Biogeographic patterns and environmental interpretation of plant regional species richness in Alxa Plateau of northern China

Wang Jianming; Cui Panjie; Zhong Yueming; Li Jingwen; Chu Jianmin

doi:10.13332/j.1000-1522.20180403

Journal of Beijing Forestry University > 2019 > 41(3): 14-23. > DOI: 10.13332/j.1000-1522.20180403

Wang Jianming, Cui Panjie, Zhong Yueming, Li Jingwen, Chu Jianmin. Biogeographic patterns and environmental interpretation of plant regional species richness in Alxa Plateau of northern China[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2019, 41(3): 14-23. DOI: 10.13332/j.1000-1522.20180403

Citation:

PDF (778 KB)

Biogeographic patterns and environmental interpretation of plant regional species richness in Alxa Plateau of northern China

1.
College of Forestry, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083,China
2.
Institute of Forestry Studies, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, China

More Information

Received Date: December 10, 2018
Revised Date: December 25, 2018
Available Online: March 31, 2019
Published Date: February 28, 2019

Graphical Abstract

Abstract

Abstract

ObjectiveDesert ecosystem is characterized by extremely restricted water and nutrient availability, high precipitation and temperature variability. Alxa Plateau of northern China covers large-area typical temperate desert ecosystems, with a total area of more than 200,000 km². These ecosystems are highly vulnerable to global environmental and land-use changes, whereas the relative influence of water, energy and habitat heterogeneity on plant regional species richness, and the associated difference among different functional groups, are still unclear.
MethodWith the distributions of 811 native plants, plant regional species richness of three groups, climatic and habitat variables, we tried to explore the biogeographic patterns and the underlying dominant factors of overall, woody and herb plant regional species richness of Alxa Plateau.
Result(1) Both the overall, woody and herb plant regional species richness in Alxa Plateau showed obvious longitudinal and latitudinal gradients, which increased from northwest to southeast. (2) We found that both plant regional species richness of three groups were positively correlated with water variables, but were negatively correlated with energy variables. Water and energy factors together explained 60.7%, 62.5% and 42.6% of the variation in overall, herb and woody species richness, respectively; and both water and energy factors could individually explained 15.2%−19.6% and 2.8%−5.3% of the variation in plant regional species richness of three groups. Habitat heterogeneity significantly explained 12.3%−29.3% of the variation in overall, herb and woody species richness, and also could individually explain 3.1%, 1.0% and 11.8% of variation in species diversity of three groups. The relative role of climate and habitat factors differed between herb and woody species richness. Herb plant regional species richness was predominantly determined by water and energy factors, whereas the woody plant regional species biodiversity was controlled by water, energy and habitat heterogeneity, together. (3) Water, energy and habitat heterogeneity together explained 54.4%−63.8% of the variance overall, herb and woody plant regional species richness, while with 36.2%−45.6% of the variance explained by other unknown factors.
ConclusionOur results propose that the plant regional species richness patterns are predominantly shaped by water and energy factors together; and water availability is the most key limited factors in shaping these plant regional species richness patterns. Habitat heterogeneity also play a non-negligible role in regulating these regional species richness in Alxa Plateau. We highlight that the dominant factors of species diversity may differ markedly depending on the plant functional group, and other unknown factors such as soil, neutral factors and human disturbances may also greatly influence plant species richness in Alxa Plateau.
- Alxa Plateau,
- regional species richness,
- herb species,
- woody plant,
- water,
- energy,
- habitat heterogeneity

FullText(HTML)

References (45)

