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Karren Habitat as the Key in Influencing Plant Distribution and Species Diversity in Shilin Geopark, Southwest China

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  • Kun Li

    (School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Laboratory of Beijing Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing 100083, China
    National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Mengyuan Zhang

    (School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Laboratory of Beijing Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing 100083, China
    National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Yilun Li

    (School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Laboratory of Beijing Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing 100083, China
    National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Xiaoyi Xing

    (School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Laboratory of Beijing Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing 100083, China
    National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Shuxin Fan

    (School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Laboratory of Beijing Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing 100083, China
    National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Yu Cao

    (School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Laboratory of Beijing Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing 100083, China
    National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Li Dong

    (School of Landscape Architecture, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    Laboratory of Beijing Urban and Rural Ecological Environment, Beijing 100083, China
    National Engineering Research Center for Floriculture, Beijing 100083, China)

  • Desheng Chen

    (Yunnan Yuntou Ecology and Environment Technology Co., Ltd., Kunming 650217, China)

Abstract

Karst rocky desertification (KRD) is one of the biggest challenges in the karst ecological restoration of Southwest China, and a thorough understanding of the plant community characteristics in various karren habitats provides a basis for mitigating KRD and restoring the degraded ecosystem. To improve our knowledge of the detailed characteristics and impact mechanisms of karren habitats on the species distribution and species diversity patterns of woody and herbaceous plants to benefit sustainable management and planting design for revegetation establishment in the karst region, a field investigation was carried out in the natural restoration vegetation of Shilin Geopark. The results indicated that karren habitats apparently determine the species diversity and composition. At the arbor layer, the habitat with the highest α diversity was solution corridor (SC), and at the shrub layer, grikes (GR) were the karren habitats with the most diverse communities. At the herb layer, solution rock debris (SRD) showed the highest richness of herbaceous species. The karren habitat features and topographic factors significantly influence plant α diversity and distribution. Soil area (SA) and canopy density (CD) were the dominant factors influencing plant diversity at the arbor, shrub and herb layers, soil thickness (ST) was significantly effective at the arbor and herb layers. Karren habitat height (KHH), litter thickness (LT), and slope gradient (SG) were significantly influential at the herb layer. The impacts of the karren habitat width (KHW), slope aspect (SAS), and SG on woody species distribution were significant. Knowledge obtained from this study will be helpful guidance for future sustainable restored vegetation design and management with high biodiversity and regional characteristics in the karst area of Southwest China and other fragile karst ecosystems in the world.

Suggested Citation

  • Kun Li & Mengyuan Zhang & Yilun Li & Xiaoyi Xing & Shuxin Fan & Yu Cao & Li Dong & Desheng Chen, 2020. "Karren Habitat as the Key in Influencing Plant Distribution and Species Diversity in Shilin Geopark, Southwest China," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(14), pages 1-16, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:14:p:5808-:d:386752
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Brody Sandel & Jens-Christian Svenning, 2013. "Human impacts drive a global topographic signature in tree cover," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 4(1), pages 1-7, December.
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    Cited by:

    1. Marián Lukáč & Ľubomír Štrba & Alexander Černega & Samer Khouri, 2021. "Recent State Policy and Its Impact on Geopark Establishment and Operation in Slovakia," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(10), pages 1-17, October.
    2. Xue Miao & Congbin Leng & Shiyu Dai & Jing Jin & Jiansong Peng, 2023. "Construction of Multi-Level Ecological Security Pattern for World Natural Heritage Sites from the Perspective of Coupling and Coordination between Humans and Nature: A Case Study of Shilin Yi Autonomo," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(20), pages 1-20, October.

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