Influence of slope aspect on plant community composition and its implications for restoration of a Chinese mountain range

• Autorzy: Yanyan Q. , Holden N. , Qi F. , Meng Z.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

Excessive human disturbance (e.g., overgrazing, deforestation) has degraded the environment in the Qilian Mountains in China. Vegetative restoration is likely to be a crucial tool to restore these biologically significant habitats, but it is impossible to achieve this goal if the baseline plant community composition and its variation with local environmental conditions were not understood fully. To assess plant community composition by slope aspect, four different aspects – south-facing slope (SF), southwest-facing slope (SW), northwest-facing slope (NW), and north-facing slope (NF) – were surveyed on three almost non-degraded mountains. The results showed that each slope aspect has different abiotic environments. From SF to NF, soil water content has an increasing trend, but it shows no difference between SF and SW; and daily soil temperature and pH have a decreasing trend, while the former shows no difference between SF and SW, and SW and NW; and the latter shows no difference between SW and NW; and soil organic carbon was significantly increased, but soil bulk density was significantly decreased. Herbaceous plants were dominant on SF, SW, and NW, and trees (Picea crassifolia) were dominant on NF. From SF to NW, the dominant herbaceous plants were Agropyron cristatum and Stipa grandis, Agropyron cristatum and Carex aridula, and Kobresia humilis and Carex crebra, respectively, while on NF they were Carex spp. and Polygonum macrophyllum. The baseline survey points to the need to consider underlying patterns in abiotic conditions when planning restoration programs in these degraded mountain habitats, and to select native plants similar to the original vegetation. The survey provides a vital milestone for the development of policy-based funding initiatives and for ongoing vegetation monitoring during restoration to assess if these vegetative targets have been met.

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
• Rocznik: 2017
• Tom: 26
• Numer: 1
• Opis fizyczny: p.375-383,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Yanyan Q.

• Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Alashan Desert Ecohydrology Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou 730000, China
• University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China

autor

Holden N.

• UCD School of Biosystems Engineering, Agriculture and Food Science Centre, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland

autor

Qi F.

• Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Alashan Desert Ecohydrology Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou 730000, China

autor

Meng Z.

• Key Laboratory of Ecohydrology of Inland River Basin, Alashan Desert Ecohydrology Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou 730000, China
• University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China

