Altitude Gradients in Soil and Vegetation Community Characteristics of Alpine Meadows in Tangjiahe Nature Reserve
The study investigated the influence of altitudinal gradients on characteristics of soil and veg-etation within alpine meadows of the Tangjiahe Nature Reserve.Six altitudinal zones(2700-2799 m,2800-2899 m,2900-2999 m,3000-3099 m,3100-3199 m,and≥3200 m)across three mountain peaks were established for analysis.Soil properties(particle size composition,thickness,bulk density,water,and nutrient contents)and plant characteristics(density,height,coverage,species number,and species diver-sity)were assessed at each elevation.The results showed the following:1)Significant differences were observed in the particle size composition,physical,and chemical properties of soil across altitudes(P＜0.05).Soil moisture content,pH,available nitrogen and available phosphorus contents increased with alti-tude.2)Significant difference in slope among the altitudes were noted,and slope significantly affected soil properties.On steep slopes(2900-2999 m),gravel content reached 67.32%,and soil properties were sig-nificantly lower than at other altitudes.In contrast,on gentle slopes(≥3200 m),the proportion of silt and clay and soil physical properties were higher.3)Altitude was significantly positively correlated with soil mois-ture content,pH,organic matter,available nitrogen,and available phosphorus(P＜0.05).Slope was sig-nificantly negatively correlated with soil layer thickness,moisture content,clay and silt proportions,organic matter,and available nitrogen(P＜0.05).4)Significant differences in plant community character-istic indicators were found across altitudes(P＜0.05),with community height and species number decreas-ing as altitude increased.Altitude significantly impacted dominant and subdominant species and height,resulting in different vegetation types and community characteristics at different altitudes.5)Altitude was significantly negatively correlated with community height,species number,and species richness(P＜0.05).Community density,projected coverage,and basal coverage were significantly negatively corre-lated with slope(P＜0.05).In summary,there were significantly differences in soil properties and plant communities among the six altitudes.Due to the influence of microtopography,such as slope,the regular-ity of zonal changes in soil properties and plant community characteristics was inconsistent.
AltitudeAlpine meadowsSoil propertiesCommunity characteristicsDominant species
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万方数据
