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A platform for research: civil engineering, architecture and urbanism
Rapid Expansion ofMelica przewalskyiCauses Soil Moisture Deficit and Vegetation Degradation in Subalpine Meadows
Invasive noxious plants have important impacts on community dynamics and ecosystem functions in grasslands. Since the 1960s, the noxious plantMelica przewalskyihas spread rapidly and formed different size of patches in subalpine meadows of the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China. In this study, the species richness, vegetation structure, and soil water content are investigated from the patch edge to the center in four sizes ofM. przewalskyipatches (i.e., small patch, <100 cm in canopy diameter; middle patch, 100–200 cm; large patch, 200–300 cm; and the largest patch, >300 cm). The results show that while the patches grow continuously, the dominant species changes fromStipa kryloviitoM. przewalskyiwith an increasing trend in plant productivity and decreasing trend in species richness and soil water content. Plant height, density, coverage, and above‐ground biomass ofM. przewalskyipopulation increases from the patch edge to the center in small, middle, and large patches, whereas it is precisely the opposite in the largest patch. Interestingly, soil water content exhibits a decreasing trend from the patch edge to the center in all patches. The results indicate that the rapid spread ofM. przewalskyimay well alter vegetation pattern and cause a severe soil moisture deficit, which would further drive the degradation of ecosystem functioning in subalpine meadows.
Rapid Expansion ofMelica przewalskyiCauses Soil Moisture Deficit and Vegetation Degradation in Subalpine Meadows
Invasive noxious plants have important impacts on community dynamics and ecosystem functions in grasslands. Since the 1960s, the noxious plantMelica przewalskyihas spread rapidly and formed different size of patches in subalpine meadows of the Qilian Mountains, Northwest China. In this study, the species richness, vegetation structure, and soil water content are investigated from the patch edge to the center in four sizes ofM. przewalskyipatches (i.e., small patch, <100 cm in canopy diameter; middle patch, 100–200 cm; large patch, 200–300 cm; and the largest patch, >300 cm). The results show that while the patches grow continuously, the dominant species changes fromStipa kryloviitoM. przewalskyiwith an increasing trend in plant productivity and decreasing trend in species richness and soil water content. Plant height, density, coverage, and above‐ground biomass ofM. przewalskyipopulation increases from the patch edge to the center in small, middle, and large patches, whereas it is precisely the opposite in the largest patch. Interestingly, soil water content exhibits a decreasing trend from the patch edge to the center in all patches. The results indicate that the rapid spread ofM. przewalskyimay well alter vegetation pattern and cause a severe soil moisture deficit, which would further drive the degradation of ecosystem functioning in subalpine meadows.
Rapid Expansion ofMelica przewalskyiCauses Soil Moisture Deficit and Vegetation Degradation in Subalpine Meadows
CLEAN Soil Air Water
Gao, Fu‐Yuan (author) / Shi, Fu‐Xi (author) / Chen, Hui‐Min (author) / Zhang, Xin‐Hou (author) / Yu, Xue‐Yang (author) / Cui, Qian (author) / Zhao, Cheng‐Zhang (author)
2018-01-01
Article (Journal)
Electronic Resource
English
Soil Moisture Deficit Analysis
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