title: Mobile dune fixation by a fast-growing clonal plant: a full life-cycle analysis.
abstract: Desertification is a global environmental problem, and arid dunes with sparse vegetation are especially vulnerable to desertification. One way to combat desertification is to increase vegetation cover by planting plant species that can realize fast population expansion, even in harsh environments. To evaluate the success of planted species and provide guidance for selecting proper species to stabilize active dunes, demographic studies in natural habitats are essential. We studied the life history traits and population dynamics of a dominant clonal shrub Hedysarum laeve in Inner-Mongolia, northern China. Vital rates of 19057 ramets were recorded during three annual censuses (2007-2009) and used to parameterize Integral Projection Models to analyse population dynamics. The life history of H. laeve was characterized by high ramet turnover and population recruitment entirely depended on clonal propagation. Stochastic population growth rate was 1.32, suggesting that the populations were experiencing rapid expansion. Elasticity analysis revealed that clonal propagation was the key contributor to population growth. The capacity of high clonal propagation and rapid population expansion in mobile dunes makes H. laeve a suitable species to combat desertification. Species with similar life-history traits to H. laeve are likely to offer good opportunities for stabilizing active dunes in arid inland ecosystems.
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China [2] Ecology &Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80084, 3508 TB Utrecht, the Netherlands [3] Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: Shou-Li
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China [2] College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
authors.forename: Fei-Hai
authors.initials: FH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Ecology &Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80084, 3508 TB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marinus J A
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Werger
authors.affiliation: 1] State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China [2] College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou. 310036, China.
authors.forename: Ming
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: Ecology &Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80084, 3508 TB Utrecht, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Heinjo J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: During
authors.affiliation: 1] Ecology &Biodiversity Group, Institute of Environmental Biology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80084, 3508 TB Utrecht, the Netherlands [2] Forest Ecology and Forest Management group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, PO Box 47, 6700 AA Wageningen, the Netherlands.
authors.forename: Pieter A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Zuidema
mesh_terms: D002681:China; D017753:Ecosystem; D008018:Life Cycle Stages; D010944:Plants; D011157:Population Dynamics