References

[1]	Gaston K J. Global patterns in biodiversity[J]. Nature, 2000, 405: 220−227. doi: 10.1038/35012228
[2]	Wiens J J, Donoghue M J. Historical biogeography, ecology and species richness[J]. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2004, 19: 639−644.
[3]	Shen G C, Yu M J, Hu X S, et al. Species-area relationships explained by the joint effects of dispersal limitation and habitat heterogeneity[J]. Ecology, 2009, 90: 3033−3041. doi: 10.1890/08-1646.1
[4]	O’Brien E M. Water-energy dynamics, climate, and pre-diction of woody plant species richness: an interim general model[J]. Journal of Biogeography, 1998, 25: 379−398. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2699.1998.252166.x
[5]	Currie D J, Francis A P. Regional versus climatic effect on taxon richness in angiosperms: reply to Qian and Ricklefs[J]. The American Naturalist, 2004, 163: 780−785. doi: 10.1086/383596
[6]	O’Brien E M. Climatic gradients in woody plant species richness: towards an explanation based on an analysis of southern Africa’s woody flora[J]. Journal of Biogeography, 1993, 20: 181−198. doi: 10.2307/2845670
[7]	Francis A P, Currie D J. A globally consistent richness-climate relationship for angiosperms[J]. The American Naturalist, 2003, 161: 523−536. doi: 10.1086/368223
[8]	Wright D H. Species-energy theory: an extension of species-area theory[J]. Oikos, 1983, 41: 496−506. doi: 10.2307/3544109
[9]	王志恒, 唐志尧, 方精云. 物种多样性地理格局的能量假说[J]. 生物多样性, 2009, 17(6):613−624. Wang Z H, Tang Z Y, Fang J Y. The species-energy hypothesis as a mechanism for species richness patterns[J]. Biodiversity Science, 2009, 17(6): 613−624.
[10]	Xu H, Cao M, Wu Y, et al. Disentangling the determinants of species richness of vascular plants and mammals from national to regional scales[J]. Scientific Reports, 2016, 6: 21988. doi: 10.1038/srep21988
[11]	Wang Z H, Fang J Y, Tang Z Y, et al. Relative role of contemporary environment versus history in shaping diversity patterns of China ’s woody plants[J]. Ecography, 2013, 35(12): 1124−1133.
[12]	Wang J, Long T, Zhong Y, et al. Disentangling the influence of climate, soil and belowground microbes on local species richness in a dryland ecosystem of Northwest China[J]. Scientific Reports, 2017, 7(1): 18029. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-17860-7
[13]	Zellweger F, Braunisch V, Morsdorf F, et al. Disentangling the effects of climate, topography, soil and vegetation on stand-scale species richness in temperate forests[J]. Forest Ecology and Management, 2015, 349: 36−44. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.04.008
[14]	Tuomisto H, Zuquim G, Glenda C. Species richness and diversity along edaphic and climatic gradients in Amazonia[J]. Ecography, 2014, 37(11): 1034−1046.
[15]	Mcgill B J. Matters of scale[J]. Science, 2010, 328: 575−576. doi: 10.1126/science.1188528
[16]	Zhang Y, Chen H Y H, Taylor A. Multiple drivers of plant diversity in forest ecosystems[J]. Global Ecology & Biogeography, 2014, 23(8): 885−893.
[17]	李新荣, 谭会娟, 何明珠, 等. 阿拉善高原灌木种的丰富度和多度格局对环境因子变化的响应: 极端干旱戈壁地区灌木多样性保育的前提[J]. 中国科学(地球科学), 2009, 39(4):504−515. Li X R, Tan H J, He M Z, et al. The response of shrub species richness and abundance patterns to environmental change in Alxa Plateau: the premise of shrubs diversity conservation in extremely arid Gobi regions[J]. Science China (Earth Sciences), 2009, 39(4): 504−515.
[18]	Easterling, D R. Climate extremes: observations, modeling, and impacts[J]. Science, 2000, 289: 2068−2074. doi: 10.1126/science.289.5487.2068
[19]	Dai A G. Increasing drought under global warming in observations and models[J]. Nature Climate Change, 2012, 3(1): 52−58.
[20]	Feng S, Fu Q. Expansion of global drylands under a warming climate[J]. Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics, 2013, 13: 10081−10094.
[21]	Maestre F T, Gómez R S, Quero J L. It is getting hotter in here: determining and projecting the impacts of global environmental change on drylands[J]. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London, 2012, 367(1606): 3062−3075. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2011.0323
[22]	Delgado-Baquerizo M, Maestre F T, Gallardo A, et al. Decoupling of soil nutrient cycles as a function of aridity in global drylands[J]. Nature, 2013, 502: 672−676. doi: 10.1038/nature12670
[23]	Wang X P, Fang J Y, Sanders N J, et al. Relative importance of climate vs local factors in shaping the regional patterns of forest plant richness across northeast China[J]. Ecography, 2010, 32(1): 133−142.
