Effects of long-term rainfall addition on the morphological characteristics and point pattern of desert plants

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201910.013

Abstract

Abstract: Studying the effects of rainfall change on morphological characteristics, spatial pattern and spatial correlation of desert dominant plants could help to predict the response of desert ecosystem to global climate change. We conducted a 10-year simulated rainfall addition experiment and examined the morphological characteristics, spatial pattern and spatial correlation of typical desert plant species, Nitraria tangutorum and Artemisia ordosica, under long-term simulated rainfall enhancement conditions in Ulanbuh desert, using Programita software, Ripley’s K function, and Monte Carlo method. The results showed that there were significant differences in the number, height, average crown and base diameter of the desert plants under different treatments. The number, height, average crown and base diameter of N. tangutorum and A. ordosica were significantly larger than CK, all of which increased with the amount of rainfall. When the amount of rainfall addition was less than 72 mm, the branch of N. tangutorum showed cluster distribution. When it was larger than 72 mm, it showed a tendency to decrease the aggregation intensity with rainfall increasing. The spatial distribution of A. ordosica population was characterized by random distribution-cluster distribution-random distribution pattern with rainfall increasing. In terms of spatial association, branch of N. tangutorum and A. ordosica showed negative correlation under control, but no correlation or positive correlation with rainfall increasing. When the amount of rainfall increased to 144 mm, the spatial association between two species changed from negative to positive. Under the scenario of increasing rainfall, soil moisture was improved, which would lead to a positive correlation between species and be more conducive to the coexistence and growth of N. tangutorum and A. ordosica.

ZHANG Jing-bo, LI Xin-le, WU Bo, LIU Ming-hu, LI Yong-hua, XIN Zhi-ming, DONG Xue, DUAN Rui-bing. Effects of long-term rainfall addition on the morphological characteristics and point pattern of desert plants[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2019, 30(10): 3367-3375.

