Plant Community Survey of National Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Empirical Experiment Platform(Daqing Base)

[Objectives] This study was conducted to explore the characteristics of natural grassland plant communities in the National Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Empirical Experiment Platform(Daqing Base), so as to provide data reference for local grassland resources. [Methods] June to July, 2022, standard plot site investigation was carried out to investigate vegetation species, relative height, relative coverage, relative abundance, relative frequency and dominance in the National Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Empirical Experiment Platform in Datong District, Daqing City of Heilongjiang Province, and to analyze plant community structures in the photovoltaic DC field. [Results] The photovoltaic DC field contained 22 species of plants, of which Suaeda salsa was the common species. The dominant species in photovoltaic DC field were Leymus chinensis, Eleocharis intersita, Carex duriuscula and Carex rugurosa. [Conclusions] The dominant vegetation types were Poaceae and Cyperaceae in the natural grassland of the National Photovoltaic and Energy Storage Empirical Experiment Platform(Daqing Base).

Physiological and psychological responses to tended plant communities with varying color characteristics

Exposure to plants has been reported to promote health and reduce stress,and plant color has direct impacts on physical and mental health.We used images of common types of tended plant communities in Shenyang,China,with combinations of yellow,green,and red foliage,as experimental stimuli.A total of 27 images were used as visual stimuli.We used electroencephalography to measureαwave activity(8-13 Hz)in 40 subjects while they viewed visual stimuli.These data were combined with subjective questionnaire data to analyze the relaxing effect of images of tended plant communities with different color types and proportions on people.The results revealed that,although there were slight differences between the electroencephalography and psychological findings,women were significantly more relaxed than men after viewing the images.Physiological and psychological responses varied with the types and proportions of colors in the tended plant communities:those of foliage with combinations of two or three colors induced stronger responses than images with a single color.Specifically,(1)for one-color plant communities,green or yellow plant communities induced a stronger relaxation effect than red plant communities;(2)for two-color plant communities,the optimal color proportion was 55%+45%,and the green+yellow and green+red color combinations induced a stronger relaxation effect;(3)for three-color plant communities,the relaxation effect was strongest when the color proportion was 55%green+25%yellow+20%red.These data would provide a plant color matching in future plant landscape design,which may be helpful for creating healthy and relaxing environments.

Effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia,China

It is of great significance to study the effects of desert plants on soil enzyme activities and soil organic carbon(SOC)for maintaining the stability of the desert ecosystem.In this study,we studied the responses of soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions(particulate organic carbon(POC)and mineral-associated organic carbon(MAOC))to five typical desert plant communities(Convolvulus tragacanthoides,Ephedra rhytidosperma,Stipa breviflora,Stipa tianschanica var.gobica,and Salsola laricifolia communities)in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China.We recorded the plant community information mainly including the plant coverage and herb and shrub species,and obtained the aboveground biomass and plant species diversity through sample surveys in late July 2023.Soil samples were also collected at depths of 0–10 cm(topsoil)and 10–20 cm(subsoil)to determine the soil physicochemical properties and enzyme activities.The results showed that the plant coverage and aboveground biomass of S.laricifolia community were significantly higher than those of C.tragacanthoides,S.breviflora,and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities(P<0.05).Soil enzyme activities varied among different plant communities.In the topsoil,the enzyme activities of alkaline phosphatase(ALP)andβ-1,4-glucosidas(βG)were significantly higher in E.rhytidosperma and S.tianschanica var.gobica communities than in other plant communities(P<0.05).The topsoil had higher POC and MAOC contents than the subsoil.Specifically,the content of POC in the topsoil was 18.17%–42.73%higher than that in the subsoil.The structural equation model(SEM)indicated that plant species diversity,soil pH,and soil water content(SWC)were the main factors influencing POC and MAOC.The soil pH inhibited the formation of POC and promoted the formation of MAOC.Conversely,SWC stimulated POC production and hindered MAOC formation.Our study aimed to gain insight into the effects of desert plant communities on soil enzyme activities and SOC fractions,as well as the drivers of SOC fractions in the proluvial fan in the eastern foothills of the Helan Mountain and other desert ecosystems.

