Carabid beetles as indicators for shrub encroachment in dry grasslands

Semi-natural grasslands are key habitats for biodiversity conservation in Central Europe. Shrub encroachment is one of the most threatening drivers of grassland degradation and affects soil properties, microclimate, and vegetation with possible impacts on higher trophic levels. We aimed to analyse the impact of shrub encroachment with broom (Cytisus scoparius) on carabid beetle diversity, species composition, and functional traits. In a field study on dry grasslands on the island of Hiddensee (Germany) we studied 15 sites along a gradient of increasing broom encroachment and classified them into three dry grassland types with low, medium, and high shrub cover. Our results provide evidence that shrub encroachment initially has positive effects on species richness and activity densities of dry grassland carabids. Carabid species composition differed among differently shrub-covered dry grassland types, and sites with low and high shrub cover were each characterised by unique carabid assemblages. The species composition of sites with a medium shrub biomass had a transitional character and contained species which are typical for open dry grassland, but also shared species with sites with a high shrub cover. Among functional trait parameters investigated, especially the body size of carabid beetles was related to environmental parameters associated with shrub encroachment. Body size was positively correlated to shrub biomass and soil humidity, but negatively to temperature. Eurytopy values of carabids were related to high litter cover, i.e. habitat generalist (eurytopic) species mainly occurred in densely shrub-encroached sites. In order to preserve unique carabid assemblages of open dry grasslands with stenotopic and smaller species, it is most important to prevent a shrub encroachment higher than about 60% cover. For management we suggest extensive grazing (by cattle, sheep or horses) to prevent shrub encroachment on dry grasslands. In areas with high shrub cover additionally the use of goats or mechanical removal of shrubs might be necessary.     

腾格里沙漠东南缘沙质草地灌丛化对地表径流及氮流失的影响

以腾格里沙漠东南缘沙质草地和灌丛生境为研究对象,采用人工模拟降雨实验对草地样方、灌丛间裸地样方及含灌丛斑块样方的产流及氮流失过程进行观测,揭示了地表径流及其引起的氮流失对沙质草地灌丛化的响应.结果表明:(1)草地样方出现表面积水和地表径流的时间及开始产流需要的降雨量均大于含灌丛斑块样方和灌丛间裸地样方,裸地样方最小;灌丛生境径流系数为34.46％,显著小于裸地样方,大于含灌丛样方,产流量是沙质草地生境的2.26倍;表明灌木入侵造成的植被盖度下降引起了土壤水分入渗率的减小和地表产流的增加.(2)含灌丛样方单位体积径流含氮量瞬时值大于裸地样方,小于草地样方,三类样方瞬时值与单位时间径流量均呈线性负相关;草地样方单位时间氮流失量略小于含灌丛样方,两者均显著小于灌丛间裸地样方;灌丛生境氮流失总量为0.23 g/m2,是草地生境的2.09倍,灌丛和草地生境单位体积径流含氮量总体平均值分别为0.011 g/L、0.012 g/L;表明沙质草地灌丛化引起了养分流失的显著增加.     

Restoration Practices Have Positive Effects on Breeding Bird Species of Concern in the Chihuahuan Desert

Woody plant encroachment into grasslands is a global concern. Efforts to restore grasslands often assume that removal of woody plants benefits biodiversity but assumptions are rarely tested. In the Chihuahuan Desert of the Southwestern United States, we tested whether abundances of grassland specialist bird species would be greater in plant communities resulting from treatment with herbicides to remove encroaching shrubs compared with untreated shrub‐dominated areas that represented pre‐treatment conditions. In 2010, we surveyed breeding birds and vegetation at 16 treated–untreated pairs. In 2011, we expanded the survey effort to 21 treated–untreated pairs, seven unpaired treatment areas, and five reference grassland areas. Vegetation in treatment areas had higher perennial grass foliar and basal cover and lower shrub foliar cover compared with untreated areas. Several regionally declining grassland specialists exhibited higher occurrence and relative abundance in treated areas. A shrubland specialist, however, was associated with untreated areas and may be negatively impacted by shrub removal. Bird community composition differed between treated and untreated areas in both years. Our results indicate that shrub removal can have positive effects on grassland specialist bird species, but that a mosaic of treated and untreated areas might be most beneficial for regional biodiversity .     

