Plant Planning of Eco-park in Mountainous Regions

By studying the planning of Aoshan Park in Jianyang City,a typical eco-park in mountainous regions,the authors analyzed its topography and vegetations,specifically,vegetation types and plant species,and pointed out problems of its present vegetations based on the evaluation.By maintaining existing indigenous plant species,plant planning and ecological corridor design was carried out to rebuild the eco-forest belt of Mt.Aoshan and optimize landscapes in Aoshan Park.Plant landscaping of Aoshan Park,by following the principles of "ecological" and "right trees for right land",has 3 different styles:natural,regular and mixed.Regular style is mainly located in the cultural experience area by applying regular planting types,such as coupled planting and mass planting;natural style runs through the park from north to south,and takes seasonal changes of landscapes as the theme to show the attraction of nature;mixed style is mainly applied in the recreational vacation area,connecting all independent scenic spots by water.The design of ecological corridor should follow the principle of "integrated,protective and diversified",attach more importance to the construction of mountain corridor system,ecological road and river corridors.Several species were recommended for vegetation recovery and slope greening in the study area.And corresponding suggestions were given for the planning and design of eco-park in mountainous regions.

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.

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

Soil Microbial Community and Enzyme Activity Responses to Herbaceous Plant Expansion in the Changbai Mountains Tundra, China

As one of the most sensitive regions to global climate change, alpine tundra in many places around the world has been undergoing dramatic changes in vegetation communities over the past few decades.Herbaceous plant species in the Changbai Mountains area have significantly expanded into tundra shrub communities over the past 30 yr.Soil microbial communities, enzyme activities, and soil nutrients are intertwined with this expansion process.In order to understand the responses of the soil microbial communities to such an expansion, we analyzed soil microbial community structures and enzyme activities in shrub tundra as well as areas with three different levels of herbaceous plant expansion.Our investigation was based on phospholipid fatty acid(PLFA) analysis and 96-well microtiter plates.The results showed that herbs have expanded greatly in the tundra, and they have become the dominant species in herbaceous plant expansion areas.There were differences for community composition and appearance among the shrub tundra and the mild expansion, moderate expansion, and severe expansion areas.Except for soil organic matter, soil nutrients were increased in herbaceous plant expansion areas, and the total nitrogen(TN), total phosphorus(TP), available nitrogen(AN), and available phosphorus(AP) were greatest in moderate expansion areas(MOE), while soil organic matter levels were highest in the non-expanded areas(CK).The total soil PLFAs in the three levels of herbaceous plant expansion areas were significantly higher than those in the non-expanded areas, and total soil PLFAs were highest in the moderately expanded area and lowest in the severely expanded area(SEE).Bacteria increased significantly more than fungi and actinomycetes with herbaceous plant expansion.Soil hydrolase activities(β-1,4-glucosidase(βG) activity, β-1, 4-N-acetylglucosaminidase(NAG) activity, and acid phosphatase(aP) activity) were highest in MOE and lowest in the CK treatment.Soil oxidase activities(polyphenol oxidase(PPO) activities and peroxidase(PER) activities) were also highest in MOE, but they were lowest in the SEE treatment.The variations in total soil PLFAs with herbaceous plant expansion were mostly correlated with soil organic matter and available phosphorus concentrations, while soil enzyme activities were mostly correlated with the total soil nitrogen concentration.Our results suggest that herbaceous plant expansion increase the total soil PLFAs and soil enzyme activities and improved soil nutrients.However, soil microorganisms, enzyme activity, and nutrients responded differently to levels of herbaceous plant expansion.The soil conditions in mild and moderate expansion areas are more favorable than those in severe expansion areas.

Rare and endangered plant species of the Chinese Altai Mountains

Altai (also named Altay in China) Mountain Country (Mountain System) is a unique natural region,located on the border between different floristic regimes of the Boreal and ancient Mediterranean sub-kingdoms,where distribution of plant species is actually limited. It is known to have sufficient endemic floral biodiversity in the Northern Asia. Many plants of Altai Mountain System need effective care and proper conservation measures for their survival and longer-term protection. Important Plant Area identified as the IUCN (the International Union for Conservation of Nature),specified criteria attract global attention for protection of floral biodiversity across the world. The records of 71 plant species from the Chinese Altai Mountains attributed to the criterion A and the dark conifer forests of Chinese Altai Mountains satisfied the criterion C,which may help qualify to fulfill the national obligation of the Convention on Biological Diversity.

