Impact of long-term enclosure of severely desertified grasslands on plant communities in the Horqin Sandy Land

doi:10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00109

Journal of Desert Research ›› 2025, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4): 262-271.DOI: 10.7522/j.issn.1000-694X.2025.00109

Impact of long-term enclosure of severely desertified grasslands on plant communities in the Horqin Sandy Land

Wenjie Cao¹(), Yun Chen²(), Yuqiang Li³^,⁴, Xuyang Wang³^,⁴, Xiangwen Gong⁵, Zichen Guo⁶

^1.College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering /, Yunnan Normal University，Kunming 650500，China
^2.Faculty of Geography, Yunnan Normal University，Kunming 650500，China
^3.State Key Laboratory of Ecological Safety and Sustainable Development in Arid Lands /, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Lanzhou 730000，China
^4.Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources，Chinese Academy of Sciences，Lanzhou 730000，China
^5.Chongqing Jinfo Mountain Karst Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station / School of Geographical Sciences，Southwest University，Chongqing 400715，China
^6.College of Water Conservancy And Hydropower Engineering，Gansu Agricultural University，Lanzhou 730000，China

Received:2025-04-29 Revised:2025-07-10 Online:2025-07-20 Published:2025-08-18
Contact: Yun Chen

Abstract

Abstract:

Enclosure is an important way to restore desertified grasslands， which has a significant impact on the structure and function of plant communities. Through the time-space substitution method， the plant communities after 22 and 41 years of enclosure of severely desertified grassland for natural recovery in Horqin Sandy Land were studied， to explore the driving mechanisms of long-term enclosure on vegetation restoration in severely desertified grasslands. The results showed that：（1） Compared with mobile sand dunes （severe desertification and the beginning of restoration）， long-term enclosure significantly increased vegetation coverage， height， and aboveground biomass， while vegetation density increased first and then decreased. （2） With the increasing enclosure years， the plant community evolved from annual grasses （with an important value of 0.75 after 22 years of enclosure） dominated by Setaria viridis to perennial herbaceous plants （with an important value of 0.78 after 41 years of enclosure） dominated by Pennisetum centrasiaticuma， Artemisia scoparia， etc. （3） With the increasing enclosure years， species diversity significantly increased and co-occurrence network relationships become more complex （with average degree increased from 1.47 to 1.60）. （4） Soil chemical and physical properties explained 55.5% of the variation in plant communities. Among them， soil organic carbon， bulk density， and soil moisture content， are the main driving factors. Although enclosure is an effective measure for vegetation restoration in severely desertified grasslands， the community structure， dominant species composition， and species co-occurrence network relationships after 41 years of enclosure differed significantly from sparse forest grasslands （reference for climatic climax community）. The results can provide data support and theoretical basis for the development of adaptive management strategies for vegetation restoration in desertified grasslands.

Key words: Horqin Sandy Land, enclosure, plant diversity, co-occurrence network, soil properties

CLC Number:

P941.73

Wenjie Cao, Yun Chen, Yuqiang Li, Xuyang Wang, Xiangwen Gong, Zichen Guo. Impact of long-term enclosure of severely desertified grasslands on plant communities in the Horqin Sandy Land[J]. Journal of Desert Research, 2025, 45(4): 262-271.

Figures/Tables 9

References 43

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类型	样地	经度	纬度	海拔/m	坡度/（°）
围封22年	样地一	120°41.6′E	42°55.8′N	360	22.6
	样地二	120°41.9′E	42°55.7′N	361	19.7
	样地三	120°40.7′E	42°57.3′N	363	12.2
围封41年	样地一	120°40.1′E	42°57.9′N	354	5.1
	样地二	120°40.2′E	42°57.8′N	356	4.8
	样地三	120°40.1′E	42°57.8′N	356	5.2
流动沙丘	样地一	120°36.7′E	43°08.9′N	339	15.6
	样地二	120°36.9′E	43°09.1′N	339	6.8
	样地三	120°36.8′E	43°09.0′N	338	9.7
疏林草地	样地一	120°22.6′E	42°57.5′N	374	1.0
	样地二	120°32.0′E	42°58.3′N	361	1.4
	样地三	121°32.7′E	45°10.0′N	296	0.0
	样地四	120°51.8′E	44°25.7′N	303	0.0

类型	样地	经度	纬度	海拔/m	坡度/（°）
围封22年	样地一	120°41.6′E	42°55.8′N	360	22.6
	样地二	120°41.9′E	42°55.7′N	361	19.7
	样地三	120°40.7′E	42°57.3′N	363	12.2
围封41年	样地一	120°40.1′E	42°57.9′N	354	5.1
	样地二	120°40.2′E	42°57.8′N	356	4.8
	样地三	120°40.1′E	42°57.8′N	356	5.2
流动沙丘	样地一	120°36.7′E	43°08.9′N	339	15.6
	样地二	120°36.9′E	43°09.1′N	339	6.8
	样地三	120°36.8′E	43°09.0′N	338	9.7
疏林草地	样地一	120°22.6′E	42°57.5′N	374	1.0
	样地二	120°32.0′E	42°58.3′N	361	1.4
	样地三	121°32.7′E	45°10.0′N	296	0.0
	样地四	120°51.8′E	44°25.7′N	303	0.0

