Arid Zone Research ›› 2019, Vol. 36 ›› Issue (4): 844-853.

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Age Structure of Malus sieversii Population in Ili of Xinjiang and Kazakhstan

ZHANG Ping1, 2, Lü Zhao-zhi1, 3, ZHANG Xin1, 3, ZHAO Xiang-ping4, ZHNAG Yong-guang1, 3, Gulzhanat Tanabekova5, Maisupova Bagila6, Adilbayeva Zhanera7, CUI Zhi-jun8   

  1. 1. Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China;
    2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China;
    3. Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, Xinjiang, China;
    4. Shihezi University, Shihezi, 832003, Xinjiang, China;
    5. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan;
    6. Almaty Branch of “Kazakh Research Institute of Forestry” LLP, Almaty 050000, Kazakhstan;
    7. Kazakh National Agrarian University, Almaty 050010, Kazakhstan;
    8. Gongliu Forestry Bureau, Gongliu 835400, Xinjiang, China

  • Received:2018-12-10 Revised:2019-03-18 Online:2019-07-15 Published:2019-07-15

Abstract: Environmental and human stress accelerate the loss of wild apple habitats in Central Asia, causing the decline of population and viability of wild apples. In this paper, the population of a tertiary relict plant Malus sieversii (Ledeb.) M. Roem (wild apple) was studied. The status of wild apple population was systematically surveyed, and the age structure, fruit yield and population dynamic change of wild apple in Xinjiang (Ili River Valley) of China and Kazakhstan were compared. The results showed that the population age structure was currently and even in the 1970s dominated by the middle-aged (15-50 cm) trees, and the proportion of young (0-15 cm) and old (50-75 cm) trees was low in the Ili River Valley of Xinjiang and Kazakhstan. Compared with the population in Xinjiang, the life vitality of wild apple population was weaker while the fruit yield was relatively high, and the population was in a severe decline (Deevey-Ⅲ) in Kazakhstan from 1969 to 1970. In 2013, the population of wild apple trees in Kazakhstan showed a strong life vitality and stable population structure (Deevey-Ⅱ). The key factor that resulted in the decline of wild apple population was the lack of young individual trees. Detailed advices were proposed to the conservation and regeneration of wild apple forest in Xinjiang and Kazakhstan. For Kazakhstan, an appropriate level of grazing was suggested to enhance the seed spreading and germinating. For Ili of Xinjiang, the conservation areas should be established, while the wild apple fruit collection and mowing in wild apple forest should be prohibited or under well control so as to protect the seedlings as well as the natural seed bank.

Key words: Malus sieversii population, static life table, age structure, Ili of Xinjiang, Kazakhstan