Responses of plant community diversity to human disturbance in temperate grassland with different soil parent materials

Abstract

Based on community investigation data from grasslands on two different soil parent material types (loess and sand parent materials) and under three human utilization modes in the Saihan Ullah Reserve, we calculated human disturbance index (HDI) and biodiversity indices and analyzed the interactions between species diversity and degradation levels. The results showed that degradation status varied across different soil parent material types and human utilization modes, and that degradation levels of loess and sand parent materials both increased with the enhancement of human utilization intensification. HDI of loess parent material grasslands (mean value of 1.21) was lower than sand parent material grasslands (mean value of 1.48) in the same human utilization. Biodiversity indices declined with soil sandy degree and the utilization intensification. The mean values of Margarlef richness index, Shannon diversity index, Simpson dominance index and Pielou evenness index were between 1.57-4.27, 1.16-2.39, 0.76-0.87, and 0.71-0.80, respectively. The Margalef richness index, Shannon diversity index and Simpson dominance index decreased with increasing HDI, while Pielou evenness index increased. Overgrazing could lead to serious threat on both grasslands with soil parent material types, and the optimum utilization mode of loess and sand parent material grasslands were enclosure with mowing and seasonal grazing. In the future works of biodiversity conservation, it is important to consider the influence of both different soil patent material and human utilization modes of grassland. It is urgent to develop different utilization modes for grassland under different soil parent material types, which would enhance the matchness of grassland restoration and management with local conditions.