度上看,植物群落乔木层上游的物种结构组成较下游更加丰富、整体分布更加均匀,草本层从上游到下游物种组成的丰富程度和均匀程度先降低后升高、再降低;从水平梯度上看,越靠近左、右两堤,乔木层的物种结构组成越丰富、分布越均匀,左堤的物种组成较右堤更加复杂且分布更加均匀,草本层的物种多样性在水平梯度上变化较大,在靠近左堤的位置物种组成最丰富。影响乔木层物种多样性变化的主要原因是人类活动干扰的强度。     

青海高寒区典型人工林植物多样性、地上生物量特征及其相关性

研究青海高寒区典型人工林植物多样性与生物量关系有助于植物多样性及生物量的相互预测,对于阐明植物多样性对生态系统的作用具有重要意义。以青海高寒区典型人工林为研究对象,采用标准地调查法、生物量模型估算法、生物量收获法等对人工林乔木层、灌木层和草本层的植物多样性及地上生物量进行定量研究,得到以下结果:(1)青海高寒区人工林植物多样性表现为草本层高于灌木层与乔木层,群落植物多样性受草本层植物多样性影响较大。(2)林龄为20年的人工林地上生物量介于921.9532—6314.9671 g/m~2之间,林龄为35年的人工林地上生物量介于9563.0731—15181.1201 g/m~2之间,不同林分类型之间地上生物量差异显著。(3)青海省高寒区人工林灌木层与草本层地上生物量占地上总生物量的比例较小,分别在0.77%—1.49%,0.004%—18.54%之间,乔木层地上生物量在群落地上总生物量中起主导地位。(4)青海高寒区人工林群落及草本植物丰富度与草本地上生物量之间呈三次函数关系(P0.05)。     

Different trends in phylogenetic and functional structure of plant communities along an elevation gradient

The study of diversity gradients due to elevation dates back to the foundation of biogeography and ecology. Although elevation-driven patterns of plant diversity have been reported for centuries, uncertainty still exists about the assembly rules that drive these patterns. In this study, we revealed the causal factor of community assemblies for the diversity of tree and herb species along an elevation. To this end, we applied an integrated method using both functional traits and phylogeny, called the mean pairwise functional-phylogenetic distance, to understand the assembly rules for woody and herbaceous species communities along an elevation gradient. At higher elevation sites, woody and herbaceous communities were comprised of species having similar traits. The phylogenetic trends for woody species were consistent with the functional trends; closely related species co-occurred more frequently than expected at higher elevations. Phylogenetic trends for herb species were opposite to the functional trends; species with similar traits but having a random phylogenetic distribution co-occurred at higher elevations. We suggest that the community assembly rules for woody and herb species vary with elevation; and functional constraints due to environmental filtering at higher elevation act as assembly rules along gradients in both woody and herbaceous communities, even though their phylogenetic backgrounds differ.     

Distribution and species diversity patterns of Vitex negundo var. heterophylla shrublands in North China

生境差异是影响植物群落及其物种多样性分布格局的重要因素。该研究基于370个荆条(Vitex negundo var. heterophylla)灌丛的野外调查样方, 结合多元回归树(MRT)、显著性分析、Pearson相关分析等技术手段, 分析了华北地区荆条灌丛及其物种多样性的空间分布格局。结果表明: 荆条灌丛的经纬度均跨越10°以上, 可分为高、中、低纬度分布区; 分布海拔则从117 m至1 248 m跨越了1 000 m以上, 也可分为高、中、低海拔分布区。所有分布区中荆条灌丛草本层的Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数和均匀度指数均高于灌木层。灌木层物种多样性随着纬度的降低而降低, 随着海拔的升高而降低; 草本层相反, 物种多样性随着纬度降低而升高, 随着海拔升高而升高。灌木层和草本层的物种丰富度(Shannon-Wiener指数)与水、热、地形等环境因子显著相关, 其中灌木层物种多样性随着气温、坡位升高而显著减少, 随着降水的增加而显著增加;草本层则相反。     

Plant diversity in a calcareous wooded meadow – The significance of management continuity

Questions: What is the contribution of management continuity during the last 30–40 years to variation in species diversity and composition of a calcareous wooded meadow plant community? Is tree cover related to species diversity and composition of the herbaceous layer? What are the effects of local soil gradients on species diversity? Location: Laelatu calcareous wooded meadow, Western Estonian coastal zone. Methods: Plant community composition was assessed in 150 1 m × 1 m plots, located at 30 sites with known management history within Laelatu meadow (7 ha). Light and soil conditions and relative altitude were measured at each plot. DCA was used to analyse variation in species composition and general linear mixed models to analyse the effects of management and environmental parameters on diversity. Results: Management continuity was the primary determinant of plant community composition, followed by light conditions and soil parameters. Species richness, diversity and evenness are positively dependent on management continuity. Spatial autocorrelation is important as well. Diversity started to decline under the tree canopy where 50% or less irradiation reached the level of the herbaceous layer. We did not find significant effects of soil conditions on small‐scale diversity. Conclusions: Management continuity, together with the cover of the tree layer, are the most important determinants of diversity. Despite grassland stands with different management history are located side by side, the regeneration of diversity and composition of plant communities after restoring regular management practices is a slow process.     

高寒草甸群落植物多样性和初级生产力沿海拔梯度变化的研究

 对不同海拔梯度高寒草甸群落植物多样性和初级生产力关系的研究结果表明：1）不同海拔梯度上,中间海拔梯度群落植物多样性最高,即物种丰富度、均匀度和多样性最大;2）不同海拔梯度上,群落生产力水平和物种丰富度中等时,物种多样性最高;3）随着海拔的逐渐升高,地上生物量逐渐减少;4）地下生物量具有“V”字形季节变化规律,在牧草返青期和枯黄期地下生物量最大,7月最小,且地下生物量主要分布在0～10 cm的土层中。地下生物量垂直分布呈明显的倒金字塔特征。