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cje ›› 2009, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (10): 2020-2025.

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Disturbance effects of Rhombomys opinms on desert plant community in Gurbantonggut Desert.

YANG Wei-kang;JIANG Hui-ping;WANG Xue-qin|XU Wen-xuan   

  1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Science, Urumqi 830011, China
  • Online:2009-11-10 Published:2009-11-10

Abstract: In May 2006, an investigation was made on the plant species composition, vegetation coverage, species density, and aboveground biomass at the Rhombomys opinms burrow sites and control sites in Gurbantonggut Desert, aimed to understand the disturbance effects of R. opinms on the plant species composition and vegetation structure in the Desert. MannWhitney U test showed that the plant species number at the burrow sites (16.1) was significantly higher than at control sites (13.8) (Z=2436, P<005), while the subshrub species richness at the burrow sites (0.8) was significantly lesser than that at the control sites (1.9) (Z=3.442, P<0.01). Under the disturbance of R. opinms, the average vegetation coverage at the burrow sites (2.40%±2.30%) was far lesser than that at the control sites (1446%±682%) (Z=3.63, P<0.01, and the aboveground biomass at the burrow sites (6.52 g·m-2±6.30 g·m-2) was also lower than that at the control sites (23.3 g·m-2±12.85 g·m-2, Z=3.708, P<001). The Simpson Index (0.75±0.10, n=10) and ShannonWiener Index (0.78±0.12, n=10) of the burrow sites were significantly higher than those (0.61±0.16, n=10; 0.60±0.16, n=10) of the control sites (t=2.362, P<0.05; t=2.948, P<0.01). Our results suggested that the burrowing and feeding activities of R. opinms increased the diversity of annul plants and induced the deterioration of subshrubs, and to some extent, the plant community at the burrow sites was characterized by secondary succession.

Key words: Mid-eastern China, Landscape mapping, Land-use/cover dynamic analysis