EFFECTS OF GRAZING ON THE SOIL SEED BANK OF A STIPA KRYLOVII STEPPE COMMUNITY

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2005.0099

Abstract

Abstract:

We studied the soil seed bank of a Stipa krylovii steppe community at two sites with different land-use histories: an enclosed pasture, which has been fenced since 2001, and a grazed pasture, which has been continuously grazed for more than 20 years. The experiment was carried out in Duolun County of Xilingol League, Inner Mongolia.
Sixteen 12 cm diameter soil cores were collected to a depth of 5 cm at each site on March 30 and 31, 2004. The soil seed bank was estimated by monitoring seedling emergence, a convenient way to compare soils under similar conditions. Vegetation composition was assessed at each site on May and August 2004 by recording the species presented in sixteen 0.5 m×0.5 m quadrats that were distributed randomly alongside the seed bank sampling points.
A total of 1 593 seedlings belonging to 19 species germinated from 32 soil samples. The total seed bank flora at the two sites included 6 grass species and 13 forbs, 18 of which were perennials and 1 annual, 10 monocotyledons and 9 dicotyledons. In the fenced pasture, there were 16 perennials, 6 grasses and 9 monocotyledons from a total of 16 species in the seed bank, whereas 12 perennials, 4 grasses and 5 monocotyledons from a total of 13 species were found in the seed bank of the grazed pasture. The average number of viable seeds per square meter was significantly higher at the fenced site A ((5 139±1 848) seeds·m^-2) than that at the grazed site B ((3 664±1 087) seeds·m^-2). Sorensen's similarity index was 0.711 1 for the fenced site and 0.611 1 for the grazed site. In total, only fifteen species were found in the established vegetation at both sites. As many as 81.0 % of the seeds recorded belonged to only five species (Artemisia frigida, S. krylovii, Potentilla acaulis, Cleistogenes squarrosa, and Allium bidentatum). Another 5 species accounted for 16.2% of the seeds recorded and the other 9 species accounted for only 2.8% of the total.
Our results showed that the scarcity of seeds of some important steppe species combined with the unbalanced distribution of seeds among species may inhibit the restoration process of the S. krylovii steppe. Therefore, reseeding and other management steps should be used to speed up the restoration process of the degraded S. krylovii steppe.

Key words: Agro-pastoral ecotone, Degraded pasture, Restoration, Similarity

ZHAN Xue-Ming, LI Ling-Hao, LI Xin, CHENG Wei-Xin. EFFECTS OF GRAZING ON THE SOIL SEED BANK OF A STIPA KRYLOVII STEPPE COMMUNITY[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2005, 29(5): 747-752.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2005.0099

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2005/V29/I5/747

Figures/Tables 3

References 25

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地点 Sites	土壤种子库的密度(粒·m^-2) Density of the soil seed bank (seeds·m^-2)
地点 Sites	禾草 Grasses	非禾草 Forbs	一年生植物 Annuals	多年生植物 Perennials	单子叶植物 Monocotyledons	双子叶植物 Dicotyledons	合计 Total
A B	1 647±872 1 840±601	3 493±1 487 1 824±896	0 11±30	5 139±1 848 3 653±1 098	2 310±1 041 1 857±597	2 829±1 489 1 807±905	5 139±1 848 3 664±1 087

地点 Sites	土壤种子库的密度(粒·m^-2) Density of the soil seed bank (seeds·m^-2)
地点 Sites	禾草 Grasses	非禾草 Forbs	一年生植物 Annuals	多年生植物 Perennials	单子叶植物 Monocotyledons	双子叶植物 Dicotyledons	合计 Total
A B	1 647±872 1 840±601	3 493±1 487 1 824±896	0 11±30	5 139±1 848 3 653±1 098	2 310±1 041 1 857±597	2 829±1 489 1 807±905	5 139±1 848 3 664±1 087

