This paper evaluated the impacts of mounds created by the plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) on the vege- tation composition, structure, and species diversity of an alpine Kobresia steppe meadow in Nagqu County, Tibet Autonomous Region, China. Based on mound height or the depth of erosion pit, we defined five stages of erosion and compared the floristic features of communities at these stages with those in undisturbed sites. In the study area, the mounds and pits covered up to 7% of the total area. Lancea tibetica, Lamiophlomis rotata, and Potentilla bifurca were the dominant species in erosion pits, and Kobresia pygmaea, the dominant species in undisturbed sites, became a com- panion species in eroded areas. In the process of erosion, the original vegetation was covered by soil ejected by the pika, then the mounds were gradually eroded by wind and rain, and finally erosion pits formed. The vegetation coverage in- creased with increasing erosion stages but remained significantly lower than that in undisturbed sites. Improved coverage eventually reduced soil erosion, and pit depth eventually stabilized at around 20cm. Aboveground biomass increased with increasing erosion stage, but the proportion of low-quality forage reached more than 94%. The richness index and Shannon-Wiener index increased significantly with increasing erosion stage, but the richness index in mound and pit areas was significantly lower than that in undisturbed sites. 相似文献
Six species of more than 20-year-old desert woody plants in the oasis-desert ecotone were selected for study. The results showed that: (1) in different growing seasons δ13C values of assimilating organ varied between -14%. and -16%. for Haloxylon ammodendron (HA),-14%. - -15%. for Calligonum mongolicum (CM) and -25%. - -28%. for Caragana korshinskii (CK), Nitraria sphaerocarpa (NS) and Hedysarum scoparium (HS). (2) The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of HA and CM was significantly higher than those of the other species. With the decrease in Pn for the six species, their intercellular CO2 concentration increased, but stomatal limitation value decreased under the intensive light. At the same time, the photochemical efficiency of PS II dropped to different degrees. (3) The CO2 enrichment experiment demonstrated that, Pn of HA and CM increased to different extent under 450 μmol/mol, but their Pn reduced or approximated to the current condition under 650 μmol/mol. Under 450 μmol/mol the efficiency for solar energy utilization of CK and HS significantly reduced and under 650 μmol/mol their respiration rate exceeded photosynthesis rate. It can be concluded that HA and CM have some function of pathway for C4 but the other three species have the function for C3. The decline in their Pn is mainly caused by non-stomatal factors. HA, CM, CK and HS exhibited photoinhibition, which disappeared in a short time. This is a kind of positive readjustment to adapting to the desert environment. HA and CM can adapt to the high CO2 environment, but CK and HS cannot. With the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate warming, the latter two species in the oasis-desert ecotone may be gradually degraded or even disappear. 相似文献
Six species of more than 20-year-old desert woody plants in the oasis-desert ecotone were selected for study. The results showed that: (1) in different growing seasons δ13C values of assimilating organ varied between -14%. and -16%. for Haloxylon ammodendron (HA),-14%. - -15%. for Calligonum mongolicum (CM) and -25%. - -28%. for Caragana korshinskii (CK), Nitraria sphaerocarpa (NS) and Hedysarum scoparium (HS). (2) The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of HA and CM was significantly higher than those of the other species. With the decrease in Pn for the six species, their intercellular CO2 concentration increased, but stomatal limitation value decreased under the intensive light. At the same time, the photochemical efficiency of PS II dropped to different degrees. (3) The CO2 enrichment experiment demonstrated that, Pn of HA and CM increased to different extent under 450 μmol/mol, but their Pn reduced or approximated to the current condition under 650 μmol/mol. Under 450 μmol/mol the efficiency for solar energy utilization of CK and HS significantly reduced and under 650 μmol/mol their respiration rate exceeded photosynthesis rate. It can be concluded that HA and CM have some function of pathway for C4 but the other three species have the function for C3. The decline in their Pn is mainly caused by non-stomatal factors. HA, CM, CK and HS exhibited photoinhibition, which disappeared in a short time. This is a kind of positive readjustment to adapting to the desert environment. HA and CM can adapt to the high CO2 environment, but CK and HS cannot. With the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate warming, the latter two species in the oasis-desert ecotone may be gradually degraded or even disappear.
Six species of more than 20-year-old desert woody plants in the oasis-desert ecotone were selected for study. The results showed that: (1) in different growing seasons δ13 C values of assimilating organ varied between -14‰ and -16‰ for Haloxylon ammodendron (HA),-14‰ - -15‰ for Calligonum mongolicum (CM) and -25‰ - -28‰ for Caragana korshinskii (CK), Nitraria sphaerocarpa (NS) and Hedysarum scoparium (HS). (2) The net photosynthetic rate (Pn) of HA and CM was significantly higher than those of the other species. With the decrease in Pn for the six species, their intercellular CO2 concentration increased, but stomatal limitation value decreased under the intensive light. At the same time, the photochemical efficiency of PS Ⅱ dropped to different degrees. (3) The CO2 enrichment experiment demonstrated that, Pn of HA and CM increased to different extent under 450 μmol/mol, but their Pn reduced or approximated to the current condition under 650 μmol/mol. Under 450 μmol/mol the efficiency for solar energy utilization of CK and HS significantly reduced and under 650 μmol/mol their respiration rate exceeded photosynthesis rate. It can be concluded that HA and CM have some function of pathway for C4, but the other three species have the function for C3. The decline in their Pn is mainly caused by non-stomatal factors. HA, CM, CK and HS exhibited photoinhibition, which disappeared in a short time. This is a kind of positive readjustment to adapting to the desert environment. HA and CM can adapt to the high CO2 environment, but CKand HS cannot. With the rise in atmospheric CO2 concentration and climate warming, the latter two species in the oasis-desert ecotone may be gradually degraded or even disappear. 相似文献