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Plants
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Vegetation Dynamics and Ecological Restoration in Alpine Ecosystems
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Vegetation Dynamics and Ecological Restoration in Alpine Ecosystems

A special issue of Plants (ISSN 2223-7747). This special issue belongs to the section "Plant Ecology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2382

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Peili Shi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
Interests: Alpine Plant Ecology with special interests in eco-physiology of alpine plant life, coupling of water, carbon and nitrogen cycling of alpine ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Zhanhuan Shang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
Interests: restoration ecology; chemical ecology; sustainable development in arid and alpine areas
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Land degradation induced by environmental changes and anthropogenic activities has become one of the most challenging issues of global ecological security and sustainable development. The alpine ecosystems are vulnerable to rapid degradation caused by overgrazing, deforestation, biological invasion and unprecedented land-use changes, which are execrated by climate warming. Although the roles of biotic and abiotic processes in accelerating plant community succession and ecosystem degradation are well recognized, most studies have concentrated only on single role, but not their interactions, on the vegetation dynamics, ecosystem functioning and thereby multiple benefits. As such, the vegetation change, vulnerability, degradation and its consequences as well as evidence-based solutions to restoration and sustainable land use remain largely unknown. This special issue of Plants will highlight the plant community succession, vegetation dynamics, mechanisms of ecosystem degradation, restoration solutions and their roles in maintaining biodiversity and enhancing ecosystem multifunctionality, and thereby provide insight into the sustainable ecosystem management.

Prof. Dr. Peili Shi
Prof. Dr. Zhanhuan Shang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • vegetation dynamics
  • plant community succession
  • plant-plant interactions
  • ecosystem degradation
  • biodiversity-ecosystem functioning
  • community stability and resilience
  • multiple ecosystem services
  • ecological restoration

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 7502 KiB  
Article
An Assessment of Vegetation Changes in the Three-River Headwaters Region, China: Integrating NDVI and Its Spatial Heterogeneity
by Xuejie Mou, Huixia Chai, Cheng Duan, Yao Feng and Xiahui Wang
Plants 2024, 13(19), 2814; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13192814 - 8 Oct 2024
Abstract
Assessing vegetation changes in alpine arid and fragile ecosystems is imperative for informed ecological restoration initiatives and adaptive ecosystem management. Previous studies primarily employed the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to reveal vegetation dynamics, ignoring the spatial heterogeneity alterations caused by bare soil. [...] Read more.
Assessing vegetation changes in alpine arid and fragile ecosystems is imperative for informed ecological restoration initiatives and adaptive ecosystem management. Previous studies primarily employed the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) to reveal vegetation dynamics, ignoring the spatial heterogeneity alterations caused by bare soil. In this study, we used a comprehensive analysis of NDVI and its spatial heterogeneity to examine the vegetation changes across the Three-River Headwaters Region (TRHR) over the past two decades. A random forest model was used to elucidate the underlying causes of these changes. We found that between 2000 and 2022, 9.4% of the regions exhibited significant changes in both NDVI and its spatial heterogeneity. These regions were categorized into six distinct types of vegetation change: improving conditions (62.1%), regrowing conditions (11.0%), slight degradation (16.2%), medium degradation (8.4%), severe degradation (2.0%), and desertification (0.3%). In comparison with steppe regions, meadows showed a greater proportion of improved conditions and medium degradation, whereas steppes had more instances of regrowth and slight degradation. Climate variables are the dominant factors that caused vegetation changes, with contributions to NDVI and spatial heterogeneity reaching 68.9% and 73.2%, respectively. Temperature is the primary driver of vegetation dynamics across the different types of change, with a more pronounced impact in meadows. In severely degraded steppe and meadow regions, grazing intensity emerged as the predominant driver of NDVI change, with an importance value exceeding 0.50. Notably, as degradation progressed from slight to severe, the significance of this factor correspondingly increased. Our findings can provide effective information for guiding the implementation of ecological restoration projects and the sustainable management of alpine arid ecosystems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Dynamics and Ecological Restoration in Alpine Ecosystems)
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18 pages, 3200 KiB  
Article
Fine-Scale Lithogeochemical Features Influence Plant Distribution Patterns in Alpine Grasslands in the Western Alps of Italy
by Anna Cazzavillan, Renato Gerdol, Elena Marrocchino, Carmela Vaccaro and Lisa Brancaleoni
Plants 2024, 13(16), 2280; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13162280 - 16 Aug 2024
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Abstract
Bedrock geology is crucial in structuring alpine plant communities. Old studies mainly focused on the compositional differences between alpine plant communities on carbonate rocks and crystalline rocks, i.e., calcareous vs. siliceous vegetation. Increasing attention is being paid to bedrock types other than calcareous [...] Read more.
Bedrock geology is crucial in structuring alpine plant communities. Old studies mainly focused on the compositional differences between alpine plant communities on carbonate rocks and crystalline rocks, i.e., calcareous vs. siliceous vegetation. Increasing attention is being paid to bedrock types other than calcareous or siliceous ones, viz. those which have intermediate geochemical characteristics between pure calcareous and pure siliceous ones. Among these types of ‘intermediate’ bedrocks, calc-schists and serpentines are generally characterized by vegetation comprised of a mixture of basiphilous and acidophilous species. We selected several sites in alpine grasslands in the Western Italian Alps, on calc-schist and serpentine bedrocks, located at 2500 ± 100 m above sea level. X-ray fluorescence quantification of major and trace elements, combined with stereomicroscopic examination of bedrock samples with a petrographic approach, revealed a much broader range of bedrock types than recognized by inspection of geological maps. The vegetation investigated in our study was mostly composed of a set of species found more or less frequently in alpine silicicolous or calcicolous plant communities of the Alps and other European mountains. The carbonate content in the bedrock was one of the main drivers of variation in grassland vegetation, not necessarily related to soil pH. There were no distinctive species uniquely characterizing grassland vegetation on serpentines or calc-schists. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Dynamics and Ecological Restoration in Alpine Ecosystems)
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18 pages, 6617 KiB  
Article
In the Qaidam Basin, Soil Nutrients Directly or Indirectly Affect Desert Ecosystem Stability under Drought Stress through Plant Nutrients
by Yunhao Zhao, Hui Chen, Hongyan Sun and Fan Yang
Plants 2024, 13(13), 1849; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13131849 - 5 Jul 2024
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Abstract
The low nutrient content of soil in desert ecosystems results in unique physiological and ecological characteristics of plants under long-term water and nutrient stress, which is the basis for the productivity and stability maintenance of the desert ecosystem. However, the relationship between the [...] Read more.
The low nutrient content of soil in desert ecosystems results in unique physiological and ecological characteristics of plants under long-term water and nutrient stress, which is the basis for the productivity and stability maintenance of the desert ecosystem. However, the relationship between the soil and the plant nutrient elements in the desert ecosystem and its mechanism for maintaining ecosystem stability is still unclear. In this study, 35 sampling sites were established in an area with typical desert vegetation in the Qaidam Basin, based on a drought gradient. A total of 90 soil samples and 100 plant samples were collected, and the soil’s physico-chemical properties, as well as the nutrient elements in the plant leaves, were measured. Regression analysis, redundancy analysis (RDA), the Theil–Sen Median and Mann–Kendall methods, the structural equation model (SEM), and other methods were employed to analyze the distribution characteristics of the soil and plant nutrient elements along the drought gradient and the relationship between the soil and leaf nutrient elements and its impact on ecosystem stability. The results provided the following conclusions: Compared with the nutrient elements in plant leaves, the soil’s nutrient elements had a more obvious regularity of distribution along the drought gradient. A strong correlation was observed between the soil and leaf nutrient elements, with soil organic carbon and alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen identified as important factors influencing the leaf nutrient content. The SEM showed that the soil’s organic carbon had a positive effect on ecosystem stability by influencing the leaf carbon, while the soil’s available phosphorus and the mean annual temperature had a direct positive effect on stability, and the soil’s total nitrogen had a negative effect on stability. In general, the soil nutrient content was high in areas with a low mean annual temperature and high precipitation, and the ecosystem stability in the area distribution of typical desert vegetation in the Qaidam Basin was low. These findings reveal that soil nutrients affect the stability of desert ecosystems directly or indirectly through plant nutrients in the Qaidam Basin, which is crucial for maintaining the stability of desert ecosystems with the background of climate change. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Dynamics and Ecological Restoration in Alpine Ecosystems)
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Review

