Responses of plant diversity and soil microorganism diversity to nitrogen addition in the desert steppe,China

Nitrogen(N)deposition is a significant aspect of global change and poses a threat to terrestrial biodiversity.The impact of plant-soil microbe relationships to N deposition has recently attracted considerable attention.Soil microorganisms have been proven to provide nutrients for specific plant growth,especially in nutrient-poor desert steppe ecosystems.However,the effects of N deposition on plant-soil microbial community interactions in such ecosystems remain poorly understood.To investigate these effects,we conducted a 6-year N-addition field experiment in a Stipa breviflora Griseb.desert steppe in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region,China.Four N treatment levels(N0,N30,N50,and N100,corresponding to 0,30,50,and 100 kg N/(hm2•a),respectively)were applied to simulate atmospheric N deposition.The results showed that N deposition did not significantly affect the aboveground biomass of desert steppe plants.N deposition did not significantly reduce the alfa-diversity of plant and microbial communities in the desert steppe,and low and mediate N additions(N30 and N50)had a promoting effect on them.The variation pattern of plant Shannon index was consistent with that of the soil bacterial Chao1 index.N deposition significantly affected the beta-diversity of plants and soil bacteria,but did not significantly affect fungal communities.In conclusion,N deposition led to co-evolution between desert steppe plants and soil bacterial communities,while fungal communities exhibited strong stability and did not undergo significant changes.These findings help clarify atmospheric N deposition effects on the ecological health and function of the desert steppe.

Impacts of environmental conditions on woody plant diversity,structure and regeneration in forest patches of Guna Mountain:Este District,South Gondar Zone,Ethiopia

Environmental conditions determine woody plant life such as species diversity,structure and regeneration status.This research aimed to assess the impact of environmental conditions on woody plant species diversity,structure and regeneration in forest patches of Guna Mountain:the case of Este District,South Gondar Zone,north-west Ethiopia.A total of 71 square sample plots(400 m~2 each) were established at 10 transects laid in five forest patches of the study area to collect vegetation data including the abundance of species,height and diameter at breast height(DBH).Environmental data including available potassium,available phosphorus,cation exchange capacity,soil texture,electrical conductivity,soil acidity,total nitrogen,organic matter,organic carbon,sodium adsorption ratio,exchangeable sodium percentage,bulk density,aspect,elevation,slope,latitude and longitude data were collected in the same plots.A correlation analysis between vegetation and environmental data was performed using rcorr(x) function in package Hmisc in R Programming Language.The most pronounced impacts were observed in altitude,grazing and pH,positively and silt,sand,electrical conductivity and cation exchange capacity,negatively.In addition,strong and significant impacts on plant structure were also observed due to the variation in soil texture and p H.The difference in aspect,sand and slope also impacted plant regeneration.The study showed that environmental parameters influence the diversity,structure and regeneration of woody plants.These parameters can be considered in the rehabilitation of the vegetation cover and conservation efforts of the rare woody species.Conservation measures that can minimalize the negative influences of environmental conditions can be applied through collaboration with communities around the forest patches.

Do aeolian deposits and sand encroachment intensity shape patterns of vegetation diversity and plant functional traits in desert pavements?

The effects of sand encroachment on composition,diversity,and functional patterns of vegetation in drylands are rarely studied,and yet addressing these aspects is important to deepen our understanding of the biodiversity conservation.This study aimed to investigate the effect of sand encroachment on plant functional biodiversity of desert pavements(gravel deserts)in the Sahara Desert of Algeria.Plants were sampled and analyzed in three desert pavements with different levels of sand encroachment(LSE)and quantity of aeolian deposits(low,LLSE;medium,MLSE;and high,HLSE).Within the sample-plot area(100 m^(2)),density of every plant species was identified and total vegetation cover was determined.Plant taxonomic and functional diversity were analyzed and compared between LSE.Result showed that 19 plant species in desert pavements were classified into 18 genera and 13 families.Asteraceae and Poaceae were the most important families.The species Anabasis articulata(Forssk)Moq.characterized LLSE desert pavements with 11 species,whereas Thymelaea microphylla Coss.&Durieu ex Meisn.and Calobota saharae(C&D)Boatwr.&van Wyk were dominant species of desert pavements with MLSE(14 species)and HLSE(10 species),respectively.The highest values of species richness and biodiversity were recorded in desert pavements with MLSE,while low values of these ecological parameters were obtained in desert pavements with HLSE.Desert pavements with LLSE were characterized with the highest values of species abundances.Plant communities were dominated by chamaephytes,anemochorous,arido-active,and competitive stress-tolerant plants.The increase in LSE along the gradient from LLSE to HLSE induced significant changes in plant community variables including decreases in plant density,plant rarity,lifeform composition,morphological type,and aridity adaptation.Desert pavements with HLSE favor the degradation of vegetation and trigger biodiversity erosion.

