Responses of arid plant species diversity and composition to environmental factors

Abstract

An oasis is a unique natural landscape in arid and semi-arid areas, significant for regulating regional microclimates and hydrological processes in deserts. However, little is known regarding the response of natural oasis plants communities to various environmental factors. Nineteen sample plots (50 m × 50 m) were selected in the Daliyabuyi Oasis in the Taklimakan Desert hinterland based on the location of groundwater monitoring wells and 76 vegetation quadrats (25 m × 25 m) were established. A two-way indicator species analysis, Mantel test, detrended correspondence analysis, canonical correspondence analysis (CCA), and hierarchical partitioning were used to provide an in-depth analysis of community classification, species composition, and environmental interpretation of the oasis. A generalized linear model was used to verify the results which showed that the current oasis community could be divided into four types according to the dominant species, which is controlled by soil moisture. Measurement of species composition and distribution of communities showed significant differences between species diversity of individual community types. Variations in groundwater depth affects patterns of species diversity which is sensitive to richness, while the degree of surface water disturbance affects the pattern of species evenness. Moreover, the CCA ordination map showed that community distribution and diversity characteristics have their own preferences in habitat gradients. The study concluded that the species dominance of the community and the composition and distribution are not dominated by a single factor. There are differences in the scale and effect of different water resource types in maintaining community characteristics.