Vegetation responses along environmental gradients on the Ordos plateau, China |
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Authors: | Yuanrun Zheng Zhixiao Xie Lianhe Jiang Hideyuki Shimizu Glyn M Rimmington Guangsheng Zhou |
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Institution: | (1) Laboratory of Quantitative Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 20 Nanxincun, Xiangshan, 100093 Beijing, China;(2) Geography and Geology Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL 33431, USA;(3) Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093 Beijing, China;(4) National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan;(5) Office for Global Learning, Wichita State University, 1845 N Fairmount, Wichita, KS 67206, USA |
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Abstract: | The Ordos plateau is a unique ecotone and is a focal region for the campaign to reduce or reverse desertification in China.
This paper explores the relationship between vegetation and environmental gradients on the Ordos plateau based on a field
survey of species distribution, vegetation distribution patterns, plant community structure, ecophysiological properties,
and soil water content along an environmental gradient. The vegetation on the Ordos plateau may be divided into three types
from east to west: steppe (eastern part), desert steppe (middle part) and steppe desert (western part). From east to west,
precipitation declines significantly (from 400 mm to 150 mm). The spatial distribution pattern of vegetation at different
sites was random. The density of shrub islands decreased from east to west, and their height and diameter were negatively
correlated with precipitation. From east to west, the transpiration rate increased as temperature increased. Stomatal conductance
was positively correlated with percentage of sunshine hours and negatively correlated with temperature. Water-use efficiency
was positively correlated with average annual precipitation but negatively correlated with increasing percentage of sunshine
hours. The results suggest that for effective revegetation, highly drought-tolerant species, such as Caragana tibetica and C. stenophylla, should be used and a lower percentage of vegetation cover expected (30–40%) in the western half of the Ordos plateau. In
the eastern half, moderately drought-tolerant species, such as Artemisia ordosica and C. korshinskii, could be used and a higher percentage vegetation cover expected (40–50%). |
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Keywords: | Ecophysiological properties Plant community structure Species distribution Shrub islands Soil water content Temperature Vegetation distribution patterns |
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