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Minimum sampling area for the monitoring of herb diversity in riparian zone of temperate rivers, China

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Ecological Research

Abstract

Optimal sampling area for biodiversity monitoring is a classical scientific topic for the biodiversity research in view of the cost, human resources and ecological significance. However, how much sampling area is enough for biodiversity monitoring in riparian area, the ecotone among freshwater and terrestrial system? Whether the optimal sampling areas are different among ecoregions? To explore these scientific questions, the minimum sampling area of riparian herbs was studied in Taizi river, Liaoning province, China. The species-area relationship was modeled using average species richness in the same area (2.25, 4.5, 6.75 and 9 m2) of 55 sites distributed along riparian zone of Taizi river water course. The power model S = aA b modeled best, and was selected to fit species-area curves. The minimum sampling areas for total species and dominant families were calculated via the selected model and corresponding estimated species richness. Results showed that the minimum sampling areas (MSAs) for herbs diversity monitoring in whole basin, highland ecoregion, midland ecoregion and lowland ecoregion of Taizi river were 12.82, 12.06, 13.46 and 13.08 m2,respectively. The MSAs of dominant families Compositae species and Graminale species were similar to that of total species. The minimum sampling area of Taizi river riparian zone was similar to other temperate riparian grassland and wet grassland, larger than dry grassland and salt meadow. So we did not need consider ecoregion difference for temperate riparian herbs diversity monitoring in watershed scale.

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Acknowledgments

This research is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China “Mechanism of habitat patches spatial heterogeneity during riparian natural rehabilitation process of riverine nature reserve” (Grant No. 41201187) and the “Major Science and Technology Program for Water Pollution Control and Treatment in China” (Grant No. 2012ZX07501001-02).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Riverine Ecological Conservation and Technology, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, No. 8 Dayangfang, Beiyuan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, 100012, China

    Weijing Kong, Huijuan Xia & Yuan Zhang

  2. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Criteria Risk Assessment, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, No. 8 Dayangfang, Beiyuan Road, Chaoyang District, Beijing, China

    Weijing Kong, Huijuan Xia & Yuan Zhang

  3. MOE Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, College of Forest Science, Beijing Forestry University, No. 35 Tsinghua East Road Haidian District, Beijing, China

    Huijuan Xia

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  1. Weijing Kong
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Correspondence to Weijing Kong.

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Kong, W., Xia, H. & Zhang, Y. Minimum sampling area for the monitoring of herb diversity in riparian zone of temperate rivers, China. Ecol Res 31, 547–555 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11284-016-1363-x

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