Quantitative classification and analysis of relationships between plant communities and their groundwater environment in the Ejin Desert Oasis of China

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00480

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Ejin Desert Oasis is a typical arid oasis in the Hexi corridor of northwestern and northern China. Water resources in the area have changed since 2000. Our objective was to classify the plant community types and determine the relationship between vegetation and environmental factors in order to evaluate the influence of water regulation on vegetation in this region.

Methods We obtained data on 29 plant species from 151 study plots of natural vegetation of the Ejin Desert Oasis and classified the plant communities by two-way indicators species analysis (TWINSPAN) and correlated them with six groundwater environmental variables using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) ordinations.

Important findings Six plant associations were identified. The main factor correlated to their distribution was groundwater depth, which had more influence on the distribution of plant species and vegetation than other variables because change of groundwater depth leads to changes in both salinity and mineralization. The first ordination axis was correlated with the gradient of groundwater depth, and the second axis was correlated with pH. Compared with other areas, the scarcity of plant species and the differentiation of plant communities were obvious.

Key words: detrended canonical correspondence analysis, detrended correspondence analysis, Ejin Desert Oasis, groundwater environment, plant community, two-way indicators species analysis

ZHU Jun-Tao, YU Jing-Jie, WANG Ping, WANG Zhi-Yong. Quantitative classification and analysis of relationships between plant communities and their groundwater environment in the Ejin Desert Oasis of China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2011, 35(5): 480-489.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.00480

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2011/V35/I5/480

Figures/Tables 8

Fig. 1 Distribution of plant plots in Ejin Desert Oasis.

Fig. 2 Two-way indicators species analysis (TWINSPAN) classification results of plant communities in Ejin Desert Oasis. S1, Karelinia caspica; S2, Tamarix ramosissima; S3, Nitraria tangutorum; S4, Artemisia sp.; S5, Sophora alopecuroides; S6, Reaumuria soongorica; S7, Ephedra przewalskii; S8, Calligonum sp.; S9, Alhagi sparsifolia; S10, Achnatherum splendens; S11, Oxytropis glabra; S12, Salsola collina; S13, Bassia dasyphylla; S14, Populus euphratica; S15, Glycyrrhiza uralensis; S16, Elaeagnus angustifolia; S17, Phragmites communis; S18, Leymus secalinus; S19, Calamagrostis epigeios; S20, Elymus breviaristatus.

Fig. 3 Dendrogram of two-way indicators species analysis (TWINSPAN) classification of 31 plots (151 quadrats) plant communities in Ejin Desert Oasis. D, division of plots; N, number of plots. I, Ass. Phragmites australis + herbs; II, Ass. Populus euphratica-Tamarix ramosissima + herbs; III, Ass. Elaeagnus angustifolia-Tamarix ramosissima + herbs; IV, Ass. Tamarix ramosissima-herbs; V, Ass. Karelinia caspica-Nitraria tangutorum + Artemisia sp. + Calligonum sp.; VI, Ass. Ephedra przewalskii-Reaumuria soongorica + Nitraria tangutorum + Alhagi sparsifolia.

Fig. 4 Two-dimensional detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) ordination diagram of 31 plots in Ejin Desert Oasis. 1-31 represent plot codes. I, Ass. Phragmites australis + herbs; II, Ass. Populus euphratica-Tamarix ramosissima + herbs; III, Ass. Elaeagnus angustifolia-Tamarix ramosissima + herbs; IV, Ass. Tamarix ramosissima-herbs; V, Ass. Karelinia caspica- Nitraria tangutorum + Artemisia sp. + Calligonum sp.; VI, Ass. Ephedra przewalskii-Reaumuria soongorica + Nitraria tangutorum + Alhagi sparsifolia.

Fig. 5 Two-dimensional detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) ordination diagram of the main plant species in Ejin Desert Oasis. S1, Karelinia caspica; S2, Tamarix ramosissima; S3, Nitraria tangutorum; S6, Reaumuria soongorica; S7, Ephedra przewalskii; S8, Calligonum sp.; S10, Achnatherum splendens; S14, Populus euphratica; S16, Elaeagnus angustifolia; S17, Phragmites communis.

Table 1 Marginal and conditional effects of each variable obtained from the forward selection

边际影响 Marginal effects		条件影响 Conditional effects		p值 p value	r值 r value	F值 F value
环境因子 Environment factor	特征值Eigenvalue	环境因子 Environment factor	特征值 Eigenvalue	p值 p value	r值 r value	F值 F value
地下水埋深 Groundwater depth	0.86	地下水埋深 Groundwater depth	0.86	0.002^**	0.27	8.49
盐分 Salinity	0.85	pH	0.71	0.002^**	0.23	8.12
矿化度 Total dissolved solids	0.79	盐分 Salinity	0.35	0.002^**	0.11	3.15
电导率 Electric conductivity	0.78	矿化度 Total dissolved solids	0.31	0.005^**	0.06	3.41
pH	0.75	电导率 Electric conductivity	0.27	0.036^*	0.06	1.58
HCO₃^-	0.64	HCO₃^-	0.18	0.032^*	0.05	1.98
SO₄^2-	0.64	Ca²⁺	0.12	0.226		1.29
Na⁺	0.61	Na⁺	0.11	0.318		1.13
Ca²⁺	0.52	SO₄^2-	0.08	0.284		1.23
Mg²⁺	0.35	Cl^-	0.08	0.698		0.62
Cl^-	0.18	Mg²⁺	0.07	0.682		0.67
K⁺	0.07	K⁺	0.06	0.716		0.64

Fig. 6 Two-dimensional detrended canonical correspondence analysis (DCCA) ordination diagram of 31 plots in Ejin Desert Oasis. Dep, groundwater depth; EC, electric conductivity; SAL, salinity; TDS, total dissolved solids. 1-31 represent plot codes. I, Ass. Phragmites australis + herbs; II, Ass. Populus euphratica-Tamarix ramosissima + herbs; III, Ass. Elaeagnus angustifolia-Tamarix ramosissima + herbs; IV, Ass. Tamarix ramosissima-herbs; V, Ass. Karelinia caspica-Nitraria tangutorum + Artemisia sp. + Calligonum sp.; VI, Ass. Ephedra przewalskii-Reaumuria soongorica + Nitraria tangutorum + Alhagi sparsifolia.

Table 2 Variation characteristics of environmental proxy variables of each association

群丛类型 Association type	地下水埋深 Groundwater depth (m)	pH值 pH value	盐分 Salinity (%)	矿化度 Total dissolved solids (mg·L^-1)	电导率 Electric conductivity (μs·cm^-1)	HCO₃^- (mg·L^-1)
I	1.10-1.85	7.22-7.42	1.32-1.65	583.15-753.85	635.72-894.25	114.37-146.52
II	2.28-3.56	7.38-7.80	1.80-2.52	947.64-1385.37	856.21-1285.36	173.85-233.42
III	2.33-4.25	7.32-7.65	1.75-2.30	665.42-1063.55	774.55-1095.36	135.25-196.73
IV	2.81-5.15	7.46-7.90	2.41-3.25	1223.58-1745.26	1130.83-2216.15	201.36-347.70
V	3.32-5.54	7.55-8.25	3.15-3.87	1574.54-2512.75	1578.86-2653.24	279.09-382.15
VI	4.25-6.86	7.64-9.29	3.70-5.15	1885.35-3643.71	2156.33-3497.56	315.48-457.50

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