Biogeographic patterns and environmental interpretation of plant species richness in desert regions of Northwest China

doi:10.17520/biods.2017149

Abstract

Abstract:

Desertification poses an important ecological problem in Northwest China as desert ecosystems are highly vulnerable to climatic and land-use changes. Due to the harsh environment and poor accessibility, systematic studies of plant diversity in the desert region of Northwest China remain elusive. Here, we explored the geographic patterns of species richness and determinants in the desert regions of Northwest China based on species richness and spatial and climatic factors of 195 field plots. Results showed that a total of 363 species were recorded, belonging to 38 families and 153 genera. Species richness exhibited significant longitudinal and latitudinal gradients, which were quadratically correlated with longitude and latitude. Species richness was strongly influenced by spatial, water, and energy factors. These factors explained 65.36% of the variation in species richness, while 48.08% was simultaneously explained by the three groups of factors. Furthermore, the water and energy factors together explained more variation than that of spatial factors. These results indicate that the patterns of species richness were determined by niche, neutral, and other unknown processes together, and suggest that environmental factors play an important role. We highlight that unmeasured factors including soil, topography, and human disturbances may greatly affect plant species richness in the desert regions of Northwest China.

http://jtp.cnki.net/bilingual/detail/html/SWDY201711008

Key words: desert, species richness, spatial variables, water, energy, niche, neutral processes

Jianming Wang, Wenjuan Wang, Jingwen Li, Yiming Feng, Bo Wu, Qi Lu. Biogeographic patterns and environmental interpretation of plant species richness in desert regions of Northwest China[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2017, 25(11): 1192-1201.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.17520/biods.2017149

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2017/V25/I11/1192

Figures/Tables 7

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	最大值 Max	平均值 Mean	最小值 Min	标准误差 SD
物种丰富度 Species richness	19	7.69	1	3.56
地理因素 Geographic variables
海拔 Altitude (m)	2,870	1,268	216	442.76
经度 Longitude (E)	111.45°	97.90°	82.00°	7.92
纬度 Latitude (N)	47.56°	41.80°	36.70°	2.50
气候因素 Climatic factors
年均降水量 Mean annual precipitation (MAP, mm)	261	107.66	15	65.27
年均温度 Mean annual temperature (MAT, °C)	12.10	6.80	2.10	2.10
潜在蒸散量 Potential evapotranspiration (PET, mm)	1,349	1,034.10	831	118.42
实际蒸散量 Actual evapotranspiration (AET, mm)	238	103.08	16	57.69
湿润指数 Moisture index (MI)	-69.29	-88.93	-98.89	7.37
最热月均温 Mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM, °C)	27.80	22.92	14.70	2.27
最冷月均温 Mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCM, °C)	-6.8	-11.71	-18.7	2.57
气温日较差 Mean diurnal range (MDR, °C)	16.50	13.94	11.00	1.39
气温年较差 Temperature annual range (ART, °C)	53.60	48.10	41.50	2.39

	最大值 Max	平均值 Mean	最小值 Min	标准误差 SD
物种丰富度 Species richness	19	7.69	1	3.56
地理因素 Geographic variables
海拔 Altitude (m)	2,870	1,268	216	442.76
经度 Longitude (E)	111.45°	97.90°	82.00°	7.92
纬度 Latitude (N)	47.56°	41.80°	36.70°	2.50
气候因素 Climatic factors
年均降水量 Mean annual precipitation (MAP, mm)	261	107.66	15	65.27
年均温度 Mean annual temperature (MAT, °C)	12.10	6.80	2.10	2.10
潜在蒸散量 Potential evapotranspiration (PET, mm)	1,349	1,034.10	831	118.42
实际蒸散量 Actual evapotranspiration (AET, mm)	238	103.08	16	57.69
湿润指数 Moisture index (MI)	-69.29	-88.93	-98.89	7.37
最热月均温 Mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM, °C)	27.80	22.92	14.70	2.27
最冷月均温 Mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCM, °C)	-6.8	-11.71	-18.7	2.57
气温日较差 Mean diurnal range (MDR, °C)	16.50	13.94	11.00	1.39
气温年较差 Temperature annual range (ART, °C)	53.60	48.10	41.50	2.39

	经度 Longitude	纬度 Latitude	海拔 Altitude
水分因子 Water factors
年均降水量 Mean annual precipitation (MAP, mm)	0.392 (US)^***	0.167 (US)^**	0.022 (HS)^*
实际蒸散量 Actual evapotranspiration (AET, mm)	0.383 (US)^***	0.260 (US)^*	0.038 (HS)^*
湿润指数 Moisture index (MI)	0.387 (US)^***	0.304 (US)^***	0.037 (HS)^*
能量因子 Energy factors
年均温度 Mean annual temperature (MAT, °C)	0.098 (HS)^***	0.269 (-)^***	0.073 (-)^***
气温日较差 Mean diurnal range (MDR, °C)	0.337 (HS)^**	0.338 (-)^***	0.067 (+)^**
气温年较差 Temperature annual range (ART, °C)		0.198 (+)^***	0.406 (-)^***
潜在蒸散量 Potential evapotranspiration (PET, mm)	0.157 (HS)^***	0.363 (-)^***
最冷月均温 Mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCM, °C)	0.226 (HS)^***	0.672 (-)^***	0.044 (HS)^**
最热月均温 Mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM, °C)	0.081 (HS)^**	0.092 (HS)^***	0.323(-)^***

	经度 Longitude	纬度 Latitude	海拔 Altitude
水分因子 Water factors
年均降水量 Mean annual precipitation (MAP, mm)	0.392 (US)^***	0.167 (US)^**	0.022 (HS)^*
实际蒸散量 Actual evapotranspiration (AET, mm)	0.383 (US)^***	0.260 (US)^*	0.038 (HS)^*
湿润指数 Moisture index (MI)	0.387 (US)^***	0.304 (US)^***	0.037 (HS)^*
能量因子 Energy factors
年均温度 Mean annual temperature (MAT, °C)	0.098 (HS)^***	0.269 (-)^***	0.073 (-)^***
气温日较差 Mean diurnal range (MDR, °C)	0.337 (HS)^**	0.338 (-)^***	0.067 (+)^**
气温年较差 Temperature annual range (ART, °C)		0.198 (+)^***	0.406 (-)^***
潜在蒸散量 Potential evapotranspiration (PET, mm)	0.157 (HS)^***	0.363 (-)^***
最冷月均温 Mean temperature of the coldest month (MTCM, °C)	0.226 (HS)^***	0.672 (-)^***	0.044 (HS)^**
最热月均温 Mean temperature of the warmest month (MTWM, °C)	0.081 (HS)^**	0.092 (HS)^***	0.323(-)^***