Analysis of structures of permafrost wetland plant communities along environmental gradients in the Da Hinggan Mountains, China

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.10.005

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Changes in permafrost wetland plant communities were indicators of the retreat of permafrost in the Da Hinggan Mountains in China. Our objective was to understand the changes in species diversity and ecological characteristics of permafrost wetland plant communities along environmental gradients as the keys to predict changes in permafrost and permafrost wetlands in response to global warming.

Methods We analyzed the distribution of 24 permafrost wetland plant communities in the Da Hinggan Mountains using detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA). Species diversity, life forms and hydro- ecotypes of permafrost wetland plant communities were compared in three types of permafrost using multiple comparisons in ANOVA.

Important findings The 24 permafrost wetland plant communities were classified into three groups according to three types of permafrost. From the predominantly continuous permafrost to the sparsely island permafrost to the predominantly continuous and island permafrost, shrub diversity decreased (p < 0.05), herbaceous diversity increased (p < 0.05), the percentage of mesophytes was 38.5%, 55.9% and 64.4%, respectively, the importance value decreased for helophytes (p < 0.05) and increased for mesophytes and xerophiles (p < 0.05), suggesting that the soil moisture tended to a moderate amount of moisture, and even drought. Hemicryptophytes were dominant and phanerophytes and geophytes were subdominant in the three types of permafrost, suggesting short summers and long, cold, wet winters in the areas. The species diversity and ecological characteristics of permafrost wetland plant communities in the predominantly continuous and island permafrost were similar to that in the sparsely island permafrost.

Key words: detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA), Da Hinggan Mountains, hydro-ecotype, life form, permafrost, species diversity

SUN Ju, LI Xiu-Zhen, WANG Xian-Wei, LÜ Jiu-Jun, LI Zong-Mei, HU Yuan-Man. Analysis of structures of permafrost wetland plant communities along environmental gradients in the Da Hinggan Mountains, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(10): 1165-1173.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.10.005

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2010/V34/I10/1165

Figures/Tables 8

References 32

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冻土区类型 Permafrost type	大片多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous permafrost	大片-岛状多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous and island permafrost	稀疏岛状多年冻土区 Sparely island permafrost
样地 Sampling sites	1-16	17-20	21-24
纬度 Latitude (N)	50.69°-53.20°	49.57°-50.38°	48.83°-49.20°
经度 Longitude (E)	121.52°-123.00°	121.23°-121.71°	120.80°-121.31°
海拔 Altitude (m)	443-836	748-817	680-782
年平均气温 Mean annual air temperature (℃)	-4.2^a	-3.0^b	-1.1^c
年平均降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)	437.2^a	431.1^ab	423.4^b
年平均湿度 Mean annual humidity (%)	69.8^a	68.3^b	65.7^c
年平均日照时间 Mean annual sunshine time (h)	2 450.8^a	2 586.7^b	2 680.7^c
多年冻土的连续性 Continuity of permafrost	75%-60%	60%-30%	< 30%
群落描述 Description of communities	主要优势灌木和草本植物为柴桦(Betula fruticosa)和白毛羊胡子草(Eriophorum vaginatum), 泥炭藓(Sphagnum spp.)的盖度为0-90% The main dominant shrubs and herbaceous plants were Betula fruticosa and Eriophorum vaginatum. The coverage of Sphagnum spp. was 0-90%.	主要优势灌木和草本植物为柴桦(B. fruticosa)和大穗薹草 (Carex rhynchophysa), 无泥炭藓(Sphagnum spp.) The main dominant shrubs and herbaceous plants were B. fruticosa and Carex rhynchophysa. There was no Sphagnum spp. in 24 plots.	主要优势灌木和草本植物为卷边柳(Salix siuzerii)和臌囊薹草(C. schmidtii), 无泥炭藓(Sphagnum spp.) The main dominant shrubs and herbaceous plants were Salix siuzerii and C. schmidtii. There was no Sphagnum spp. in 24 plots.

