Distribution and Estimation of Aboveground Biomass of Alpine Shrubs along an Altitudinal Gradient in a Small Watershed of the Qilian Mountains, China

Shrublands serve as an important component of terrestrial ecosystems, and play an important role in structure and functions of alpine ecosystem.Accurate estimation of biomass is critical to examination of the productivity of alpine ecosystems, due to shrubification under climate change in past decades.In this study, 14 experimental plots and 42 quadrates of the shrubs Potentilla fruticosa and Caragana jubata were selected along altitudes gradients from 3220 to 3650 m a.s.l.(above sea level) on semi-sunny and semi-shady slope in Hulu watershed of Qilian Mountains, China.The foliage, woody component and total aboveground biomass per quadrate were examined using a selective destructive method, then the biomass were estimated via allometric equations based on measured parameters for two shrub species.The results showed that C.jubata accounted for 1–3 times more biomass(480.98 g/m2) than P.fruticosa(191.21 g/m2).The aboveground biomass of both the shrubs varied significantly with altitudinal gradient(P<0.05).Woody component accounted for the larger proportion than foliage component in the total aboveground biomass.The biomass on semi-sunnyslopes(200.27 g/m2 and 509.07 g/m2) was greater than on semi-shady slopes(182.14 g/m2 and 452.89g/m2) at the same altitude band for P.fruticosa and C.jubata.In contrast, the foliage biomass on semi-shady slopes(30.50 g/m2) was greater than on semi-sunny slopes(27.51 g/m2) for two shrubs.Biomass deceased with increasing altitude for P.fruticosa, whereas C.jubata showed a hump-shaped pattern with altitude.Allometric equations were obtained from the easily descriptive parameters of height(H), basal diameter(D) and crown area(C) for biomass of C.jubata and P.fruticosa.Although the equations type and variables comprising of the best model varied among the species, all equations related to biomass were significant(P < 0.005), with determination coefficients(R2) ranging from 0.81 to 0.96.The allometric equations satisfied the requirements of the model, and can be used to estimate the regional scale biomass of P.fruticosa and C.jubata in alpine ecosystems of the Qilian Mountains.

祁连山高山灌丛生物量及其分配特征

分布于青海云杉林上线的祁连山高山灌丛是祁连山水源涵养林效益最佳林型,研究高山灌丛生物量是生态系统生产力的重要体现,也是群落结构和功能的主要测度之一。以祁连山排露沟流域3 300～3700m高山灌丛为研究对象,采用标准地、样方收获法以及壕沟挖掘方法,对不同海拔高度10个固定样地灌丛生物量,器官生物量进行调查,分析了不同海拔梯度灌丛的叶、枝、须根、细根、粗根烘干重数据及其生物量分配特征。结果表明:祁连山高山灌丛总生物量为12 869.39±3 306.16 kg/hm^2(平均值±标准差,n=10),其中器官分配以枝生物量所占比例最高,达32.21%,叶、须根、细根、粗根的比例分别为15.70%、14.06%、11.13%和26.90%。不同海拔梯度灌丛生物量器官分配比例差异较大,地上生物量平均为6 097.17kg/hm^2,地下生物量平均为6772.22kg/hm^2,不同海拔根茎比在0.56～1.93之间变化,海拔3 500 m处根茎比达最大。祁连山高山灌丛生物量与海拔呈现显著的负相关(R^3=0.898 7,p<0.01),随着海拔的升高,灌丛总生物量,地上以及地下生物量均呈现下降的趋势。研究结果可为内陆河流域生态环境的保护及其高山灌丛对全球气候变化的响应研究提供重要理论依据和应用资料。

祁连山灌丛群落结构特征随海拔梯度和经度的变化

祁连山是中国西部地区重要的安全屏障和水源涵养区,灌丛群落在水源涵养和安全屏障中起着重要的作用。为了探究祁连山灌丛群落结构随海拔和经度的变化规律,选取了甘肃省永登县奖俊埠林场(祁连山东段)、甘肃省古浪县夏玛林场(祁连山中东段)、甘肃省民乐县海潮坝森林公园(祁连山中段),分析灌丛群落Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、Pielou均匀度、物种重要值、地上生物量和盖度在海拔2700—3100 m的变化。结果发现,(1)随着海拔的升高,银露梅(Potentilla glabra)的优势度逐渐下降,金露梅(Potentilla fruticosa)的优势度增加,高山绣线菊(Spiraea alpina)和山生柳(Salix oritrepha)在3个海拔梯度的优势度变化不显著。(2)随着海拔的升高,Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、地上生物量和盖度递增,且各海拔之间差异显著。(3)随着经度的增加(自西向东),地上生物量和盖度呈递增趋势,而Pielou均匀度呈递减趋势;ShannonWiener多样性指数在海拔2700 m呈递减趋势,在海拔2900 m和3100 m呈递增趋势。(4)Shannon-Wiener多样性指数与海拔高度、地上生物量、盖度、Pielou均匀度都存在显著相关性。以上结果表明海拔梯度和经度对灌丛群落结构直接或间接产生影响。该研究将为祁连山区灌丛的保护与开发提供一定的理论基础。

祁连山不同海拔梯度青海云杉树高和生物量变化规律的研究

通过野外样地调查和试验,以祁连山典型林分的建群树种青海云杉作为研究对象,研究了青海云杉树高、地上生物量和地下生物量沿海拔梯度的变化规律。结果表明:海拔从低到高,青海云杉树高总体上呈单峰型曲线变化,但总体变化幅度较小,最大值分布在海拔3 200m处,为12.4m;最小值分布在海拔3 300m处,其值为7.3m。地上生物量和地下生物量海拔梯度总体上呈单峰型曲线变化,最大值出现在海拔3 200 m处,分别为3.34t·hm-2和0.92t·hm-2。