Element cycling in the dominant plant community in the Alpine tundra zone of Changbai Mountains, China

Element cycling in the dominant plant communities including Rh. aureum, Rh. redowskianum and Vaccinium uliginosum in the Alpine tundra zone of Changbai Mountains in northeast China was studied. The results indicate that the amount of elements from litter decomposition was less than that of the plant uptake from soil, but that from plant uptake was higher than that in soil with mineralization process released. On the other hand, in the open system including precipitation input and soil leaching output, because of great number of elements from precipitation into the open system, the element cycling(except N, P) in the Alpine tundra ecosystem was in a dynamic balance. In this study, it was also found that different organ of plants had significant difference in accumulating elements. Ca, Mg, P and N were accumulated more obviously in leaves, while Fe was in roots. The degree of concentration of elements in different tissues of the same organ of the plants also was different, a higher concentration of Ca, Mg, P and N in mesophyll than in nerve but Fe was in a reversed order. The phenomenon indicates (1) a variety of biochemical functions of different elements, (2) the elements in mesophyll were with a shorter turnover period than those in nerve or fibre, but higher utilization rate for plant. Therefore, this study implies the significance of keeping element dynamic balance in the alpine tundra ecosystem of Changbai Mountains.

Plant community and ecological analysis of woodland vegetation in Metema Area,Amhara National Regional State,Northwestern Ethiopia

We studied woodland vegetation in broad-leaved deciduous woodlands of Metema in northwestern Amhara regional state, Ethiopia to determine plant community types and species distribution patterns and their relationships with environmental variables, including altitude, pH, cation exchange capacity, electrical conductivity （EC）, and moisture. We used a selective approach with a systematic sampling design. A total of 74 quadrats, each 25m × 25m at intervals of 150-200 m were sampled along the established transect lines. For herbaceous vegetation and soil data collection, five subquadrats each lm x lm were established at the four corners and the center of each quadrat. Three community types were identified using TWINSPAN analysis. All three community types showed high diversity （Shannon-Weiner index）, the highest in community type II at 3.55. The highest similarity coefficient was 0.49 （49%） between community types II and III, reflecting 0.51 （51%） dissimilarity in their species richness. The canonical correspondence ordination diagram revealed that the distribution pattern of community type I was explained by moisture while that of community types III and II was explained by EC and altitude and moisture, respectively. Altitude was the most statistically significant environmental variable, followed by moisture and EC in determining the total variation in species composition and distribution patterns while pH and cation exchange capacity were non significant. In conclusion, we recommend that any intervention should take into account these three discrete community types and their environmental settings to make the intervention more successful.

Folk nomenclature of plants in Cistanche deserticola-associated community in South Gobi, Mongolia

Cistanche deserticola is an important medicinal plant in Mongolia.Despite its significant role in local healing systems,little traditional knowledge had been reported.The present study investigated folk names of C.deserticola and other species of the same community in Umnugobi Province,South Gobi region of Mongolia,based on ethnobotanical approaches.The high correspondence between folk names and scientific names of plant species occurring in Cistanche-associated community shows the scientific meaning of folk nomenclature and classification in Mongolia.The Mongolian and folk names of plants were formed on the basis of observations and understanding of wild plants including their morphology,phenology and traditional uses as well.Results from this study will support the conservation of C.deserticola itself,a rare and endangered plant species listed in the Monglian Red Data Book.Our documentation of folk nomenclature based on 96 plant species in the Cistanche community,as a part of traditional knowledge associated with biodiversity,will be very helpful for making strategy of plant biodiversity conservation in Mongolia.

