title: [Influence of plant species diversity on productivity of sandy grassland in Kerqin Region].
abstract: The relationship between species diversity indices and sandy grassland productivity was studied in Kerqin sandy land, and the results showed that the relations could be divided in to two categories based on the indices and productivity. The first type includes function and composition diversities, their maximal biomass varied form 299 to 336 g.m-2, and had a simple linear relation with the productivity. Their correlation coefficient was remarkably significant. The species richness and Shannon-Wiener indices attribute to second type, their maximal biomass varied from 426 to 433 g.m-2, and had a complex parabola relations with the productivity. Their correlation coefficient was also significant. Meanwhile, the grey correlation analysis showed that the species composition diversity index was the most important factor that influences productivity. According to the grey correlation degree, the order of the different indices affecting productivity was: composition diversity(0.74), function diversity (0.72), species richness (0.66) and Shannon-Wiener index (0.14). It is suggested that increasing plant species richness (species introduction) and consequent composition diversity could be the practices of improving the degraded grassland in Kerqin.
authors.affiliation: Cold and Arid Regions Environment and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000.
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D003889:Desert Climate; D017753:Ecosystem; D008954:Models, Biological; D063245:Plant Development; D013045:Species Specificity