[Effects of compensation capacity and palatability on the dominance of plant species in grazing community].
With simulated mowing experiment and field survey, the compensation capacity and dominance shift of nine alpine plant species in grazing community were studied. The results showed that for most test species, there existed definite correlations between their compensation capacity and palatability. The species with better palatability, i.e., Astragalus polycladus, Medicago rythenica, Kobresia humilis, and Polygonum viviparvum, had higher compensation capacity, with their compensation index being 1.013, 0.907, 0.849, and 0.802, respectively, followed by Elymus nutans, with its compensation index being 0.668, while the species with poorer palatability, i.e., Taraxacum tibetanum, Swertis bimaculata, and Ajania tenuifolia had lower compensation capacity, with their compensation index being 0.649, 0.587, and 0.553, respectively. Festuca sinensis was more palatable but had the lowest compensation index (0.473). The nine species had three types of dominance shift, i.e., decreasing, increasing, and neutral. F. sinensis was of decreasing type, E. nutans, A. polycladus and P. viviparvum were of neutral, and the other five species were of increasing type. The compensation capacity and palatability of plant species in grazing community could explain their dominance shift to a certain extent.
Pan
Sheng-wang
SW
College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing, China. panwang@swau.edu.cn
Wang
Hai-yang
HY
Du
Guo-zhen
GZ
Lei
Shu-qing
SQ
Wei
Shi-qiang
SQ
D000818:Animals; D000829:Animals, Domestic / Q000502:physiology; D017753:Ecosystem; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000502:physiology*; D028502:Polygonum / Q000502:physiology; D011156:Population Density