Abstract: The prediction and mapping of potential vegetation distribution is of instructive to the ecological restoration planning. By using generalized additive model (GAM) and in combining with GIS spatial analyst and environmental stratification sampling techniques, a distribution model for 24 dominant species in Yanhe River catchment was developed, and, based on the interspecific relationships in plant communities and the distribution probability, the spatial distribution of plant species was calculated, and the distribution of 37 plant communities and of the potential vegetation in Yanhe River catchment was predicted. The results showed that there were no significant differences between predictive values and actual data, and the predictive spatial distribution of vegetation could actually reflect the distribution of potential vegetation in Yanhe River catchment, suggesting that the established model had good ability for the vegetation distribution prediction, which was of significance to the goalsetting and planning of vegetation restoration.

Key words: photosynthetic characteristics, chlorophyll fluorescence characteristics, black soil region., maize, ridge tillage, shallow tillage