Effects of Plant Community Type on Soil Methane Flux in Semiarid Loess Hilly Region,Central Gansu Province,China

Methane(CH_(4))is an important greenhouse gas second only to CO_(2)in terms of its greenhouse effect.Vegetation plays an important role in controlling soil CH_(4)fluxes,but the spatial variability of soil CH_(4)fluxes during vegetation restoration in Loess Hilly Region(LHR)is not fully understood.The effects of different plant community types[Medicago sativa grassland(MS);Xanthoceras sorbifolium forestland(XS);Caragana korshinskii bushland(CK);Hippophae rhamnoides shrubland(HR);and Stipa bungeana grassland(SB)]on soil CH_(4)flux in LHR were studied via the static chamber technique.The results showed that the five plant community types were sinks of soil CH_(4)in LHR,the plant community type significantly affected the soil CH_(4)flux,and the average CH_(4)uptake from high to low was in SB,HR,CK,MS,and XS.During the whole study period,the soil CH_(4)flux showed similar interannual variation.The maximum absorption of soil CH_(4)appeared in the growing season,while the minimum appeared in winter.Soil CH_(4)uptake was positively correlated with soil temperature and soil moisture.Soil temperature and moisture are important controlling factors for the temporal variability of soil CH_(4)flux.In LHR,the Stipa bungeana grassland is the more suitable plant community type for reducing soil CH_(4)emissions.In the process of vegetation restoration in LHR,the soil CH_(4)absorption potential of different plant community types should be considered,ecological benefits should be taken into account,and vegetation more suitable for mitigating the greenhouse effect should be selected.

Rodent-mediated plant community competition:what happens to the seeds after entering the adjacent stands?

Background:Seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding animals can affect the developmental dynamics of plant communities.However,how animals might participate in plant inter-community competition has rarely been investigated.Forest community junction is an area where the competition between plant communities is most prominent and animal activity is more frequent.At present,little is known about how scatter-hoarding animals might assist competitions by adjacent plant communities.Thus,for 3 years(2015–2017),we tracked the fate of 2880 tagged seeds(Quercus aliena var.acuteserrata,Pinus tabuliformis,and P.armandii seed)placed near an edge where the forest composition changes from a pine forest to an oak forest in northwestern China.Results:We found that the seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands.In contrast to Pinus seeds,acorns that entered pine forests were characterized by higher caching rates and longer dispersal distances.Pinus seeds had the highest probability of being predated(85%)by rodents,and eleven Q.aliena var.acuteserrata seedlings were established in pine forests,although none survived in the later stages.In addition,rodents exhibited obvious selectivity in terms of the microhabitats for the seed caching sites.Conclusions:Seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands.The predation pressure by rodents on the seeds of Pinus species limited the germination of seeds and seedling establishment in oak forests.The different seed fates after their bidirectional dispersal could affect the differences in natural regeneration between pine and oak forests,and they might increase the recruitment rates for oak at the edge of an adjacent community.Rodent-mediated seed dispersal could potential unintentionally affect the competition between plant communities.

Topography and soil content contribute to plant community composition and structure in subtropical evergreen-deciduous broadleaved mixed forests

Topography and soil factors are known to play crucial roles in the species composition of plant communities in subtropical evergreen-deciduous broadleaved mixed forests.In this study,we used a systematic quantitative approach to classify plant community types in the subtropical forests of Hubei Province(central China),and then quantified the relative contribution of drivers responsible for variation in species composition and diversity.We classified the subtropical forests in the study area into 12 community types.Of these,species diversity indices of three communities were significantly higher than those of others.In each community type,species richness,abundance,basal area and importance values of evergreen and deciduous species were different.In most community types,deciduous species richness was higher than that of evergreen species.Linear regression analysis showed that the dominant factors that affect species composition in each community type are elevation,slope,aspect,soil nitrogen content,and soil phosphorus content.Furthermore,structural equation modeling analysis showed that the majority of variance in species composition of plant communities can be explained by elevation,aspect,soil water content,litterfall,total nitrogen,and total phosphorus.Thus,the major factors that affect evergreen and deciduous species distribution across the 12 community types in subtropical evergreendeciduous broadleaved mixed forests include elevation,slope and aspect,soil total nitrogen content,soil total phosphorus content,soil available nitrogen content and soil available phosphorus content.

