生物多样性 ›› 2025, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (1): 24254.  DOI: 10.17520/biods.2024254  cstr: 32101.14.biods.2024254

• 研究报告: 植物多样性 • 上一篇    下一篇

腾格里沙漠东南缘不同年限固沙植被区种子雨和土壤种子库动态与植被更新潜力

曲文杰1,2,3, 王磊1,5,*(), 康文岩4, 杨新国1,5,*(), 屈建军3, 张雪1,5   

  1. 1.宁夏大学西北退化生态系统恢复与重建教育部重点实验室, 银川 750021
    2.宁夏大学农林与生态环境学部, 银川 750021
    3.中国科学院西北生态环境资源研究院敦煌戈壁荒漠生态与环境研究站, 兰州 730000
    4.中国铁路兰州局集团有限公司中卫工务段, 宁夏中卫 755000
    5.宁夏黄河湿地生态系统国家定位观测研究站, 银川 750021
  • 收稿日期:2024-06-23 接受日期:2024-08-22 出版日期:2025-01-20 发布日期:2025-02-19
  • 通讯作者: * E-mail: WL8999@163.com; xinguoyang1976@163.com
  • 基金资助:
    宁夏科技创新领军人才(2021GKLRLX13);国家自然科学基金(32060313)

Seed supply and regeneration potential of sand-fixing vegetation with different establishment years in the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert

Wenjie Qu1,2,3, Lei Wang1,5,*(), Wenyan Kang4, Xinguo Yang1,5,*(), Jianjun Qu3, Xue Zhang1,5   

  1. 1 Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Resoration in Northwest China, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
    2 Faculty of Agriculture, Forestry and Ecological Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
    3 Dunhuang Gobi and Desert Ecological and Environmental Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
    4 Zhongwei Section, Lanzhou Bureau Group Co., Ltd., China Railway, Zhongwei, Ningxia 755000, China
    5 National Observation and Research Station for Wetland Ecosystem of Yellow River in Ningxia, Yinchuan 750021, China
  • Received:2024-06-23 Accepted:2024-08-22 Online:2025-01-20 Published:2025-02-19
  • Contact: * E-mail: WL8999@163.com; xinguoyang1976@163.com
  • Supported by:
    Leading Talents in Scientific and Technological Innovation in Ningxia(2021GKLRLX13);National Natural Science Foundation of China(32060313)

摘要:

保持固沙植被系统的相对稳定性, 促进其植被的自然更新与演替, 当前已成为腾格里沙漠东南缘固沙植被可持续管理亟待解决的重要理论与技术问题。本研究以包兰铁路北侧不同年限固沙植被区为研究对象, 对其种子雨、土壤种子库、地上植被的特征, 以及三者之间的关系进行了分析。结果表明: 种子雨的组成以一年生草本为主, 其密度动态受物种扩散物候控制, 普遍呈双峰(峰值分别出现在7月和11月)分布模式, 并以30-40年固沙植被区种子雨密度为最高。土壤种子库植物组成以一年生草本植物为主, 兼具瞬时和持久种子库特征, 并以表层土壤和30-40年固沙植被区土壤种子库密度最高。不同年限固沙植被区普遍呈现出结构相对简单的地上植被组成特征。地上植被与种子雨、土壤种子库的物种相似性分析结果表明, 50-60年固沙植被区相似性显著高于15-20年和30-40年固沙植被区, 土壤种子库与地上植被的相似性高于种子雨与地上植被的相似性。从月度物种构成的相似性来看, 土壤种子库的组内相似性最高, 其次是地上植被。腾格里沙漠东南缘固沙植被区种子雨发生、土壤种子库组成、地上植被特征具有显著的物种和生境差异性; 随固沙年限的增加, 三者间联系的紧密程度随之提升, 趋于形成本地土壤种子库补充地上植被循环的更新维持机制。

关键词: 腾格里沙漠, 种子雨, 土壤种子库, 植被更新, 相似性分析

Abstract

Aims: In arid sandy areas, while the sand-fixing vegetation system is crucial to maintaining ecological security, artificial vegetation gradually often faces the risk of degradation with the increase of the growth period. Recently, it has become an urgent theoretical and technical challenge to maintain the relative stability of sand-fixing vegetation systems, as well as promote their natural regeneration and succession. To understand the ecological traits of seeds from sand-fixing vegetation areas with different establishment years, we collected vegetation samples from the north side of the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway at the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert. Our objectives are to determine the characteristics of the seed rain, soil seed bank, and aboveground vegetation, along with interrelationships among them to characterize species growth and community structures in this specific environment. The overall goal is to fully understand the mechanisms of underlying vegetation renewal, succession, and stability maintenance in the sand-fixing vegetation area on the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert, thereby providing a theoretical basis for the sustainable management of the sand-fixing vegetation system.

Methods: On the northern edge of the Baotou-Lanzhou Railway, we selected three types of sand-fixing plots with different establishment years (15-20 years, 30-40 years, 50-60 years) for a 2-year field study. We collected seed trap and soil seed bank samples annually from these plots. The collected seeds were germinated indoors, and vegetation surveys were conducted each year. The similarity of species composition between aboveground vegetation, seed rain, and soil seed bank were analyzed using the Sørensen similarity index (SI) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) ordination methods. Additionally, we quantitatively analyzed the relative contributions of seed source availability versus dispersal limitation to the formation of the soil seed bank.

Results: Our results indicated that the seed rain composition in sand-fixing vegetation areas with different establishment years was dominated by annual herbs, with their density dynamics showing a bimodal distribution pattern in July and November, controlled by the phenology of seed dispersal. The highest seed rain density was observed in sand-fixing vegetation established for 30-40 years. The soil seed bank composition in these areas was primarily composed of annual herbs, exhibiting characteristics of both transient and persistent seed banks, with a tendency towards persistent seed banks. However, seeds of Caragana korshinskii showed typical transient soil seed bank characteristics. The highest soil seed bank density was found in the surface soil layer and in areas established for 30-40 years. Aboveground vegetation in sand-fixing areas generally exhibited a simple structure. The similarity between mobile dune areas and areas established for 50-60 years was higher than that between areas established for the 15-20 years and those established for 30-40 years. Furthermore, the similarity between soil seed banks and aboveground vegetation was higher than that between seed rain and aboveground vegetation. Regarding the similarity in monthly species composition, the highest similarity within groups was found in the soil seed bank, followed by aboveground vegetation. Additionally, our species composition similarity results between aboveground vegetation, seed rain, and soil seed bank, showed no significant differences using both SI and NMDS ordination methods. Both methods revealed that similarities between aboveground vegetation, seed rain, and soil seed banks tend to increase with sand-fixing duration.

Conclusion: Persistent soil seed banks serve as a potential driving force for long-term vegetation renewal, while seed rain enhances the potential for vegetation regeneration. In this study, we determined that sand-fixing vegetation areas in the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert, as well as the occurrence of seed rain, the composition of the soil seed bank, and the characteristics of aboveground vegetation, exhibit significant differences in species and habitat. Additionally, we found that as the duration of sand-fixing increases, the degree of connection among the three components (seed rain, soil seed bank, and aboveground vegetation) also increases, tending to form a local soil seed bank supplementation mechanism that supports the cyclical renewal and maintenance processes of aboveground vegetation.

Key words: the Tengger Desert, seed rain, soil seed bank, vegetation regeneration, similarity analysis