Quantitative Classification and Ordination of Plant Communities in the Upper and Middle Reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin

doi:10.5814/j.issn.1674-764X.2019.04.006

Abstract

Abstract:

Based on vegetation survey data and environmental data of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, we conducted a quantitative ecological analysis of the vegetation community composition and the relationship between species and the environment in the study area. The results showed that 44 sampling sites and 68 plant species in the study area can be classified into seven subtypes: Artemisia minor + Stipa purpurea; Artemisia demissa + Stipa purpurea + Artemisia wellbyi; Kobresia pygmaea; Trikeraia hookeri; Sophora moorcroftiana + Cotoneaster multiflorus + Pennisetum centrasiaticum; Artemisia frigida; Potentilla fruticosa + Orinus thoroldii. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) indicated that both longitude and altitude play important roles in site and species distribution patterns. In addition, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) revealed that in the upper and middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin, changes in temperature and precipitation caused by longitude are the main factors controlling the formation and transition of vegetation community types. Moreover, natural vegetation could be divided into three types: desert steppe community (source area), alpine steppe community (middle reaches region), and shrub community (confluence of Yarlung Zangbo River and Nyangqu River).

Key words: upper and middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River, plant community, quantitative classification, ordination

WANG Tong,WANG Jingsheng,DING Yuke,LIU Wenjing,BAO Xiaoting,LI Chao. Quantitative Classification and Ordination of Plant Communities in the Upper and Middle Reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin[J]. Journal of Resources and Ecology, 2019, 10(4): 389-396.

Figures/Tables 6

Fig. 1 Schematic diagram of the study area (the upper and middle reaches of the Yarlung Zangbo River) and sampling sites

Fig. 2 Sample setting diagram

Fig. 3 Dendrogram of the TWINSPAN classification of 44 sites in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin

Fig. 4 Two-dimensional DCA ordination diagram of sampling sites in the Yarlung Zangbo River Basin

Fig. 5 DCA ordination diagram of 68 species in the Yarlung Zangbo RiverNotes: 1. Pennisetum centrasiaticum 2. Dracocephalum heterophyllum 3. Heteropappus semiprostratus 4. Oxytropis glacialis 5. Incarvillea younghusbandii 6. Artemisia wellbyi 7. Artemisia hedinii 8. Elymus nutans 9. Carex brachyathera 10. Onosma paniculatum 11. Artemisia minor 12. Androsace tapete 13. Pleurospermum hedinii 14. Arenaria pulvinata 15. Potentilla saundersiana 16. Potentilla bifurca 17. Oxytropis gerzeensis 18. Kobresia pygmaea 19. Carex infuscata 20. Orinus thoroldii 21. Androsace graminifolia 22. Blysmus sinocompressus 23. Eragrostis pilosa 24. Potentilla fruticosa 25. Potentilla anserina 26. Fagopyrum tataricum 27. Stipa roborowskyi 28. Delphinium caeruleum 29. Stellera chamaejasme 30. Lomatogonium carinthiacum 31. Poa crymophila 32. Artemisia frigida 33. Pedicularis verticillata 34. Oxytropis sericopetala 35. Lasiocaryum densiflorum 36. Hierochloe odorata 37. Astragalus densiflorus 38. Anaphalis xylorhiza 39. Phlomis younghusbandii 40. Taraxacum mongolicum 41. Heteropappus bowerii) 42. Carex moorcroftii 43. Trikeraia hookeri 44. Chamaerhodos sabulosa 45. Sophora moorcroftiana 46. Arenaria edgeworthiana 47. Delphinium tangkulaense 48. Lepidium capitatum 49. Astragalus arnoldii 50. Pedicularis wallichii 51. Astragalus acaulis 52. Saussurea tibetica 53. Kobresia tibetica 54. Urtica tibetica 55. Poa tibetica 56. Draba oreades 57. Hypecoum leptocarpum 58. Oxytropis pusilla 59. Artemisia demissa 60. Oxytropis microphylla 61. Potentilla parvifolia 62. Potentilla cuneata 63. Aster himalaicus 64. Festuca ovina 65. Rhodiola smithii 66. Dimorphostemon pinnatus 67. Swertia bimaculata 68. Stipa purpurea.

Fig. 6 CCA ordination diagram of sampling sites in the Yarlung Zangbo River BasinNotes: Elev = elevation; Lat = latitude; MAP = mean annual precipitation; MAT = mean annual temperature; Lng = longitude; MTCM = mean temperature of the coldest month.

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