Plant species composition and diversity along successional gradients in arid and semi-arid regions of China

Geng, Qianwen; Arif, Muhammad; Yuan, Zuoqiang; Jiao, Z.; He, Xinrui; Ding, Dongdong; Yin, Fang‐Fang; Li, Changxiao

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2022.120542

Cited by 23 publications

(19 citation statements)

References 71 publications

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“…The use of set-width methods for riparian demarcation combined with automated approaches produces scientific information that covers both sides of the stream network (Stutter et al, 2021). It is possible to quickly characterize riparian areas using this technology and determine the necessary specifications (Tomsett and Leyland, 2019;Qianwen et al, 2022;Zheng et al, 2022). The fixed-width approach defines functions such as bank erosion, vegetation cover, and debris contribution by riverine vegetation (Haq et al, 2022;Hu et al, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of riparian buffer and stream channel widths on ecological indicators in the upper and lower Indus River basins in Pakistan

Hira

Arif

Zarif³

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Riparian buffers and stream channel widths along river networks have extremely significant ecological influences on parameters and stressors associated with riparian health indicators (RHIs). It is imperative for countries that rely heavily on rivers for irrigation to protect RHIs such as habitat, plant cover, regeneration, exotics, and erosion. It is unclear which protection methods are most effective for RHIs in less developed countries, such as Pakistan. This study fills this gap by using a quick field-based technique that includes 273 transects and examines the response of RHIs in the upper and lower Indus River basins (IRB). In the lower Indus basin (LIB), riparian buffer and stream channel widths had the most considerable influence on RHIs using Pearson’s correlations, ranging from ̶ 0.47 < r < 0.71 and ̶ 0.41 < r < 0.32, respectively. There was a significant relationship between stressors and RHIs in the LIB when these widths were changed, and stressors had a significant influence on habitat ̶ 0.37 < r < 0.41, plant cover ̶ 0.32 < r < 0.38, regeneration ̶ 0.29 < r < 0.25, erosion ̶ 0.34 < r < 0.49, and exotics ̶ 0.39 < r < 0.24. In contrast, these stressors in the upper Indus basin (UIB) also adversely affected habitat ̶ 0.28 < r < 0.27, plant cover ̶ 0.34 < r < 0.26, regeneration ̶ 0.19 < r < 0.26, erosion ̶ 0.38 < r < 0.23, and exotics ̶ 0.31 < r < 0.30. It was found from the principal component analysis that the responses of RHIs and stressors varied considerably between the UIB and LIB. Additionally, the agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis of the RHIs and stressor indices revealed dissimilarities in the UIB and LIB. This study supports the need to examine riparian regions along long rivers, which are subject to the same administrative strategies. Large river ecosystems need revised standards to prevent further degradation based on ecological indicators.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of riparian buffer and stream channel widths on ecological indicators in the upper and lower Indus River basins in Pakistan

Hira

Arif

Zarif³

et al. 2023

Front. Environ. Sci.

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“…Published literature indicates that all geographical areas that retain parallel sites are clustered together. Riparian zones underwent significant changes because of human impacts on land-use scenarios [ 53 , 54 , 55 , 56 ], which in turn resulted in significant changes in RHIs. Our findings are consistent with those of other studies examining regions such as the IRB.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impacts of Stressors on Riparian Health Indicators in the Upper and Lower Indus River Basins in Pakistan