Native lagomorphs suppress grass establishment in a shrub‐encroached,semiarid grassland

Shrub encroachment into arid grasslands has been associated with reduced grass abundance, increased soil erosion, and local declines in biodiversity. Livestock overgrazing and the associated reduction of fine fuels has been a primary driver of shrub encroachment in the southwestern United States, but shrublands continue to persist despite livestock removal and grassland restoration efforts. We hypothesized that an herbivory feedback from native mammals may contribute to continued suppression of grasses after the removal of livestock. Our herbivore exclusion experiment in southeastern Arizona included five treatment levels and allowed access to native mammals based on their relative body size, separating the effects of rodents, lagomorphs, and mule deer. We included two control treatments and replicated each treatment 10 times (n = 50). We introduced uniform divisions of lawn sod (Cynodon dactylon) into each exclosure for 24‐hr periods prior to (n = 2) and following (n = 2) the monsoon rains and used motion‐activated cameras to document herbivore visitations. In the pre‐monsoon trials, treatments that allowed lagomorph access had less sod biomass relative to other treatments (p < 0.001), averaging 44% (SD 36%) and 29% (SD 45%) remaining biomass after the 24‐hr trial periods. Following the onset of monsoons, differences in remaining biomass among treatments disappeared. Desert cottontails (Sylvilagus audubonii) were detected more frequently than any of the other 11 herbivore species present at the site, accounting for 83% of detections during the pre‐monsoon trials. Significantly more (p < 0.001) desert cottontails were detected during the pre‐monsoon trials (2,077) compared to the post‐monsoon trials (174), which coincided with biomass removal from lagomorph accessible treatments. We conclude that desert cottontails are significant consumers of herbaceous vegetation in shrub‐encroached arid grasslands and they, along with other native herbivores, may act as a biotic feedback contributing to the competitive advantage and persistence of shrubs.     

Effects of experimental rainfall manipulations on Chihuahuan Desert grassland and shrubland plant communities

Aridland ecosystems are predicted to be responsive to both increases and decreases in precipitation. In addition, chronic droughts may contribute to encroachment of native C₃ shrubs into C₄-dominated grasslands. We conducted a long-term rainfall manipulation experiment in native grassland, shrubland and the grass–shrub ecotone in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, USA. We evaluated the effects of 5 years of experimental drought and 4 years of water addition on plant community structure and dynamics. We assessed the effects of altered rainfall regimes on the abundance of dominant species as well as on species richness and subdominant grasses, forbs and shrubs. Nonmetric multidimensional scaling and MANOVA were used to quantify changes in species composition in response to chronic addition or reduction of rainfall. We found that drought consistently and strongly decreased cover of Bouteloua eriopoda, the dominant C₄ grass in this system, whereas water addition slightly increased cover, with little variation between years. In contrast, neither chronic drought nor increased rainfall had consistent effects on the cover of Larrea tridentata, the dominant C₃ shrub. Species richness declined in shrub-dominated vegetation in response to drought whereas richness increased or was unaffected by water addition or drought in mixed- and grass-dominated vegetation. Cover of subdominant shrubs, grasses and forbs changed significantly over time, primarily in response to interannual rainfall variability more so than to our experimental rainfall treatments. Nevertheless, drought and water addition shifted the species composition of plant communities in all three vegetation types. Overall, we found that B. eriopoda responded strongly to drought and less so to irrigation, whereas L. tridentata showed limited response to either treatment. The strong decline in grass cover and the resistance of shrub cover to rainfall reduction suggest that chronic drought may be a key factor promoting shrub dominance during encroachment into desert grassland.     

Plant–community responses to shrub cover in a páramo grassland released from grazing and burning

Shrub encroachment can follow grazing or burning release in páramo grasslands. While encroachment decreases herbaceous species richness in some grassland systems, the effects of this process on the herbaceous community in páramo grasslands are currently unknown. We collected data on shrub cover, herbaceous‐species cover and species composition in a páramo grassland 12 years after release from burning and cattle grazing near Zuleta, Ecuador. Topographic and soil measures were also included as predictor variables of differences in community composition. Contrary to studies in other systems, shrub cover did not have a significant effect on herbaceous‐species richness, whereas shrub‐species richness significantly increased with shrub cover. However, shrub cover was associated with significant shifts in herbaceous–community composition. Most notably, there was an increase in some shade‐tolerant forbs and tall‐statured wetland grasses with increasing shrub cover, and a corresponding decrease in some short‐statured grasses and early successional forbs. These results could indicate that the ameliorative effects of shrubs (e.g. frost and wind protection) in harsh alpine environments may partially compensate for the expected competitive effect of shrubs due to shading.     