Plant Community Characteristics of Trampling Disturbance Kobresia humilis Community along the Road in Naqu,Tibet

The change of plant community character during recovery succession processes of high mountain meadow in Naqu, Tibet, was investigated. The results show that there are 41 plant species in the inventoried quadrates. The high-plants in four big families plays important roles in natural vegetation recovery, while Kobresia play an important role in climax communities. The plant species components changed with each succession stage. The plant species were mainly annual and biennial during the early succession stage, and perennial during the medium; and dominated by Kobresia humilis during the late. Potentilla bifurca and Potentilla tanaletfolia were both found in all stages. The accumulated number of family, genus, and species during the succession process varied quadric with the stages. The main plant community characteristics varied logistically with the succession stages except the height. The community characteristics mainly affected by dominant species which were changed in same rhythms. The biomass under ground was far more than the upground. The plant diversity inflated in the medium stage.

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.

Effects of Grassland Caterpillars on Plant Community Structure of Alpine Kobresia Meadows and Soil Properties

[Objective] To investigate the relationship between the grassland caterpillar with different grades and the structure of alpine Kobresia meadow or soil feature. [Method] A total of 10 plots （20.00 m × 20.00 m） were chosen. In each plot, five smaller plots （5.00 m × 5.00 m） were randomly selected and six sample plots （0.25 m × 0.25 m） were then selected in each smaller plot. The biomass, vegetation height, grasslayer thickness, bare land area, soil moisture and total vegetation cover degree were determined. Data were analyzed statistically by Excel 2003 and SPSS 13.0 software. [ Result] There was a significant difference （P 〈 0.05） between the grassland caterpillars at different hazard grades and the structure of alpine Kobresia meadow or soil properties. [ Conclusion] With the increase of grassland caterpillar density, the plant community structure of alpine Kobresia meadows changes from sedge family-dominant community to the forbs-dominant community.

Health Sequence of Plant Community of Sand-accumulation Belt at the Upwind Edge of Minqin Oasis

A sand-accumulation belt came into being during the process of desert control in recent 60 years at the edge of oasis,especially at the upwind places in desert area in Hexi Corridor of Gansu.Among them,the sand-accumulation belt at the edge of Minqin Oasis is relatively typical and the most complete.The vegetation on the sand-accumulation belt is not only the formation factor of the sand-accumulation belt,but also an important factor to maintain the stability of the sand-accumulation belt.In a certain sense,the health status of the vegetation of the sand-accumulation belt determines the stability of the sand-accumulation belt.In order to analyze the vegetation status of the sand-accumulation belt,the health sequence analysis of the plant community was carried out of sand-accumulation belt at the edge of Minqin Oasis,by setting 11 lines of equal spacing of sand-accumulation belt at the edge of Minqin Oasis,and through the vegetation survey of more than 60 samples.The vegetation on the sand-accumulation belt at the edge of Minqin Oasis is generally unhealthy.But for the health sequence of this study,the health status of vegetation of the sand-accumulation belt formed by artificial sand fixation forest is better than that of vegetation of the sand-accumulation belt formed by natural shrub at the edge of Minqin Oasis.The health status of vegetation of the sand-accumulation belt of mixed forest of arbor and shrub is the worst at the edge of Minqin Oasis.The dominant species Tamarix laxa on the sand-accumulation belt in the lower reaches of the oasis are seriously withered,and their health is the worst.There is potential danger of the sand-accumulation belt being blown and activated.After abandonment of farmland,protection of protection forest and sand-accumulation belt at the edge of farmland in sand area is a new problem,which is worth considering.

