Seasonal variation in vegetation during restoration of sandy grassland at the southern edge of the Tengger desert

doi:10.11686/cyxb2022210

Abstract

Abstract:

The dynamic changes in vegetation during the growing season reflect the most sensitive and intuitive responses of the terrestrial ecosystem to climate change. In this study， we investigated the restoration sequence of sandy grassland in shifting， semi-fixed， and fixed sandy lands at the southern edge of the Tengger desert， and compared the desert vegetation with the zonal vegetation in the adjacent desert steppe as the control. The dynamic characteristics of vegetation coverage and species diversity at different stages of the restoration process during the growing season were analyzed. The overall aims were to determine the appropriate period and quantitative indexes for the investigation and monitoring of sandy grassland， and to provide a basis for sample plot investigation， remote sensing monitoring， and the restoration and utilization of sandy grassland. It was found that the vegetation coverage and species diversity significantly differed among sandy grasslands at different stages of restoration. The average vegetation coverage of the desert steppe was close to that of fixed sandy land， and was 27.6-times and 2.3-times that of shifting and semi-fixed sandy land， respectively. The Shannon’s diversity index of vegetation on the desert steppe was 2.7-times， 1.5-times， and 1.7-times that of shifting， semi-fixed， and fixed sandy lands， respectively. The seasonal variation in sandy grassland differed in terms of magnitude and specific trends depending on the stage of restoration. The vegetation coverage， herb coverage， and species richness showed a gradually increasing trend， and the plant diversity initially decreased and then increased from shifting， to semi-fixed， to fixed sandy land sites. The best time to evaluate sandy grassland is from September to October. Shifting sandy land showed the largest seasonal variation coefficients of vegetation coverage and herb coverage， and the lowest variation coefficients of Gleason’s richness index and diversity index. The desert steppe showed the lowest seasonal variation coefficients of vegetation coverage and herb coverage， reflecting the poor stability of sandy grassland in the early stage of restoration. In conclusion， the establishment of artificial fixed-sand vegetation accelerated the restoration and succession of sandy grassland， changed its seasonal variation patterns， and enhanced its community stability. However， enclosure is also necessary to promote the restoration and succession of fixed sandy grassland to zonal desert steppe vegetation.

Key words: sandy grassland, Tengger desert, vegetation coverage, plant diversity, growing season

Jing MA, Fang-jun GUO, Zhi-hui ZOU, Lin SUN, Fang CHEN. Seasonal variation in vegetation during restoration of sandy grassland at the southern edge of the Tengger desert[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2023, 32(5): 203-210.

Figures/Tables 8

References 15

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恢复阶段 Restoration stage	植被Vegetation		草本植物Herb		灌木植物Shrub		优势种（重要值） Dominant species （Important values）
恢复阶段 Restoration stage	盖度 Coverage （%）	变异系数 Variation coefficient	盖度 Coverage （%）	变异系数 Variation coefficient	盖度 Coverage （%）	变异系数 Variation coefficient	优势种（重要值） Dominant species （Important values）
SL	2.3±1.2c	121.9	2.3±1.2c	122.0	0.0±0.0c	0.0	沙米A. squarrosum （97.6）
SFL	28.1±3.7b	32.5	0.2±0.1c	97.3	27.9±1.2b	32.1	油蒿和沙蒿A. ordosica and A. sphaerocephala （88.6）、花棒H. scoparium （7.0）
FL	61.8±8.2a	32.7	21.3±7.0b	80.4	41.8±1.2a	10.4	油蒿A. ordosica （40.3）、刺沙蓬Kali tragus （26.7）、画眉草等一年生植物Annual plants such as Eragrostis pilosa （19.3）
DS	64.6±5.3a	20.2	38.2±2.6a	16.8	28.0±1.2b	24.6	短花针茅S. breviflora （38.3）、银灰旋花C. ammannii （20.7）、无芒隐子草C. songorica （9.0）、中亚紫菀木A. centrali-asiaticus （6.0）

恢复阶段 Restoration stage	植被Vegetation		草本植物Herb		灌木植物Shrub		优势种（重要值） Dominant species （Important values）
恢复阶段 Restoration stage	盖度 Coverage （%）	变异系数 Variation coefficient	盖度 Coverage （%）	变异系数 Variation coefficient	盖度 Coverage （%）	变异系数 Variation coefficient	优势种（重要值） Dominant species （Important values）
SL	2.3±1.2c	121.9	2.3±1.2c	122.0	0.0±0.0c	0.0	沙米A. squarrosum （97.6）
SFL	28.1±3.7b	32.5	0.2±0.1c	97.3	27.9±1.2b	32.1	油蒿和沙蒿A. ordosica and A. sphaerocephala （88.6）、花棒H. scoparium （7.0）
FL	61.8±8.2a	32.7	21.3±7.0b	80.4	41.8±1.2a	10.4	油蒿A. ordosica （40.3）、刺沙蓬Kali tragus （26.7）、画眉草等一年生植物Annual plants such as Eragrostis pilosa （19.3）
DS	64.6±5.3a	20.2	38.2±2.6a	16.8	28.0±1.2b	24.6	短花针茅S. breviflora （38.3）、银灰旋花C. ammannii （20.7）、无芒隐子草C. songorica （9.0）、中亚紫菀木A. centrali-asiaticus （6.0）

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