Community Richness, Height, Coverage, and Spatial Distribution Mediate Grasshopper Abundance in the Upper Reaches of Heihe River, China

Abstract

Species interactions are often context-dependent and complex, such as the grasshopper community and phytoecommunity. The adaption of grasshopper abundance and plant community were determined by topographical heterogeneity. However, it remains vague about how vegetation community, such as coverage, abundance and height, influence the spatial distribution pattern of grasshopper abundance at the altitude gradient. The geostatistical methods were used in natural grassland of the upper reaches of Heihe River to quantify the relationship of spatial correlation. A 5-years investigation shown that 3149 of grasshoppers was collected，belonging to 3 families, 10 genera, and 13 species. The semivariable function of grasshopper abundance and vegetation community followed a nonlinear model. Meanwhile, horizontal distribution of two communities was a clear flaky and plaque distribution pattern, especially at the altitude gradient. The abundance of grasshoppers is opposite to the height and coverage of vegetation and the overall follow ability of coverage, while the local following is consistent. Such as grasshopper abundance, the above 2750m sample with the opposite trend, the following areas were consistent. The grasshoppers exhibited the varieties on vegetation characters among all directions. On the different habits, the spatial distribution formed uniform trends; meanwhile, on the same, the trends diversified with altitude gradient, formed embedded striped patches structure.