Plant cover associated with aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) mediates insect community composition in steppes of Northwest China |
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Authors: | Zihua Zhao Gadi VP Reddy Shuhua Wei Mengmeng Zhu Kaiyang Zhang Hongqian Yu Zhanjun Wang Qi Jiang Rong Zhang |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China;2. Institute of Plant Protection, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Yinchuan 750021, China;3. Montana State University, Department of Research Centers, Western Triangle Agricultural Research Center, 9546 Old Shelby Road, P.O. Box 656, Conrad, MT 59425, USA;4. Institute of Desertification Control, Ningxia Academy of Agriculture and Forestry, Yinchuan 750021, China |
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Abstract: | Temperate steppe is one of the most important natural habitats for the conservation of arthropod and bird biodiversity across the Eurasian Tectonic Plate. Since 1950, fragmentation of the steppe habitat has caused a loss of biodiversity and degradation of the species communities found in natural steppe. Therefore, in this study, both plants and insects were sampled at 56 sites in the steppe biome of northwestern China to explore the effects of plant community on insect community composition and diversity. The insect community structure varied in the four different steppe types (meadow steppe, typical steppe, desert steppe, and steppe desert). Plant cover (diversity) was an important driving force, which could enhance number of families and abundance of an insect community. Aboveground net primary productivity and water content of plants had no significant effects on insect community, although the plant community as a whole did mediate insect composition and community structure. Future research should explore the ecological role of particular functional groups in plant and insect communities. Supplemental sowing to improve plant diversity in steppe habitat may be another strategy to enhance biodiversity and achieve sustainable management. |
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Keywords: | Community Conservation Diversity Ecosystem function Population |
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