›› 2013, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (4): 659-665.

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Sand Trapping Capability of Two Dominant Plant Species in the Qira Oasis desert Ecotone

HAN Zhang-yong1,2,3 ,WANG Xue-qin1,YANG Fan1,2 ,MA Yang1,2   

  1. (1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China;  2. Graduate University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; 3. Qira National Field Research Station for Desert Steppe Ecosystem, Qira 848300, Xinjiang, China)
  • Received:2012-07-03 Revised:2012-07-27 Online:2013-07-15 Published:2013-07-29

Abstract: In the Qira oasis desert ecotone at the southern marginal zone of the Taklimakan Desert, the sand trapping capability of two dominant plant species (Alhagi sparsifolia and Karelinia caspia) was studied by analyzing the morphological parameters of these two plant species and their nebkhas. The results showed that the mean aboveground plant height of the two species and the height of their nebkhas was similar, and the mean plant crown area and volume of A. sparsifolia was nearly 1.8 times larger than those of K. caspia. The mean basal area and volume of A. sparsifolia nebkhas was nearly 1.7 and 2.0 times of those of K. caspia nebkhas, respectively. The correlation among the morphological parameters of A. sparsifolia nebkhas was higher than that of K. caspia nebkhas, and the increase of basal area and volume of A. sparsifolia nebkhas was higher than that of the K. caspia nebkhas. Generally, A. sparsifolia has a stronger capability of taking space than K. caspia, and also a stronger capability of trapping aeolian sand. However, a weaker capability was shown in its early stage of growth. The two species show differences in sand trapping capability at different growth stages.

Key words: oasis-desert ecotone, Alhagi sparsifolia, Karelinia caspia, nebkhas, sand trapping capability, Qira