References

[1] Zhang J-T (张金屯). Quantitative Ecology. Beijing: Science Press, 2011 (in Chinese)
[2] Watt AS. Pattern and process in the plant community. Journal of Ecology, 1947, 35: 1-22
[3] Purves DW, Law R. Fine-scale spatial structure in a grassland community: Quantifying the plant’s-eye view. Journal of Ecology, 2010, 90: 121-129
[4] Wiegand T, Gunatilleke S, Gunatilleke N, et al. Analyzing the spatial structure of a Sri Lankan tree species with multiple scales of clustering. Ecology, 2007, 88: 3088-3102
[5] Sun S-X (孙世贤), Wei Z-J (卫智军), Wu X-H (吴新宏), et al. Point pattern and spatial association of primary plant populations in the seasonal regulation of grazing intensity in desert grassland. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2016, 36(23): 7570-7579 (in Chinese)
[6] Zi H-B (字洪标), Ade L-J (阿的鲁骥), Liu M (刘敏), et al. Different of community characteristic and niche of dominant species in different grassland types of alpine meadow. Chinese Journal of Applied and Environmental Biology (应用与环境生物学报), 2016, 22(4): 546-554 (in Chinese)
[7] Zhang C (张程). Spatial Pattern of Populations of Typical Desert Plant Communities and Spatial Heterogeneity of Soil Water and Salinity. Master Thesis. Nanjing: Nanjing University, 2007 (in Chinese)
[8] Zhang J-T (张金屯). Analysis of spatial point pattern for plant species. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 1998, 22(4): 344-349 (in Chinese)
[9] Cui X-H (崔向慧), Wang B (王兵), Kang X-G (亢新刚), et al. Research advances of laws of water and heat balance of desert ecosystem. Journal of Beijing Forestry University (北京林业大学学报), 2003, 25(2): 76-80 (in Chinese)
[10] Hu X-K (胡小柯), Li Y (李亚), Li D-L (李得禄), et al. Spatial distribution pattern of desert plants Zygophyllum xanthoxylum. Journal of Southwest Forestry College (西南林业大学学报), 2012, 32(4): 61-65 (in Chinese)
[11] Yang H-X (杨洪晓), Zhang J-T (张金屯), Wu B (吴波), et al. Point pattern analysis of Artemisia ordosica population in the Mu Us sandy land. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2006, 30(4): 563-570 (in Chinese)
[12] Lyu C-Y (吕朝燕), Zhang X-M (张希明), Liu G J (刘国军), et al. Characteristics of the structure and spatial pattern of Haloxylon ammodendron population in the northwestern margin of Junggar Basin. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 2012, 32(2): 380-387 (in Chinese)
[13] Chen Y (陈育), Yang J (杨劼), Zhang P-J (张璞进), et al. Population structure and spatial point pattern of Helianthemum soongoricum in West Ordos, Inner Mongolia, China. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 2014, 34(1): 75-82 (in Chinese)
[14] Liu F (刘法), Yang H-L (杨海龙), Gao J-R (高甲荣), et al. Point pattern analysis of Hedysarum laeve population in Mu Us sandy land. Science of Soil and Water Conservation (中国水土保持科学), 2011, 9(4): 98-103 (in Chinese)
[15] Fu G-Q (付贵全), Xu X-Y (徐先英), Xu M-S (徐梦莎), et al. Spatial point pattern and relevancy of Reaumuria soongorica population under the two habitats in Minqin oasis fringe. Arid Land Geography (干旱区地理), 2016, 39(1): 112-121 (in Chinese)
[16] Cao Y-N (曹晏宁), Shi L-S (史利莎), Han S (韩烁), et al. Point pattern analysis for a population of Artemisia halodendron in a Kerqin Sandlot. Chinese Bulletin of Botany (植物学报), 2008, 25(4): 437-442 (in Chinese)
[17] Song Y-Y (宋于洋), Li Y-Y (李园园), Zhang W-H (张文辉). Analysis of spatial pattern and spatial associa-tion of Haloxylon ammodendron population in different developmental stages. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报),2010, 30(16): 4317-4327 (in Chinese)
[18] Zhang P-J (张璞进), Qing H (清华), Zhang L (张雷), et al. Population structure and spatial pattern of Caragana tibetica communities in Nei Mongol shrub-encroached grassland. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2017, 41(2): 165-174 (in Chinese)
[19] Zhen J-H (甄江红), Liu G-H (刘果厚). Population structure characteristic of Tetraena mongolica in different habitats. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2008, 28(4): 1829-1841 (in Chinese)
[20] Jia X-H (贾晓红), Li X-R (李新荣). Spatial pattern of sand-mound of Nitraria in different habitat at the southeastern fringe of the Tengger Desert. Environmental Science (环境科学), 2008, 29(7): 2046-2053 (in Chinese)
[21] Liu Z-G (刘振国), Li Z-Q (李镇清). Fine-scale spatial pattern of Artemisia frigida population under different grazing intensities. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2004, 24(2): 227-234 (in Chinese)
[22] IPCC. Climate Change 2013: The Physical Science Basis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013
[23] Bao F (鲍芳), He J (何季), Cao Y-L (曹燕丽), et al. Response and acclimation of photosynthesis in Nitraria tangutorum to rain addition treatments in temperate desert in Northwest China. Journal of University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院大学学报), 2017, 34(4): 508-514 (in Chinese)
[24] Ripley BD. Modelling spatial patterns. Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, 1977, 39: 172-212
[25] Diggle PJ. Statistical analysis of spatial point patterns by P. J. Diggle. Biometrics, 1983, 32: 659-667
[26] Kenkel NC. Pattern of self-thinning in Jack pine: Testing the random mortality hypothesis. Ecology, 1988, 69: 1017-1024
[27] Song C (宋聪), Zeng F-J (曾凡江), Liu B (刘波), et al. Influence of water condition on morphological characteristics and biomass of Calligonum caput Medusae schrenk seedlings. Chinese Journal of Ecology (生态学杂志), 2012, 31(9): 2225-2233 (in Chinese)
[28] Berndtsson R, Chen H. Variability of soil water content along a transect in a desert area. Journal of Arid Environments, 1994, 27: 127-139
[29] Huo J-S (霍举颂), Liu W-G (刘卫国), Liu J-G (刘建国), et al. Driving forces of desert plant characteristics in a desert oasis transitional zone in FuKang, Xinjiang, China. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2017, 37(24): 8304-8313 (in Chinese)
[30] Bai C-L (白春利), Ala T (阿拉塔), Chen H-J (陈海军), et al. Effects of addition of nitrogen and water on plant community characteristics of Stipa breviflora desert steppe. Chinese Journal of Grassland (中国草地学报), 2013, 35(2): 69-75 (in Chinese)
[31] Zhang H (张浩). Response of Plant Growth Dynami-cs of Artificial Sand-fixing Vegetation to Precipitation Fluctuation. PhD Thesis. Beijing: University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2015 (in Chinese)
[32] Wang X-T (王鑫厅), Wang W (王炜), Liang C-Z (梁存柱). Changes in the population spatial distribution pattern of Leymus chinensis in degraded steppe community during restorative succession in Inner Mongolia, China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2009, 33(1): 63-70 (in Chinese)
[33] Zhang C (张程), Zhang M-J (张明娟), Xu C (徐驰), et al. Analysis of aggregation in desert plant species in sand lake, Ningxia Autonomous Region, China. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology (植物生态学报), 2007, 31(1): 32-39 (in Chinese)
[34] Du F (杜峰), Liang Z-S (梁宗锁), Hu L-J (胡莉娟). A review on plant competition. Chinese Journal of Ecology (生态学杂志), 2004, 23(4): 157-163 (in Chinese)
[35] Li Q-S (李秋爽), Zhang C (张超), Wang F (王飞), et al. Responses of spatial distribution pattern of Artemisia ordosica population to the precipitation gradient on Ordos Plateau. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2009, 20(9): 2105-2110 (in Chinese)
[36] Wang B-S (王伯荪), Li M-G (李鸣光), Peng S-L (彭少麟). Plant Population Science. Guangzhou: Guangdong Higher Education Press,1995 (in Chinese)
[37] Li Z-S (李智叁), Li F-R (李凤日). Interspecific associations of natural Nitraria tangtorum population and its main companion species in Ulanbuh desert. Bulletin of Botanical Research (植物研究), 2008, 28(1): 98-103 (in Chinese)
[38] Sun D-N (孙丹妮), He W-M (何维明), Wang Y-H (王艳红), et al. The effects of water availabilities on interspecific relationship between Artemisia ordosica and Hedysarum laeve in Mu Us Sandland. Ecological Science (生态科学), 2018, 37(2): 11-17 (in Chinese)
[39] Qin X-Y (秦先燕), Xie Y-H (谢永宏), Chen X-S (陈心胜). Competition and facilitation among wetland plants: A review. Chinese Journal of Ecology (生态学杂志), 2010, 29(1): 117-123 (in Chinese)