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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2021, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (10): 15-25.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2021127

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Responses of niche characteristics and species diversity of main plant populations to duration of enclosure in the Hulun Buir meadow steppe

Ying-ying NIE(), Jin-qiang CHEN, Xiao-ping XIN, Li-jun XU(), Gui-xia YANG, Xu WANG   

  1. Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning,Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences,Hulun Buir Grassland Ecosystem Research Station,Beijing 100081,China
  • Received:2021-04-06 Revised:2021-05-12 Online:2021-09-16 Published:2021-09-16
  • Contact: Li-jun XU

Abstract:

In this study, we determined the responses of main plant populations in the meadow steppe area to enclosure for various periods of time. Levin’s niche index, Pianka’s niche overlap index, and species diversity indexes were calculated to analyze the niche response characteristics of the main plant populations. The results showed that the niche breadth of main plant populations in degraded grassland changed after enclosure. The largest niche breadth of the perennial herb Taraxacum mongolicum was in the unenclosed (control) plot. At 4 and 13 years of enclosure, pinegrass had the largest niche breadth. At 5, 6, 8, and 10 years of enclosure, the species with the largest niche breadth were Leymus chinensisSerratula komaroviiIris ventricosa, and Stipa baicalensis. After the enclosure of degraded grassland, the niche overlap index between species was concentrated in the range of 0.6-0.9, while the niche overlap index between species in the unenclosed plot was in the range of 0.0-0.3. As the period of enclosure increased, the total average value of the niche overlap index tended to first increase and then decrease. The lowest total average value of the niche overlap index of main plant populations was in the unenclosed (control) plot. The highest total average value of the niche overlap index of the main plant populations was 0.68 at 5 years of enclosure. The total average value of the niche overlap index of main plant populations in enclosed grassland was 40.76%-93.68% higher than that in unenclosed grassland. The highest values of the Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Simpson’s diversity index, Margalef’s richness index, Pielou’s evenness index were obtained at 5 years of enclosure, and were 45.46%, 16.51%, 45.80% and 23.38% higher than their respective values in the control (unenclosed) site. Enclosure significantly increased community diversity, richness, and evenness, and intensified interspecific competition. However, as the period of enclosure extended beyond 5 years, the diversity, richness and uniformity gradually decreased. This led to niche differentiation, the slowing of inter-species competition, and stabilization of the community. Therefore, from the perspective of species diversity alone, the enclosure time should not be too long. After 5 years of enclosure, appropriate measures may be implemented to protect community diversity.

Key words: meadow steppe, enclosure, niche, species diversity