Biodiv Sci ›› 2020, Vol. 28 ›› Issue (3): 269-276.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2019102

Special Issue: 青藏高原生物多样性与生态安全

• Original Papers • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Sex ratio and spatial pattern of Taxus fuana, a Wild Plant with Extremely Small Populations in Tibet

Yaobin Song1#,Li Xu1#,Junpeng Duan1,Weijun Zhang1,Xiaolu Shentu1,Tianxiang Li1,Runguo Zang2,Ming Dong1,3,*()   

  1. Key Laboratory of Hangzhou City for Ecosystem Protection and Restoration, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036
    Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091
    Ecological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Mianyang Normal University, Mianyang 621000
  • Received:2019-03-28 Accepted:2019-06-10 Online:2020-03-20 Published:2019-10-16
  • Contact: Ming Dong

Abstract:

Dioecious plant populations possess sex ratio and gender distribution of individuals, which are important for individual reproduction, population viability, natural regeneration and maintenance of genetic diversity. This is particularly true for rare and endangered dioecious ones. In China, Taxus fuana is among the 120 Wild Plant with Extremely Small Populations (WPESP) and observed only in the Jilong County of Tibet Autonomous Region. However, little has been reported about its population ecology, especially about its sex ratio and gender spatial distribution pattern of individuals. We did a field investigation for six T. fuana populations in Jilong and recorded 1,651 male and 1,231 female individuals in total, whereby its sex ratio and gender spatial distribution pattern of individuals per population were analyzed. Our results showed that Jipu (male/female = 1.89) and Kaire (male/female = 1.39) populations tended to be male-biased (P < 0.001), but male and female individuals from the six populations showed weak spatial association. Individuals of smaller size of Jilong and Kaire populations showed significantly male-biased, while male biased occurred medium size of Jipu population. In summary, T. fuana populations were different in size structure distribution, sex ratio, size structure of male and female individuals, and their spatial patterns. Our study suggests that it is necessary to carry out targeted conservation considering different population characteristics, disturbance types, and environmental factors.

Key words: Taxus fuana, dioecism, sex ratio, spatial pattern, Wild Plant with Extremely Small Populations