Plant Diversity ›› 2015, Vol. 37 ›› Issue (06): 849-855.DOI: 10.7677/ynzwyj201515040

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Plant Functional Group Classification of Herbaceous Species in Quercus wutaishanica Communities in the Taiyue Mountains, Shanxi Province of China

 TAO  Xue-Qin, ZHANG  Qin-Di, BI  Run-Cheng   

  1. College of Life Science Shanxi Normal University, Linfen, Shanxi 041004, China
  • Received:2015-03-09 Online:2015-11-25 Published:2015-05-22
  • Supported by:

    山西省化学优势重点学科建设生态化学子项目 (912019);山西省青年科技研究基金 (20130210303);山西师范大学校科学研究基金 (ZR1218);山西师范大学生命学院科学研究基金 (SMYKZ19)

Abstract:

Quercus wutaishanica is warm temperate deciduous broadleaved forest region one of the typical vegetation types. Qwutaishanica vegetation types as a representative of Shanxi,  is the main part of shanxi forest. Past research focuses on the subject of Qwutaishanica results, the study of the herb layer seldom reported. The understory layer dominant species of Qwutaishanica community on Qiliyu of Taiyue Moutains, whose abundances clearly vary along environmental(altitudinal) gradients.Herbaceous plants highly responsive to changes in environmental conditions that reflect the dynamic relations between vegetation and environment. In this paper, using the method of sample, investigated the community of Qwutaishanica on Qiliyu of Taiyue Moutains, Shanxi. We used the results of this investigation to calculate species importance values and frequency, which were used to identify 27 dominant species in herbages. χ2 tests, together with association coefficient and percentage cooccurrence, were used to measure interspecific associations of the dominant species of herbaceous. Plant functional types (PFTS) were defined according to interspecific associations and cluster analysis of the dominant species. In studies of forest understory plant assemblages, designating PFTs according to dominant herbaceous species is feasible. Dominant herbaceous species formed seven PFTs: each with its unique spatial distribution and morphological characteristics, are identifiedⅠ.amphigenous Ⅱ.pelouseedge Ⅲ.wetsparse Ⅳ.gapdrought resistant Ⅴ.hilledge Ⅵ.alpine Ⅶ.dank. Plant functional types(PFTs) of herbaceous plants varies with altitude gradients, which reflect the relationship between Qwutaishanica and environment well.

Key words: Plant Functional types, Interspecific relationship, Cluster analysis, Herbaceous plant, Taiyue Mountains

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