The Application of the Concept of"Nearly Natural"Plant Community in the Optimization of Coastal Ecological Space

The overexploitation of the natural environment caused by urbanization makes more and more natural and semi-natural plant communities gradually lack,which causes a lot of irreversible damage to the environment.Therefore,it is very important to carry out ecological environment construction in all fields of urban construction.In this paper,based on theory and method of plant landscape construction under the concept of"nearly natural"plant community,through the investigation and analysis on plant species,distribution,and structural characteristics of plant community in Baguang District of Shenzhen,regional native plant species are summarized,and structural characteristics of original zonal plant community are simulated.The research aims to provide a reference basis for creating a coastal plant landscape with subtropical marine climate for Baguang and even Lingnan,constructing near natural ecological park according to local conditions,forming the pattern well-coordinated with the local natural ecosystem,and carrying out protection of the regional ecological environment.

Leguminosae plants play a key role in affecting soil physical-chemical and biological properties during grassland succession after farmland abandonment in the Loess Plateau,China

Leguminosae are an important part of terrestrial ecosystems and play a key role in promoting soil nutrient cycling and improving soil properties.However,plant composition and species diversity change rapidly during the process of succession,the effect of leguminosae on soil physical-chemical and biological properties is still unclear.This study investigated the changes in the composition of plant community,vegetation characteristics,soil physical-chemical properties,and soil biological properties on five former farmlands in China,which had been abandoned for 0,5,10,18,and 30 a.Results showed that,with successional time,plant community developed from annual plants to perennial plants,the importance of Leguminosae and Asteraceae significantly increased and decreased,respectively,and the importance of grass increased and then decreased,having a maximum value after 5 a of abandonment.Plant diversity indices increased with successional time,and vegetation coverage and above-and below-ground biomass increased significantly with successional time after 5 a of abandonment.Compared with farmland,30 a of abandonment significantly increased soil nutrient content,but total and available phosphorus decreased with successional time.Changes in plant community composition and vegetation characteristics not only change soil properties and improve soil physical-chemical properties,but also regulate soil biological activity,thus affecting soil nutrient cycling.Among these,Leguminosae have the greatest influence on soil properties,and their importance values and community composition are significantly correlated with soil properties.Therefore,this research provides more scientific guidance for selecting plant species to stabilize soil ecosystem of farmland to grassland in the Loess Plateau,China.

Aesthetic Evaluation of Commercial Rooftop Plants Based on Beauty Degree Evaluation Method: A Case Study of Chengdu City, China

Rooftop greening not only has ecological benefits such as energy savings, water conservation and air quality improvement but also has aesthetic and social benefits, especially for the rooftops of commercial complexes, which should meet people’s demand for beauty while satisfying sustainable urban development. In this paper, 80 samples of ten commercial rooftops in five old urban areas of Chengdu, China, were selected as the research objects, and the beauty values of different roof types and different plant community types were quantified by the aesthetic evaluation method, and the factors influencing the beauty values were investigated. The results showed that the highest average SBE value was for plant ornamental roofs (0.635), followed by recreational roofs (0.080), and the lowest average SBE value was for sports and fitness (-0.555);Mixed needle-broad communities had the greatest average SBE value (0.330), followed by mixed bamboo-broad communities (0.094), while pure bamboo forests had the lowest average SBE value (-0.716). The rooftop plant community’s aesthetic value was highly significant and correlated positively with the type of roof, the community’s growth type, its vertical structure, and the number of plants in the community.

Degradation of Populus euphratica community in the lower reaches of the Tarim River, Xinjiang, China

To investigate the relationships between the degradation of plant community and groundwater level in the lower reaches of the Tarim River, nine monitored sections were set along the main stream, where there had been no runoff for nearly 30 years. The characteristics of plant communities were analyzed. It was found that the coverage of trees gradually decreased along the groundwater depth gradient, while the coverage of shrubs slightly increased rather than decreased at first and then gradually decreased, and the coverage of herbs steadily decreased at the beginning and then quickly decreased. The species diversity and species richness of both herbs and woody plants showed obvious degrading trends, while the variations in species evenness were slight. The degrading sequences of species were related to their physiological and ecological characteristics, especially their sensitivity to changes of groundwater table. The herbs with shallow roots first degenerated or disappeared when the groundwater table fell, and then did the deep-rooted herbs, and finally the trees and shrubs with strong tolerance to drought degenerated. The Populus euphratica communities showed typical degrading characteristics, namely the dominant species Populus euphratica remained its dominant status during the degradation. Overall, the existence of strongly tolerant-drought species was the obvious indication of plant species degradation; while simplification of community structure and the decrease of species richness were the obvious indication of plant community degradation.

