Research Articles

Point pattern analysis of dominant populations in a degraded community in Leymus chinensis + Stipa grandis steppe in Inner Mongolia, China

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  • 1School of Energy and Power Engineering, Inner Mongolia University of Technology, Huhhot 010051, China
    2College of Life Sciences, Inner Mongolia University
    3Sino-US Center for Conservation, Energy and Sustainability Science in Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010021, China
    4Meteorological Research Institute of Inner Mongolia, Hohhot 010051, China

Received date: 2011-06-28

  Accepted date: 2011-08-31

  Online published: 2011-12-15

Abstract

Aims Steppe dominated byStipa grandis and Leymus chinensis is the zonal vegetation in the temperate steppe region of China and eastern Eurasia. It has been heavily disturbed by overgrazing in China. Our objective was to investigate the spatial patterns of dominant populations in a degraded community of steppe.
Methods We used photography orientation to measure the patterns of dominant populations in a degraded community of typical steppe. We used complete spatial randomness, Poisson cluster process and double-cluster process to analyze the patterns of dominant populations based on point pattern.
Important findings The patterns of dominant populations ofL. chinensis, Agropyron michnoi, S. grandis and Cleistogenes squarrosa fit the nested double-cluster process at all scales in the community block of 5 m × 5 m. This ecological phenomenon may be induced by facilitation.

Cite this article

WANG Xin-Ting, HOU Ya-Li, LIU Fang, CHANG Ying, WANG Wei, LIANG Cun-Zhu, MIAO Bai-Ling . Point pattern analysis of dominant populations in a degraded community in Leymus chinensis + Stipa grandis steppe in Inner Mongolia, China[J]. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 2011 , 35(12) : 1281 -1289 . DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2011.01281

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