Bibliografia

• 1. DESCHEEMAEKER K., NYSSEN J., POESEN J., RAES D., HAILE M., MUYS B. Runoff on slopes with restoring vegetation: A case study from the Tigray highlands, Ethiopia. J Hydrol., 331 (1-2), 219, 2006.
• 2. WALKER L.R., WARDLE D.A. Plant succession as an integrator of contrasting ecological time scales. Trends Ecol. Evol., 29 (9), 504, 2014.
• 3. ZHAO C., NAN Z., CHENG G. Methods for modelling of temporal and spatial distribution of air temperature at landscape scale in the southern Qilian mountains, China. Ecol. Model., 189 (1-2), 209, 2005.
• 4. KANG E., LU L., XU Z. Vegetation and carbon sequestration and their relation to water resources in an inland river basin of Northwest China. J Environ.Manage., 85 (3), 702, 2007.
• 5. ZOU M., ZHU K.H., YIN J.Z., BIN G.U. Analysis on Slope Revegetation Diversity in Different Habitats. Procedia Earth and Planetary Science., 5 (8), 180, 2012.
• 6. AIMME H.N., NORMANIZA O. The effects of plant density of Melastoma malabathricum on the erosion rate of slope soil at different slope orientations. Int. J. Sediment. Res., 30 (2),131,2015.
• 7. JIN B.W., KANG E.S., SONG K.C., LIU X.D. Ecohydrological Function of Mountain Vegetation in the Hei River Basin, Northwest China. J.Glaciology Geocryolo., 25 (5), 580, 2003.
• 8. ZHAO W.J., LIU X.D., JIN M., CHE Z.X., YU M.A. Study on Soil Nutrient Characteristics of Picea crassifolia Forest in the West Segment of Qilian Mountains. J. Soil. Water. Conserv., 18 (4), 166, 2011.
• 9. WAGNER B., LIANG E., LI X., DULAMSUREN C, LEUSCHNER C, HAUCK M. Carbon pools of semi-arid Picea crassifolia forests in the Qilian Mountains (northeastern Tibetan Plateau). Forest. Ecol. Manag., 343, 136, 2015.
• 10. HOUGHTON R.A. Tropical deforestation and atmospheric carbon dioxide. Clima. Chan., 19, 1-2, 99, 1991.
• 11. DEYN G.B.D., CORNELISSEN J.H.C., BARDGETT R.D. Plant functional traits and soil carbon sequestration in contrasting biomes. Ecol. Lett., 11 (5), 516, 2008.
• 12. GUO L.B., GIFFORD R.M. Soil carbon stocks and land use change: a meta analysis. Global Change Bio., 8, 345, 2002.
• 13. KING G.M. Enhancing soil carbon storage for carbon remediation: potential contributions and constraints by microbes. Trends in Microbio., 19 (2), 75, 2011.
• 14. PETE F., JONES C.D., MELANIE A., KERYN P. Direct soil moisture controls of future global soil carbon changes: An important source of uncertainty. Global Biogeochemical Cy., 25 (3), 263, 2011.
• 15. MORA J.L., ARMAS-HERRERA C.M., GUERRA J.A., RODRIGUEZ-RODRIGUEZ A., ARBELO C.D. Factors affecting vegetation and soil recovery in the Mediterranean woodland of the Canary Islands (Spain). J. Arid. Environ., 87 (87), 58, 2012.
• 16. WESTWOOD A., REUCHLIN-HUGENHOLTZ E., KEITH D.M. Re-defining recovery: A generalized framework for assessing species recovery. Biol.Conser., 172 (172), 155, 2014.
• 17. CORTINA J., AMAT B., CASTILLO V., FUENTES D., MAESTRE F.T., PADILLA F.M. The restoration of vegetation cover in the semi-arid Iberian southeast. J. Arid. Environ., 75 (12), 1377, 2011.
• 18. FUENTE C.D.L., PARDO T., ALBURQUERQUE J.A., MARTINEZ-AlCALA I., BERNAL M.P., CLEMENTE R. Assessment of native shrubs for stabilisation of a trace elements-polluted soil as the final phase of a restoration process. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ., 196, 103, 2014.
• 19. ABELLA S.R., CHIQUOINE L.P., NEWTON A.C., VANIER C.H. Restoring a desert ecosystem using soil salvage, revegetation, and irrigation. J. Arid. Environ., 115, 44, 2015.
• 20. LIN W.T., CHOU W.C., LIN C.Y., HUANG P.H., TSAI J.S. Vegetation recovery monitoring and assessment at landslides caused by earthquake in Central Taiwan. Forest. Ecol. Manag., 210 (1), 55, 2005.
• 21. SCOTT A.J., MORGAN J.W. Recovery of soil and vegetation in semi-arid Australian old fields. J. Arid. Environ.,76 (1), 61, 2012.
• 22. BIBLE J.M., SANFORD E. Local adaptation in an estuarine foundation species: Implications for restoration. Biol. Conserv., 193, 95, 2016.
