Effects of the excavation activities of plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) on the plant community characteristics of alpine meadow

doi:10.11686/cyxb2019416

Abstract

Abstract: The excavation activities of plateau zokor can affect the grassland plant community composition and structure, resulting in spatial heterogeneity, namely the mounds and undisturbed vegetation patches. In this study, the vegetation characteristics and disturbance effects of different plateau zokor densities in winter pasture were evaluated, and the functional response of community composition and structure were assessed. With increased zokor population density, vegetation height increased significantly (P<0.05), the plant community cover and grass functional group species richness decreased (P<0.05), and the species richness and the forb richness initially increased and then decreased. Within increasing plateau zokor disturbance levels, the total underground biomass decreased (P<0.05), the biomass of the forbs increased (P<0.05), and the grass biomass initially decreased and then increased. These results indicate that moderate disturbance by plateau zokor enhances plant community species richness, while at low or high zokor density and disturbance, grass biomass is improved.

Key words: plateau zokor, species richness, plant functional group richness, plant biomass

YANG Zi-han, CHEN Tai-xiang, ZHENG Qiao-yan, WEI Wan-rong. Effects of the excavation activities of plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) on the plant community characteristics of alpine meadow[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2020, 29(5): 13-20.

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