Hira

Arif

Zarif³

et al. 2022

IJERPH

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Riparian zones along rivers and streams provide ecosystem services that may change over time as disturbances increase and deteriorate these buffer zones globally. The effect of stressors on ecosystem services along the rivers in underdeveloped countries is unclear, which impacts the environment directly in the form of riparian health indicators (RHIs). This study fills this gap and measures the impact of stressors on RHIs (parameters of habitat, plant cover, regeneration, exotics, and erosion) in the Indus River basin (IRB) in Pakistan. Data on 11 stressors and 27 RHIs were collected using a field-based approach in 269 transects in the upper and lower Indus basins (UIB and LIB) in 2020 and analyzed using multivariate statistical methods. The Kruskal–Wallis tests (p < 0.05) indicated that RHIs varied significantly under the influence of stressors in the UIB and LIB. However, their highest mean values were found in the UIB. Principal component analysis revealed the key RHIs and stressors, which explained 62.50% and 77.10% of the variance, respectively. The Pearson correlation showed that stressors had greater impacts on RHIs in LIB (with r ranging from −0.42 to 0.56). Our results also showed that stressors affected RHI indices with r ranging from −0.39 to 0.50 (on habitat), −0.36 to 0.46 (on plant cover), −0.34 to 0.35 (on regeneration), −0.34 to 0.56 (on erosion), and −0.42 to 0.23 (on exotics). Furthermore, it was confirmed by the agglomerative hierarchical cluster that indices and sub-indices of RHIs and stressors differ across the UIB and LIB. These findings may serve as guidance for managers of large rivers and ecosystem service providers to minimize the environmental impact of stressors in terms of RHIs.

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“…Previous studies about biodiversity patterns along elevation gradients found an evident disparity in elevation-richness relationships worldwide (Berhanu et al, 2016;Zhang et al, 2016;Mayor et al, 2017). The maximum species diversity occurs in the mid-elevation range (Grytnes, 2003), but decreases or increases in species richness along elevation have also been documented (Zhu et al, 2009;Berhanu et al, 2016;Qianwen et al, 2022). Yet, contemporary changes in biodiversity across the globe have been investigated based largely on taxonomic diversity (TD; i.e., species identity) (Li et al, 2020), which does not necessarily reflect changes in phylogenetic diversity (PD) (Faith, 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Plant community assembly is jointly shaped by environmental and dispersal filtering along elevation gradients in a semiarid area, China

Zheng

Arif²,

He³

et al. 2022

Front. Plant Sci.

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Environmental filtering (EF) and dispersal filtering (DF) are widely known to shape plant community assembly. Particularly in arid and semi-arid mountainous regions, however, it remains unclear whether EF or DF dominate in the community assembly of different life forms or how they interact along elevational gradients. This research aims to reveal how different ecological processes influence herbaceous and woody community assembly and how they respond to various environmental drivers and elevational gradients. Here we integrated taxonomic diversity (TD), phylogenetic diversity (PD), and ecological drivers across an elevational gradient of 1,420 m in the Helan Mountain Nature Reserve, in typical arid and semi-arid areas of China. This study showed that the TD and PD of herbaceous communities significantly increase linearly with changing elevation gradients, while woody ‘TD’ showed a unimodal pattern, and there was little relationship between woody ‘PD’ and elevation. Herbaceous species exhibited significant phylogenetic clustering at low elevations, where they were influenced by climate, aspect, and tree cover. However, woody species exhibited random patterns across elevations. Herbaceous and woody species’ taxonomic and phylogenetic beta diversity is governed primarily by spatial turnover rather than nestedness. Spatial turnover is caused primarily by EF and DF’s combined influence, but their relative importance differs between herbaceous and woody communities. Therefore, we conclude that the responses of herbaceous and woody plants along elevation gradients in the Helan Mountains are decoupled due to their different adaptation strategies to climate factors in the drylands. These findings are important for understanding the assembly mechanisms driving plant communities in dryland under the context of dramatic increases in drought driven by climate warming.

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Plant species composition and diversity along successional gradients in arid and semi-arid regions of China

Cited by 23 publications

References 71 publications

Effects of riparian buffer and stream channel widths on ecological indicators in the upper and lower Indus River basins in Pakistan

Effects of riparian buffer and stream channel widths on ecological indicators in the upper and lower Indus River basins in Pakistan

Impacts of Stressors on Riparian Health Indicators in the Upper and Lower Indus River Basins in Pakistan

Plant community assembly is jointly shaped by environmental and dispersal filtering along elevation gradients in a semiarid area, China

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