Study On Quantitative Ecology Of Vegetation In Xinzhou, Shanxi

Based on the field investigation for the vegetation of Xinzhou, Shanxi, the vegetation was analyzed by using TWINSPAN, DCA and CCA ordination, Fisher exact test and Spearman rank correlation analysis, respectively, moreover, the ecological characteristics of vegetation and the ecological relationships between vegetation and environment were explored. This study aims to make up the gaps of Shanxi vegetation researches and present the basis of the making-decision of vegetation management in Xinzhou, Shanxi.All of the forest, shrub and herb communities in Xinzhou were studied by with TWINSPAN, DCA, CCA. The results from TWINSPAN indicated that the forest communities were divided into 8 associations, the shrub communities 14 associations, the herb communities 11 associations, respectively. The results of DCA ordination showed that the main factors of effect of species distribution on the forest communities included altitude, temperature and moisture conditions, the major factors of species distribution on shrub communities were light and moisture conditions, and major factor of species distribution in herb communities was moisture gradient. The results of the communities from DCA showed that the distribution of communities and species was similaritively. The results from CCA reflected the positive correlation between species and elevation, while negatively correlated with longitude in the forest communities; the negative correlation between species distribution and altitude,while positively correlated with slope in the shrub communities; the positive correlation between species distribution and longitude,while significantly positively correlated with altitude in the herb communities.Ecological species groups(ESGs) of the communities was studied by Fisher’s exact test and Spearman rank correlation analysis, the results showed that the interspecific relationships in the forest and shrub communities were overall positive association, which were more closely. While the interspecific relationships in the herb communities were negatively associated. Based on the analysis of interspecific relationships and combined with clustering analysis,29 dominant species of the forest communities were classified into 4 ESGs,35 dominant species of the shrub communities were patitioned into 3 ESGs,34 dominant species of the herb communities were divided into 4 ESGs.The dominant species of the forest, shrub and herb communities in Xinzhou was analyzed by Shaanon-wiener niche breadth index and Pianka overlaping index, the results showed that Larix principis-rupprechtii in the forest communities had the largest niche breadth, and Quercus wutaishanica was the minimum; Hippophae rhamnoides and Caragana korshinskii in the shrub communities had the maximum niche breadth, while Spiraea pubescens was lower; Artemisia scoparia, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Plantago asiatica in the herb communities had the biggest niche breadth, Melilotus officinalis and Medicago ruthenica were minimum. The correlation coefficient between niche breadth and frequency of each dominant species rforest communities= 0.841 (P<0.01), rshrub communities=0.923 (P<0.01), rherb communities=0.944 (P <0.01) showed higher significant positive correlation, indicating that the size of niche breadth relayied on frequency of species at larger extent. The niche overlapping of each dominant species showed there was a larger niche overlaping if species had similar habitat and closer way to the use resources; vice versa.