Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Richness and composition of herbaceous species in restored shrubland and grassland ecosystems in the northern Loess Plateau of China

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Biodiversity and Conservation Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Restored grasslands and shrublands are integral parts of the semi-natural landscape and are of major importance for biodiversity in the northern Loess Plateau. Determining the underlying factors that control the richness and composition of herbaceous species in restored grasslands and shrublands is urgently needed. Thus, the specific objective of this study was to evaluate the relative importance of soil, plant, and topographic explanatory variables affecting the richness and composition of herbaceous species in restored shrubland and grassland ecosystems in a typical watershed within the northern Loess Plateau. In this study, 27 restored grassland sites and 16 restored shrubland sites were sampled during September 2009. Using variation partitioning (partial canonical correspondence analysis), we determined the individual and shared effects of these three sets of explanatory variables on herbaceous biodiversity in the two restored habitats. Most of the explained variation in plant diversity was related to the pure effect of soil, plant, and topographic variables. Restored shrublands had significantly more species than grasslands, and abandoned dam farmlands had significantly more species than other grassland sites. Moreover, botanical diversity responded differently to the explanatory variables in different plant communities. The pure effects of soil properties, soil moisture in particular, accounted for the largest fractions of explained variation in species diversity in restored grasslands. Both plant and topographic variables had balancing pure effects on species diversity in restored shrublands, in particular the shrub density and slope angle. We conclude that the maintenance of a moderate density of shrubs (less than 3600 shrubs per ha), construction of check-dams, and grazing at a low stocking rate, taking conditions of soil and topographic site into account, may help to conserve biodiversity in the northern Loess Plateau.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Báez S, Collins SL (2008) Shrub invasion decreases diversity and alters community stability in northern Chihuahuan desert plant communities. PLoS One 3(6):e2332. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0002332

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Balmford A, Bennun L, Brink BT, Cooper D, Cote IM, Crane P, Dobson A, Dudley N, Dutton I, Green RE, Gregory RD, Harrison J, Kennedy ET, Kremen C, Leader-Williams N, Lovejoy TE, Mace G, May R, Mayaux P, Morling P, Phillips J, Redford K, Ricketts TH, Rodriguez JP, Sanjayan M, Schei PJ, van Jaarsveld AS, Walther BA (2005) The convention on biological diversity’s 2010 target. Science 307:212–213

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bennie J, Hill MO, Baxter R, Huntley B (2006) Influence of slope and aspect on long-term vegetation change in British chalk grasslands. J Ecol 94:355–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blake GR, Hartage KH (1986) Bulk density. In: Klute A (ed) Methods of soil analysis. Part 1-physical, mineralogical methods. ASA and SSSA, Madison, pp 363–375

    Google Scholar 

  • Borcard D, Legendre P, Drapeau P (1992) Partialling out the spatial component of ecological variation. Ecology 73:1045–1055

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bu YJ, Wen ZM, Jiao F, Jiao JY (2005) Research on biodiversity of artificial and natural plant communities in Loess hilly region—taking Ansai county as an example. Res Soil Water Conserv 12:4–6 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Collins SL, Knapp AK, Briggs JM, Blair JM, Steinauer EM (1998) Modulation of diversity by grazing and mowing in native tall grass prairie. Science 280:745–747

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cushman SA, McGarigal K (2002) Hierarchical partitioning. Am Stat 45:90–96

    Google Scholar 

  • Ehrlich PR, Ehrlich AH (1981) Extinction: the cause and consequences of the disappearance of species. Ballantine Books, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Fan BE, Jiao JY, Zhang GY (2006) Response of dominant species of vegetation communities to significant effecting factors in abandoned croplands on the hilly-gullied Loess Plateau. Bull Soil Water Conserv 26:4–9 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fan J, Wang QJ, Shao MA (2007) Numerical modeling of the soil-water dynamics in water-wind erosion criss-cross region on the Loess Plateau. Adv Water Sci 18:683–688