[24]	Austin M P, Pausas J G, Nicholls A O. Patterns of tree species richness in relation to environment in southeastern New South Wales, Australia[J]. Australian Journal of Ecology, 1996, 21(2): 154−164. doi: 10.1111/aec.1996.21.issue-2
[25]	王健铭, 钟悦鸣, 张天汉, 等. 中国黑戈壁地区植物物种丰富度格局的水热解释[J]. 植物科学学报, 2016, 34(4):530−538. Wang J M, Zhong Y M, Zhang T H, et al. Plant species richness patterns and water-energy dynamics in the Black Gobi Desert, China[J]. Plant Science Journal, 2016, 34(4): 530−538.
[26]	马斌, 周志宇, 张莉丽, 等. 阿拉善左旗植物物种多样性空间分布特征[J]. 生态学报, 2007, 28(12):6099−6106. Ma B, Zhou Z Y, Zhang L L, et al. The spatial distribution characteristics of plant diversity in Alex Left Banner[J]. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2007, 28(12): 6099−6106.
[27]	王健铭, 董芳宇, 巴海·斯拉, 等. 中国黑戈壁植物多样性分布格局及其影响因素[J]. 生态学报, 2016, 36(12):3488−3498. Wang J M, Dong F Y, Nasina B, et al. Plant distribution patterns and the factors influencing plant diversity in the Black Gobi Desert of China[J]. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2016, 36(12): 3488−3498.
[28]	何明珠, 张志山, 李小军, 等. 阿拉善高原荒漠植被组成分布特征及其环境解释Ⅰ: 典型荒漠植被分布格局的环境解释[J]. 中国沙漠, 2010, 30(1):46−56. He M Z, Zhang Z S, Li X J, et al. Environmental effects on distribution and composition of desert vegetations in Alxa Plateau[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2010, 30(1): 46−56.
[29]	朱震达. 中国土地沙质荒漠化[M]. 北京: 科学出版社, 1994. Zhu Z D. Land sandy desertification in China[M]. Beijing: Science Press, 1994
[30]	张新时. 中国植被及其地理格局, 中华人民共和国植被图集 (1: 1 000 000)说明书: 下卷[M]. 北京: 地质出版社, 2007. Zhang X S. Vegetation of China and its geographic patterns, illustration of the vegetation map of the People ’s Republic of China (1:1 000 000): Volume Ⅱ [M]. Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 2007.
[31]	内蒙古植物志编辑委员会. 内蒙古植物志[M]. 呼和浩特: 内蒙古人民出版社, 1991. Editorial Committee of Flora of Inner Mongolia. Flora of Inner Mongolia[M]. Huhehot: Inner Mongolia People ’s Publishing House, 1991.
[32]	Burnham K, Anderson D. Model selection and multimodel inference[J]. Technometrics, 2003, 45(2): 1.
[33]	Keough M J. Experimental design and data analysis for biologists[M]. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2002.
[34]	Legendre P, Legendre L. Numerical ecology[M]. 3rded. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science, 2012.
[35]	Oksanen J, Blanchet F G, Kindt R, et al. Vegan: community ecology package. R package version 2.4-5[EB/OL]. (2017-10-18) [2017-03-15]. https://CRAN.R-project.org/pack age=vegan/.
[36]	王健铭, 王文娟, 李景文, 等. 中国西北荒漠区植物物种丰富度分布格局及其环境解释[J]. 生物多样性, 2017, 25(11):1192−1201. doi: 10.17520/biods.2017149 Wang J M, Wang W J, Li J W, et al. Biogeographic patterns and environmental interpretation of plant species richness in desert regions of Northwest China[J]. Biodiversity Science, 2017, 25(11): 1192−1201. doi: 10.17520/biods.2017149
[37]	刘庆福, 刘洋, 孙小丽, 等. 气候假说对内蒙古草原群落物种多样性格局的解释[J]. 生物多样性, 2015, 23(4):463−470. Liu Q F, Liu Y, Sun X L, et al. The explanation of climatic hypotheses to community species diversity patterns in Inner Mongolia grasslands[J]. Biodiversity Science, 2015, 23(4): 463−470.
[38]	吴征镒. 中国植被[M]. 北京: 科学出版社, 1980. Wu Z Y. Vegetation of China[M]. Beijing: Science Press, 1980.
[39]	Li L P, Wang Z H, Zerbe S, et al. Species richness patterns and water-energy dynamics in the drylands of Northwest China[J/OL]. PLoS One, 2013, 8(6): e66450 [2018-11-30]. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0066450.
[40]	O’Brien E M, Field R, Whittaker R J. Species-energy theory: an extension of species-area theory[J]. Oikos, 1983, 41(3): 496−506.
[41]	Chen S B, Jiang G M, Ouyang Z Y, et al. Relative importance of water, energy, and heterogeneity in determining regional pteridophyte and seed plant richness in China[J]. Journal of Systematics & Evolution, 2011, 49(2): 95−107.
[42]	Jetz W, Rahbek C, Colwell R K. The coincidence of rarity and richness and the potential signature of history in centres of endemism[J]. Ecology Letters, 2010, 7(12): 1180−1191.
[43]	夏延国, 宁宇, 李景文, 等. 中国黑戈壁地区植物区系及其物种多样性研究[J]. 西北植物学报, 2013, 33(9):1906−1915. Xia Y G, Ning Y, Li J W, et al. Plant species diversity and floral characters in the Black Gobi Desert of China[J]. Acta Botanica Boreali-Occidentalia Sinica, 2013, 33(9): 1906−1915.
[44]	Turner R M, Bowers J E, Burgess T L. Sonoran desert pplants: an ecological atlas [M]. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2005.
[45]	Costa F R C, Magnusson W E, Luizao R C. Mesoscale distribution patterns of Amazonian understorey herbs in relation to topography, soil and watersheds[J]. Journal of Ecology, 2006, 93: 863−878.

