Community structure and species diversity of a low impact development demonstration area in Zhenjiang City

Abstract

To build and optimize the plant landscape with low impact development, plant community characteristics and species diversity in a low-impact development demonstration area, being key to ecological benefits of plant communities, were determined. Taking the plant community in the low-impact development demonstration area of Zhenjiang City as the research object, plant, community quantity characteristics, community structural factors, community diversity, and community clustering were analyzed through typical sample and quantitative analysis methods including a cluster analysis and principal factor analysis. 48 sample plots were set randomly with the 100 m2 standard plot as the main plot, and 204 squares were set in total. Results showed(1) There were 74 families, 147 genera, and 181 species of vascular plants. Pterocarya stenoptera, Cinnamomum camphora, and Koelreuteria integrifoliola were the dominant tree species; Photinia×fraseri, Ligustrum japonicum, and Hypericum monogynum were the dominant shrub species; and Cynodon dactylon, Iris tectorum, and Ophiopogon japonicus were the dominant herb species. (2) The plant community was described by five factors: tree characteristics, ratio of tree to shrub traits, shrub diversity, herb characteristics, and tree diversity. (3) For the tree layer, the diversity index of marginal green space was highest. Various diversity indexes of the shrub layer were shown as road green space > marginal green area > node green area > waterfront green area. (4) The importance values of shrub species were also used as data sources for the cluster analysis, which, according to appearance and clustering of the sample community, showed 48 sample land communities that could be divided into 13 types. In conclusion, all green space types showed a consistent species diversity trend: shrub > tree > herb. The species richness was low, and the internal structure of the community was single.