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Journal of Arid Land
Journal of Arid Land  2017, Vol. 9 Issue (2): 176-187    DOI: 10.1007/s40333-017-0010-x
Research Article     
Spatial distribution of AgriophyllumsquarrosumMoq.(Chenopodiaceae) in the straw checkerboards at a revegetated land of the Tengger Desert, northern China
Lei HUANG1,2,*()
1Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
2 Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Abstract  

The present study focuses on straw checkerboards established in the Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station at the southeastern edge of the Tengger Desert and their effects on the species richness and the abundance of AgriophyllumsquarrosuMoq. Specifically, detailed analyses on the spatial distribution of A. squarrosum and the related soil properties were carried out at a small scale in the straw checkerboards. A. squarrosumis an excellent pioneer plant for revegetation in desert areas. However, the distribution pattern of A. squarrosum and the influencing factors have not been sufficiently delineated. The results showed that the species richness and the abundance of A. squarrosum were decreased exponentially from the border to the center of the straw checkerboards. At the micro-geomorphological scale, the soil texture, soil organic matter (SOM), soil nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium), and soil infiltration rate in the topsoil tended to increase from the center to the border within a straw checkerboard, while soil moisture presented an opposite tendency. The soil seed bank of A. squarrosum, soil bulk density, electrical conductivity, sand content, CaCO3 accumulation, and pH showed no significant difference (P>0.05) between the border and the center of the straw checkerboards. Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that theabundance of A. squarrosum was mainly determined by the concentrations of SOM, nitrogen, and the infiltration rate,implying that nutrient acclimation was the optimal competitive strategy of A. squarrosum for surviving in a barren natural environment of an arid desert region.

Key words： Agriophyllumsquarrosum      seed banks      soil moisture      soil infiltration rate      nutrient acclimation     
Received: 09 December 2015      Published: 20 April 2017
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Lei HUANG. Spatial distribution of AgriophyllumsquarrosumMoq.(Chenopodiaceae) in the straw checkerboards at a revegetated land of the Tengger Desert, northern China. Journal of Arid Land, 2017, 9(2): 176-187.

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http://jal.xjegi.com/10.1007/s40333-017-0010-x     OR     http://jal.xjegi.com/Y2017/V9/I2/176

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