WATER TABLE AND THE DESERT RIPARIAN FOREST COMMUNITY IN THE LOWER REACHES OF TARIM RIVER, CHINA

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.04.012

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Intensive utilization of water resources in the Tarim River watershed during the past five decades has reduced flows in a 320-km section in the lower reaches, drying lakes and lowering groundwater levels. This has degraded Populus euphratica forests over large areas, reducing biodiversity and impairing ecosystem structure and function. Our objectives are to study ecological responses of the natural vegetation to changes in the water table and determine the water table depth needed for the survival of desert riparian forest.

Methods We divided water table depths into a gradient of six levels based on annual mean groundwater level and sampled vegetation plots for each of the six levels. We analyzed niche characteristics and species diversity of the primary populations for the six water table levels.

Important findings With an increase of groundwater depth, the niche breadth of plant populations increases approximately monotonically, reaching a maximum at a groundwater depth of 4-6 m, after which the niche breadth decreases. Niche overlap is the smallest and plant species abundance highest at groundwater depth of 4-6 m. The Hill species diversity index showed highest species diversity with groundwater depth of 2-4 m, followed by 4-6 m and then 0-2 m. At groundwater depth > 6 m, diversity is low and the diversity curve becomes smooth. Therefore, to restore the degraded vegetation in the lower reaches of Tarim River, the groundwater depth should be at least 6 m, with 4-6 m in most areas and 2-4 m in some areas near the water course.

Key words: niche breadth, niche overlap, species diversity, groundwater table, lower reaches of Tarim River

HAO Xing-Ming, LI Wei-Hong, and CHEN Ya-Ning. WATER TABLE AND THE DESERT RIPARIAN FOREST COMMUNITY IN THE LOWER REACHES OF TARIM RIVER, CHINA[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2008, 32(4): 838-847.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2008.04.012

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2008/V32/I4/838

Figures/Tables 5

References 23

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编号 Number	种名 Species	编号 Number	种名 Species
1	多枝柽柳 Tamarix ramosissima	11	猪毛菜 Salsola sp.
2	胀果甘草 Glycyrrhiza inflata	12	白刺 Nitraria sibirica
3	刚毛柽柳 T.hispida	13	刺沙蓬 Salsola ruthenica
4	黑刺 Lycium ruthenicum	14	假苇拂子茅 Calamagrostis pseudophragmites
5	胡杨 Populus euphratica	15	河西苣 Hexinia polydichotoma
6	花花柴 Karelinia caspica	16	蓼子朴 Inula salsoloides
7	铃铛刺 Halimodendron halodendron	17	牛皮消 Cynanchum sibiricum
8	芦苇 Phragmites communis	18	沙枣 Elaeagnus angustifolia
9	大花罗布麻 Apocynum venetum	19	小獐毛 Aeluropus pungens
10	疏叶骆驼刺 Alhagi sparsifolia

编号 Number	种名 Species	编号 Number	种名 Species
1	多枝柽柳 Tamarix ramosissima	11	猪毛菜 Salsola sp.
2	胀果甘草 Glycyrrhiza inflata	12	白刺 Nitraria sibirica
3	刚毛柽柳 T.hispida	13	刺沙蓬 Salsola ruthenica
4	黑刺 Lycium ruthenicum	14	假苇拂子茅 Calamagrostis pseudophragmites
5	胡杨 Populus euphratica	15	河西苣 Hexinia polydichotoma
6	花花柴 Karelinia caspica	16	蓼子朴 Inula salsoloides
7	铃铛刺 Halimodendron halodendron	17	牛皮消 Cynanchum sibiricum
8	芦苇 Phragmites communis	18	沙枣 Elaeagnus angustifolia
9	大花罗布麻 Apocynum venetum	19	小獐毛 Aeluropus pungens
10	疏叶骆驼刺 Alhagi sparsifolia

物种 Species	编号Number	地下水位 Groundwater table
		0~2 m	2~4 m	4~6 m	6~8 m	8~10 m	>10 m
		生态位宽度 Niche breadth
多枝柽柳 Tamarix ramosissima	1	0	1.92	3.2	2.57	2.15	1.51
胀果甘草 Glycyrrhiza inflata	2	0.64	2.49	2		0.69
刚毛柽柳 T.hispida	3		1.31	2.99	1.76	0	0
黑刺 Lycium ruthenicum	4	0		2.54	1.69	0.87
胡杨 Populus euphratica	5	0	2.33	2.79	1.93	1.35
花花柴 Karelinia caspica	6		1.39	1.41		0.69
铃铛刺 Halimodendron halodendron	7		1.1	2.37	0.69
芦苇 Phragmites communis	8	0.34	1.52	2.05
大花罗布麻 Apocynum venetum	9	0	1.73	2.05	0.69	0
疏叶骆驼刺 Alhagi sparsifolia	10	0.63	1.88	2.41		1.37
猪毛菜 Salsolasp.	11		0.66	0.68	0.69
白刺 Nitraria sibirica	12		0.67	0.68
刺沙蓬 Salsola ruthenica	13		0.67
拂子茅 Calamagrostis pseudophragmites	14		0
河西苣 Hexinia polydichotoma	15		1.41	0
蓼子朴 Inula salsoloides	16		0.69
牛皮消 Cynanchum sibiricum	17		0	0
沙枣 Elaeagnus angustifolia	18		0.98
小獐毛 Aeluropus pungens	19		1.08

