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Phytosociological study of steppe vegetation in east Kazakhstan
Author(s) -
Cheng Yunxiang,
Nakamura Toru
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
grassland science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.388
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1744-697X
pISSN - 1744-6961
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-697x.2007.00090.x
Subject(s) - steppe , vegetation (pathology) , ordination , ecological succession , geography , precipitation , detrended correspondence analysis , plant community , physical geography , ecology , disturbance (geology) , forestry , environmental science , biology , medicine , paleontology , pathology , meteorology
Following phytosociological methods, vegetation data were collected from 74 stands in the steppe area of east Kazakhstan, including Almaty, Pavlodar and Semipalatinsk Provinces. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to extract the main compositional gradients of each of the 74 stands. In east Kazakhstan, four steppe vegetation communities were identified based on their species composition. The first ordination axis produced by DCA of species composition was associated with a decreasing Kira's warmth index ( r = 0.84, P < 0.01) and an increasing Köppen P/E ratio ( r = 0.70, P < 0.01). The second axis was associated with succession trends within the community as a result of different human activities. We identified a strong correlation with climatic factors, indicating that temperature and precipitation may influence the species composition of the east Kazakhstan steppe irrespective of human activities. Species composition, however, is affected by human disturbance, especially in such a severe environment where mean annual precipitation is below 300 mm in Pavlodar Province.