沙丘微地形生境蚁丘分布特征及其对恢复过程的响应

Translated title of the contribution: Distribution of ant mounds in sand dune microtopographic habitats and their responses to the restoration process

Feiyue Zeng, Rentao Liu, Xueru Ji, Yanjiao Bai, Min Yang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The objective of this study was to clarify the distribution of ant mounds in sand dune microtopographic habitats and their responses to the restoration process. In Horqin sandy land, four dune aspects (i. e., northwest, southeast, southwest, and northeast) of dune were selected as sampling sites in mobile sand dune, semi-mobile sand dune, semi-fixed sand dune, and fixed sand dune. The density, diameter and height of ant mounds were measured, and the distribution of ant mounds sand dune microtopographic habitats were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) from mobile dune to semi-mobile dune, there was an opposite distribution of ant mound density between the four habitats of dune aspects. The density of ant mounds in mobile dunes was significantly higher on leeward aspect (i. e., southeast direction) than that on other aspects, whereas the density of ant mounds in semi-mobile dunes was significantly lower on leeward aspect (i.e., southeast direction) than that on other aspects. However, there was a little effect of dune aspects on ant mound density in both semi-fixed and fixed sandy dunes. (2) There was a similar distribution of ant mound diameter and height between dune aspects in mobile dune, semi-mobile dune, and semi-fixed dune; the ant mound diameter and height was significantly lower on the southeast aspect than on the other aspects. In fixed sand dune, the height of ant mounds was significantly lower on the southeast aspect, but the diameter of ant mounds was significantly lower on the southwest and northeast aspects than on the other aspects. (3) The spatial distribution of ant mounds indicated a pattern of uniform in the northwest, southwest and southeast dune aspects in mobile sand dune. However, it indicated a pattern of clumped distribution in the four dune aspects in semi-mobile, semi-fixed, and fixed sand dunes. (4) The correlation analysis showed that the correlation coefficients between the density, height and diameter of ant mounds and the plant density and diversity in different dune aspects differed between mobile, semi-mobile, semi-fixed, and fixed sand dunes. The correlation coefficients in different dune aspects increased along with the ecological restoration process of mobile sand dunes. In conclusion, with the fixation of mobile dunes, the differences of ant mound density between dune aspects decreased from mobile and semi-mobile sand dunes toward semi-fixed and fixed sand dunes in Horqin sandy land. The distribution of ant mount diameter and height was still significantly different among the four micro-topography of sand dunes. The spatial distribution of ant mounds indicated a similar pattern of clumped distribution during the restoration process.

Translated title of the contributionDistribution of ant mounds in sand dune microtopographic habitats and their responses to the restoration process
Original languageChinese (Simplified)
Pages (from-to)7507-7516
Number of pages10
JournalShengtai Xuebao
Volume42
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - Sep 2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
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Keywords

  • Horqin Sandy Land
  • ant mound
  • dune aspect
  • fixation of mobile sand dune
  • spatial distribution

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