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Vegetation types of East Ladakh: species and growth form composition along main environmental gradients

2010; Wiley; Volume: 14; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1111/j.1654-109x.2010.01103.x

1654-109X

Miroslav Dvorský, Jiří Doležal, Francesco de Bello, Jitka Klimešová, Leoš Klimeš,

Plant Ecology and Taxonomy Studies

Applied Vegetation ScienceVolume 14, Issue 1 p. 132-147 Vegetation types of East Ladakh: species and growth form composition along main environmental gradients M. Dvorský, M. Dvorský Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, CZ–370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Doležal, J. Doležal Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, CZ–370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this authorF. de Bello, F. de Bello Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Joseph Fourier, Cedex 9, Grenoble, F–38041, FranceSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Klimešová, J. Klimešová Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this authorL. Klimeš, L. Klimeš Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this author M. Dvorský, M. Dvorský Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, CZ–370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Doležal, J. Doležal Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech Republic Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, CZ–370 05 České Budějovice, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this authorF. de Bello, F. de Bello Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Joseph Fourier, Cedex 9, Grenoble, F–38041, FranceSearch for more papers by this authorJ. Klimešová, J. Klimešová Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this authorL. Klimeš, L. Klimeš Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicSearch for more papers by this author First published: 13 October 2010 https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1654-109X.2010.01103.xCitations: 52 Dvorský, M. (corresponding author, dvorsky.miroslav@gmail.com), Doležal, J. (jiriddolezal@gmail.com), de Bello, F. (fradebello@ctfc.es), Klimešová, J. (klimesova@butbn.cas.cz) & Klimeš, L.: Department of Functional Ecology, Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Dukelská 135, CZ–379 82 Třeboň, Czech RepublicDvorský, M. & Doležal, J.: Department of Botany, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Na Zlaté stoce 1, CZ–370 05 České Budějovice, Czech Republicde Bello, F.: Laboratoire d'Ecologie Alpine, Université Joseph Fourier, Cedex 9, Grenoble, F–38041, France Co-ordinating Editor: Alessandro Chiarucci Read the full textAboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat Abstract Question: The vegetation of high mountain regions in Himalaya remains poorly assessed despite the expected vulnerability of these ecosystems to global change drivers. What are the main vegetation types in East Ladakh and which environmental factors influence the species composition and growth forms distribution? Location: The south-westernmost extension of the Tibetan Plateau, an arid mountainous area, in East Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir State, India. Methods: Species composition was recorded for 369 plots (each 100 m2). Plots, sampled from 4180 m a.s.l. (bottom of the Indus Valley) up to 6060 m a.s.l. (close to the snowline), covered a wide range of environmental conditions. Results: TWINSPAN clusters discriminated eight ecologically interpretable vegetation types, corresponding to the main habitats in the area: animal resting places, salt marshes, semi-deserts and steppes, shrublands, alpine screes and boulder fields, alpine grasslands, water bodies and subnival zone. The most important environmental factors influencing the species composition were altitude, soil moisture and salinity. Screes and alpine grasslands were found to be the most species-rich. The species were ranged into 20 growth forms with regard to life-form and clonality, with growth forms showing different changes in proportion among vegetation types and along the different environmental gradients. Conclusion: The study summarizes the main vegetation types of East Ladakh in terms of species and growth form compositions. The results can have a heuristic value for designing future monitoring schemes and assess the effects of global change in these diverse, but poorly studied, regions. Citing Literature Supporting Information Appendix SA1: Checklist of species recorded in the plots and their frequencies within the eight vegetation types. The species abbreviations used in graphs are formed from the first four letters both from genus and species name. SM=salt marshes, SH=shrublands, WB=water bodies, ST=semi-deserts and steppes, AG=alpine grasslands, RP=resting places of animals, SC=screes, SU=subnival zone. Please note: Wiley-Blackwell is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting materials supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than about missing material) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Filename Description AVSC_1103_sm_appendix-s1.doc401 KB Supporting info item Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article. Volume14, Issue1February 2011Pages 132-147 RelatedInformation