• 23. PORENSKY L.M., LEGER E.A., DAVISON J., MILLER W.W., GOERGEN E.M., ESPELAND E.K. Arid old-field restoration: Native perennial grasses suppress weeds and erosion, but also suppress native shrubs. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ., 184 (1), 135, 2014.
• 24. HELMAN D., LENSKY I.M., MUSSERY A., LEU S. Rehabilitating degraded drylands by creating woodland islets: Assessing long-term effects on aboveground productivity and soil fertility. Agr. Ecosyst. Environ., 195-196, 52, 2014.
• 25. WU H., LI X.Y., JIANG Z., CHEN H., ZHANG C., XIAO X. Contrasting water use pattern of introduced and native plants in an alpine desert ecosystem, Northeast Qinghai – Tibet Plateau, China. Sci.Total. Environ., 542 (PT-A), 182, 2016.
• 26. RYDGREN K., HALVORSEN R., ODLAND A., SKJERDAL G. Restoration of alpine spoil heaps: Successional rates predict vegetation recovery in 50 years. Ecol. Engin., 37 (2), 294, 2011.
• 27. LORITE J., MOLINA-MORALES M., CANADAS E.M., BALLESTEROS M, PENAS J. Evaluating a vegetationrecovery plan in Mediterranean alpine ski slopes: A chronosequence-based study in Sierra Nevada (SE Spain). Landscape. Ecol., 97 (2), 92, 2010.
• 28. PUEYO Y., ALADOS C.L. Effects of fragmentation, abiotic factors and land use on vegetation recovery in a semi-arid Mediterranean area. Basic Appl.Ecol., 8 (2), 158, 2007.
• 29. RAZANAAJATOVO M., FOHR C., FISCHER M., PRSTI D., KLEUNEN M.V. Non-naturalized alien plants receive fewer flower visits than naturalized and native plants in a Swiss botanical garden. Biol. Conserv., 182 (182), 109, 2015.
• 30. MOREIRA-ARCE D, VERGARA P.M., BOUTIN S., CARRASCO G., BRIONES R., SOTO G.E. Mesocarnivores respond to fine-grain habitat structure in a mosaic landscape comprised by commercial forest plantations in Southern Chile. Forest. Ecol. Manag., 369, 135, 2016.
• 31. CREES J.J., TURVEY S.T. What constitutes a ‘native’ species? Insights from the Quaternary faunal record. Biol. Conserv., 186, 143, 2015.
• 32. BALE C.L., WILLIAMS J.B., CHARLEY J.L. The impact of aspect on forest structure and floristics in some Eastern Australian sites. Forest. Ecol. Manag., 110 (1-3), 363, 1998.
• 33. SHARM C.M., BADUNI N.P., GAIROLA S., GHILDIYAL S.K., SUYAL S. Effects of slope aspects on forest compositions, community structures and soil properties in natural temperate forests of Garhwal Himalaya. Ecol. Res., 21 (3), 331, 2010.
• 34. DAHLGREN M., LAGERKVIST C.I., FITZSIMMONS A., WILLIAMS I.P., GORDON M. A study of Hilda asteroids. II. Compositional implications from optical spectroscopy. Astron. Astrophy., 323 (2), 606, 1997.
• 35. LOZANO-GARCIA B., PARRAS-ALCANTARA L., BREVIK E.C. Impact of topographic aspect and vegetation (native and reforested areas) on soil organic carbon and nitrogen budgets in Mediterranean natural areas.Sci Total Environ., 544 (8), 963, 2015.
• 36. KAKEMBO V., ROWNTREE K., PALMER A.R. Topographic controls on the invasion of Pteronia incana (Blue bush) onto hillslopes in Ngqushwa (formerly Peddie) district, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Catena., 70 (2), 185, 2007.
• 37. STERNBERG S. Separate modifiability, mental modules, and the use of pure and composite measures to reveal them. Acta Psychologica., 106, (1-2),147, 2001.
• 38. BADANO E.I., CAVIERES L.A., MOLINA-MONTENEGRO M.A., Quiroz C.L. Slope aspect influences plant association patterns in the Mediterranean matorral of central Chile. J. Arid. Environ., 62 (1), 93, 2005.
• 39. BELLO F.D., LEP J., SEBASTIA M.T. Variations in species and functional plant diversity along climatic and grazing gradients. Ecography., 29 (6), 801, 2006.
• 40. GONG X., BRUECK H., GIESE K.M., ZHANG L., SATTELMACHER B, LIN S. Slope aspect has effects on productivity and species composition of hilly grassland in the Xilin River Basin, Inner Mongolia, China. J. Arid. Environ., 72 (4), 483, 2008.