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14 pages, 552 KiB  
Review
Bilberry Expansion in the Changing Subalpine Belt
by Miroslav Zeidler and Marek Banaš
Plants 2024, 13(18), 2633; https://doi.org/10.3390/plants13182633 - 20 Sep 2024
Abstract
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) expansion in subalpine and alpine ecosystems is increasing due to climate change and reduced land management. This review examines bilberry traits, environmental responses, and ecosystem impacts. As a stress-tolerant chamaephyte, bilberry thrives in acidic, nutrient-poor soils across various [...] Read more.
Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) expansion in subalpine and alpine ecosystems is increasing due to climate change and reduced land management. This review examines bilberry traits, environmental responses, and ecosystem impacts. As a stress-tolerant chamaephyte, bilberry thrives in acidic, nutrient-poor soils across various habitats. It propagates effectively through rhizomes and demonstrates a phalanx growth form. Bilberry’s growth and distribution are influenced by elevation, soil structure, pH, water availability, and nitrogen content. Mycorrhizal associations play a crucial role in nutrient uptake. The species modifies the microclimate, facilitates litter accumulation, and influences soil microbial communities, affecting nutrient turnover and biodiversity. Bilberry shows moderate tolerance to herbivory and frost, with the ability to recover through rapid emergence of new ramets. However, severe or repeated disturbances can significantly impact its abundance and reproductive success. Climate warming and atmospheric nitrogen deposition have accelerated bilberry growth in treeline ecotones. The management of bilberry expansion requires a nuanced approach, considering its resilience, historical land-use changes, and environmental factors. The goal should be to limit, not eliminate, bilberry, as it is a natural part of subalpine communities. Long-term comparative monitoring and experimental manipulation are necessary for effective management strategies. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetation Dynamics and Ecological Restoration in Alpine Ecosystems)
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