Community Differentiation and Ecological Influencing Factors along Environmental Gradients: Evidence from 1200 km Belt Transect across Inner Mongolia Grassland, China

Zhanyong Fu, Fei Wang, Zhaohua Lu, Meng Zhang, Lin Zhang, Wenyue Hao, Ling Zhao, Yang Jiang, Bing Gao, Rui Chen and Bingjie Wang
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Zhanyong Fu: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Fei Wang: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Zhaohua Lu: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Meng Zhang: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Lin Zhang: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Wenyue Hao: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Ling Zhao: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Yang Jiang: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Bing Gao: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Rui Chen: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China
Bingjie Wang: School of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology-Beijing, Beijing 100083, China

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-14

Abstract: In this work, we conducted a 1200 km belt transect for field survey in typical and meadow steppes across Inner Mongolia Plateau in 2018. The field investigation, laboratory soil analysis, and quantitative ecology methods were utilized to explore the differentiation characteristics of the plant community, and their relationships with ecological factors. The results showed that a total of 140 vascular plants within 108 quadrats mainly comprised of Asteraceae, Poaceae, Rosaceae, and Fabaceae. Two-way Indicator Species Analysis (TWINSPAN) revealed eight vegetation typologies: I: Stipa sareptana var. krylovii + Dysphania aristata , II: Stipa grandis + Leymus chinensis , III: Stipa sareptana var. krylovii + Leymus chinensis , IV: Stipa grandis + Cleistogenes squarrosa , V: Stipa grandis + Carex duriuscula , VI: Stipa baicalensis + Leymus chinensis , VII: Carex pediformis + Stipa baicalensis , VIII: Leymus chinensis + Elymus dahuricus . Detrend Correspondence Analysis (DCA) confirmed the above eight vegetation typologies and indicated a relatively small variation. Redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that the spatial differentiation characteristics in the typical steppe were chiefly driven by precipitation, while the influencing factor in the meadow steppe was soil nutrients, followed by temperature and precipitation. The contrast between typical and meadow steppes revealed that the spatial distribution of typical steppe was influenced by precipitation, while the contribution of heat and water in the meadow steppe was equal. The conclusion revealed that the temperature and precipitation conditions coupled with soil nutrients shaped the spatial differentiation characteristics of temperate steppe vegetation in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Therefore, this study advanced our knowledge of the spatial patterns of temperate steppe along longitude and latitude gradients, providing scientific and theoretical guidance for the biodiversity conservation and sustainable ecosystem management of the Inner Mongolia grassland.

Keywords: community differentiation; Inner Mongolia grassland; meadow steppe; typical steppe (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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