Distribution and Chemical Composition of Monocarpic Plants of the Apiaceae Family in Tien Shan Mountain

The article presents materials on the distribution and data on the chemical composition of monocarpic plants of the Apiaceae family in the Tien Shan Mountains.

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.

Investigation on the Concurrent-Business Behavior of Peasant Households during the Planting Structure Adjustment in Karst Mountainous Area

Based on the survey data of 150 peasant households in typical Karst mountainous area in the year 2009, causations, characteristics and influence factors of the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households during planting structure adjustment are analyzed. Result shows that there is significant positive correlation between the concurrent-business income and the household income of farmers. And the concurrent-business behavior has the tendency to be popular among the young farmers with the characteristics of relative concentration, strong will of farmers and the significant impact of education degree on the concurrent-business income. Information, capital, skill, and market awareness are the main factors affecting the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households. Countermeasures to optimize the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households are put forward, such as strengthening the skills training for farmers to improve the cultural quality of peasant households, establishing modern rural financial service system to offer capital support for the development of peasant households, setting up information base of rural labor force to provide more information and channels for the concurrent-business behavior of peasant households, and enhancing the cultivation of farmers' market awareness to improve their ability to adapt to market economy.

Characteristics of soil seed bank in plantation forest in the rocky mountain region of Beijing, China

We investigated characteristics （scales and composition） of soil seed banks at eight study sites in the rocky mountain region of Beijing by seed identification and germination monitoring. We also surveyed the vegetation communities at the eight study sites to explore the role of soil seed banks in vegetation restoration. The storage capacity of soil seed banks at the eight sites ranked from 766.26 to 2461.92 seeds·m？2. A total of 23 plant species were found in soil seed banks, of which 63–80% of seeds were herbs in various soil layers and 60% of seeds were located in the soil layer at 0–5 cm depth. Biodiversity indices indicated clear differences in species diversity of soil seed banks among different plant communities. The species composition of aboveground vegetation showed low similarity with that based on soil seed banks. In the aboveground plant community, the afforestation tree species showed high importance values. The plant species originating from soil seed banks represented natural regeneration, which also showed relatively high importance values. This study suggests that in the rocky mountain region of Beijing the soil seed banks played a key role in the transformation from pure plantation forest to near-natural forest, promoting natural ecological processes, and the role of the seed banks in vegetation restoration was important to the improvement of ecological restoration methods.

Leaf N and P stoichiometry of 57 plant species in the Karamori Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve,Xinjiang,China

Nitrogen （N） and phosphorus （P） are the major nutrients that constrain plant growth and development, as well as the structure and function of ecosystems. Hence, leaf N and P patterns can contribute to a deep understanding of plant nutrient status, nutrient limitation type of ecosystems, plant life-history strategy and differentiation of functional groups. However, the status and pattern of leaf N and P stoichiometry in N-deficiency desert ecosystems remain unclear. Under this context, the leaf samples from 57 plant species in the Karamori Mountain Ungulate Nature Reserve, eastern Junggar Desert, China were investigated and the patterns and interrelations of leaf N and P were comparatively analyzed. The results showed that the average leaf N concentration, P concentration, and N：P ratio were 30.81 mg/g, 1.77 mg/g and 17.72, respectively. This study found that the leaf N concentration and N：P ratio were significantly higher than those of studies conducted at global, national and regional scales; however, the leaf P concentration was at moderate level. Leaf N concentration was allometrically correlated with leaf P and N：P ratio across all species. Leaf N, P concentrations and N：P ratio differed to a certain extent among plant functional groups. C4 plants and shrubs, particularly shrubs with assimilative branches, showed an obviously lower P concentration than those of C3 plants, herbs and shrubs without assimilative branches. Shrubs with assimilative branches also had lower N concentration. Fabaceae plants had the highest leaf N, P concentrations （as well as Asteraceae） and N：P ratio; other families had a similar N, P-stoichiometry. The soil in this study was characterized by a lack of N （total N：P ratio was 0.605）, but had high N availability compared with P （i.e. the available N：P ratio was 1.86）. This might explain why plant leaves had high N concentration （leaf N：P ratio〉16）. In conclusion, the desert plants in the extreme environment in this study have formed their intrinsic and special stoichiometric characteristics in relation to their life-history strategy.