• 41. LI X., NIE Y., SONG X., ZHANG R., WANG G. Patterns of species diversity and functional diversity along the southto north-facing slope gradient in a sub-alpine meadow. Community. Eco., 12 (2), 179, 2011.
• 42. WANG C., ZHAO C.Y., XU Z.L., WANG Y., PENG H.H. Effect of vegetation on soil water retention and storage in a semi-arid alpine forest catchment. J.Arid. Land., 5 (2), 207, 2013.
• 43. LEONELLI G., PELFINI M., BATTIPAGLIA G., CHERUBINI P. Site-aspect influence on climate sensitivity over time of a high-altitude Pinus cembra tree-ring network. Clim.Chan., 96, (1-2), 185, 2009.
• 44. ORTIZ-PULIDO R., PAVON N.P. Influence of slope orientation on sex ratio and size distribution in a dioecious plant Bursera fagaroides var. purpusii (Brandeg.) McVaugh and Rzed. (Burseraceae). Plant Ecol., 208 (2), 271, 2010.
• 45. BEULLENS J., VELDE D.V.D., NYSSEN J. Impact of slope aspect on hydrological rainfall and on the magnitude of rill erosion in Belgium and northern France. Catena., 114 (2), 129, 2014.
• 46. MAREN I.E., KARKI S., PRAJAPATI C., YADAV R.K., SHRESTHA B.B. Facing north or south: Does slope aspect impact forest stand characteristics and soil properties in a semiarid trans-Himalayan valley? J. Arid. Environ., 121, 112, 2015.
• 47. WEN L., DONG S., ZHU L., LI X., SHI J., WANG Y. The construction of grassland degradation index for alpine meadow in Qinghai-Tibetan plateau. Procedia Environ. Sci., 2 (6), 1966, 2010.
• 48. CAO J.J., HOLDEN N. M., QIN Y.Y. Using WTA to Estimate the Ecological Compensation of the Grassland. Rang. Ecol. Manage., 65, 533, 2012.
• 49. LOUHAICHI M., GHASSALI F., SALKINI A.K., PETERSEN S.L. Effect of sheep grazing on rangeland plant communities: Case study of landscape depressions within Syrian arid steppes. J. Arid. Environ., 79 (79), 101, 2012.
• 50. MCLOUGHLIN L. The Impact of Planting for Restoration of Remnant Bushland on Its Scientific and Educational Values: Implications for Conservation Planning. Pacific Conser. Biol., 3 (1), 5, 1997.
• 51. HOBBS R.J., ARICO S., ARONSON J., BARON J.S., BRIDGEWATER P., CRAMER V.A. Novel ecosystems: theoretical and management aspects of the new ecological world order. Global Ecol. Bio., 15 (1), 1, 2006.
• 52. WEBB A.A., ERSKINE W.D. A practical scientific approach to riparian vegetation rehabilitation in Australia. J. Environ. Manage., 68 (4), 329, 2003.
• 53. RODRIGO M.A., ROJO C., ALONSO-GUILLEN J.L., VERA P. Restoration of two small Mediterranean lagoons: The dynamics of submerged macrophytes and factors that affect the success of revegetation. Ecol. Engin., 54 (54), 1, 2013.
• 54. EVANS D.M., ZIPPER C.E., BURGER J.A., STRAHM B.D., VILLAMAGNA A.M. Reforestation practice for enhancement of ecosystem services on a compacted surface mine: Path toward ecosystem recovery. Ecol. Engin., 51 (1), 16, 2013.
• 55. ZHAO S., CHENG W., ZHOU C., CHEN X., CHEN J. Simulation of decadal alpine permafrost distributions in the Qilian Mountains over past 50years by using Logistic Regression Model. Cold Regions Science and Technology., 73 (1), 32, 2012.
• 56. QIN C., BAO Y., BURCHARDT I., HU X., KANG X. Intensified pluvial conditions during the twentieth century in the inland Heihe River Basin in arid northwestern China over the past millennium. Global Planetary Change., 72 (72), 192, 2010.
• 57. WU J. The effect of ecological management in the upper reaches of Heihe River. Acta Ecol. Sin., 31 (1), 1, 2011.
• 58. ZHANG P. Study on individual WUE population dynamic and soil carbon-nitroen of Picea crassifolia. Gansu Agricultural University Lanzhou China, 2009 [In Chinese].
• 59. MARTINEZ-GARZA C., BONGERS F., POORTER L. Are functional traits good predictors of species performance in restoration plantings in tropical abandoned pastures? Forest. Ecol. Manag., 303, 35, 2013.
• 60. Nelson D., Sommers L., Total carbon, organic carbon and organic matter. In Dane J.H.,Topp G.C. Methods of Soil Analysis, Part 2. Second eds No 9. ASA Publication, Madison. 1982.
