Vegetation pattern in shell ridge island in China’s Yellow River Delta

Abstract

In general, coastal habitat conditions are extremely harsh, with the ecological equilibrium inextricably related to the plant community. Understanding the natural vegetation features of a coastal zone with little human disturbance could provide a reference for future vegetation restoration and ecosystem maintenance services. In this study, the vegetation patterns of Wangzi Shell Ridge Island in the Yellow River Delta were investigated. A total of 35 taxa of vascular plants were documented, representing 15 families and 33 genera (of which most were mono-specific). Surveys identified only one to eight taxa in each plot. From sea to land, the vegetation showed a typical zonal distribution pattern. There was a correlation between the landform and important factors that influenced the plants including soil factors and distance from the sea. Thus, the taxa distribution and vegetation had a significant correlation with landform. The dune crest, backdune and interdune lowlands were areas with weak storm surges and were the important locations for the taxa to be become established. Plants along the high-tide line formed important defenses from large waves and high winds. The significant protection provided a suitable living environment for many organisms with high medicinal value. Special attention and protection could be provided to this area by reducing the use of the beach road and enclosing the complete section from sea to land with a protective fence. In addition, vegetation protection and restoration on Shell Ridge Island would aid in the formulation and implementation of reintroduction strategies for similar vegetation in similar habitats.

Water Uptake Tradeoffs of Dominant Shrub Species in the Coastal Wetlands of the Yellow River Delta, China

“…A typical temperate continental monsoon climate dominates in the study area. Mean annual temperature is 12.4 • C. Mean annual precipitation and mean annual evaporation are 552.4 and 2430.6 mm, respectively (Zhao et al, 2015;Zhu et al, 2016Zhu et al, , 2018. Seventy percent of annual precipitation happens between June and September (Zhu et al, 2018).The study area is formed by long-term accumulation of shells brought by tides.…”

“…Seventy percent of annual precipitation happens between June and September (Zhu et al, 2018).The study area is formed by long-term accumulation of shells brought by tides. The soil matrix consists of shells, mud and sand, and the soil texture is characterized by large porosity, weak water, and fertilizer holding capacity (Zhao et al, 2015). The soil types are mainly shell sand soil and coastal saline soil, and coastal saline soil is dominant on the seaward and landward sides (Zhu et al, 2015;Chen et al, 2019).…”

“…Chenier Island, one of the world's three large, ancient shell ridges, formed in the Yellow River Delta (YRD) by the accumulation of shells over thousands of years (Zhao et al, 2015).The coastal wetland ecosystem on Chenier Island plays a key role in protection against coastal erosion. It also provides habitats as resting grounds for some migratory bird species and as breeding grounds for others (Zhao et al, 2015). Precipitation is the main freshwater source of soil water recharge and determines the vegetation composition and distribution patterns in this region.…”

“…On Chenier Island, Z. jujuba and T. chinensis are two dominant shrub species coexisting on the dune crest ( Zhu et al, 2018 ). They are ecologically important in protecting the coast from wind and waves ( Zhao et al, 2015 ). The result of our previous study ( Zhu et al, 2018 ) showed that the two species had different water use patterns during growing seasons.…”

Effects of shell sand burial on seedling emergence, growth and stoichiometry of Periploca sepium Bunge

“…Therefore, it is important to study the physiological and ecological factors affecting P. sepium to protect and restore the ecology of the Shell Dike Island. Previous studies of the Shell Dike Island mainly focused on plant physiology, soil physical and chemical properties, and the biological diversity [15,16]. However, few studies have been conducted to investigate the stoichiometry of the dominant plants in this area, and no study has examined how the growth and biomass of P. sepium seedling could be influenced by elemental stoichiometry.…”