Abstract:

To fully understand the distribution characteristics of grassland community and estimate herbage reserves are the key to protect and rationally utilize grassland resources. In this study， four grassland types in eight towns of Kulun Banner were taken as the research objects. Through field investigation and spatial analysis， the distribution characteristics and influencing factors of grassland communities in Kulun Banner were discussed， and the reserves of herbage were estimated. The results showed that Kulun Town had the highest species richness and Shuiquan Town had the highest diversity index. The grassland area in the northern region was larger and the average height of herbage was higher， but the species richness was lower than that in the southern region. According to the species importance value， the community types were divided into 23 classes. Among the four grassland types， shrub grassland had the highest biomass， and sparse forest grassland had the highest abundance. Soil factors significantly affected vegetation height， coverage， species richness and diversity index. The dominant species Setaria viridis and Digitaria chrysoblephara were mainly distributed in areas with poor soil fertility， namely shrub grassland and meadow grassland. The reserves of herbaceous herbage （hay） in Kulun Banner were about 197 800 tons， and they were mainly distributed in the northern Manghan Town and Eleshun Town. This study provides technical and theoretical support for the exploitation and utilization of herbage resources， the evaluation of reasonable carrying capacity and the development of animal husbandry in Kulun Banner.

Key words: Kulun Banner, community characteristics, herbage reserve, grassland type