Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, China
The Bashang Plateau is the core zone of the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China and represents an ecological barrier for preventing the invasion of wind-blown sand in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. Increasing plant cover to control soil erosion is an effective measure to address land degradat...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-06-01
|
| Series: | Land |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/890 |
| _version_ | 1797485378619310080 |
|---|---|
| author | Yu Zhang Wei Li Shaodan Li Baoni Xie Fangzhong Shi Jianxia Zhao |
| author_facet | Yu Zhang Wei Li Shaodan Li Baoni Xie Fangzhong Shi Jianxia Zhao |
| author_sort | Yu Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The Bashang Plateau is the core zone of the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China and represents an ecological barrier for preventing the invasion of wind-blown sand in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. Increasing plant cover to control soil erosion is an effective measure to address land degradation; however, plant cover is different from climatic conditions. In this study, we determined the optimal spatial distribution of <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr., which is a widely planted species used for revegetation on the Bashang Plateau. A modified Biome-BGC model was used to simulate the dynamics of the net primary productivity (NPP), actual evapotranspiration (AET), and leaf-area index (LAI). The model was validated using field-observed tree-ring and MODIS AET and NPP data. The dynamics of AET, NPP and LAI for <i>P. simonii</i> at 122 representative sites in the study area for the period 1980–2019 were simulated by the validated model. The results showed that the spatial distributions of mean AET, NPP, and LAI generally decreased from southeast to northwest. The ranges of optimal plant cover in terms of maximum LAI for <i>P. simonii</i> were 3.3 in the Fengning–Weichang area, 1.9 in the Shangyi–Zhangbei–Guyuan area and 1.3 in the Kangbao area. Mean annual precipitation (MAP), elevation, soil texture and mean annual temperature were the main factors influencing the distribution of AET, NPP and LAI. As the MAP decreased, the correlations between AET, NPP, LAI and precipitation gradually decreased. In different subregions, the factors influencing optimal-plant-cover distribution varied significantly. These quantitative findings provide the optimal plant cover for the dominant tree in different subregions and provide useful information for land degradation management on the Bashang Plateau. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:17:56Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-cae8cdebfc894d15a0b1b2efb710ecb4 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2073-445X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T23:17:56Z |
| publishDate | 2022-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Land |
| spelling | doaj.art-cae8cdebfc894d15a0b1b2efb710ecb42023-11-23T17:32:23ZengMDPI AGLand2073-445X2022-06-0111689010.3390/land11060890Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, ChinaYu Zhang0Wei Li1Shaodan Li2Baoni Xie3Fangzhong Shi4Jianxia Zhao5School of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, ChinaSchool of Land Science and Space Planning, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, ChinaSchool of Geographical Sciences, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang 050024, ChinaSchool of Land Science and Space Planning, Hebei GEO University, Shijiazhuang 050031, ChinaSchool of Natural Resources, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, ChinaCollege of Geography and Land Engineering, Yuxi Normal University, Yuxi 653100, ChinaThe Bashang Plateau is the core zone of the agro-pastoral ecotone in northern China and represents an ecological barrier for preventing the invasion of wind-blown sand in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei region. Increasing plant cover to control soil erosion is an effective measure to address land degradation; however, plant cover is different from climatic conditions. In this study, we determined the optimal spatial distribution of <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr., which is a widely planted species used for revegetation on the Bashang Plateau. A modified Biome-BGC model was used to simulate the dynamics of the net primary productivity (NPP), actual evapotranspiration (AET), and leaf-area index (LAI). The model was validated using field-observed tree-ring and MODIS AET and NPP data. The dynamics of AET, NPP and LAI for <i>P. simonii</i> at 122 representative sites in the study area for the period 1980–2019 were simulated by the validated model. The results showed that the spatial distributions of mean AET, NPP, and LAI generally decreased from southeast to northwest. The ranges of optimal plant cover in terms of maximum LAI for <i>P. simonii</i> were 3.3 in the Fengning–Weichang area, 1.9 in the Shangyi–Zhangbei–Guyuan area and 1.3 in the Kangbao area. Mean annual precipitation (MAP), elevation, soil texture and mean annual temperature were the main factors influencing the distribution of AET, NPP and LAI. As the MAP decreased, the correlations between AET, NPP, LAI and precipitation gradually decreased. In different subregions, the factors influencing optimal-plant-cover distribution varied significantly. These quantitative findings provide the optimal plant cover for the dominant tree in different subregions and provide useful information for land degradation management on the Bashang Plateau.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/890Bashang Plateau<i>Populus simonii</i> forestoptimal plant coverleaf-area indexBiome-BGC model |
| spellingShingle | Yu Zhang Wei Li Shaodan Li Baoni Xie Fangzhong Shi Jianxia Zhao Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, China Land Bashang Plateau <i>Populus simonii</i> forest optimal plant cover leaf-area index Biome-BGC model |
| title | Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, China |
| title_full | Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, China |
| title_fullStr | Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, China |
| title_short | Spatial Distribution of Optimal Plant Cover and Its Influencing Factors for <i>Populus simonii</i> Carr. on the Bashang Plateau, China |
| title_sort | spatial distribution of optimal plant cover and its influencing factors for i populus simonii i carr on the bashang plateau china |
| topic | Bashang Plateau <i>Populus simonii</i> forest optimal plant cover leaf-area index Biome-BGC model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-445X/11/6/890 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT yuzhang spatialdistributionofoptimalplantcoveranditsinfluencingfactorsforipopulussimoniiicarronthebashangplateauchina AT weili spatialdistributionofoptimalplantcoveranditsinfluencingfactorsforipopulussimoniiicarronthebashangplateauchina AT shaodanli spatialdistributionofoptimalplantcoveranditsinfluencingfactorsforipopulussimoniiicarronthebashangplateauchina AT baonixie spatialdistributionofoptimalplantcoveranditsinfluencingfactorsforipopulussimoniiicarronthebashangplateauchina AT fangzhongshi spatialdistributionofoptimalplantcoveranditsinfluencingfactorsforipopulussimoniiicarronthebashangplateauchina AT jianxiazhao spatialdistributionofoptimalplantcoveranditsinfluencingfactorsforipopulussimoniiicarronthebashangplateauchina |