Spatial Heterogeneity of Soil and Vegetation Characteristics and Soil-Vegetation Relationships along an Ecotone in Southern Mu Us Sandy Land, China

Spatial pattern analysis is an essential component of spatial heterogeneity studies on soil properties and vegetation characteristics. It was conducted in several studies for both soil and vegetation characteristics (Strand et al., 2007; Dick and Gilliam, 2007; Zuo et al., 2010). This study aims to examine the changes in the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties at different soil layers, the spatial heterogeneity of soil and vegetation characteristics along an ecotone, and soil-vegetation relationships along the ecotone in a critical area of desertification

Niche overlap and species co-occurrence patterns in carabid communities of the northern Chinese steppes

Understanding how species sort themselves into communities is essential to explain the mechanisms that maintain biodiversity. Important insights into potential mechanisms of coexistence may be obtained from observation of non-random patterns in community assembly. The spatial niche overlap (Pianka index) and co-occurrence (c-score) patterns in carabid species in three types of steppes (desert steppe, typical steppe, and meadow steppe) in China was investigated. Non randomness was tested using null models. Niche overlap values were significantly higher than expected by chance in the desert steppe, where vegetation cover is less abundant and less uniformly distributed, which possibly forces species to concentrate in certain places. In the typical and meadow steppes, results were influenced by the scale of the analysis. At a broad scale, niche separation was found as a result of species segregation among different sectors (habitats) within these steppes, but when the analysis was conducted at a finer scale, species appeared to be no more segregated than expected by chance. The high co-occurrence averages found in the meadow and typical steppes indicate that the distributions of the species found in a site may be negatively affected by the presence of other species, which suggests that some species tend to exclude (or reduce the abundance of) others. The very low c-score average observed in the desert steppe suggests that competition is not involved there. Thus, in more homogeneous landscapes (such as the typical and meadow steppes), competition might play some role in community structure, whereas spatial variation in the abundances of species is more driven by the uneven spatial distribution of vegetation in the landscape where productivity is lower and less uniformly distributed.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

A l'échelle mondiale le 5ème des espèces de plantes vasculaires est ou a été utilisé comme plante médicinale ou aromatique

