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Effects of Prescribed Fire on Plant Traits and Community Characteristics of Triarrhena Lutarioriparia in Poyang Lake, China

  • Wetlands in the Developing World
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Abstract

As an important wetland with international significance in biodiversity conservation, Poyang Lake is under severe pressure from increasing human activities, such as prescribed fire. In this study, a fire-prone plant community (Triarrhena lutarioriparia L. Liou) was selected in Poyang lake, and a 5-year study on annual prescribed fire and corresponding monitoring were conducted in this representative plant community. Results showed that sprout density, plant height and biomass of burn samples were significantly higher than those of the control. However, burn samples presented significantly lower values of species richness and community biodiversity in the later period. Furthermore, periodical fire significantly promoted the availability of nitrogen and phosphorous in surface soil, which were closely and positively related to height, dominance and biomass of T. lutarioriparia.. Considering the positive influences on the plant traits and species composition, prescribed fire could potentially be used as an effective means to maintain the ecological health of Poyang Lake.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by the National Scientific Foundation of China (Grant 41171024) and the Foundation of National Key Basic Research, China (2012CB417006).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Watershed Geographic Sciences, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 73 East Beijing Road, Nanjing, 210008, People’s Republic of China

    Xiaolong Wang, Ligang Xu, Jinying Xu & Zhaoshi Wu

  2. State Key Laboratory of Lake Science and Environment, Nanjing Institute of Geography and Limnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Xiaolong Wang, Ligang Xu, Jinying Xu & Zhaoshi Wu

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  1. Xiaolong Wang
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  2. Ligang Xu
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Correspondence to Xiaolong Wang.

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Wang, X., Xu, L., Xu, J. et al. Effects of Prescribed Fire on Plant Traits and Community Characteristics of Triarrhena Lutarioriparia in Poyang Lake, China. Wetlands 39, 161–172 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-018-1065-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s13157-018-1065-y

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