物种	科属	生活型	流动沙丘	围封		疏林草地
物种	科属	生活型	流动沙丘	22年	41年	疏林草地
白草(Pennisetum centrasiaticum)	禾本科	多年生草本	—	0.05	0.19	0.16
糙隐子草(Cleistogenessquarrosa)	禾本科	多年生	—	0.03	0.12	0.27
狗尾草(Setariaviridis)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	0.41	0.12	0.09
虎尾草(Chlorisvirgata)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	0.10	0.03	0.06
画眉草(Eragrostispilosa)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	0.03	<0.01	0.06
芦苇(Phragmitesaustralis)	禾本科	多年生草本	—	—	0.03	<0.01
止血马唐(Digitariaischaemum)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	—	—	0.14
扁蓿豆(Medicagoruthenica)	豆科	多年生草本	—	—	0.01	—
斜茎黄芪(Astragaluslaxmannii)	豆科	多年生草本	—	0.05	<0.01	—
虫实(Corispermumhyssopifolium)	苋科	一年生	—	0.02	—	0.01
尖头叶藜(Chenopodiumacuminatum)	苋科	一年生草本	—	0.09	0.04	0.01
沙蓬(Agriophyllumpungens)	苋科	一年生草本	1.00	—	—	—
大籽蒿(Artemisiasieversiana)	菊科	一年生草本	—	0.04	—	<0.01
猪毛蒿(Artemisiascoparia)	菊科	多年生草本	—	0.09	0.18	0.07
寸草(Carexduriuscula)	莎草科	多年生	—	—	0.08	0.04
砂韭(Alliumbidentatum)	石蒜科	多年生草本	—	—	0.08	<0.01
牻牛儿苗(Erodiumstephanianum)	牻牛儿苗科	多年生	—	—	0.08	<0.01
蒺藜(Tribulusterrestris)	蒺藜科	一年生草本	—	0.03	<0.01	<0.01
地梢瓜(Cynanchumthesiodes)	夹竹桃科	一年生草本	—	0.02	—	—
地锦草(Euphorbiahumifusa)	大戟科	一年生草本	—	<0.01	—	0.04
其他			—	0.02	0.02	0.03

物种	科属	生活型	流动沙丘	围封		疏林草地
物种	科属	生活型	流动沙丘	22年	41年	疏林草地
白草(Pennisetum centrasiaticum)	禾本科	多年生草本	—	0.05	0.19	0.16
糙隐子草(Cleistogenessquarrosa)	禾本科	多年生	—	0.03	0.12	0.27
狗尾草(Setariaviridis)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	0.41	0.12	0.09
虎尾草(Chlorisvirgata)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	0.10	0.03	0.06
画眉草(Eragrostispilosa)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	0.03	<0.01	0.06
芦苇(Phragmitesaustralis)	禾本科	多年生草本	—	—	0.03	<0.01
止血马唐(Digitariaischaemum)	禾本科	一年生草本	—	—	—	0.14
扁蓿豆(Medicagoruthenica)	豆科	多年生草本	—	—	0.01	—
斜茎黄芪(Astragaluslaxmannii)	豆科	多年生草本	—	0.05	<0.01	—
虫实(Corispermumhyssopifolium)	苋科	一年生	—	0.02	—	0.01
尖头叶藜(Chenopodiumacuminatum)	苋科	一年生草本	—	0.09	0.04	0.01
沙蓬(Agriophyllumpungens)	苋科	一年生草本	1.00	—	—	—
大籽蒿(Artemisiasieversiana)	菊科	一年生草本	—	0.04	—	<0.01
猪毛蒿(Artemisiascoparia)	菊科	多年生草本	—	0.09	0.18	0.07
寸草(Carexduriuscula)	莎草科	多年生	—	—	0.08	0.04
砂韭(Alliumbidentatum)	石蒜科	多年生草本	—	—	0.08	<0.01
牻牛儿苗(Erodiumstephanianum)	牻牛儿苗科	多年生	—	—	0.08	<0.01
蒺藜(Tribulusterrestris)	蒺藜科	一年生草本	—	0.03	<0.01	<0.01
地梢瓜(Cynanchumthesiodes)	夹竹桃科	一年生草本	—	0.02	—	—
地锦草(Euphorbiahumifusa)	大戟科	一年生草本	—	<0.01	—	0.04
其他			—	0.02	0.02	0.03

变量	解释率/%	pseudo-F	P
SOC	38.4	64.1	0.002
土壤容重	10.2	20.2	0.002
土壤含水量	2.9	6.0	0.004
田间持水量	1.3	2.7	0.076
pH	1.1	2.3	0.100
土壤N∶P	0.9	1.9	0.152
黏粉粒含量	0.7	1.5	0.254

Impact of long-term enclosure of severely desertified grasslands on plant communities in the Horqin Sandy Land

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