Effect of mining landscape history on local species diversity: a case study of the Yimin open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1003.2014.13130

Abstract

Abstract:

The exploration and utilization of mineral resources accelerates local economic and social development and simultaneously exacerbates the effects of climate and landscape changes, resulting in landscape fragmentation. Landscape change is widely considered as a major threat to species loss at a regional and global scale. However, how species diversity responds to landscape changes on a temporal scale has usually been ignored. In this study, we explored relationships between landscape and biodiversity (species level and functional group level) during different years 1975, 1990, 2000 and 2010) at the Yimin open-pit coal mine, a mine that has been exploited for more than 30 years and that has produced obvious fragmentation effects on the landscape in Hulunbuir City. The ongoing patterns of transformation of the landscape were measured using the landscape dominance index, the habitat integral index of connectivity (IIC), and the habitat probability of connectivity (PC) at seven different spatial scales. The main results were as follows: The present species diversity is significantly correlated with the landscape pattern indices of previous and earlier mining at a medium-sized spatial scale (4–8 km buffers). Different plant functional groups responded in various ways to changing landscape patterns. The species richness of perennial rhizome grasses was significantly correlated with the present small-scale landscape pattern (1–3 km), and the species richness of perennial forbs was significantly correlated with the previous and earlier mining large-scale landscape patterns (4–10 km). Perennial bunchgrasses were not significantly correlated with landscape patterns. We concluded that the time lag expressed by changes in plant species diversity occurred in response to changing patterns of construction and configurations of habitats in the landscape. The regional species pool determined the local species diversity. The connected habitat patches within a 4–8 km buffer region represented the principal species pool. The propagation strategies and dispersal traits of various functional groups were important mechanisms maintaining species diversity in a fragmented area.

Key words: suitable habitat, extinction debt, habitat connectivity, dispersal treat, mining area

Sarula Kang,Qing Zhang,Jianming Niu,Jianjun Dong,Wenjing Ma,Xin Li,Changming Chang,Chenwei Shang. Effect of mining landscape history on local species diversity: a case study of the Yimin open-pit coal mine in Inner Mongolia[J]. Biodiv Sci, 2014, 22(2): 117-128.

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URL: https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1003.2014.13130

https://www.biodiversity-science.net/EN/Y2014/V22/I2/117

Figures/Tables 9

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差异显著性检验 Notable difference test		差异显著性 Significance
物种丰富度(单因素ANOVA) Species richness (One-Way ANOVA )		0.000^**
功能群内丰富度(单样本t检验) Richness of functional groups (One-Sample t test)	灌木与半灌木 Shrubs and semi-shrubs (SS)	0.083
	多年生丛生禾草 Perennial bunchgrasses (PB)	0.035^*
	多年生根茎禾草 Perennial rhizome grasses (PR)	0.003^**
	多年生杂类草 Perennial forbs (PF)	0.000^**
	一二年生草本 Annuals and biennials (AB)	0.046^*

差异显著性检验 Notable difference test		差异显著性 Significance
物种丰富度(单因素ANOVA) Species richness (One-Way ANOVA )		0.000^**
功能群内丰富度(单样本t检验) Richness of functional groups (One-Sample t test)	灌木与半灌木 Shrubs and semi-shrubs (SS)	0.083
	多年生丛生禾草 Perennial bunchgrasses (PB)	0.035^*
	多年生根茎禾草 Perennial rhizome grasses (PR)	0.003^**
	多年生杂类草 Perennial forbs (PF)	0.000^**
	一二年生草本 Annuals and biennials (AB)	0.046^*