• 61. CHAPIN F.S., KEDROWSKI R.A. Seasonal Changes in Nitrogen and Phosphorus Fractions and Autumn Retranslocation in Evergreen and Deciduous Taiga Trees. J.Ecol., 64, 376, 1983.
• 62. SHANG Z.H., YAO A.X. Studies on biodiversity in the core region of Zhongwei Goat in Ningxia –The Cluster Analysis and Similarity of plant communities. Journal of Ningxia Agricultural College. 23 (1), 23, 2002 [In Chinese].
• 63. ZHAO Y., PETH S., HALLETT P., WANG X., GIESE M., GAO Y. Factors controlling the spatial patterns of soil moisture in a grazed semi-arid steppe investigated by multivariate geostatistics. Ecohydrology., 4 (1), 36, 2011.
• 64. WATER P.K.V.D., LEAVITT S.W., BETANCOURT J.L. Leaf δ¹³C variability with elevation, slope aspect, and precipitation in the southwest United States. Oecologia., 132 (3), 332, 2002.
• 65. USSIRI D.A.N., LAL R. Land Management Effects on Carbon Sequestration and Soil Properties in Reclaimed Farmland of Eastern Ohio, USA. Open Journal of Soil Science., 3 (1), 46, 2013.
• 66. SONMEZ S., MACAR N., DEMIROZER A.İ. The Influence of Aspect on the Vegetation of Çataldağ. Procedia - Social and Behavioral Sciences., 120, 566, 2014.
• 67. LI X.G., LI Y.K., LI F.M., MA Q.F., ZHANG P.L., YIN P. Changes in soil organic carbon, nutrients and aggregation after conversion of native desert soil into irrigated arable land. Soil Tillage Res., 104 (2), 263, 2009.
• 68. GODINEZ-ALVAREZ H., HERRICK J.E., MATTOVKS M., TOLEDO D., ZEE J.V. Comparison of three vegetation monitoring methods:Their relative utility for ecological assessment and monitoring. Ecol. Indicat., 9 (5), 1001, 2009.
• 69. SZITAR K., ÓNODI G., SOMAY L., PANDI I., KUCS P., KROEL-DULAY G. Recovery of inland sand dune grasslands following the removal of alien pine plantation. Biol. Conserv., 171 (171), 52, 2014.
• 70. FERRETTI A.R., BRITEZ R.M.D. Ecological restoration, carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation: The experience of the Society for Wildlife Research and Environmental Education (SPVS) in the Atlantic Rain Forest of Southern Brazil. Fluessiges Obst., 129 (3), 467, 1994.
• 71. FEREZ A.P.C., CAMPOE O.C., MENDES J.C.T., STAPE J.L. Silvicultural opportunities for increasing carbon stock in restoration of Atlantic forests in Brazil. For.Ecol. Manage., 350, 40, 2015.
• 72. SILES G., REY P.J., ALCANTARA J.M., BASTIDA J.M., HERREROS J.L. Effects of soil enrichment, watering and seedling age on establishment of Mediterranean woody species. Acta Oecologica., 36 (4),357, 2010.
• 73. FAJARDO L., RODRIGUEZ J.P., GONZALEZ V., BRICENO-LINAES J.M. Restoration of a degraded tropical dry forest in Macanao, Venezuela. J. Arid. Environ., 88 (1), 236, 2013.
• 74. ARMESTO J.J., MARTINEZ J.A. Relations between vegetation structure and slope aspect in the Mediterranean region of Chile. J. Eco., 66 (3), 1, 1978.
• 75. REDPATH S.M., YOUNG J., EVELY A., ADAMS W.M., SUTHERLAND W.J., WHITEHOUSE A. Understanding and managing conservation conflicts. Trends Ecol. Evo., 28 (2), 100, 2013.
• 76. YOUNG J.C., JORDAN A., SEARLE K.R., BUTLER A., CHAPMAN D.S., SIMMONS P. Does stakeholder involvement really benefit biodiversity conservation? Biol. Conserv., 158 (2), 359, 2013.
• 77. STANTURF J.A., PALIK B.J., DUMROESE R.K. Contemporary forest restoration: A review emphasizing function. Forest. Ecol. Manag., 331(331), 292, 2014.
• 78. ZUCCA C., WU W., DESSENA L., MULAS M. Effects of restoration actions on soil and landscape functions: Atriplex nummularia L. plantations in Ouled Dlim (Central Morocco). Soil. Till. Res., 133 (2013), 101, 2014.
• 79. HU Z.J., GE Z.M., MA Q., ZHANG Z.T., TANG C.D., CAO H.B. Revegetation of a native species in a newly formed tidal marsh under varying hydrological conditions and planting densities in the Yangtze Estuary. Ecol. Engin., 83, 354, 2015.

Identyfikatory

DOI

10.15244/pjoes/64458