%A La Qiong, Zhaxi Ciren, Weidong Zhu, Min Xu, Yang Zhong %T Plant species-richness and association with environmental factors in the riparian zone of the Yarlung Zangbo River of Tibet, China %0 Journal Article %D 2014 %J Biodiv Sci %R 10.3724/SP.J.1003.2014.13186 %P 337-347 %V 22 %N 3 %U {https://www.biodiversity-science.net/CN/abstract/article_8480.shtml} %8 2014-05-20 %X

Studying patterns of species richness and their causal factors remain important topics in ecology. How species composition, richness and vegetation type change along environmental gradients within the riparian zone of Yarlung Zangbo River have been relatively little studied. Here, a total of 90 plots (6 plots×15 altitudinal transects) were sampled along an altitudinal gradient within this riparian zone. A total of 238 species of vascular plants were recorded, and results of a Detrended Correspondence Analysis indicated that both altitude and longitude play important roles in determining species composition. Canonical Correspondence Analysis showed that the 90 plots could be divided into five vegetation types, and that these vegetation types were affected most by altitude and longitude. We found a slightly inverted U-shaped relationship between species richness and altitude and longitude. Species richness was positively correlated with precipitation and vegetation cover.