Shrub-encroachment induced alterations in input chemistry and soil microbial community affect topsoil organic carbon in an Inner Mongolian grassland

Shrub encroachment frequently occurs in arid and semi-arid grasslands worldwide and affects the regional carbon balance. Many previous studies have revealed the effects of shrub encroachment on bulk carbon content of grasslands, but molecular evidence is surprisingly lacking. In this study, we examined the chemical composition of plant tissues and soil organic carbon (SOC), and soil microbial communities to identify the effects of shrub (Caragana microphylla) encroachment on SOC storage in the top layer (0–10 cm) along a gradient of natural shrub cover in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. We found that SOC in the shrub patches was derived mainly from leaves, whereas SOC in the grassy matrix was composed of a mixture of fresh root- and leaf-derived compounds. Compared with pure grassland, the SOC decreased by 29% in the shrub-encroached grasslands (SEGs), and this decrease was enhanced by increasing shrub cover. We also found that free lipids and lignin-derived phenols increased while the ratios of ω-C₁₈/∑C₁₈ and suberin/cutin decreased with increasing shrub cover. In addition, the ratios of fungal to bacterial phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) and gram-negative to gram-positive bacterial PLFAs decreased with increasing shrub cover. These results indicate that the encroachment of nitrogen-rich legume shrubs can lead to carbon loss by altering the chemical composition of plant inputs as well as the soil microbial community in grassland ecosystems.     

Soil fungal composition changes with shrub encroachment in the northern Chihuahuan Desert

Woody species encroachment of grasslands globally causes many socioecological impacts, including loss of grazing pastures and decreased biodiversity. Soil microbial communities may partially regulate the pace of shrub encroachment, as plant-microbial interactions can strongly influence plant success. We measured fungal composition and activity under dominant plant species across a grassland to shrubland transition to determine if shrubs cultivate soil microbial communities as they invade. Specifically, soil microbial communities, abiotic soil properties, and extracellular enzyme activities were quantified for soils under four common Chihuahuan Desert plant species (three grasses, one shrub) in central New Mexico, U.S.A. Extracellular enzyme activity levels were fairly consistent under different plant species across the grassland to shrubland transition. Activity levels of two enzymes (alkaline phosphatase and beta-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase) were lower in the ecotone, presumably because soil organic matter content was also lower in ecotone soils. Community composition of soil fungi mirrored patterns in the plant community, with distinct plant and fungal communities in the shrubland and grassland, while grassland-shrubland ecotone soils hosted a mix of taxa from both habitats. We show that shrubs cultivate a distinct microbial community on the leading edge of the invasion, which may be necessary for shrub colonization, establishment, and persistence.     

Using consecutive prescribed fires to reduce shrub encroachment in grassland by increasing shrub mortality

Woody plant encroachment into open grasslands occurs worldwide and causes multiple ecological and management impacts. Prescribed fire could be used to conserve grassland habitat but often has limited efficacy because many woody plants resprout after fire and rapidly reestablish abundance. If fire‐induced mortality could be increased, prescribed fire would be a more effective management tool. In California's central coast, shrub encroachment, especially of Baccharis pilularis (coyote brush), is converting coastal prairie into shrub‐dominated communities, with a consequent loss of native herbaceous species and open grassland habitat. B. pilularis has not been successfully controlled with single prescribed fire events because the shrub resprouts and reestablishes cover within a few years. We investigated whether two consecutive annual burns would control B. pilularis by killing resprouting shrubs, without reducing native herbaceous species or encouraging invasive plants. As expected, resprouting did occur; however, 2 years after the second burn, B. pilularis cover on burned plots was only 41% of the cover on unburned plots. Mortality of B. pilularis more than doubled following the second burn, likely maintaining a reduction in B. pilularis cover for longer than a single burn would have. Three native coastal prairie perennial grasses did not appear to be adversely affected by the two burns, nor did the burns result in increased cover of invasive species. Managers wanting to restore coastal prairie following B. pilularis encroachment should consider two consecutive annual burns, especially if moderate fire intensity is achievable.     

