Spatial-temporal analysis of the changes in Populus euphratica distribution in the Tarim National Nature Reserve over the past 60 years

Yan, Peng; He, Guojin; Wang, Guizhou

doi:10.1016/j.jag.2022.103000

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…External factors, such as sandstorms, strong winds, and long-term river desiccation, may cause hollows to form more easily in P. euphratica forests, resulting in different densities of hollow-bearing trees in different locations. Further, factors such as water conditions (mainly groundwater depth), desertification, and human interference also significantly influence the growth and distribution pattern of natural vegetation in the Tarim River Basin [13,14]. Therefore, water availability is likely the key environmental factor affecting the formation of tree cavities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study area is located along the Arghan transect (40 • 08 ′ 50 ′′ N, 88 • 21 ′ 28 ′′ E), between the Taklamakan and Kuruk Tag Deserts, in the lower reaches of the Tarim River, Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, Northwest China (Figure 1). This area is located in an extremely arid climatic zone, with an average annual precipitation of <15 mm [13,14] and a potential annual evaporation of 2500-3000 mm [15,16]. Sparse vegetation comprising trees, shrubs, and herbs is predominantly distributed in river floodplain ecosystems.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…The SNCW and EWCW of the tree canopy were measured with a measuring tape, and the average was calculated as the ACW. The CL, with the values for an ideal tree and a completely withered tree taken as 0% and 100%, respectively, was estimated according to Aishan et al [13]. Referring to survey methods [6] used for hollow trees, tree hollows with good visibility were counted and their parameters were measured directly from ground level, while tree hollows distributed on the higher parts of trunks or canopy branches were observed using binoculars (10 × 25).…”

Section: Plot Design and Measurementsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…As the main body of the natural riparian vegetation in the inland river basins of Northwestern China, Euphrates poplar (Populus euphratica, Salicaceae) stands constitute an ecological corridor that constitutes the regional biodiversity hotspot and has the highest bioproductivity in the region [13,14]. These forests play a key role in maintaining the structure and function of riparian ecosystems in arid areas, acting as natural barriers to protect oasis agriculture and livestock production from the adverse impacts of desertification.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Patterns in Tree Cavities (Hollows) in Euphrates Poplar (Populus euphratica, Salicaceae) along the Tarim River in NW China

Aishan,

Mumin,

Halik

et al. 2024

Forests

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Populus euphratica Oliv., an indicator species for eco-environmental change in arid areas, plays a key role in maintaining the stability of fragile oasis–desert ecosystems. Owing to human interference as well as to the harshness of the natural environment, P. euphratica forests have suffered severe damage and degradation, with trunk cavities (i.e., hollows) becoming increasingly pronounced, and thus posing a great threat to the growth, health, and survival of the species. Currently, there is a gap in our understanding of cavity formation and its distribution in P. euphratica. Here, cavities in the trunks and branches of a P. euphratica in a typical transect (Arghan) along the lower Tarim River were studied based on field positioning observations combined with laboratory analysis. The results revealed a large number of hollow-bearing P. euphratica stands in the study area; indeed, trees with hollows accounted for 56% of the sampled trees, with approximately 159 trees/ha. Sixty-six percent of hollow trees exhibited large (15 cm ≤ cavity width (CW) < 30 cm) or very large (CW > 30 cm) hollows. The main types of cavities in the trees were trunk main (31.3%), trunk top (20.7%), branch end (19.5%), and branch middle (19.5%). Tree parameters, such as diameter at breast height (DBH), tree height (TH), east–west crown width (EWCW), height under branches (UBH), and crown loss (CL) were significantly different between hollow and non-hollow trees. Both cavity height and width were significantly and positively correlated with DBH and CL, as well as with average crown width (ACW) (p < 0.001) and the distance from the tree to the river. The proportion of P. euphratica trees with cavities showed an overall increasing trend with increasing groundwater depth. Our findings show that cavities in P. euphratica varied with different tree architectural characteristics. Water availability is a major environmental factor influencing the occurrence of hollowing in desert riparian forests. The results provide scientific support for the conservation and sustainable management of existing desert riparian forest ecosystems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%