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Vegetation responses along environmental gradients on the Ordos plateau, China

  • Original Article
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Ecological Research

Abstract

The Ordos plateau is a unique ecotone and is a focal region for the campaign to reduce or reverse desertification in China. This paper explores the relationship between vegetation and environmental gradients on the Ordos plateau based on a field survey of species distribution, vegetation distribution patterns, plant community structure, ecophysiological properties, and soil water content along an environmental gradient. The vegetation on the Ordos plateau may be divided into three types from east to west: steppe (eastern part), desert steppe (middle part) and steppe desert (western part). From east to west, precipitation declines significantly (from 400 mm to 150 mm). The spatial distribution pattern of vegetation at different sites was random. The density of shrub islands decreased from east to west, and their height and diameter were negatively correlated with precipitation. From east to west, the transpiration rate increased as temperature increased. Stomatal conductance was positively correlated with percentage of sunshine hours and negatively correlated with temperature. Water-use efficiency was positively correlated with average annual precipitation but negatively correlated with increasing percentage of sunshine hours. The results suggest that for effective revegetation, highly drought-tolerant species, such as Caragana tibetica and C. stenophylla, should be used and a lower percentage of vegetation cover expected (30–40%) in the western half of the Ordos plateau. In the eastern half, moderately drought-tolerant species, such as Artemisia ordosica and C. korshinskii, could be used and a higher percentage vegetation cover expected (40–50%).

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Acknowledgments

This research was supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China (30570327), the Field Station Foundation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, the Foundation of President of Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the Environment Agency of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Quantitative Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, No. 20 Nanxincun, **angshan, 100093, Bei**g, China

    Yuanrun Zheng & Guangsheng Zhou

  2. Geography and Geology Department, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, 33431, USA

    Zhixiao **e

  3. Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 100093, Bei**g, China

    Lianhe Jiang

  4. National Institute for Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 305-8506, Japan

    Yuanrun Zheng & Hideyuki Shimizu

  5. Office for Global Learning, Wichita State University, 1845 N Fairmount, Wichita, KS, 67206, USA

    Glyn M. Rimmington

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  1. Yuanrun Zheng
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  2. Zhixiao **e
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  3. Lianhe Jiang
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  4. Hideyuki Shimizu
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  6. Guangsheng Zhou
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Correspondence to Yuanrun Zheng.

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Zheng, Y., **e, Z., Jiang, L. et al. Vegetation responses along environmental gradients on the Ordos plateau, China. Ecol Res 21, 396–404 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-005-0132-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-005-0132-z

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