Desertification alters patterns of aboveground net primary production in Chihuahuan ecosystems

Abstract The Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico, USA, has changed in historical times from semiarid grassland to desert shrublands dominated by Larrea tridentata and Prosopis glandulosa. Similar displacement of perennial grasslands by shrubs typifies desertification in many regions. Such structural vegetation change could alter average values of net primary productivity, as well as spatial and temporal patterns of production. We investigated patterns of aboveground plant biomass and net primary production in five ecosystem types of the Jornada Basin Long‐Term Ecological Research (LTER) site. Comparisons of shrub‐dominated desertified systems and remnant grass‐dominated systems allowed us to test the prediction that shrublands are more heterogeneous spatially, but less variable over time, than grasslands. We measured aboveground plant biomass and aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) by species, three times per year for 10 years, in 15 sites of five ecosystem types (three each in Larrea shrubland, Bouteloua eriopoda grassland, Prosopis dune systems, Flourensia cernua alluvial flats, and grass‐dominated dry lakes or playas). Spatial heterogeneity of biomass at the scale of our measurements was significantly greater in shrub‐dominated systems than in grass‐dominated vegetation. ANPP was homogeneous across space in grass‐dominated systems, and in most growing seasons was significantly more patchy in shrub vegetation. Substantial interannual variability in ANPP complicates comparison of mean values across ecosystem types, but grasslands tended to support higher ANPP values than did shrub‐dominated systems. There were significant interactions between ecosystem type and season. Grasslands demonstrated higher interannual variation than did shrub systems. Desertification has apparently altered the seasonality of productivity in these systems; grasslands were dominated by summer growth, while sites dominated by Larrea or Prosopis tended to have higher spring ANPP. Production was frequently uncorrelated across sites of an ecosystem type, suggesting that factors other than season, regional climate, or dominant vegetation may be significant determinants of actual NPP.     

干旱和半干旱地区灌木下土壤“肥岛”研究进展

世界许多干旱、半干旱地区草地生态系统逐渐被灌木生态系统取代,这种取代过程的发展是由灌木冠幅下土壤中“肥岛”的形成和灌木的扩散相互作用直接造成的,这种“肥岛”的形成和灌木的扩散之间的反馈作用能够改变该系统中的植被组成、结构和土壤养分分布格局,从而改变该生态系统的结构和功能,文中从“肥岛”的概念和形成机制出发,对“肥岛”现象形成的原因、“肥岛”现象的研究意义、研究方法、灌木扩散与“肥岛”之间的相互关系及生物对“肥岛”的响应进行了总结,并分析了“肥岛”研究中应注意的问题,希望为中国干旱、半干旱区域土地退化的成因和过程以及植被恢复的研究提供一些参考。     

Nutrient losses in runoff from grassland and shrubland habitats in Southern New Mexico: I. rainfall simulation experiments

Rainfall simulation experiments were performed in areas of semiarid grassland (Bouteloua eriopoda) and arid shrubland (Larrea tridentata) in the Chihuahuan desert of New Mexico. The objective was to compare the runoff of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) from these habitats to assess whether losses of soil nutrients are associated with the invasion of grasslands by shrubs. Runoff losses from grass- and shrub-dominated plots were similar, and much less than from bare plots located in the shrubland. Weighted average concentrations of total dissolved N compounds in runoff were greatest in the grassland (1.72 mg/1) and lowest in bare plots in the shrubland (0.55 mg/1). More than half of the N transported in runoff was carried in dissolved organic compounds. In grassland and shrub plots, the total N loss was highly correlated to the total volume of discharge. We estimate that the total annual loss of N in runoff is 0.25 kg/ha/yr in grasslands and 0.43 kg/ha/yr in shrublands — consistent with the depletion of soil N during desertification of these habitats. Losses of P from both habitats were very small.     

A multifaceted view on the impacts of shrub encroachment

Shrub encroachment, a global phenomenon with management implications, is examined in two papers in the current issue of Applied Vegetation Science. Barbosa da Silva et al. show that encroachment simplifies the herbaceous community, and Pittarello et al. illustrate how pastoral practices can restore encroached grasslands. While detrimental effects of shrub encroachment on grassland vegetation are often reported, we argue for a more holistic view when assessing this land‐cover change.     