Industrial Poverty Alleviation Model in Southwestern High-altitude Mountainous Areas of China——A Case Study of Industrial Poverty Alleviation of Xueshan Township in Luquan County of Yunnan Province through Planting Codonopsis pilosula

Due to the severe restrictions of natural conditions and ecological environment,high-altitude mountainous areas usually become the " hard bones" in the battle against poverty. Xueshan Township,Luquan Yi and Miao Autonomous County of Yunnan Province,located in the alpine valley of Jinsha River,is a major township with wide and deep poverty,and the incidence of poverty is up to 45. 00%. In recent years,Xueshan Township has insisted on the battle against poverty,made effort to develop the Codonopsis pilosula industry,and successfully developed a road to poverty alleviation through C. pilosula industry,and formed a unique industrial poverty alleviation model by the end of 2018,the incidence of poverty dropped to 0. 74%. Based on field survey and interview,this paper analyzes and summarizes the specific practices,main results,practical experience and promotion and application measures of the poverty alleviation model of C. pilosula planting industry in Xueshan Township,in the hope of providing certain reference for the targeted poverty alleviation in similar areas in Yunnan Province and other provinces of China.

Spatial variations of Pb in the vertical zone of the soil-plant system in the Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve

The characteristics of vertical and horizontal variations of lead element(Pb) in soil plant system of vertical zone in Changbai Mountain National Nature Reserve(CNNR) were studied. The results showed that Pb concentrations in soils of vertical zone are all above 25 mg/kg, and the average Pb concentration of each soil zone negatively correlates its degree of variation, i.e. brown coniferous forest soil zone has the lowest average Pb concentration of four soil zones, and the highest horizontal variation; however, mountain soddy forest soil has the highest average Pb concentration, and the lowest horizontal variation; the average concentration of plant Pb of each plant zone is lower than the worldwide average level of Pb in plant(Clarke), respectively, and plant Pb content order is consistent with soil Pb content order, but their horizontal variations are different from those in soil zones, the variation of mountain tundra forest zone is highest, but Betula ermanii forest zone the lowest. Vertical variation of plant Pb is obviously higher than that in soils with variation coefficient of 89.76%; the enrichment capability of plant for Pb is depended on the plant types and the different organs of plant; parent material and parent rock, pH values, soil organic matter and soil particle fraction etc. are the main factors influencing variations of Pb content in soil plant system of vertical zone in CNNR.

Phylogenetic conservatism in threatened species responses to climate change differs between functional types in the Gongga Mountains of China

Climate change has become one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity.However,whether phylogenetically related species respond to climate change in similar ways remains controversial.The answer to this question is crucial for understanding the impacts of climate change and the conservation on the tree of life.By integrating species distribution models with a molecular phylogeny of 50 threatened plant species from one of the global biodiversity hotspots,Gongga Mountains(Mt.Gongga)in southwest China,we evaluated the responses of threatened plant species to future climate change,and estimated whether species responses are phylogenetically conserved.Phylogenetic reconstruction was used to calculate the phylogenetic distance and null model to verify the reliability of the results.We found that correlations between responses of different species to future climate change decreased with the increase in their phylogenetic distance in the monocotyledonous or herbaceous species,but not in the dicotyledonous and woody species.Our results suggested that the responses of herbaceous and monocotyledonous threatened species in Mt.Gongga to future climate change tend to be phylogenetically conserved,while the responses of woody and dicotyledonous threatened species are not.Our study provides evidence for the existence of phylogenetically non-random extinction in the monocotyledonous herbs in Mt.Gongga and highlights the importance of integrating phylogenetic information and evolutionary history into conservation planning.We also provide theoretical basis and technical support for designing effective conservation schemes for the protection of biodiversity under anthropogenic climate change.

