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. 2015 Mar 11:5:8935.
doi: 10.1038/srep08935.

Mobile dune fixation by a fast-growing clonal plant: a full life-cycle analysis

Shou-Li Li  1 , Fei-Hai Yu  2 , Marinus J A Werger  3 , Ming Dong  4 , Heinjo J During  3 , Pieter A Zuidema  5
Affiliations

Mobile dune fixation by a fast-growing clonal plant: a full life-cycle analysis

Shou-Li Li et al. Sci Rep. .

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.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Relations of vital rates with plant height for Hedysarum laeve in Mu Us Sandland during 2007–2008 (a, d, g) and 2008–2009 (b, c, e, f, h, i).
Individuals in 2008 were presented as one group (b, e, h), but also divided into two groups as new recruited ramets (new) and ramets survived from previous years (old; c, f, i). Regression functions are described in Tables 1 and 2.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Observed population size structures (Observed) of Hedysarum laeve in Mu Us Sandland during 2007–2009, and stochastic size structure (Stochastic) from a stochastic Integral Projection Model.
Figure 3
Figure 3. Vital rate elasticity for Hedysarum laeve in Mu Us Sandland during 2007–2008 (a) and 2008–2009 (b).
Figure 4
Figure 4. Results of analyses of Life Table Response Experiments (LTRE) for Hedysarum laeve in Mu Us Sandland.
Shown are the contributions of vital rates to temporal variation in population growth between 2007–2008 and 2008–2009.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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