Es ist allgemein bekannt, dass Pflanzen früher weltweit die wichtigste Heilmittel-Quelle waren und es in Entwicklungsländern heute noch sind. Jedoch gibt es bisher nur für relativ wenige Länder eine komplette Liste der Medizin- und Aroma-Pflanzen (MAP). Eine Auswertung aller den Autoren bekannten Listen erbrachte folgende Resultate:Insgesamt werden oder wurden 20,7 % der in den ausgewerteten Arbeiten enthaltenen Arten als MAP genutzt. Bezüglich der einzelnen Länder bestehen jedoch große Unterschiede: Führend hinsichtlich des Anteils genutzter Arten sind China (36,2 %), Burkina Faso (35,2 %) und die Republik Korea (34,5 %). Weit vorne liegen auch der Norden Benins (32,8 %) sowie Pakistan (30,3 %), noch über dem Durchschnitt rangieren Großbritannien (26.7 %) und Nepal (23.3 %), während die Prozentzahlen von Bulgarien (21,0 %), Deutschland (20,2 %) und Frankreich (19,4 %) ungefähr der Durchschnitt repräsentieren; Jordanien (17,3 %), Vietnam (17,1 %), Sri Lanka (16,6 %), Indien (16,1 %) und Thailand (15,5 %) liegen knapp darunter. Klar unter-durchschnittlich sind die Zahlen für Ungarn (12,2 %) und die USA (11,8 %); die Philippinen (9,5 %) und Malaysia (7,7 %) liegen weit hinten.Im weltweiten Durchschnitt hat also jede fünfte Gefäßpflanzenart MAP-Eigenschaften. In Benin, Burkina Faso, Korea, Chi¬na und Pakistan trifft dies sogar für jede dritte Art zu, in Ungarn und USA dagegen nur für jede achte, auf den Philippinen und in Malaysia lediglich für jede zehnte bzw. dreizehnte. Diese auffälligen Unterschiede können verschiedene Ursachen haben. Sofort sichtbar ist eine geografische Komponente: dicht benachbarte Länder zeigen in der Mehrzahl der Fälle ähnliche Werte. Dagegen kann keine Beziehung zwischen der Gesamtzahl der Arten und dem Anteil der MAP konstatiert werden. Allen Ländern mit hohen MAP-Prozenten ist gemeinsam, dass sie entweder vollständig oder wenigstens in ihren ländlichen Bereichen zu den ärmsten Regionen der Welt gehören (Burkina Faso, Benin) oder bis vor wenigen Jahrzehnten gehörten (China), so dass es der Mehrzahl der Bevölkerung unmöglich war, "moderne" Arzneien zu kaufen. In diesen Ländern übertrifft oder übertraf bis vor kurzem die Zahl der traditionellen Heiler die der studierten Mediziner. Aus diesem Grunde hat die Volks-Medizin bis heute überlebt. Zusätzlich existiert in China, Korea und teilweise auch in Pakistan eine gute Dokumentation der Volksmedizin, weshalb auch in Gebieten, in denen heute die "moderne" Medizin Einzug gehalten hat, das Wissen um die traditionellen MAP nicht verloren gegangen ist. In benachbarten Ländern oder Regionen, die sich bezüglich der Aridität bzw. Humidität des Klimas unterscheiden, ist der Anteil der MAP in den ariden Gebieten höher. Die vielfältigen potentiellen Erklärungen für dieses Phänomen werden im vorliegenden Aufsatz diskutiert. Für mehrere Länder ist der in der Literatur zu findende Anteil an MAP zu niedrig. Aber selbst diese Werte bilden einen überzeugenden Beweis für die Wichtigkeit einer weltweiten Bewahrung der Biodiversität.It is common knowledge that plants have been the world-wide most important source of medicines and that they still play this role in developing countries. However, up to now, complete lists of medicinal and aromatic plants (MAP) exist for comparatively few countries. A review of all lists know to the authors reveals the following results: A total of 20.7 % of the plant species analyzed by either publications or own research are or were used as MAP. However, regarding single countries, the differences are considerably high. Absolutely leading the list are China (36.2 %), Burkina Faso (35.2 %) and the Korean Republic (34.5 %). Also ahead of other countries or regions are the North of Benin (32.8 %) and the entire Pakistan (30.3 %). Still above average rank Great Britain (26.7 %) and Nepal (23.3 %), while the figures for Bul¬garia (21.0 %), Germany (20.2 %) and France (19.4 %) almost represent the average. Jordan (17.3 %), Vietnam (17.1 %), Sri Lanka (16.6 %), India (16.1 %) and Thailand (15.5 %) rank slightly beneath. Clearly below the average are the percentages of MAP for Hungary (12.2 %) and the USA (11.8 %). The average numbers of MAP in the Philippines (9.5 %) and Malaysia (7.7 %) fall far behind. Calculated on a worldwide scale, every fifth plant can be regarded as MAP. This number matches that from Bulgaria, France and Germany. In northern Benin, Burkina Faso, Korea, China and Pakistan, however, every third plant is or was used as MAP, whereas in Hungary and the USA only every eighth plant can be regarded as MAP. This number drops even further for the Philippines ore Malaysia where only every tenth or thirteenth plant can be attributed to medicinal or aromatic use. These differences might be due to various factors. A geographical component of the results is obvious: in most cases geographically close