CAN POTENTILLA FRUTICOSA LINN. SHRUBS FACILITATE THE HERB LAYER OF HEAVILY GRAZED PASTURE ON THE EASTERN TIBETAN PLATEAU?

Abstract

The facilitative and competitive effects of shrubs on herbaceous species have been extensively studied, but little is known about the roles of the shrub distribution patterns in such effects. On a heavily grazed pasture on the Tibetan Plateau, we investigated the effects of Potentilla fruticosa Linn. shrubs of different distribution patterns on the small-scale vegetation pattern of the herb layer. We made same-sized releves at five micro-site types, i.e., beneath and outside the canopies of solitary Potentilla individuals, beneath and outside the canopies of edge-of-patch individuals and at the central openings of torus-shaped large Potentilla patches. Shrubs protected certain species by increasing their frequencies of occurrence or flowering. However, only few species benefited from shrubs and more occurred or flowered more frequently outside. The data at community level indicated that species richness and diversity index were higher outside. The patch openings did not benefit species richness, pooled cover, diversity index or evenness of central vegetations. No special species was found growing beneath shrubs exclusively and few species were found with higher occurrences beneath shrubs. Furthermore, no significant difference was found between the two different distribution patterns at either community or species level. Vegetation ordinations confirmed this and vegetations beneath and outside the shrubs were distinguished merely. In conclusion, Potentilla facilitated some species in the herb layer and the patch openings did not show large protective effects. Also, distribution patterns of Potentilla did not affect the difference between vegetations beneath and outside shrub canopies