物种 Species	编号Number	地下水位 Groundwater table
		0~2 m	2~4 m	4~6 m	6~8 m	8~10 m	>10 m
		生态位宽度 Niche breadth
多枝柽柳 Tamarix ramosissima	1	0	1.92	3.2	2.57	2.15	1.51
胀果甘草 Glycyrrhiza inflata	2	0.64	2.49	2		0.69
刚毛柽柳 T.hispida	3		1.31	2.99	1.76	0	0
黑刺 Lycium ruthenicum	4	0		2.54	1.69	0.87
胡杨 Populus euphratica	5	0	2.33	2.79	1.93	1.35
花花柴 Karelinia caspica	6		1.39	1.41		0.69
铃铛刺 Halimodendron halodendron	7		1.1	2.37	0.69
芦苇 Phragmites communis	8	0.34	1.52	2.05
大花罗布麻 Apocynum venetum	9	0	1.73	2.05	0.69	0
疏叶骆驼刺 Alhagi sparsifolia	10	0.63	1.88	2.41		1.37
猪毛菜 Salsolasp.	11		0.66	0.68	0.69
白刺 Nitraria sibirica	12		0.67	0.68
刺沙蓬 Salsola ruthenica	13		0.67
拂子茅 Calamagrostis pseudophragmites	14		0
河西苣 Hexinia polydichotoma	15		1.41	0
蓼子朴 Inula salsoloides	16		0.69
牛皮消 Cynanchum sibiricum	17		0	0
沙枣 Elaeagnus angustifolia	18		0.98
小獐毛 Aeluropus pungens	19		1.08

编号Number	地下水位 Groundwater table (m)
	0~2											2~4																4~6
	2	4		5		8		9		10		2		3		5		6		7		8	9	10		11		2		3		4		5		6
1	0.34	0.61		0.82		0.11		0.00		0.67		0.46		0.63		0.57		0.19		0.08		0.06	0.30	0.30		0.12		0.14		0.45		0.28		0.34		0.19
2		0.73		0.52		0.77		0.66		0.67				0.31		0.70		0.16		0.33		0.35	0.19	0.35		0.05				0.27		0.13		0.12		0.00
3																0.31		0.00		0.00		0.03	0.14	0.22		0.00						0.35		0.19		0.14
4				0.80		0.49		0.39		0.94																								0.05		0.00
5						0.29		0.18		0.85								0.32		0.37		0.12	0.32	0.26		0.16										0.10
6																				0.00		0.20	0.50	0.39		0.47
7																						0.00	0.00	0.00		0.00
8								0.89		0.44													0.36	0.46		0.02
9										0.33														0.61		0.24
10																										0.23
编号Number	地下水位 Groundwater table (m)
	4~6												6~8										8~10													>10
	6		7		8		9		10		11		3		4		5		7		9	11	2		3		4		5		6		9		10	3
1	0.19		0.30		0.19		0.19		0.30		0.06		0.31		0.42		0.30		0.04		0.17	0.10	0.20		0.07		0.33		0.39		0.20		0.13		0.44	0.05
2	0.00		0.12		0.44		0.35		0.49		0.00				0.37		0.21		0.34		0.00	0.37			0.10		0.81		0.33		0.20		0.98		0.10
3	0.14		0.28		0.15		0.38		0.32		0.00						0.12		0.12		0.10	0.06					0.06		0.33		0.10		0.00		0.10
4	0.00		0.68		0.24		0.25		0.29		0.00																		0.15		0.20		0.10		0.10
5	0.10		0.06		0.14		0.07		0.15		0.09								0.21		0.00	0.00									0.20		0.10		0.20
6			0.08		0.25		0.23		0.12		0.00																						0.10		0.54
7					0.14		0.33		0.27		0.00										0.00	0.00
8							0.00		0.44		0.00
9									0.22		0.00											0.00													0.10
10											0.04