    Google Scholar 

  • Fu BJ, Chen LD, Ma KM (2000) The relationships between land use and soil conditions in the hilly area of the Loess Plateau in northern Shaanxi, China. Catena 39:69–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gao ZL, Zhang XP (2007) Study on the construction and layout of the check-dams on the Loess Plateau of China. Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Gough L, Osenberg CW, Gross KL, Collins SL (2000) Fertilization effects on species density and primary productivity in herbaceous plant communities. Oikos 89:428–439

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hansson M, Fogelfors H (2000) Management of a semi-natural grassland; results from a 15-year-old experiment in southern Sweden. J Veg Sci 11:31–38

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Heikkinen RK, Luoto M, Virkkala R, Rainio K (2004) Effects of habitat cover, landscape structure and spatial variables on the abundance of birds in an agricultural-forest mosaic. J Appl Ecol 41:824–835

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hu W, Shao MA, Wang QJ, Reichardt K (2008) Soil water content temporal-spatial variability of the surface layer of a Loess Plateau hillside in China. Sci Agric 65:277–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Hu W, Shao MA, Wang QJ, Reichardt K (2009) Time stability of soil water storage measured by neutron probe and the effects of calibration procedures in a small watershed. Catena 79:72–82

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Iverson LR, Hutchinson TF (2002) Soil temperature and moisture fluctuations during and after prescribed fire in mixed-oak forests, USA. Nat Areas J 22:296–304

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacquemyn H, Brys R, Hermy M (2003) Short-time effects of different management regimes on the response of calcareous grassland vegetation to increased nitrogen. Biol Conserv 111:137–147

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jiao JY, Ma XH, Bai WJ, Jiao F, Wen ZM (2005) Correspondence analysis of vegetation communities and soil environmental factors on abandoned cropland on hilly-gullied Loess Plateau. Acta Pedol Sin 42:744–752 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jiao JY, Jiao F, Wen ZM (2006) Soil water and nutrients of vegetation communities under different restoration types on the hilly-gullied Loess Plateau. Acta Metall Sin 12:667–674 (in Chinese)

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Klimek S, Kemmermann AR, Hofmann M, Isselstein J (2007) Plant species richness and composition in managed grasslands: the relative importance of field management and environmental factors. Biol Conserv 134:559–570

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Legendre P, Legendre L (1998) Numerical ecology, second English edn. Elsevier, Amsterdam

    Google Scholar 

  • Lei XD, Tang SZ, Li DL, Chen BS, Wang FJ (2002) Canonical correlation analysis between species diversity in shrub layer and stand variables in over-logged forests in northeastern China. Chin J Appl Environ Biol 8:346–350 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Marini L, Scotton M, Klimek S, Isselstein J, Pecile A (2007) Effects of local factors on plant species richness and composition of Alpine meadows. Agric Ecosyst Environ 119:281–288

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maurer K, Weyand A, Fischer M, Stöcklin J (2006) Old cultural traditions, in addition to land use and topography, are shaping plant diversity of grasslands in the Alps. Biol Conserv 130:438–446

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mu XM, Wang XX, Wang WL, Wen ZM, Du F (2003) Impact of artificial forest on soil moisture of the deep soil layer on Loess Plateau. Acta Pedol Sin 40:210–217 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Økland RH, Eilertsen O (1994) Canonical correspondence analysis with variation partitioning: some comments and an application. J Veg Sci 5:117–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pfisterer AB, Schmid B (2002) Diversity-dependent production can decrease the stability of ecosystem functioning. Nature 416:84–86

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu Y, Fu BJ, Wang J (2001) Spatial variability of soil moisture content and its relation to environmental indices in a semi-arid gully catchment of the Loess Plateau, China. J Arid Environ 49:723–750

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds HL, Hungate BA, Chapin FS III, D’Antonio CM (1997) Soil heterogeneity and plant competition in an annual grassland. Ecology 78:2076–2090

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds JF, Kemp PR, Ogle K, Fernández RJ (2004) Modifying the “pulse-reserve” paradigm for deserts of North America: precipitation pulses, soil water, and plant responses. Oecologia 141:194–210

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schulze AP, Mooney HA (1993) Biodiversity and ecosystem function. Springer, Berlin