Understory plant diversity and phenolic allelochemicals across a range of Eucalyptus grandis plantation ages

Allelopathy is an important mechanism in Eucalyptus plantations that causes detrimental impacts on understory diversity.Phenolic compounds are the main allelochemicals suppressing understory plants.However,the dynamic changes in phenolic allelochemicals and their relationship with understory diversity with increasing age of Eucalyptus plantations remain largely unclear.In this study,the understory plant diversity was assessed and phenolic compounds identified from leaf litter,roots,and rhizosphere soil samples in a Eucalyptus grandis plantation at two-year intervals for ten years using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(UPLC-MS/MS).The abundance and diversity of under story plant species were lowest in 4-year-old plantations and increased significantly with age.Seven phenolic acids and 10 flavonoids were identified from leaf litter,roots,and rhizosphere soils.Most of the potential phenolic allelochemicals,such as salicylic acid,gallic acid,4-hydroxybenzoic acid,and epicatechin,were more abundant in younger plantations,especially at4 years old.The concentrations of phenolic compounds in the rhizosphere zone were significantly lower than in litter and root samples and did not change significantly with an increase in age.Notably,phenolic compounds contributed more to the variation in the understory plants than soil factors.Hydroxyphenyllactic acid,ellagic acid,quercetin,salicylic acid,and 4-hydroxybenzoic acid were the main phenolic compounds explaining the variation in plant diversity with plantation age.These findings indicate that young E.grandis plantations,especially at four years of age,merit a greater focus because of their lower understory plant diversity and higher allelopathic potential.

Plant Diversity in City Parks under the Concept of Landscaping:A Case Study of Hefei City

Driven by the concept of landscaping,this paper analyzed the impact of plant diversity on landscaping function,arrangement methods and community structure by taking plot sampling method as the experimental axis and 3 urban parks in Hefei as the blueprint.Six plots with the size of 20 m×20 m were selected for investigation.There were 56 species of plants belonging to 50 genera and 42 families in the plots of Zhongshan Road City Park,48 species of plants belonging to 44 genera and 40 families in the plots of Four Seasons Flower Sea City Park,and 69 species of plants belonging to 57 genera and 45 families in the plots of Xiaoyaojin Park.The survey results show that there are following problems in city parks:lack of plant effectiveness,too homogeneous plant community,disharmony between landscape and environment,poor plant maintenance and lack of attention to ecological maintenance.Based on this,the optimization measures are put forward:increasing evergreen plants to avoid no scenery in autumn,developing plants with excellent landscape effects and a variety of colorful plants,paying attention to the shaping of spatial structure and landscape pattern,regularly taking care of plants and their surrounding environment.It is expected to provide some reference for the construction and development of Hefei city parks,ensure the healthy and stable development of city parks,and provide ideas and methods for the improvement of plant landscaping in city parks.

Analysis of wild vascular plant resources and diversity in Taibai Mountains of Qinling area,Shaanxi Province

Taibai Mountains,located at the northern foot of the Qinling Mountains,are composed of the Yuan Taibai Mountain(also known as East Taibai Mountain),Aoshan Mountain(also known as West Taibai Mountain)and their connection part.With its complex geographical and climatic conditions,Taibai Mountains are extremely rich in wild plant resources.Based on field investigation,literature review and specimen identification,wild vascular plants resources and their diversity in Taibai Mountains were studied by the sixth Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)Resources Scientific Expedition Team of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University.222 species of vascular plants belonging to 163 genera and 63 families were collected during July 2012 in this area,and most of the plants are angiosperms.The families with more species are Liliaceae,Ranunculaceae,Asteraceae,Rosaceae,and Saxifragaceae,and the dominant genus are Aconitum,Sedum,Eleutherococcus,Pedicularis,Polygonatum,and Patrinia.In terms of life form,perennial herbs are the main species,accounting for 72.97%of the total species,with others being some annual(or biennial)herbs,shrubs and lianas.Among all the collected vascular plants,170 species of them are medicinal vascular plants,accounting for 76.58%of the total.Most of the medicinal parts are roots and rhizomes,followed by the whole plants.Finally,on the basis of investigation and study,some suggestions are put forward to strengthen the protection and utilization of plant resources in Taibai Mountains.

