文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Endemic shrubs in temperate arid and semiarid regions of northern China and their potentials for rangeland restoration

作者：Chu, Jianmin[1] Yang, Hongxiao[2] Lu, Qi[3] Zhang, Xiaoyan[1]

第一作者：褚建民

通信作者：Yang, HX[1]

机构：[1]Chinese Acad Forestry, Key Lab Tree Breeding & Cultivat, State Forestry Adm, Res Inst Forestry, Beijing 100091, Peoples R China;[2]Qingdao Agr Univ Chengyang, Qingdao Engn Res Ctr Rural Environm, Coll Resources & Environm, Qingdao 266109, Shandong, Peoples R China;[3]Chinese Acad Forestry, Inst Desertificat Studies, Beijing 100091, Peoples R China

年份：2015

卷号：7

外文期刊名：AOB PLANTS

收录：;WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:000359061500001)】；

基金：The study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31370707, 31000322), the Basic Research Fund of CAF (CAFYBB2007043, 200714) and the Huimin Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology (2012GS610203).

语种：英文

外文关键词：Drought-enduring shrubs; endemic species; northern China; nurse plants; rangeland restoration; sand stabilization; species conservation; temperate arid regions

摘要：Some endemic shrubs in arid and semiarid ecosystems are in danger of extinction, and yet they can play useful roles in maintaining or restoring these ecosystems, thus practical efforts are needed to conserve them. The shrubs Amygdalus pedunculata Pall., Amygdalus mongolica (Maxim.) Ricker and Ammopiptanthus mongolicus (Maxim. ex Kom.) Cheng f. are endemic species in arid and semiarid regions of northern China, where rangeland desertification is pronounced due to chronic overgrazing. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that these endemic shrubs have developed adaptations to arid and semiarid environments and could play critical roles as nurse species to initiate the process of rangeland recovery. Based on careful vegetation surveys, we analysed the niches of these species in relation to precipitation, temperature and habitats. All sampling plots were categorized by these endemics and sorted by the non-metric multidimensional scaling method. Species ratios of each life form and species co-occurrence rates with the endemics were also evaluated. Annual average temperature and annual precipitation were found to be the key factors determining vegetation diversity and distributions. Amygdalus pedunculata prefers low hills and sandy land in temperate semiarid regions. Amygdalus mongolica prefers gravel deserts of temperate semiarid regions. Ammopiptanthus mongolicus prefers sandy land of temperate arid regions. Communities of A. pedunculata have the highest diversity and the largest ratios of long-lived grass species, whereas those of A. mongolicus have the lowest diversity but the largest ratios of shrub species. Communities of A. mongolica are a transition between the first two community types. These findings demonstrate that our focal endemic shrubs have evolved adaptations to arid and semiarid conditions, thus they can be nurse plants to stabilize sand ground for vegetation restoration. We suggest that land managers begin using these shrub species to restore degraded rangelands as part of a general conservation effort.