    Google Scholar 

  • Sebastiá MT (2004) Role of topography and soils in grassland structuring at the landscape and community scales. Basic Appl Ecol 5:331–346

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun CZ, Huang BL, Long HB et al (1998) Interactions between soil water condition and different kinds of artificial plant cover in the Loess Plateau. J Beijing For Univ 20:7–14 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • ter Braak CJF, Smilauer P (2002) CANOCO release 4.0. Reference manual and CanoDraw for Windows user’s guide: software for canonical community ordination (version 4.5). Microcomputer Power, Ithaca

    Google Scholar 

  • Vandvik V, Birks HJB (2002) Partitioning floristic variation in Norwegian upland grasslands into within-site and between-site components: are the patterns determined by environment or by land-use? Plant Ecol 162:233–245

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walker BH, Steffen WE (1996) Global change and terrestrial ecosystems. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang JM, Dai HY, Han B (2000) Soil moisture in loess hilly region. Syst Sci Compr Stud Agric 16:53–56 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang YQ, Zhang XC, Zhang JL, Li SJ (2009) Spatial variability of soil organic carbon in a watershed on the Loess Plateau. Pedosphere 19:486–495

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wang YQ, Shao MA, Shao HB (2010) A preliminary investigation of the dynamic characteristics of dried soil layers on the Loess Plateau of China. J Hydrol 381:9–17

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wei XR, Shao MA (2009) Spatial distribution and conditional simulation of soil pH values in small watershed of loessial gully region. Trans Chin Soc Agric Eng 25(5):61–67 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wen ZM, Jiao F, Bu YJ, Jiao JY (2005) Natural restoration of vegetation and dynamic changes of species diversity in gully regions on Loess Plateau—case study in Wuqi county. Res Soil Water Conserv 12:1–3 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Whisenant SG (1999) Repairing the damaged wildlands: a process-oriented, landscape-scale approach. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Willms WD, Dormaar JF, Adams BW, Douwes HE (2002) Response of the mixed prairie to protection from grazing. J Range Manag 55:210–216

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wilsey BJ, Chalcraft DR, Bowles CM, Willig MR (2005) Relationships among indices suggest that richness is an incomplete surrogate for grassland biodiversity. Ecology 86:1178–1184

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xia YQ, Shao MA (2008) The process modeling of soil water carrying capacity for vegetation in small watershed within the wind-water crisscrossed erosion zone on the Loess Plateau. Dissertation, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (in Chinese)

  • Xia Y, Moore DI, Collins SL, Muldavin EH (2010) Aboveground production and species richness of annuals in Chihuahuan Desert grassland and shrubland plant communities. J Arid Environ 74:378–385

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu XZ, Zhang HW, Zhang OY (2004) Development of check-dam systems in gullies on the Loess Plateau, China. Environ Sci Pol 7:79–86

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang ZG, Jiao JY, Jia YF, Wang N (2010) Interpretation proportion analysis of different environmental factors on vegetation variations in the Hilly-gully area of Loess Plateau. Sci Soil Water Conserv 8:59–67 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhao PP, Shao MA (2009) The plant species richness in dam farmlands of the Loess Plateau in China. IJIB 5:142–147

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu YJ, Shao MA (2008) Variability and pattern of surface moisture on a small-scale hillslope in Liudaogou catchment on the northern Loess Plateau of China. Geoderma 147:185–191

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the “Innovative Team” program of the Ministry of Education (IRT0749), the “Innovative Team” program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 40801111) and the Program for Youthful Talents in Northwest A & F University. The authors are indebted to the editors of the journal and the reviewers for their constructive comments and suggestions that greatly improve the earlier version of this manuscript.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, 712100, China

    Xiaoxu Jia & Xiaorong Wei

  2. Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographical Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

    Mingan Shao

Authors
  1. Xiaoxu Jia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mingan Shao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Xiaorong Wei
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mingan Shao.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Jia, X., Shao, M. & Wei, X. Richness and composition of herbaceous species in restored shrubland and grassland ecosystems in the northern Loess Plateau of China. Biodivers Conserv 20, 3435–3452 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0130-0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10531-011-0130-0

Keywords

Search

Navigation