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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (3): 26-42.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2025107

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Analysis of the distribution pattern and nutrition profiles of forage plants in the Tarim River Basin

Na LIU1(), Ming-yue WU1, Xu JI1, Shu-ping HU1, Fu-ning ZHANG1, Xin JIA1,2,3()   

  1. 1.College of Soil and Water Conservation,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing 100083,China
    2.Ningxia Yanchi Mu Us Sandy Land Ecosystem National Positioning Observation and Research Station,Beijing 100083,China
    3.National Key Laboratory for Efficient Production of Forest Resources,Beijing Forestry University,Beijing 100083,China
  • Received:2025-03-26 Revised:2025-06-09 Online:2026-03-20 Published:2026-01-19
  • Contact: Xin JIA

Abstract:

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of forage plant resources in the Tarim River Basin and the factors influencing the distribution. The overall aim of our study was to provide theoretical support for the development and utilization of forage resources at family, genus, and species levels. In addition, based on the grouping of forage plants with similar nutrition profiles, we aimed to identify forage species with potentially high nutrition value in the Tarim River Basin and suggest possible substitutes. By integrating information from historical literature, field surveys, and online databases, we updated the forage plant list for the Tarim River Basin and analyzed the composition and distribution patterns of plant families, genera, and species. We also explored the influence of anthropogenic, climatic, and soil factors on the distribution of different pasture taxa and growth-type plants using redundancy analysis, and carried out a clustering analysis based on principal component analysis to identify groups of pasture plants with similar nutritive value. The main results were as follows: 1) The forage plants in the Tarim River Basin totaled 269 species in 153 genera and 41 families. These plants were mostly distributed along the edge of the Tarim Basin, and were mainly concentrated in Hejing County in the north, Wuqia County in the west, Yecheng County and Hotan County in the southwest, Ruoqiang County in the east, and Aksu City in the central part. 2) The mean annual air temperature and local gross domestic product were the main factors influencing the regional distribution of forage taxa, with a combined contribution of 66.8%. Mean annual temperature was the primary factor influencing the regional distribution of different growth types of forage plants, with a contribution of 62.2%, and acidity and alkalinity (pH) and available potassium were the factors of secondary importance, with contributions of 13.1% and 10.8%, respectively. Soil organic matter only affected the distribution of forage taxa. 3) In terms of nutrition status, similarities among forage plants were independent of their phylogenetic relationships and forage class groupings.

Key words: Tarim River Basin, forage plants, distribution patterns, environmental factors, nutrient clustering