Home

Selforganizology, 2014, 1(2): 78-88
[XML] [EndNote] [RefManager] [BibTex] [ Full PDF (207K)] [Comment Article]

Article

Diversity and aggregation patterns of plant species in a grass community

Ran Li1, DanTing Chen1, GongWei Liang1, Wei Huang1, HanQing Li1, AiJuan Li1, PengHui Huang1, BiNi Chen1, Bing Chen1, Liang Chen1, LinXing Chen1, ShaoJing Chen1, QinSon Wang1, HeCon Wang1, Jing Wang1, CiHui Wu1, YuanHui Xu1, WenJun Zhang1,2
1School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China
2International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Hong Kong

Received 21 June 2014;Accepted 23 July 2014;Published online 1 September 2014
IAEES

Abstract
Both composition and aggregation patterns of species in a community are the outcome of community self-organizing. In this paper we conducted analysis on species diversity and aggregation patterns of plant species in a grass community, Zhuhai, China. According to the sampling survey, in total of 47 plant species, belonging to 16 families, were found. Compositae had 10 species (21.3%), seconded by Gramineae (9 species, 19.1%), Leguminosae (6 species, 12.8%), Cyperaceae (4 species, 8.5%), and Malvaceae (3 species, 6.4%). The results revealed that the means of aggregation indices I¦Ä, I and m*/m were 21.71, 15.71 and 19.89 respectively and thus individuals of most of plant species strongly followed aggregative distribution. Iwao analysis indicated that both individuals of all species and clumps of all individuals of all species followed aggregative distribution. Taylor's power law indicated that individuals of all species followed aggregative distribution and aggregation intensity strengthened as the increase of mean density. We held that the strong aggregation intensity of a species has been resulted from the strong adaptation ability to the environment, the strong interspecific competition ability and the earlier establishment of the species. Fitting goodness of the mean, I, I¦Ä, m*/m with probability distributions demonstrated that the mean (density), I, I¦Ä, and m*/m over all species followed Weibull distribution rather than normal distribution. Lophatherum gracile, Paederia scandens (Lour.) Merr., Eleusine indica, and Alternanthera philoxeroides (Mart.) Griseb. were mostly aggregative, and Oxalis sp., Eleocharis plantagineiformis, Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less., and Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb, were mostly uniform in the spatial distribution. Importance values (IV) showed that Cynodon dactylon was the most important species, seconded by Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC., Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Benth., Paspalum scrobiculatum L., and Rhynchelytrum repens. Oxalis sp., Eleocharis plantagineiformis, and Vernonia cinerea (L.) Less. were the least important species in the community. Summed dominance ratio (SDR2) revealed that Cynodon dactylon and Desmodium triflorum (L.) DC. were the most dominant species in the community, followed by Rhynchelytrum repens, Paspalum scrobiculatum L., and Cajanus scarabaeoides (L.) Benth.

Keywords grass community;aggregation pattern;importance value;summed dominance ratio.


International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. E-mail: office@iaees.org
Copyright © 2009-2024 International Academy of Ecology and Environmental Sciences. All rights reserved.
Web administrator: office@iaees.org, website@iaees.org; Last modified: 2024/4/29


Translate page to: