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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (9): 12-25.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024421

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Plant community characteristics and niches in mountain meadows of Wugong Mountain

Ze-yu XIANG1(), Zhong-bing TANG1, Xin-heng PENG2, Xiao-long YANG3, Chuang-ming YANG4, Xiang-dong QIU5, Chun-fa CHEN1, Yan-song PENG1, Sai-xia ZHOU1()   

  1. 1.Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Carbon Neutrality and Ecosystem Carbon Sink,Lushan Botanical Garden,Jiangxi Province and Chinese Academy of Sciences,Jiujiang 332900,China
    2.School of Pharmacy,Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine,Nanchang 330004,China
    3.Department of Agriculture and Forestry Science,Qinghai Vocational and Technical Institute of Animal Husbandry and Vet,Xining 812100,China
    4.College of Ecology and Agriculture,Sichuan Minzu College,Kangding 626001,China
    5.College of Life Sciences,Gannan Normal University,Ganzhou 341000,China
  • Received:2024-10-24 Revised:2024-12-05 Online:2025-09-20 Published:2025-07-02
  • Contact: Sai-xia ZHOU

Abstract:

The meadows of Wugong Mountain represent a rare typical natural grassland in southeast China, and constitute a significant part of the diversity of mountain ecosystem types in this area. However, our understanding of the overall composition and structure of the plant community in meadows on Wugong Mountain remains limited. Therefore, for appropriate conservation and management, it is important to explore the diversity, niches, and structural quality of the plant community in meadows on Wugong Mountain. Three transects (E1: 1380-1580 m, E2: 1580-1780 m, E3: 1780-1918 m) were established along an elevational gradient across the whole range of meadows from the forest-grass ecotone to the top of the mountain. Ten survey plots were established along each transect, and aspects of the community and terrain were recorded (species composition, height, and coverage, as well as the altitude, longitude, latitude, slope, and aspect of each plot). The changes in diversity (α, β), species’ niches, and interspecific competition in the meadow plant community along the elevational gradient were evaluated. The results showed that the meadow community structure varied gradually with the increase in elevation. The α diversity increased significantly with increasing elevation, whereas the community variability (β diversity) decreased significantly. The meadow plant community on shady slopes showed higher species richness. Analysis of interspecific competition in the meadow community revealed the wide niche and large overlap coefficient of the high-quality grasses Miscanthus sinensis and Arundinella hirta. These two species showed an absolute advantage and were the most representative dominant species across the meadows. The meadow community environment also provided a refuge for the survival of three orchid species (Ponerorchis gracilisPlatanthera minor, and Platanthera ussuriensis), while invasive plants such as Erigeron canadensis and Bidens pilosa were also relatively common. The results of this study show that the overall quality and structure of the plant community in meadows on Wugong Mountain are excellent, as well as, the meadow community is at risk of degradation. We recommend that comprehensive protection and management of these mountain meadows should be strengthened, especially in the section from 1800 m to the highest peak, Jinding. This area should be the key focus for meadow protection because it has the largest aboveground biomass of the meadow plant community, the richest species diversity, and the most stable community.

Key words: Wugong Mountain, mountain meadow, diversity, interspecific competition, niche