腾格里沙漠固沙植被区蚂蚁群落分布特征及其对土壤理化性质的影响

为了阐明固沙过程中蚂蚁群落结构分布特征及其对土壤性质的影响,在腾格里沙漠固沙植被区选取流动沙地以及5 a、8 a、34 a和57 a固沙植被区为研究样地,对不同样地蚂蚁群落的个体数、类群数以及蚁丘内外土壤理化性质进行测定,进而分析了不同样地蚂蚁群落分布特征及其与土壤因子间的关系。结果表明:(1)固沙植被区蚂蚁群落中的优势类群为掘穴蚁(Formica cunicularia),个体数占比为78.87%。(2)57 a固沙植被区蚂蚁密度显著低于8 a和34 a固沙植被区(P < 0.05);5 a固沙植被区蚂蚁类群数显著低于其他植被区(P < 0.05)。(3)57 a固沙植被区蚁丘中土壤含水量、土壤黏粒和土壤全钾显著高于非蚁丘,而土壤电导率和土壤粉粒显著低于非蚁丘(P < 0.05)。8 a和57 a固沙植被区蚁丘中土壤pH显著高于非蚁丘,8 a固沙植被区蚁丘中土壤有机碳显著高于非蚁丘,8 a和34 a固沙植被区蚁丘中土壤全氮显著高于非蚁丘(P < 0.05)。(4)蚂蚁群落组成与土壤粒径、电导率、pH、有机碳、全氮、全磷和有效磷含量的相关关系显著;偏RDA 结果表明,蚂蚁类群数是影响固沙区土壤理化性质的主要限制因子。综合表明,腾格里沙漠不同固沙年限植被区蚂蚁群落组成差异较大,更丰富的蚂蚁群落有利于改善土壤质地,促进土壤理化性质向良好的方向发展,对实现荒漠生态系统恢复起到推进作用。

Characteristics of ant community and its influence on soil in sand-fixing revegetation area of Tengger Desert

The objective of this study is to clarify the changes in the composition and quantitative characteristics of ant communities during sand fixation and their effects on soil physical and chemical properties. In this study, the Tengger Desert sand-fixing vegetation area was used as the research area, the 5-year, 8-year, 34-year and 57-year sand-fixing vegetation areas were used as the research plots, and the mobile sand land was used as the control. We measured the number of individuals and groups of ant communities in different plots and the physical and chemical properties of soil inside and outside the ant mound, and analyzed the distribution characteristics of ant communities in different plots and their relationship with soil factors. The results showed that: (1) the dominant group in the ant community in the sand-fixing vegetation area was Formica cunicularia, accounting for 78.87%. (2) The density of ants in the 57-year sand-fixing vegetation area was significantly lower than that in the 8-year and 34-year sand-fixing vegetation areas (P <0.05). The number of ant groups in the 5-year sand-fixing vegetation area was significantly lower than that in other vegetation areas (P < 0.05). (3) Soil water content, soil conductivity, soil silt and clay, and soil total potassium showed the significant differences between ant mounds and non-ant mounds only in the 57-year sand-fixing vegetation area. Specifically, soil water content, soil clay, and soil total potassium showed that ant mounds were significantly higher than non-ant mounds, while soil conductivity and soil silt showed that ant mounds were significantly lower than non-ant mounds. The soil pH showed that the anthills in the sand-fixing vegetation area were significantly higher than the non-anthills only in 8 years and 57 years (P < 0.05). The soil organic carbon showed that the anthills in the sand-fixing vegetation area were significantly higher than the non-anthills only in 8 years. The soil total nitrogen showed that the anthills in the sand-fixing vegetation area were significantly higher than the non-anthills only in 8 years and 34 years (P < 0.05). (4) The ant community composition was significantly correlated with soil particle size, electrical conductivity, pH, organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, and available phosphorus content. Partial redundancy analysis results results showed that the number of ant groups was the main limiting factor affecting soil physical and chemical properties in sand-fixing areas. The composition of ant communities in different sand-fixing times in Tengger Desert was quite different. More abundant ant communities were conducive to improving soil texture, promoting the development of soil physical and chemical properties in a good direction, and promoting the restoration of desert ecosystem.