Soil C and N responses to woody plant expansion in a mesic grassland

Changes in land management and reductions in fire frequency have contributed to increased cover of woody species in grasslands worldwide. These shifts in plant community composition have the potential to alter ecosystem function, particularly through changes in soil processes and properties. In semi-arid grasslands, the invasion of shrubs and trees is often accompanied by increases in soil resources and more rapid N and C cycling. We assessed the effects of shrub encroachment in a mesic grassland in Kansas (USA) on soil CO₂ flux, extractable inorganic N, and N mineralization beneath shrub communities (Cornus drummondii) and surrounding undisturbed grassland sites. In this study, a shift in plant community composition from grassland to shrubland resulted in a 16% decrease in annual soil CO₂ flux(4.78 kg CO₂ m^–2 year^–1 for shrub dominated sites versus 5.84 kg CO₂ m^–2 year^–1 for grassland sites) with no differences in total soil C or N or inorganic N. There was considerable variability in N mineralization rates within sites, which resulted in no overall difference in cumulative N mineralized during this study (4.09 g N m^–2 for grassland sites and 3.03 g N m^–2 for shrub islands). These results indicate that shrub encroachment into mesic grasslands does not significantly alter N availability (at least initially), but does alter C cycling by decreasing soil CO₂ flux.     

The complex nature of headland shrub encroachment: The case of Headland Zieria (Zieria prostrata)

Headland Zieria (Zieria prostrata) is an endangered species restricted to four headlands with a potential population of 1000 individuals. The species also occurs within the endangered ecological community Themeda grassland on sea cliffs and coastal headlands in the New South Wales North Coast, Sydney Basin and South East Corner Bioregions. Shrub encroachment of native species is perceived as a threatening process within these grasslands, and also to the unique species within them, such as Headland Zieria. Suggested management actions for the community and Headland Zieria include the removal of other shrubs by frequent fire or mechanical means. We conducted a survey and correlative analyses to test the validity of these proposed actions. We provide evidence that Headland Zieria is facilitated by a higher density of nearby shrubs which may provide protection from the elements and decrease competition from other understorey species but is eventually out competed by them when the grassland fully transitions to a Banksia shrubland. We suggest that Headland Zieria is an ecotonal specialist that may require an invasion front of shrubs and/or isolated patches. The implementation of fire and/or overstorey shrub removal may be detrimental where populations of Headland Zieria occur. Our study highlights the need to look more closely at interactions before management actions changing vegetation structure and composition are implemented.     

Relationships between vegetation and bird community composition in grasslands of the Serengeti

The Serengeti–Mara ecosystem holds one of the largest natural grasslands of the world, which is well known for its large herds of mammals. However, the bird community structure of these grasslands has hardly ever been studied. For the first time, a large‐scale study on grassland bird communities has been conducted in all typical open grasslands of the Serengeti National Park. We used ten grassland plots representing a gradient of increasing vegetation height and also including shrubs and trees to analyse the influence of vegetation structure on the composition of grassland bird communities. Three communities of breeding birds were identified in relation to (a) short grass, (b) intermediate and long grass and (c) wooded grasslands. The bird communities of intermediate, long and wooded grassland were very similar, because of identical dominant bird species. Our results suggest that breeding birds of East African grasslands exhibit two contrasting habitat relationships: (1) birds that are restricted to short grass, and (2) species that are tolerant to vegetational shifts from intermediate grass via long grass to early stages of woody vegetation. Because the vegetation is often driven beyond this range in managed tropical grasslands through high grazing pressure or through shrub encroachment, we expect that the long‐grass bird communities will not generally resist anthropogenic disturbance.     

宁夏东部荒漠草原-灌丛地转变过程土壤氮素响应

选取近30年荒漠草原灌丛引入形成的典型草地-灌丛镶嵌体内部的荒漠草地、草地边缘、灌丛边缘、灌丛地为研究样地,对各样地及其微生境(植丛与空斑)相关土壤指标进行测定,以了解荒漠草地向灌丛地转变过程中土壤氮素的响应特征.结果 表明:随草地灌丛化转变,草本与灌丛生物量均增加,其中一年生草本随灌丛引入增加明显;土壤水分、全碳、全...     