	景观百分率 vs. 所有物种 LP vs. all species			景观百分率 vs. 多年生根茎禾草 LP vs. PR			景观百分率 vs. 多年生杂草 LP vs. PF			生境连接度 vs. 所有物种 HC vs. all species		生境连接度 vs. 多年生根茎禾草 HC vs. PR		生境连接度 vs. 多年生杂草 HC vs. PF
	a	b	c	a	b	c	a	b	c	IIC	PC	IIC	PC	IIC	PC
1975_1km	0.470^*	–	–0.470^*	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.472^*	0.473^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_2km	0.512^**	–	–0.512^**	NS	–	NS	0.510^**	–	–0.510^**	0.481^*	0.493^*	NS	NS	0.516^**	0.518^**
1975_3km	0.580^**	–	–0.580^**	NS	–	NS	0.519^**	–	–0.519^**	0.530^**	0.555^**	NS	NS	0.520^**	NS
1975_4km	0.736^**	–	–0.736^**	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.649^*	0.706^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_6km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_8km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.867^**	0.841^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_10km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.660^*	0.687^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_1km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_2km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.430^*	–	–0.430^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_3km	0.508^**	–	–0.508^**	NS	–	NS	0.466^*	–	–0.466^*	0.447^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.462^*
1990_4km	0.690^**	–	–0.690^**	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	0.638^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_6km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_8km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.854^**	0.835^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_10km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.651^*	0.677^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_1km	NS	NS	NS	0.481^*	NS	–0.440^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.530^**	0.535^**	NS	NS
2000_2km	NS	NS	NS	0.500^*	–0.450^*	–0.490^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.448^*	0.494^*	NS	NS
2000_3km	NS	NS	NS	0.459^*	–0.503^*	–.419^*	NS	NS	NS	0.445^*	0.425^*	NS	0.421^*	NS	NS
2000_4km	NS	NS	NS	0.524^**	NS	–0.524^**	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_6km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_8km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.846^**	0.824^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_10km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.647^*	0.674^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_1km	NS	NS	NS	0.557^**	–0.477^*	–0.513^**	NS	NS	NS	0.460^*	0.441^*	0.507^**	0.544^**	NS	NS
2010_2km	NS	NS	NS	0.560^**	–0.500^*	–0.490^*	NS	NS	NS	0.398^*	NS	0.426^*	0.473^*	NS	NS
2010_3km	NS	NS	NS	0.474^*	–0.498^*	–0.415^*	NS	NS	NS	0.464^*	NS	NS	0.402^*	NS	NS
2010_4km	NS	NS	NS	0.490^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.644^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_6km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.699^*	0.633^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_8km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.798^**	0.843^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_10km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS

	景观百分率 vs. 所有物种 LP vs. all species			景观百分率 vs. 多年生根茎禾草 LP vs. PR			景观百分率 vs. 多年生杂草 LP vs. PF			生境连接度 vs. 所有物种 HC vs. all species		生境连接度 vs. 多年生根茎禾草 HC vs. PR		生境连接度 vs. 多年生杂草 HC vs. PF
	a	b	c	a	b	c	a	b	c	IIC	PC	IIC	PC	IIC	PC
1975_1km	0.470^*	–	–0.470^*	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.472^*	0.473^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_2km	0.512^**	–	–0.512^**	NS	–	NS	0.510^**	–	–0.510^**	0.481^*	0.493^*	NS	NS	0.516^**	0.518^**
1975_3km	0.580^**	–	–0.580^**	NS	–	NS	0.519^**	–	–0.519^**	0.530^**	0.555^**	NS	NS	0.520^**	NS
1975_4km	0.736^**	–	–0.736^**	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.649^*	0.706^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_6km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_8km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.867^**	0.841^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
1975_10km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.660^*	0.687^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_1km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_2km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.430^*	–	–0.430^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_3km	0.508^**	–	–0.508^**	NS	–	NS	0.466^*	–	–0.466^*	0.447^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.462^*
1990_4km	0.690^**	–	–0.690^**	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	0.638^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_6km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_8km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.854^**	0.835^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
1990_10km	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	NS	–	NS	0.651^*	0.677^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_1km	NS	NS	NS	0.481^*	NS	–0.440^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.530^**	0.535^**	NS	NS
2000_2km	NS	NS	NS	0.500^*	–0.450^*	–0.490^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.448^*	0.494^*	NS	NS
2000_3km	NS	NS	NS	0.459^*	–0.503^*	–.419^*	NS	NS	NS	0.445^*	0.425^*	NS	0.421^*	NS	NS
2000_4km	NS	NS	NS	0.524^**	NS	–0.524^**	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_6km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_8km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.846^**	0.824^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
2000_10km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.647^*	0.674^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_1km	NS	NS	NS	0.557^**	–0.477^*	–0.513^**	NS	NS	NS	0.460^*	0.441^*	0.507^**	0.544^**	NS	NS
2010_2km	NS	NS	NS	0.560^**	–0.500^*	–0.490^*	NS	NS	NS	0.398^*	NS	0.426^*	0.473^*	NS	NS
2010_3km	NS	NS	NS	0.474^*	–0.498^*	–0.415^*	NS	NS	NS	0.464^*	NS	NS	0.402^*	NS	NS
2010_4km	NS	NS	NS	0.490^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.644^*	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_6km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.699^*	0.633^*	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_8km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	0.798^**	0.843^**	NS	NS	NS	NS
2010_10km	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS	NS