物种 Species	各样地的种子数目(粒) Seed number of each site (seeds)			植被 Vegetation
物种 Species	A	B	合计Sum	A	B
灰绿藜 Chenopodium glaucum	0	2	2	+	-
星毛委陵菜 Potentilla acaulis	111	55	166	+	-
二裂委陵菜 Potentilla bifurca	1	23	24	+	+
菊叶委陵菜 Potentilla tanacetifolia	15	8	23	+	+
扁蓄豆 Melilotoides ruthenica	0	1	1	+	+
白花黄芪 Astragalus galactites	7	1	8	+	+
冷蒿 Artemisia frigida	334	190	524	+	+
猪毛蒿 Artemisia scoparia	41	47	88	+	+
阿尔泰狗娃花 Heteropappus altaicus	3	0	3	+	+
黄囊苔草 Carex korshinskyi	10	0	10	+	+
细叶早熟禾 Poa angustifolia	4	0	4	+	+
克氏针茅 Stipa krylovii	154	180	334	+	+
冰草 Agropyron cristatum	53	9	62	+	+
羊草 Leymus chinensis	55	6	61	+	+
糙隐子草 Cleistogenes squarrosa	22	138	160	+	+
砂韭 Allium bidentatum	106	0	106	+	+
细叶韭 Allium tenuissimum	3	0	3	+	+
长梗韭 Allium neriniflorum	11	0	11	+	-
野韭 Allium ramosum	0	3	3	+	+
瓣蕊唐松草 Thalictrum petaloideum	0	0	0	+	-
石竹 Dianthus chinensis	0	0	0	+	-
刺藜 Chenopodium aristatum	0	0	0	-	+
绢毛委陵菜 Potentilla sericea	0	0	0	+	+
长毛荚黄芪 Astragalus monophyllus	0	0	0	+	-
鳞叶龙胆 Gentiana squarrosa	0	0	0	+	-
糙苏 Phlomis umbrosa	0	0	0	+	+
达乌里芯芭 Cymbaria dahurica	0	0	0	+	-
绢毛蒿 Artemisia sericea	0	0	0	-	+
蒲公英 Taraxacum mongolicum	0	0	0	-	+
鸦葱 Scorzonera austriaca	0	0	0	+	-
狭叶山苦卖 Ixeris chinensis	0	0	0	-	+
少花顶冰花 Gagea pauciflora	0	0	0	+	-
细叶鸢尾 Iris tenuifolia	0	0	0	+	-
马蔺 Iris lactea	0	0	0	-	+
合计 Total	930	663	1 593

物种 Species	各样地的种子数目(粒) Seed number of each site (seeds)			植被 Vegetation
物种 Species	A	B	合计Sum	A	B
灰绿藜 Chenopodium glaucum	0	2	2	+	-
星毛委陵菜 Potentilla acaulis	111	55	166	+	-
二裂委陵菜 Potentilla bifurca	1	23	24	+	+
菊叶委陵菜 Potentilla tanacetifolia	15	8	23	+	+
扁蓄豆 Melilotoides ruthenica	0	1	1	+	+
白花黄芪 Astragalus galactites	7	1	8	+	+
冷蒿 Artemisia frigida	334	190	524	+	+
猪毛蒿 Artemisia scoparia	41	47	88	+	+
阿尔泰狗娃花 Heteropappus altaicus	3	0	3	+	+
黄囊苔草 Carex korshinskyi	10	0	10	+	+
细叶早熟禾 Poa angustifolia	4	0	4	+	+
克氏针茅 Stipa krylovii	154	180	334	+	+
冰草 Agropyron cristatum	53	9	62	+	+
羊草 Leymus chinensis	55	6	61	+	+
糙隐子草 Cleistogenes squarrosa	22	138	160	+	+
砂韭 Allium bidentatum	106	0	106	+	+
细叶韭 Allium tenuissimum	3	0	3	+	+
长梗韭 Allium neriniflorum	11	0	11	+	-
野韭 Allium ramosum	0	3	3	+	+
瓣蕊唐松草 Thalictrum petaloideum	0	0	0	+	-
石竹 Dianthus chinensis	0	0	0	+	-
刺藜 Chenopodium aristatum	0	0	0	-	+
绢毛委陵菜 Potentilla sericea	0	0	0	+	+
长毛荚黄芪 Astragalus monophyllus	0	0	0	+	-
鳞叶龙胆 Gentiana squarrosa	0	0	0	+	-
糙苏 Phlomis umbrosa	0	0	0	+	+
达乌里芯芭 Cymbaria dahurica	0	0	0	+	-
绢毛蒿 Artemisia sericea	0	0	0	-	+
蒲公英 Taraxacum mongolicum	0	0	0	-	+
鸦葱 Scorzonera austriaca	0	0	0	+	-
狭叶山苦卖 Ixeris chinensis	0	0	0	-	+
少花顶冰花 Gagea pauciflora	0	0	0	+	-
细叶鸢尾 Iris tenuifolia	0	0	0	+	-
马蔺 Iris lactea	0	0	0	-	+
合计 Total	930	663	1 593