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Spatial Pattern and Population Structure of Artemisia ordosica Shrub in a Desert Grassland under Enclosure, Northwest China

Author

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  • Jiankang Liu

    (School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Kebin Zhang

    (School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China)

Abstract

Enclosure is an effective practice for restoring and rehabilitating the degraded grassland ecosystem caused by overgrazing. Shrub species, which are dominant in most desert grasslands in arid and semiarid regions, have some beneficial ecological functions for grassland restoration. However, how the population structure and spatial pattern of the Artemisia ordosica shrub changes in a grassland ecosystem under enclosed practice is not well understood. This study, conducted in the Mu Us desert in northwest China, was designed to measure the A. ordosica population according to the chronosequence of enclosure (enclosure periods ranged from 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, and 25 years), contrasting this with an adjacent continuously grazed grassland. The results showed that the enclosed grasslands had a higher number of individuals of different age classes (seedling, adult, aging, and dead group) and greater population coverage, but shrubs had significant lower ( p < 0.05) crown diameter and height in comparison with those in continuously grazed grassland. Further, enclosed grasslands had a significantly higher ( p < 0.05) Shannon-Wiener index (H) and Evenness index (E), but a significantly lower ( p < 0.05) Richness index (R) than continuously grazed grassland. The crown of A. ordosica showed a significant linear positive correlation with height in all plots across succession, indicating that it was feasible to analyze the age structure by crown. The crown-class distribution structure of the A. ordosica population approximated a Gaussian distribution model in all survey plots. Within the population, seedling and adult groups exhibited aggregated spatial distribution at small scales, while aging and dead A. ordosica groups showed random distribution at almost all scales in different plots. The seedling A. ordosica group showed a positive correlation with adults at small scales in all plots except in 10 years of enclosure. However, it showed independent correlation with aging and dead groups at almost all scales. In long-term enclosed plots, the mortality rate of the A. ordosica population increased, therefore assistance management practices, such as fertilization, mowing, interval grazing, and seasonal grazing, must be employed to maintain population stability after long-term enclosure. This study can improve understanding and clarify the effects of enclosures in the desert grasslands of northwest China.

Suggested Citation

  • Jiankang Liu & Kebin Zhang, 2018. "Spatial Pattern and Population Structure of Artemisia ordosica Shrub in a Desert Grassland under Enclosure, Northwest China," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 15(5), pages 1-18, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:15:y:2018:i:5:p:946-:d:145394
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Yange Wang & Xiaohui Yang & Zhongjie Shi, 2013. "The Formation of the Patterns of Desert Shrub Communities on the Western Ordos Plateau, China: The Roles of Seed Dispersal and Sand Burial," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(7), pages 1-9, July.
    2. Xiao Wang & Bo Zhang & Kebin Zhang & Jinxing Zhou & Bilal Ahmad, 2015. "The Spatial Pattern and Interactions of Woody Plants on the Temperate Savanna of Inner Mongolia, China: The Effects of Alternating Seasonal Grazing-Mowing Regimes," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(7), pages 1-17, July.
    3. Quanchao Zeng & Yang Liu & Li Xiao & Yimei Huang, 2017. "How Fencing Affects the Soil Quality and Plant Biomass in the Grassland of the Loess Plateau," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-12, September.
    4. Bo Wu & Hongxiao Yang, 2013. "Spatial Patterns and Natural Recruitment of Native Shrubs in a Semi-arid Sandy Land," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(3), pages 1-10, March.
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