Phosphorus Biogeochemical Cycle Research in Mountainous Ecosystems

Phosphorus(P),as a limiting nutrient,plays a crucial role in the mountainous ecosystem development.Its biogeochemical cycle in mountainous ecosystems determines the bioavailability and sustainable supply of P,and thus becomes a crucial process which needs to be fully understood and described for ecological and environmental conservation.However,most of research about P biogeochemical processes has been carried out in aquatic environment and agronomic field,but rare researches have been done in mountain ecosystem.In the present review,we summarize researches on P biogeochemical cycle concerning mountain ecosystem in recent decades,including rock weathering,the release,transformation and bioavailability of P,interactions between the P biological cycle and microbial and plant life,as well as the development of models.Based on the state of art,we propose the future work on this direction,including the integration of all these research,the development of a practical model to understand the P biogeochemical cycle and its bioavailability,and to provide a reference for ecological and environmental conservation of mountainous ecosystems and lowland aquatic systems.

Phytodiversity and medicinal plant distribution in pasturelands of North Western Himalaya in relation to environmental gradients

This study aimed at elucidating phytodiversity of pasturelands of North-western Kashmir Himalayan biotic province in relation to various environmental gradients, with added focus on assessing distribution of important threatened medicinal plant taxa across surveyed pasturelands. A total of 16 sites that spanned across a broad altitudinal gradient(2502-4120 m) were selected. Phytosociological data like density, cover, frequency and abundance of vascular flora were collected and processed using gradient analysis. Soil moisture, nitrogen, organic carbon, acidity and electrical conductivity, altitude, degree of slope and human disturbance were recorded from each site. Analysis of species composition showed a total of 293 species of vascular plants, belonging to 192 genera and 64 families recorded from surveyed sites. Rank abundance exhibited that majority of species are locally rare and patchily distributed, with over 60% of species recording frequencies between 0%-20% and none showing frequencies more than 80%. Species richness showed significant variations and ranged from 20(Parihasmaidan) to 114(Nagbarren) for macro and 3.53±2.11(Thajwas) to 8.76± 1.01(Marsar) for micro-scale of measurement. The ShannonWiener(H') and Simpson's diversity(Ds) indices also varied greatly and were recorded highest(H'= 2.76 & Ds= 0.36) for Marsar and lowest(0.87 & 0.62) for Parihasmaidan. The diversity attributes suggested that pasturelands with lower species richness and diversity on macro-scale were not always species poor and less diverse on micro-measurement scale. The life form groupings highlighted the hemicryptophytic character of vegetation and species with highest importance value index were Sibbaldia cuneata(5.71), Rumex nepalensis(2.89), Juniperus wallichiana(2.88), Cynodon dactylon(2.83), Poa annua(2.49) and Sambucus wightiana(2.41). The results of canonical correspondence analysis showed that effect of altitude and anthropogenic disturbance was overriding and among various environmental factors, species distribution was mainly correlated with altitude along first canonical axis, while to second axis anthropogenic disturbances were important. Using generalized additive model, these variables also appeared as significant predictors for distribution of various threatened taxa. The findings of this study may thus help in evolving an appropriate strategy and an ecological management tool for long term conservation and management of these mountain ecosystems.

Research on Flora in Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area in Nanning City

Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area is a famous tourism destination in Nanning City.Based on site survey,identification and data sorting for many years,the features of plant flora in Qingxiu Mountain Scenic Area were analyzed as below:① There are totally 1 431 species of vascular plant species,belonging to 752 genera and 174 families(including varieties,cultivated variations and variants,the same as below),among which there are 48 species of fern,belonging to 36 genera and 21 families,42 species of gymnosperm,belonging to 14 genera and 8 families,1 341 species of angiosperm,belonging to 702 genera and 145 families;② There are diversified species dominated by introduced and cultivated species;③ Relatively simple geographical components,mostly are tropical and subtropical regions;④ Being located in the transitional zone of tropical and subtropical regions with obvious tropical marginality;⑤ Most of the introduced species are rare and endangered ones,rarely are unique or ancient species.