Elevational patterns of warming effects on plant community and topsoil properties: focus on subalpine meadows ecosystem

Climate warming profoundly affects plant biodiversity, community productivity, and soil properties in alpine and subalpine grassland ecosystems. However, these effects are poorly understood across elevational gradients in subalpine meadow ecosystems. To reveal the elevational patterns of warming effects on plant biodiversity, community structure, productivity, and soil properties, we conducted a warming experiment using open-top chambers from August 2019 to August 2022 at high(2764 m a. s. l.), medium(2631 m a. s. l.), and low(2544 m a. s. l.) elevational gradients on a subalpine meadow slope of Mount Wutai, Northern China. Our results showed that three years of warming significantly increased topsoil temperature but significantly decreased topsoil moisture at all elevations(P<0.05), and the percentage of increasing temperature and decreasing moisture both gradually raised with elevation lifting. Warming-induced decreasing proportions of soil organic carbon(SOC, by 19.24%), and total nitrogen(TN, by 24.56%) were the greatest at high elevational gradients. Experimental warming did not affect topsoil C: N, p H, NO_(3)^(-)-N, or NH_(4)^(+)-N at the three elevational gradients. Warming significantly increased species richness(P<0.01) and Shannon-Weiner index(P<0.05) at low elevational gradients but significantly decreased belowground biomass(P<0.05) at a depth of 0–10 cm at three elevational gradients. Warming caused significant increases in the aboveground biomass in the three elevational plots. Warming significantly increased the aboveground biomass of graminoids in medium(by 92.47%) and low(by 98.25%) elevational gradients, that of sedges in high(by 72.44%) and medium(by 57.16%) elevational plots, and that of forbs in high(by 75.88%), medium(by 34.38%), and low(by 74.95%) elevational plots. Species richness had significant linear correlations with SOC, TN, and C: N(P<0.05), but significant nonlinear responses to soil temperature and soil moisture in the warmed treatment(P<0.05). The warmed aboveground biomass had a significant nonlinear response to soil temperature and significant linear responses to soil moisture(P<0.05). This study provided evidence that altitude is a factor in sensitivity to climate warming, and these different parameters(e.g., plant species richness, Shannon-Weiner index, soil temperature, soil moisture, SOC, and TN) can be used to measure this sensitivity.

Origins and evolution of plant diversity in the Hengduan Mountains, China

1.Introduction The Hengduan Mountains region(HDM)in southwest China,one of the earth's 34 biodiversity hotspots,is characterized by its unique geology,dramatic topography,a climate where snow and below freezing temperatures can occur on any day of the year,by its location at elevations averaging between(1400e)2000 and4500(e5300)meters above sea level(m a.s.l.),and by one of

Influence of soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties on plant diversity in an arid desert of Western China

Soil microorganisms and physicochemical properties are considered the two most influencing factors for maintaining plant diversity.However,the operational mechanisms and which factor is the most influential manipulator remain poorly understood.In this study,we examine the collaborative influences of soil physicochemical properties(i.e.,soil water,soil organic matter(SOM),salinity,total phosphorus and nitrogen,pH,soil bulk density and fine root biomass)and soil microorganisms(fungi and bacteria)on plant diversity across two types of tree patches dominated by big and small trees(big trees:height≥7 m and DBH≥60 cm;small trees:height≤4.5 m and DBH≤20 cm)in an arid desert region.Tree patch is consists of a single tree or group of trees and their accompanying shrubs and herbs.It was hypothesized that soil physicochemical properties and microorganisms affect plant diversity but their influence differ.The results show that plant and soil microbial diversity increased with increasing distances from big trees.SOM,salinity,fine root biomass,soil water,total phosphorus and total nitrogen contents decreased with increasing distance from big trees,while pH and soil bulk density did not change.Plant and soil microbial diversity were higher in areas close to big trees compared with small trees,whereas soil physicochemical properties were opposite.The average contribution of soil physicochemical properties(12.2%-13.5%)to plant diversity was higher than microbial diversity(4.8%-6.7%).Salinity had the largest negative affect on plant diversity(24.7%-27.4%).This study suggests that soil fungi constrain plant diversity while bacteria improve it in tree patches.Soil physicochemical properties are the most important factor modulating plant diversity in arid desert tree patches.

