Discussing the basic ecological relations of sand dune vegetation process

Abstract

Dune is often considered as a degraded ecosystem. Natural vegetation restoration and stable artificial vegetation construction are the basic means restoring dune ecosystem. Based on long-term study of dune ecosystem, by taking into consideration both the philosophical principles of unity of opposites and dynamic change, and related ecological theories, we put forward some ecological relations that should be paid attention to in the study of vegetation assembly from the perspective of the uniqueness of dune ecosystem. We discussed the necessity of coupling relationships of scale-pattern-process and the transformation of synergy-tradeoff relationships, interpreted the importance of distinguishing sand dune stabilized and shifting phases, disturbance and stress, wind erosion and sand burial in the study of vegetation process. We further explored the applied value of niche law or neutral law in the study of dune vegetation process. Finally, we discussed the issues that should be paid attention to in the study of dune vegetation process from the aspects of adaptability to aeolian activities and drought tolerance, physiological and reproductive process, sexual and asexual reproduction of plants. This study would provide theoretical supports for vegetation restoration and stable vegetation construction of dune ecosystem.