countries show similar percentages. A correlation between the total number of species and the fraction of those used as MAP cannot be confirmed. The countries with percentage of MAP > 30 % in common show that they belong either entirely (Burkina Faso, Benin) or at least in their rural areas to the poorest countries of the world so that it is (was) impossible for the majority of the people to buy "modern" MAP. In those countries the number of traditional healers outnumbers largely the number of modern doctors. Therefore, the tradition of folk medicine was maintained until today. Additionally, China, Korea and partially Pakistan have a very old and well documented tradition of folk medicine. Due to this documentation even in areas where today "modern MAP" are used, the knowledge was not lost. In neighboring countries or regions, which differ with respect to a more arid or a more humid climate, for the arid country (region) more MAPs are reported than for the humid one. The potential reasons for this phenomenon are discussed in the paper. For many countries the percentage given for MAP in literature is too low. But even these low values represent a striking argument for the importance of a world-wide conservation of biodiversity.Il est bien connu que des plantes ont été la source la plus importante des médicaments dans le monde entier et qu'elles jouent encore ce rôle dans les pays en voie de développement. Cependant, jusqu'à présent, les listes complètes des plantes médicinales et aromatiques (PAM) n’existent relativement que pour peu de pays. Un examen de toutes les listes con¬nues des auteurs révèle les résultats suivants: Un total de 20,7% des espèces de plantes examinées soit à travers des publications ou de nos propres recherches sont ou ont été utilisés comme MAP. Toutefois, en considérant les pays individuellement, les différences sont considérablement im¬portantes. En tête de liste se trouvent incontestablement la Chine (36,2%), le Burkina Faso (35,2%) et la République de Corée (34,5%). Les autres pays ou régions qui se classent en tête sont le Nord-Bénin (32,8%) et le Pakistan (30,3%). Tou¬jours au dessus du classement moyen se trouvent la Grande-Bretagne (26,7%) et le Népal (23,3%), alors que la Bulgarie (21,0%), l’Allemagne (20,2%) et la France (19,4%) se retrouvent dans la catégorie moyenne. La Jordanie (17,3%), le Vietnam (17,1%), le Sri Lanka (16,6%), l'Inde (16,1%) et la Thaïlande (15,5%) se classent légèrement en dessous. La Hongrie (12,2%) et les Etats-Unis (11,8%) présentent des pourcentages moyens en PAM nettement en dessous de la moyenne. Les nombres moyens de MAP en Philippines (9,5%) et en Malaisie (7,7%) sont loin derrière. Les différences entre certains pays sont frappantes: calculé à l'échelle mondiale, chaque cinquième de plantes peut être considéré comme MAP. Ce nombre correspond à celui de la Bulgarie, de la France et de l'Allemagne. Cependant, dans le Bénin, le Burkina Faso, la Corée, la Chine et le Pakistan, chaque tiers (1/3) de plantes est ou a été utilisée comme PAM, alors dans la Hongrie et les États-Unis seulement chaque huitième (1/8) de plantes peut être considéré comme MAP. Ce nombre baisse davantage pour les Philippines ou la Malaisie, où seulement chaque dixième (1/10) ou treizième (1/13) de plantes peut être attribué à un usage médicinal ou aromatique. Ces différences pourraient être dues à divers facteurs comme: Le caractère géographique des résultats est évident: dans la plupart des cas, les pays géographiquement proches affichent des pourcentages similaires. Une corrélation entre le nombre total d'espèces et la fraction de celles utilisées comme MAP ne peut être confirmée. Les pays ayant en commun le pourcentage de MAP> 30% appartiennent soit entièrement (Burkina Faso, Bénin) ou au moins leurs zones rurales aux pays les plus pauvres du monde de sorte qu'il est (était) impossible pour la majorité de la population d'acheter les médicines "modernes". Dans ces pays, le nombre de tradipraticiens dépasse largement le nombre de médecins. Par conséquent, la tradition de la médecine folklorique a été maintenue jusqu'à nos jours. En outre, la Chine, la Corée et partiellement le Pakistan ont une tradition très ancienne et bien documentée de la médecine folklorique. Grâce à cette documentation, même dans les zones où aujourd'hui "les MAP modernes" sont utilisées, la connaissance n'est pas perdue.Dans les pays ou régions voisines, différant par rapport à l'aridité ou à l’humidité du climat, plus de MAPs sont signalées dans les pays arides (régions) contrairement à ceux humides. Les raisons possibles de ce phénomène sont discutées dans l'article. Pour de nombreux pays, le pourcentage donné des PAM dans la littérature est trop faible. Malgré tout, ces faibles valeurs indiquent clairement l'importance d'une conservation de la biodiversité à l'échelle mondiale