冻土区类型 Permafrost type	大片多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous permafrost	大片-岛状多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous and island permafrost	稀疏岛状多年冻土区 Sparely island permafrost
样地 Sampling sites	1-16	17-20	21-24
纬度 Latitude (N)	50.69°-53.20°	49.57°-50.38°	48.83°-49.20°
经度 Longitude (E)	121.52°-123.00°	121.23°-121.71°	120.80°-121.31°
海拔 Altitude (m)	443-836	748-817	680-782
年平均气温 Mean annual air temperature (℃)	-4.2^a	-3.0^b	-1.1^c
年平均降水量 Mean annual precipitation (mm)	437.2^a	431.1^ab	423.4^b
年平均湿度 Mean annual humidity (%)	69.8^a	68.3^b	65.7^c
年平均日照时间 Mean annual sunshine time (h)	2 450.8^a	2 586.7^b	2 680.7^c
多年冻土的连续性 Continuity of permafrost	75%-60%	60%-30%	< 30%
群落描述 Description of communities	主要优势灌木和草本植物为柴桦(Betula fruticosa)和白毛羊胡子草(Eriophorum vaginatum), 泥炭藓(Sphagnum spp.)的盖度为0-90% The main dominant shrubs and herbaceous plants were Betula fruticosa and Eriophorum vaginatum. The coverage of Sphagnum spp. was 0-90%.	主要优势灌木和草本植物为柴桦(B. fruticosa)和大穗薹草 (Carex rhynchophysa), 无泥炭藓(Sphagnum spp.) The main dominant shrubs and herbaceous plants were B. fruticosa and Carex rhynchophysa. There was no Sphagnum spp. in 24 plots.	主要优势灌木和草本植物为卷边柳(Salix siuzerii)和臌囊薹草(C. schmidtii), 无泥炭藓(Sphagnum spp.) The main dominant shrubs and herbaceous plants were Salix siuzerii and C. schmidtii. There was no Sphagnum spp. in 24 plots.

生活型 Life form	大片多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous permafrost	大片-岛状多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous and island permafrost	稀疏岛状多年冻土区 Sparely island permafrost	df	F 值 F value
高位芽植物 Phanerophytes	1.047^a	1.000^b	1.000^b	2	7.816*
地上芽植物 Chamaephytes	0.004^a	0.001^a	0.000^a	2	0.292
地面芽植物 Hemicryptophytes	0.866^a	0.819^a	0.825^a	2	0.920
地下芽植物 Geophytes	0.079^a	0.177^b	0.168^b	2	6.127*
一年生植物 Therophytes	0.003^a	0.002^a	0.007^a	2	0.381

生活型 Life form	大片多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous permafrost	大片-岛状多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous and island permafrost	稀疏岛状多年冻土区 Sparely island permafrost	df	F 值 F value
高位芽植物 Phanerophytes	1.047^a	1.000^b	1.000^b	2	7.816*
地上芽植物 Chamaephytes	0.004^a	0.001^a	0.000^a	2	0.292
地面芽植物 Hemicryptophytes	0.866^a	0.819^a	0.825^a	2	0.920
地下芽植物 Geophytes	0.079^a	0.177^b	0.168^b	2	6.127*
一年生植物 Therophytes	0.003^a	0.002^a	0.007^a	2	0.381

水分生态型 Hydro-ecotype	大片多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous permafrost	大片-岛状多年冻土区 Predominantly continuous and island permafrost	稀疏岛状多年冻土区 Sparely island permafrost	df	F 值 F value
沼生植物 Helophytes	0.809^a	0.593^a	0.147^b	2	13.956*
湿生植物 Hygrophytes	0.845^a	0.751^a	1.072^b	2	6.571*
中生植物 Mesophytes	0.346^a	0.651^b	0.775^b	2	7.681*
旱生植物 Xerophils	0.001^a	0.005^b	0.006^ab	2	4.060*