Plant diversity, population structure, and regeneration status in disturbed tropical forests in Assam, northeast India

We investigated the plant population structure and the phy- tosociological and regeneration status in two disturbed tropical forests in Assam Province, the Hojai Reserve Forest and Kumorakata Reserve Forest. A total of 166 species （80 trees, 20 shrubs and 66 herbs） of 136 genera and 63 families were recorded in both study sites. The disturbance index at the two sites, Kumorakata Reserve Forest and Hojai Reserve Forest, were recorded at 11.4% and 3.70% respectively. Reverse J-shaped population curve and exploitation of tree species in higher girth classes were recorded at both study sites. In the girth classes （10-30 cm, 30-60 cm, 60-90 cm and 90-120 cm in size） the percentage of cut stump density was higher than the percentage of individual living trees. The 18% （Kumorakata Reserve Forest） and 7% （Hojai Reserve Forest） spe- cies were recorded as not regenerating. Illegal felling and over-exploitation of forest resources may lead to species-specific changes in the population structure and can alter the future structure and composi- tion of the forests.

Diversity of woody plant species and their relationship to physiographic factors in central Zagros forests (Case study： Perc forest, Khorramabad, Iran)

Topography is the most factor that has the greatest impact of all factor that affect the distribution. To study the diversity of trees and shrub species in the Perc forest situated in Khorramabad, Lorestan, 140 circular plots of 1200 m2 in a grid of 300 m × 250 m were surveyed, using a systematic random sampling method. In each plot, the Margalef richness index, Shannon-Wiener diversity index, Hill＇s N1 and Simpson indices and the evenness index of Simpson and Smith-Wilson were calculated and ordered on the basis of different classes of elevation, exposition and slope. The results indicated that slope did not have any significant effect on the indices. Exposition and elevation classes significant impacted the richness and diversity indices, but did not influence evenness. In general, the highest plant diversity was observed for slopes less than 15 %, northern aspects, without geographical direction, and elevations of 2100-2200 m. This information can be very useful in achieving the goals for sustainable management of forests. In addition to greater protection for regions with high diversity and reforestation （compatible species） in degraded area, we can help increase diversity in forests.

Responses of plant diversity and primary productivity to nutrient addition in a Stipa baicalensis grassland, China

Nutrient addition can affect the structure and diversity of grassland plant communities, thus alter the grassland productivity. Studies on grassland plant community composition, structure and diversity in response to nutrient addition have an important theoretical and practical significance for the scientific management of grassland, protection of plant diversity and the recovery of degraded grassland. A randomized block design experiment was conducted with six blocks of eight treatments each： control（no nutrient addition） and K, P, N, PK, NK, NP, and NPK addition. We evaluated plant composition, height, coverage, density, and aboveground biomass to estimate primary productivity and plant diversity. Results showed that all treatments increased primary productivity significantly（P〈0.05） with the exception of the K and the NPK treatments had the greatest effect, increasing aboveground biomass 2.46 times compared with the control（P〈0.05）. One-way ANOVA and factorial analysis were used for the species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou index and aboveground biomass, and the relationships between the diversity indices and aboveground biomass were determined through linear regression. We found that fertilization altered the community structure; N（but not P or K） addition increased the proportion of perennial rhizome grasses and significantly reduced that of perennial forbs（P〈0.05）, thus it presented a trend of decrease in species richness, Shannon-Wiener and Pielou indexex, respectively. Only the main effects of N had significant impacts on both the diversity indices and the aboveground biomass（P〈0.05）, and the interactions between N-P, N-K, P-K and N-P-K could be neglected. With fertilization, plant diversity（correlation coefficient, –0.61）, species richness（–0.49）, and species evenness（–0.51） were all negatively linearly correlated with primary productivity. The correlations were all significant（P〈0.01）. Scientific nutrient management is an effective way to improve grassland productivity, protect the plant diversity as well as recover the degraded grassland.

