模拟降雨量变化对黄河三角洲湿地植物群落特征的影响

气候变化背景下,降雨变化能够深刻影响河口湿地土壤水盐条件,而土壤水盐条件是影响植物群落特征的关键环境因子。本研究以黄河三角洲湿地植物群落为对象,依托野外降雨控制试验平台(减雨60%、减雨40%、自然对照、增雨40%、增雨60%),探讨了经过6年降雨处理后湿地植物群落特征对降雨量变化的响应及机制。结果表明: 随降雨量增加,土壤电导率显著降低,土壤湿度显著增大。降雨量变化影响了植物群落物种组成,增雨处理降低了碱蓬和盐地碱蓬的优势地位,提高了荻和白茅的优势地位。随降雨量增加,植物群落Shannon指数和Margalef丰富度指数显著提高。与对照相比,增减雨处理均降低了群落频度、多度和盖度,增雨60%处理群落频度显著降低54.9%,减雨60%、减雨40%、增雨40%、增雨60%处理群落多度分别显著降低38.9%、33.8%、35.8%和45.7%。随降雨量增加,植物群落地上生物量显著增加,但可能受淹水胁迫的影响,增雨60%处理地上生物量显著低于增雨40%。Margalef丰富度指数与地上生物量呈显著正相关;地上生物量、Shannon指数、Margalef丰富度指数、Simpson多样性指数均与土壤电导率呈显著负相关;地上生物量与土壤湿度呈显著正相关。降雨量变化通过改变黄河三角洲湿地土壤水盐条件显著影响了植物群落生长特征、物种组成和多样性。

Effects of simulated precipitation changes on plant community characteristics of wetland in the Yellow River Delta,China

Under the changing climate scenario, changes in precipitation regimes are expected to alter soil water and salinity conditions, with consequences on the characteristics of plant community in estuarine wetland. Here, we used a six-year (2015-2020) precipitation manipulation experiment to examine how plant community characteristics responded to precipitation changes in the Yellow River Delta. The results showed that soil electrical conductivity significantly decreased, while soil moisture significantly increased with increasing precipitation. Precipitation changes altered plant community composition. Increased precipitation reduced the absolute dominance of Suaeda glauca and Suaeda salsa, but increased that of Triarrhena sacchariflora and Imperata cylindrica. Shannon index and Margalef richness index of plant community significantly increased with increasing precipitation. Compared with the control, both decreased and increased precipitation decreased the plant community abundance, frequency and coverage. The treatment of 60% increased precipitation significantly decreased plant community frequency by 54.9%, while the 60% decreased precipitation, 40% decreased precipitation, 40% increased precipitation and 60% increased precipitation treatment significantly decreased plant abundance by 38.9%, 33.8%, 35.8% and 45.7%, respectively. The aboveground biomass significantly increased with increasing precipitation, but aboveground plant biomass under 60% increased precipitation treatment being lower than that reducing under 40% increased precipitation treatment, probably due to the negative effects of flooding stress. In addition, Margalef richness index had a significantly positive relationship with aboveground biomass. Aboveground biomass, Shannon diversity index, Margalef richness index, and Simpson diversity index were negatively related to soil electrical conductivity, and aboveground plant biomass was positively related to soil moisture. Our results revealed that precipitation changes regulate growth characteristics, species composition, and diversity of plant community by altering soil water and salinity conditions in a coastal wetland.