Current patterns of plant diversity and phylogenetic structure on the Kunlun Mountains

Large-scale patterns of biodiversity and the underlying mechanisms that regulate these patterns are central topics in biogeography and macroecology.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau serves as a natural laboratory for studying these issues.However,most previous studies have focused on the entire Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,leaving independent physical geographic subunits in the region less well understood.We studied the current plant diversity of the Kunlun Mountains,an independent physical geographic subunit located in northwestern China on the northern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.We integrated measures of species distribution,geological history,and phylogeography,and analyzed the taxonomic richness,phylogenetic diversity,and community phylogenetic structure of the current plant diversity in the area.The distribution patterns of 1911 seed plants showed that species were distributed mainly in the eastern regions of the Kunlun Mountains.The taxonomic richness,phylogenetic diversity,and genera richness showed that the eastern regions of the Kunlun Mountains should be the priority area of biodiversity conservation,particularly the southeastern regions.The proportion of Chinese endemic species inhabiting the Kunlun Mountains and their floristic similarity may indicate that the current patterns of species diversity were favored via species colonization.The Hengduan Mountains,a biodiversity hotspot,is likely the largest source of species colonization of the Kunlun Mountains after the Quaternary.The net relatedness index indicated that 20 of the 28 communities examined were phylo-genetically dispersed,while the remaining communities were phylogenetically clustered.The nearest taxon index indicated that 27 of the 28 communities were phylogenetically clustered.These results suggest that species colonization and habitat filtering may have contributed to the current plant diversity of the Kunlun Mountains via ecological and evolutionary processes,and habitat filtering may play an important role in this ecological process.

Quantitative classification and analysis on plant communities in the middle reaches of the Tarim River

Plant communities were sampled in the lower reaches of the Tarim River, Xinjiang. The results showed that there are 23 species belonging to 21 genera in 11 families, most of which have low occurrence frequency in quadrats. The most common species is Tamarix ramosissima, which occurred in 17 sites accounting for 89.47% of the total 19 sites. Quantitative classification (TWINSPAN) and ordination (CCA) methods were used to study the distribution patterns of 23 plant species in 19 sites in this valley. TWINSPAN results showed that the plant communities in the middle reaches of the Tarim River could be divided into 3 groups and the sampling sites could be divided into 7 types in 3 groups. CCA results were consistent with TWINSPAN results, and showed species distribution patterns correlated with major environmental variables of groundwater level and soil moisture.

Spatial and environmental effects on plant communities in the Yellow River Delta,Eastern China

Types and structure of plant communities in the Yellow River Delta were investigated by using detrended canonical correspon-dence analyses(DCCAs) and a two-way indicator species analysis(TWINSPAN).The distribution pattern and influential factors of the plant communities were also analyzed by testing elevation, slope, soil characteristics, longitude and latitude of 134 vegetation samples collected by representative plot sampling methods.Results showed that all the 134 vegetation samples could be divided into seven vegetation groups, separately dominated by Robinia pseucdoacacia, Imperata cylindrical, Miscanthus saccharifleus, Suaeda salsa, Aeluropus sinensis, Phragmites australis and Tamarix chinensis.The vegetation distribution pattern was mainly related to elevation, ground water depth and soil characteristics such as salinity and soluble potassium.Among the factors affecting distribution pattern of the plant communities, the species matrix explained by non-spatial environmental variation accounts for 45.2% of total variation.Spatial variation and spatial-structured environmental variation explain 11.8%, and 2.2%, respectively.Remained 40.8% of undetermined variation is attributed to biological and stochastic factors.