Plant diversity-productivity patterns in the alpine steppe environment of the Central Tianshan Mountains

The biodiversity-productivity relationship is an important topic in the research of biodiversity and ecosystem function. The plant diversity productivity pattern is commonly unimodal and positively correlated. This paper researches the characteristics of plant diversity-productivity patterns in the Bayanbuluk alpine steppe in the central Tianshan Mountains, Xinjiang, China, and analyzes the effects of environmental factors on the distribution of plant communities, species composition, plant diversity and productivity in the steppe. The results show a positive correlation between plant diversity and productivity. DCCA (detrended canonical correspondence analysis) ordination reveals a significant relationship between the effects of air temperature, soil moisture content, available soil nitrogen, relative humidity and pH value on the distribution and composition of plant communities. There are significant correlations between the soil moisture content, relative humidity, pH value, air temperature and species richness and the aboveground biomass of Gramineae and Cyperaceae, and also significant correlations between the relative humidity, pH values and the total aboveground biomass of plant communities.

Plant diversity and its maintenance in Populus euphratica riparian forests in the Ejina Oasis,China

The dynamic environments in riparian zones support a variety of life-history strategies, which constitute a fundamental mechanism for development and maintenance of biodiversity in riparian forest ecosystems. To demonstrate the effect of life-history strategies on biodiversity, we investigated community-level diversity and its relationship to environmental variability in the riparian Populus euphratica forests of the Ejina Oasis. Communities were divided into 14 associations on the basis of their species impor- tance values. The Simpson＇s index, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou＇s evenness index and the regional Whittaker＇s index were applied to calculate community diversity. An ordination of the sample plots was carried out by correspondence analysis （CA）. Biodiversity was relatively low across the entire study area, but there was high community diversity （flw = 8.09） due to the spatial heterogeneity of habitats in different plots. In addition, we investigated the relationship between biodiversity and several environmental factors, such as water availability, community components and soil conditions. We conclude that the heterogeneity of soil and water availability drives community diversity patterns in riparian zones and that community-level diversity favors the maintenance of species diversity in the P euphratica forests in the Ejina Oasis.

Variations of plant life form diversity along the Northeast China Transect and its direct gradient analysis

Plant life form diversity and its direct gradient analysis on a larger scale climate change gradient were tested, based on the data from Northeast China Transect platform. The results showed that the species numbers, life form richness and life form diversity were relative higher at the eastern forests and the ecotone between typical vegetation, while those on the meadow grasslands and typical steppes were lower. Although plant life forms can reflect the climate variations, life form diversity is not consistent with the major global gradient along the NECT.

The Impact of Urban Expansion on Plant Diversity Change in Karst Regions of Southwest China

Biodiversity is vital for the integrity and stability of ecosystems and sustainable development.Karst regions of Southwest China is featured for undulating and broken karst terrain as well as high plant diversity.Land use changes induced by the growing population and expanding human settlement have threatened biodiversity preservation in this region.However,the impact of urban expansion on plant diversity remains unclear here.This study focuses on how expanding countryside landscapes affect the recovery rate of plant diversity and demonstrate how urban expansion affects plant diversity conservation in karst regions of Southwest China.In situ biodiversity investigations and multisource remote sensing images were combined to analyze the role of human settlement evolution in the conservation of plant diversity using descriptive statistics and regression analysis.Unmanned vehicle images,historical aerial photographs,and long-term remote sensing images were used to observe the human settlement pattern changes over 40 yr and found that plant diversity is restored faster in countryside ecosystems than in island ecosystems restricted by water.Forests,however,contribute the most to plant diversity conservation in both ecosystems.While the forest area is stable during urban expansion,massive forest patches play an essential role in plant diversity conservation.Arable lands and grasslands shrank but with a fragmenting trend,which was conducive to preserving plant diversity,whereas increased and regularized large patches of built-up areas were not beneficial to plant diversity.Accordingly,forest protection should be prioritized to coordinate future socioeconomic development and plant diversity conservation in karst and broader regions.Furthermore,large built-up patches should be limited,and the irregularity should be improved during urban expansion.Irregular shaped cultivated land and grassland were suggested to promote biological information exchanges as landscape corridors.

Plant diversity patterns in different forests in Aershan,Inner Mongolia

Taking the communities of the sample sites in Aershan of Inner Mongolia as an investigation object, the indices affecting plant diversity were studied. The investigation was carried out in three different forest types （natural forests, plantations and regenerated forests after fire）. Results show that 95 plant species belonging to 19 families and 50 genera were identified in total. Of these species, nine were arbors, six were shrubs and the other 80 were herbs. We found some differences in the dominant species of different layers in three forest types. Natural forests had the largest importance value for the total number of species, followed by plantations and regenerated forests after fire. Plantations and natural forests had a similar change in richness indices. The largest value of richness indices was obtained in natural forests, while the lowest value was in regenerated forests after fire. Three diversity indices （Simpson＇s, Shannon-Wiener and Pielou＇s indices） indicate a similar trend in all sample plots. With an increase in elevation, values of diversity indices first increased and then decreased. In different forest types, similarity between natural forests was largest, while similarity between the regenerated forests and plantations was lowest.