Antecedent Conditions Influence Soil Respiration Differences in Shrub and Grass Patches

Quantifying the response of soil respiration to past environmental conditions is critical for predicting how future climate and vegetation change will impact ecosystem carbon balance. Increased shrub dominance in semiarid grasslands has potentially large effects on soil carbon cycling. The goal of this study was to characterize the effect of antecedent moisture and temperature conditions on soil respiration in a grassland now dominated by shrubs. Continuous measurements of soil respiration, soil temperature, and soil moisture were made over the entire summer of 2005 within distinct vegetation microsites in this shrubland community—under grasses, shrubs, and in open spaces. We analyzed these data within a Bayesian framework that allowed us to evaluate the time-scale over which antecedent conditions influence soil respiration. The addition of antecedent conditions explained an additional 16% of the variation in soil respiration. High soil moisture during the preceding month increased respiration rates in both the grass and shrub microsites. However, the time period over which antecedent soil moisture influenced the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration was shorter in the shrub compared to the grass microsites (1 vs. 2 weeks, respectively). The depth of moisture was important; for example, for respiration under shrubs, near-surface moisture was more influential on the day of the respiration measurement but subsurface moisture was more influential on the antecedent time scale. Although more mechanistic studies are required, this study is the first to reveal that shrub encroachment changes the time scales over which soil moisture and temperature affect soil respiration.     

Is the removal of aboveground shrub biomass an effective technique to restore a shrub‐encroached grassland?

Encroachment of woody plants into grasslands is a global phenomenon that has substantial impacts on pastoral productivity and ecosystem services. Over the past half century, pastoralists and land management agencies have explored various options to control woody plants in order to improve ecosystem services in shrub‐encroached grasslands. We examined the effectiveness of controlling the encroachment of the shrub Caragana microphylla into grassland in Inner Mongolia, China. We cut and removed all of the aboveground biomass from 450 shrubs, predicting that the effectiveness of this technique to control shrubs would depend on shrub morphology. Specifically, we expected that larger shrubs with more biomass would be more difficult to kill by cutting than smaller shrubs. A year after treatment, we found that cutting killed only 11% of the 450 treated shrubs, and of these, three‐quarters of the locations that they occupied reverted to grasses and one‐quarter to bare soil. Shrubs that survived the cutting treatment produced more stems and leaf biomass, and therefore had a greater leaf to stem ratio. Shrubs that died after cutting had a lower crown area and basal area, and less stem biomass than shrubs that resprouted within 12 months of cutting. There were no effects of shrub height on the fate of treated shrubs. Cutting had no effect on understory plant cover or richness, but reproductive plants were taller under shrubs that were not cut. Overall, our study showed that removing aboveground shrub biomass by cutting is an ineffective technique for “restoring” the original grassland community unless shrubs are very small. Strategic targeting of small shrubs would be a more effective technique for controlling the spread of C. microphylla in the long term.     

荒漠草原-灌丛镶嵌体的植被稳态转变特征

以柠条锦鸡儿（Caragana korshinskii）灌丛引入形成荒漠草原-灌丛地镶嵌体为研究对象,选择其内部荒漠草地（DG）、草地边缘（GE）、灌丛边缘（SE）、灌丛地（SL）为试验样地,开展荒漠草原向灌丛地人为稳态转变过程土壤水分与植被变化特征研究。结果如下：各样地0-200 cm土层水分含量随着转变过程呈显著降低趋势（P<0.05）,其中荒漠草地、草地边缘和灌丛边缘样地的土壤水分均在秋季雨水补充期增加,灌丛地由于深层土壤水分过度消耗而愈加降低,且灌丛边缘和灌丛地深层水分显著低于荒漠草地、草地边缘（P<0.05）,垂直动态不显著;地上植被随样地转变除优势度指数表现为灌丛地多样性、均匀度、丰富度指数均显著低于各样地（P<0.05）,多年生优势草本蒙古冰草（Agropyron mongolicum）、短花针茅（Stipa breviflora）逐渐被一年生草本刺藜（Dysphania aristata）、猪毛蒿（Artemisia scoparia）所代替;土壤种子库萌发种类随样地转变逐渐减少,种子库密度则显著升高（P<0.05）,灌丛地以一年生草本植物为主（占总密度的97.51%）,荒漠草地则以多年生草本萌发为主,且各样地土壤萌发种子库及多年生草本多集中于0-5 cm土层（P<0.05）;转变过程荒漠草原和灌丛地植被地上地下相似度分别为0.14和0.19,均显著低于两边缘样地0.35,较两边缘样地群落更为稳定,呈现草原灌丛化过程中草地-灌丛共存的植被双稳态特征。