Dune-scale distribution pattern of herbaceous plants and their relationship with environmental factors in a saline–alkali desert in Central Asia

Abstract

Sand dunes are the main landforms in modern deserts worldwide. As an important type of desert vegetation, herbaceous plants have long been acknowledged for their important ecological functions. We focus on the dune-scale distribution pattern of herbaceous plants and their relationship with the environment. During the early summer of 2010, the herbaceous plant density, coverage, aboveground biomass and eighteen environmental factors were surveyed from 214 plots (5m×5m) across two linear sand dunes (220m×110m) located in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China, a typical saline–alkali desert in Central Asia. Data were analyzed using univariate, ordination, and geostatistical techniques. Three vegetation variables represent a significant clumped distribution (P<0.01) across the entire study site. Obvious differences were observed among different slope positions/transects, with the lowest values observed at the summit. Geostatistics indicated that all of the variables showed a moderate spatial dependence and obvious zonal distribution along the sand dunes. The ranges (lag distance) of density (32.2m) and coverage (33.5m) were close to the average width (31.4m) of the transects. The biomass range (74.1m) was almost equal to the average width (75m) of the sand dunes. Pearson's correlation analysis and nonmetric multidimensional scaling analysis consistently demonstrated that the distributions of herbs on sand dunes were dominantly influenced by sand dune topography (slope position, convexity, and relative height), soil nutrients (total nitrogen and phosphorus) and deep-rooted shrubbery (Ephedra distachya). Compared to large, mobile and steep sand dunes, low, fixed and gentle sand dunes contribute to herbaceous plant abundance and distribution as well as the stability maintenance of the whole desert ecosystem.