[1]	Zhang Yue, Tian Qing, Huang Rong. Responses of typical plant functional traits among summer-flowering tree species in heterogeneous city habitats in Lanzhou City of northwestern China[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2023, 45(10): 90-99. DOI: 10.12171/j.1000-1522.20210476
[2]	Liu Xiaotong, Li Haikui, Cao Lei, Zhang Yiru. Analysis on the heterogeneity of forest soil nutrients in Guangdong Province of southern China[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2021, 43(2): 90-101. DOI: 10.12171/j.1000-1522.20200164
[3]	Yu Wen, Pang Rongrong, Peng Jieying, Zhang Shuoxin, Yan Yan. Above-ground biomass distribution of Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata forest in Taibai Mountain[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2019, 41(12): 69-76. DOI: 10.12171/j.1000-1522.20190440
[4]	Liu Zhili, Bi Lianzhu, Songx Song Guohua, Wang Quanbo, Liu Qi, Jin Guangze. Spatial heterogeneity of leaf area index in a typical mixed broadleaved-Korean pine forest in Xiaoxing'an Mountains of northeastern China[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2018, 40(11): 1-11. DOI: 10.13332/j.1000-1522.20170468
[5]	LIU Shuai, XIAO Cui, WANG Jun-wei, HOU Man-man, LIAO Jia-xing, FAN Xiu-hua. Interannual seedling dynamic and influencing factors on seedling survival of tree species in a broadleaved Korean pine (Pinus koraiensis) mixed forest in Changbai Mountains, northeastern China.[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2016, 38(11): 57-66. DOI: 10.13332/j.1000-1522.20160012
[6]	HUANG Xiao-hui, FENG Da-lan, LIU Yun, ZHU Heng-xing, CHEN Dao-jing, GENG Yang-hui. Growth and chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics of mulberry trees in simulated environment of heterogeneous habitats of a rocky desertification area.[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2016, 38(10): 50-58. DOI: 10.13332/j.1000-1522.20150324
[7]	JI Jin-nan, WU Zhi-yang. Analyses of plant root additional cohesion heterogeneity at loess slope on the Loess Plateau. Journal of Beijing Forestry University[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2014, 36(4): 30-35. DOI: 10.13332/j.cnki.jbfu.2014.04.009
[8]	HAO Peng, LI Jing-wen, CONG Ri-chun, ZHANG Nan, JING Jia-lin, HUANG Jing-jing. Response of arid plant Sophora alopecuroides to soil heterogeneity and competitors.[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2012, 34(5): 94-99.
[9]	XU Jian-qi, ZHANG Cai-hong, ZHANG Da-hong. Quantity analysis on the biomass of woody bio-energy trees[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2006, 28(6): 98-102.
[10]	BI Hua-xing, LI Xiao-yin, LIU Xin, LI Jun, GUO Meng-xia. Spatial heterogeneity of soil moisture using geological statistics method in the loess region of west Shanxi Province[J]. Journal of Beijing Forestry University, 2006, 28(5): 59-66.

Cited By

Cited by

Periodical cited type(2)

1.	卢翠香，兰俊，陈健波，吴永富，邓紫宇，周维. 尾巨桉树轮异常结构的解剖学分析. 西南大学学报(自然科学版). 2019(04): 72-77 .
2.	易敏，赖猛，张露，陈伏生，胡松竹. 人工林刨花楠木材主要特性的径向变异及其对气象因子的响应. 应用生态学报. 2018(11): 3677-3684 .

Other cited types(5)

Get Citation

PDF

XML

Article views (4386) PDF downloads (91) Cited by(7)

Turn off MathJax

Article Contents

Abstract

References

Biogeographic patterns and environmental interpretation of plant regional species richness in Alxa Plateau of northern China