Construction of Understory Landscapes for Mountain Amenity Forest in Guangdong Province,China

Based on the investigation of understory landscapes in mountain amenity forest in Guangdong, plant selection and spatial structure of understory landscapes were explored from the perspective of influencing factors such as terrain, stand structure, canopy density. It was proposed that plant selection for the construction of understory landscapes should use more indigenous plants, follow ecological attributes of plants and pay attention for ornamental value of plants. Three modes of constructing understory landscapes were proposed: ornamental, recreational and ecological.

Compatibility and complementarity of indigenous and scientific knowledge of wild plants in the highlands of southwest Saudi Arabia

This study presents a survey of wild plants commonly used by local inhabitants in the highlands of southwest Saudi Arabia. Based upon literature review, direct observation of local inhabitants, and questionnaire interviews, 36 plant species were assessed and given scores according to their use. The gaps between scientific and indigenous knowl- edge on the use of plants were estimated using a ＂compatibility ratio＂. The score values were estimated based on seven different use categories of ecosystem services, including food, forage, medicine, wood, beekeeping, research, and education. Additional structural categories include source of materials, shade, hedges, ornamental plantings, and soil stabilization. There are discrepancies between indigenous knowledge （IK） and scien- tific knowledge （SK） but in most cases, SK of the species supports the IK and plant users preference. The results also provide information that challenges assumptions about the consistency of IK with SK. Our study highlights the importance of understanding the cultural context and uses of wild plants. Biodiversity-based knowledge holds promise for contributing to sustainable use of wild plant resources and related traditions. The success of such endeavours depends on the compatibility and complementarity of indigenous and scientific knowledge.

不同牧压对天山北坡中段山地草甸植物群落特征及植物生活型的影响

【目的】研究天山北坡中段山地草甸植物群落特征在不同牧压条件下的变化,为建立合理放牧利用制度提供理论依据。【方法】通过对庙尔沟乡索尔巴斯陶夏、冬牧场的实际放牧强度和草场植被状况进行调查,选择重度(HG)、中度(MG)、轻度(LG)且具代表性地段的放牧场,设置3个不同牧压监测点,每个监测点设置3个重复。【结果】在不同牧压条件下,植物群落优势种略有差异,群落物种数随着放牧强度的增大而减少。随着牧压增大,禾本科、豆科等优良牧草的重要值下降,而杂类草及醉马草的重要值增大;不同牧压对植被生物量的影响最大,其次是植被的盖度和高度,对频度的影响较小,呈现出植被平均高度、总盖度和生物量随放牧强度增大而降低的趋势;不同放牧时期对山地草甸植被优势种和植物生活型有明显影响,在夏季放牧场中植株矮小、重要值很低的金露梅在冬季放牧场中却株型高大,重要值也极高。【结论】在不同牧压条件下,群落物种组成不同,HG、MG、LG物种数分别为26、22和33种,物种间数目相差明显。重度放牧降低了植物群落的高度、盖度和地上生物量,并增大了杂类草和醉马草的优势。随着放牧强度增大,植物的生活型和重要值发生了改变,这也是植物生长过程中适应环境变化的一种策略。

明堂山主要药用植物资源调查分析

为全面了解岳西县明堂山药用植物资源的组成类型、生活型和药用部位等资源现状,本文采用传统野外调查方法收集药用植物资源的分布信息,通过形态观察及查阅相关文献资料对药用植物进行物种鉴定和药用植物整理分析.结果表明,本次调查发现药用植物231种,隶属96科205属,以小型科(2~4种)和单种科(1种)为主.生活型以草本植物占绝对优势(61.47%);药用部位以全草类、根及根茎类占多数(61.48%);珍稀濒危药用植物29种,其中国家一级保护植物2种,二级保护植物8种.岳西县明堂山药用植物资源类型多样性特征明显,生态环境保护良好,此次调查为后续有效保护和合理开发药用植物资源提供科学依据.