Desertification Reversal Promotes the Complexity of Plant Community by Increasing Plant Species Diversity of Each Plant Functional Type

Desertification reversal is globally significant for the sustainable development of land resources. However, the mechanisms of desertification reversal at the level of plant community are still unclear. We hypothesized that desertification reversal has clear effects on plant community composition, plant functional types (PFTs), and other vegetation characteristics, including plant diversity and biomass, and their changes in the early stages of reversal are more dramatic than in later stages. We investigated the vegetation of four to five different stages of desertification reversal at each of seven large study sites in southwestern Mu Us Sandy Land, China. The results show that the dominant species in very severe desertification areas were replaced by perennial grasses in potential desertification areas. The importance values of annual forbs and perennial sub-shrubs decreased dramatically (from 42.59 and 32.98 to 22.13 and 5.54, respectively), whereas those of perennial grasses and perennial forbs increased prominently (from 13.26 and 2.71 to 53.94 and 11.79, respectively) with the reversal of desertification. Desertification reversal increased the complexity of plant community composition by increasing plant species in each PFT, and C3 plants replaced C4 plants to become the dominant PFT with reversal. Plant species richness and species diversity rose overall, and aboveground plant biomass significantly (p < 0.05) increased with the reversal of desertification. Most vegetation characteristics changed more strikingly in the early stages of desertification reversal than in later stages. Our results indicate that the type and composition of the plant community were dramatically affected by desertification reversal. Anthropogenic measures are more applicable to being employed in early stages than in later stages, and Amaranthaceae C4 plants are suggested to be planted in mobile dunes for the acceleration of desertification reversal. This study is useful for designing strategies of land management and ecological restoration in arid and semiarid regions

Influence of grazing and solar panel installation on tenebrionid beetles (Coleoptera Tenebrionidae) of a central Asian steppe

Grazing may represent a major threat to biodiversity in arid grasslands. The increasing use of grasslands for solar parks may represent a new important threat. No study has investigated the effects of solar parks on soil insects. Tenebrionids are a major component of the arthropod fauna of grasslands of central Asia. These ecosystems are threatened by grazing and increasing land use for solar parks. Aim of this work was to investigate the effects of grazing and solar panels on tenebrionids in arid grasslands (desert steppe) in China by comparing their community structure in ungrazed, heavily grazed, and solar park sites. Beetles were sampled by pitfall traps, and sites were compared for abundance and diversity (Hill numbers). All sites were characterized by simple, strongly dominated tenebrionid communities. Species proportions varied among sites. Grazing negatively influenced overall abundance, but did not alter species proportions; by contrast, solar panels had no effect on the average abundance, but reduced the proportion of the most abundant species. Compared with the other two sites, the solar park was characterized by a higher plant biomass and lower temperatures. A major availability of resources and less harsh conditions in the solar park might have a role in reducing the dominance of the most abundant species, allowing other species to attain higher abundances. This led to a more balanced community structure, with higher values of diversity. Although neither grazing nor solar panel installation modified radically tenebrionid species-abundance distribution or diversity, grazing and solar panel installation had different effects in species abundances and their impact might amplify the effect of other disturbance factors such as the ongoing climate change.This research was supported by a grant of China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2018M643770) to NT. SF benefitted from the following grants: Fondo per il finanziamento delle attivita base di ricerca 2017 (FFABR 2017, by the Ministry of Education, University and Research, Italy) with the project "Ecologia e Biogeografia di Coleotteri Tenebrionidi nella Regione Paleartica", and FFO 2022 (by Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila) for the project "Struttura di comunita biotiche in ambienti di bassa ed alta quota soggetti a fattori di elevato stress termico e idrico".info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Comparison of microbial community structures in soils with woody organic amendments and soils with traditional local organic amendments in Ningxia of Northern China

