Plant species diversity of Carex peat mire in Changbai Mountains, China

Abstract

We investigated the plant species richness both in cespitose Carex mires (C. schmidtii, C. meyeriana) and non-cespitose Carex mire (C. lasiocarpa) in Changbai Mountain. A total of 83 species (36 families, 59 genuses) was recorded in three sites. Among which, 71 species occurred in the C. meyeriana site, 61 species in the C. schmidtii site, and 26 species in the C. lasiocarpa site. The total species number and species richness in the two cespitose Carex mires were much higher than that in the non-cespitose Carex mire, while those on tussocks were much higher than between tussocks in the two cespitose Carex mires. Plant species richness on tussocks was positively related to the height, basal circumference and surface area of the tussocks, suggesting that tussocks were important for plant species diversity in Carex mires. Results of the canonical correspondence analysis indicated that the differences in soil water content, nutrient (soil organic carbon, total N, total P and C/N), and litter layer depth were the main factors influencing the differences of plant community composition on tussocks and between-tussocks. In the cespitose Carex mires, the hummock-hollow microtopography could foster high diversity by increasing surface area and creating multiple micro-habitats. Given its function in maintaining high species diversity, cespitose Carex could be a preferred species for vegetation restoration in degraded peat mires.