Community Structure and Diversity of Ground Cover Plants in Tianjin Binhai International Airport

By using quadrat sampling method, the community structure and diversity of ground cover plants in the flight area in Tianjin Binhai International Airport were investigated from spring to autumn in 2015. The results showed that 58 plant species were recorded at the airport, belonging to 18 families and 48 genera. Dominant plant species showed seasonal characteristics. Specifically, lxeri chinensis （ Thunb. ） Nakai and Lagopsis supina （ Steph. ） Ik. -Gal. ex Knorr. were the dominant species in spring; Lagopsis supina, Cirsium setosum （Willd.） MB, Plantago asiatica L. , Cynanchum chinense R. Br. and Humulus scandens （I_our.） Merr. were the dominant species in summer; Chloris virgata Sw. and Eleusine indica （L.） Gaertn. were the dominant species in autumn. Quantitative characteris- tics of the dominant species, including the density, frequency, coverage and height, varied in different seasons. In different seasons, changes in the diversity of plant communities in three sampling points were analyzed. The results indicated that plant communities in summer exhibited the highest diversity and the most uni- form distribution. This study provided a theoretical basis for avoidance of bird strike in Tianjin Binhai International Airport.

Impact of Removal of Copper Leaf (<i>Acalypha fruticosa</i>Forssk.) on Plant Species Diversity and Abundance at Chemeron, Baringo County, Kenya

Invasive plant species may significantly alter plant species community composition and structure thereby negatively impacting on ecosystem services. Their impacts on plant communities may be both direct and indirect. The direct effects may include a reduction in the abundance and diversity of palatable plant species that constitute important forage for livestock, wildlife, and medicines for the local communities. Declines in ecosystem resilience are of the notable indirect effects of invasive species. The aim of this study was to assess the impacts of a plant species, copper leaf (Acalypha fruticosa) on floral diversity and abundance at Chemeron, Baringo County in Kenya. The study was guided by three questions: What is the plant composition in terms of grasses, herbs, shrubs, and trees in the study area? Are there any variations in plant abundance between the two sites (sites with and without Acalypha fruticosa)? Are there variations in plant species diversity between the two study sites? Two sites (one with A. fruticosa and another two without this invasive species) were selected within the Chemeron Research Centre. Two belt transects measuring 100 m × 20 m on each site were laid parallel to each other. Plant samples were collected from five 1 m × 1 m quadrats that were laid at intervals of 20 m. The plant species or specimens were identified to the species level using available taxonomic keys. Various indices including Shannon-Wiener (H’), Evenness Index, Richness Index and Simpson’s Index of Diversity Index (SDI) were calculated. All the diversity, richness and evenness indices were considerably higher in the site without A. fruticosa compared to that where this invasive species was present. Higher H’ (3.14 to 3.21) and SDI (0.93 to 0.94) values were noted in sites without the invasive species compared to H’ (2.11 to 2.20) and SDI (0.77 to 0.85) in sites with A. fruticosa present. Out of the 47 plant species identified, 39 and 20 of them occurred in the site without and with A. fruticosa, respectively. Further, there were more grasses (Aristida keniensis, Cynodon dactylon, Brachiaria lucrantha, Eragrostis racemosa, and Enteropogon macrostachyus) in the site without A. fruticosa compared to that with the invasive plant. The plants were also more evenly distributed in the site without A. fruticosa compared to that where the invasive plant was present. We conclude that A. fruticosa has a significant effect on plant species abundance and diversity as well as distribution. Its removal created a favourable environment for the growth of a variety of grasses. We therefore recommend to the agro-pastoralists and rangeland managers that A. fruticosa be mechanically removed by uprooting from grazing lands so as to increase forage availability and quality in the rangelands of South-Baringo.

Review of Researches on the Protection of Urban Plant Diversity

With the accelerating urbanization and population explosion, urban ecological environment has been seriously damaged, ecosystem has become unbalanced, and plant diversity has reduced constantly. This paper analyzed domestic and foreign literatures on the protection of urban plant diversity in recent years, summarized the previous researches on the protection of urban plant diversity, and major measures for protecting urban plant diversity.