Background Addition of organic amendments has been commonly adopted as a means to restore degraded soils globally. More recently, the use of woody organic amendments has been recognized as a viable method of capturing and retaining water and restoring degraded and desertified soil, especially in semi-arid regions. However, the impacts of woody amendments on soil microbial community structure, versus other traditional organic supplements is less understood. Methods Three locally available natural organic materials of different qualities, i.e., cow manure (CM), corn straw (CS), and chipped poplar branches (PB) were selected as treatments in Ningxia, Northern China and compared with control soils. Four microcosms served as replicates for each treatment. All treatments contained desertified soil; treatments with amendments were mixed with 3% (w/w) of one of the above organic materials. After 7 and 15 months from the start of the experiment, soil samples were analyzed for chemical and physical properties, along with biological properties, which included microbial α-diversity, community structure, and relative abundance of microbial phyla. Results Both bacterial and fungal α-diversity indices were weakly affected by amendments throughout the experimental period. All amendments yielded different microbial community compositions than the Control soils. The microbial community composition in the CS and PB treatments also were different from the CM treatment. After 15 months of the experiment, CS and PB exhibited similar microbial community composition, which was consistent with their similar soil physical and chemical properties. Moreover, CS and PB also appeared to exert similar effects on the abundance of some microbial taxa, and both of these treatments yield different abundances of microbial taxa than the CM treatment. Conclusion New local organic amendment with PB tended to affect the microbial community in a similar way to the traditional local organic amendment with CS, but different from the most traditional local organic amendment with CM in Ningxia, Northern China. Moreover, the high C/N-sensitive, and lignin and cellulose decompose-related microbial phyla increased in CS and PB have benefits in decomposing those incorporated organic materials and improving soil properties. Therefore, we recommend that PB should also be considered as a viable soil organic amendment for future not in Ningxia, but also in other places

Carabid community structure in northern China grassland ecosystems: Effects of local habitat on species richness, species composition and functional diversity

Background Most carabid beetles are particularly sensitive to local habitat characteristics. Although in China grasslands account for more than 40% of the national land, their biodiversity is still poorly known. The aim of this paper is to identify the main environmental characteristics influencing carabid diversity in different types of grassland in northern China. Methods We investigated the influence of vegetation (plant biomass, cover, density, height and species richness), soil (bulk density, above ground litter, moisture and temperature) and climate (humidity, precipitation and temperature) on carabid community structure (species richness, species composition and functional diversity—measured as body size, movement and total diversity) in three types of grasslands: desert, typical and meadow steppes. We used Canonical correspondence analysis to investigate the role of habitat characteristics on species composition and eigenvector spatial filtering to investigate the responses of species richness and functional diversities. Results We found that carabid community structure was strongly influenced by local habitat characteristics and particularly by climatic factors. Carabids in the desert steppe showed the lowest richness and functional diversities. Climate predictors (temperature, precipitation and humidity) had positive effects on carabid species richness at both regional and ecosystem levels, with difference among ecosystems. Plant diversity had a positive influence on carabid richness at the regional level. Soil compaction and temperature were negatively related to species richness at regional level. Climatic factors positively influenced functional diversities, whereas soil temperature had negative effects. Soil moisture and temperature were the most important drivers of species composition at regional level, whereas the relative importance of the various environmental parameters varied among ecosystems. Discussion Carabid responses to environmental characteristics varied among grassland types, which warns against generalizations and indicates that management programs should be considered at grassland scale. Carabid community structure is strongly influenced by climatic factors, and can therefore be particularly sensitive to ongoing climate change