Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, China

Spontaneous vegetation is an important component of urban biodiversity and an excellent agent for exploring the mutual feedback mechanism between urbanization and urban ecosystems. Rapid urbanization has had a significant impact on the composition, structure, and distribution patterns of urban spont...

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Main Authors: Haiyan Zhu, Congcong Zhao, Feinuo Li, Peixin Shen, Lisa Liu, Yuandong Hu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-10-01
Series:Plants
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/21/2982
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author Haiyan Zhu
Congcong Zhao
Feinuo Li
Peixin Shen
Lisa Liu
Yuandong Hu
author_facet Haiyan Zhu
Congcong Zhao
Feinuo Li
Peixin Shen
Lisa Liu
Yuandong Hu
author_sort Haiyan Zhu
collection DOAJ
description Spontaneous vegetation is an important component of urban biodiversity and an excellent agent for exploring the mutual feedback mechanism between urbanization and urban ecosystems. Rapid urbanization has had a significant impact on the composition, structure, and distribution patterns of urban spontaneous vegetation diversity. Studying the diversity distribution patterns and causes of urban plant communities is beneficial for understanding the formation and maintenance mechanisms of plant diversity in specific urban habitats. This study selected five cities in different climate subregions of Heilongjiang Province as research targets and conducted field research using uniform sampling and typical sampling methods. The composition, distribution pattern, and driving factors of spontaneous vegetation were analyzed. The results showed the following: (1) A total of 633 examples of spontaneous vegetation were recorded, belonging to 93 families and 341 genera, mainly consisting of herbaceous plants and native plants. (2) The diversity index and similarity index of spontaneous vegetation in gravel-type abandoned land habitats are higher than those in other habitat types, while the diversity index of spontaneous vegetation in trees and shrubs is lower, and there is no significant difference in regards to different habitats. (3) Urban population density is a key factor affecting the diversity of native plants, while woody plant coverage, patch area, and landscape trait index are key factors affecting non-native plants. (4) The results of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the total explanatory power of environmental characteristic factors in regards to the distribution pattern of spontaneous vegetation was 7.5%. The closest distance between adjacent patches, the coverage of woody plants in patches, the distance from the city edge, the patch area, and the surface impermeability of the buffer zones were key factors affecting the distribution of dominant species in spontaneous vegetation communities. The research results will provide an important reference for the conservation of urban biodiversity and the construction of low-maintenance urban green space plant landscapes in Heilongjiang Province.
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publishDate 2024-10-01
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spelling doaj-art-47da2d7e1dca40e0b9ebcc7354fd1b302024-11-08T14:39:09ZengMDPI AGPlants2223-77472024-10-011321298210.3390/plants13212982Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, ChinaHaiyan Zhu0Congcong Zhao1Feinuo Li2Peixin Shen3Lisa Liu4Yuandong Hu5School of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, ChinaSchool of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, ChinaSchool of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, ChinaSchool of Resources and Environment, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, ChinaSchool of Design, The University of Western Australia, 35 Stirling Highway, Perth, WA 6009, AustraliaSchool of Landscape Architecture, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, ChinaSpontaneous vegetation is an important component of urban biodiversity and an excellent agent for exploring the mutual feedback mechanism between urbanization and urban ecosystems. Rapid urbanization has had a significant impact on the composition, structure, and distribution patterns of urban spontaneous vegetation diversity. Studying the diversity distribution patterns and causes of urban plant communities is beneficial for understanding the formation and maintenance mechanisms of plant diversity in specific urban habitats. This study selected five cities in different climate subregions of Heilongjiang Province as research targets and conducted field research using uniform sampling and typical sampling methods. The composition, distribution pattern, and driving factors of spontaneous vegetation were analyzed. The results showed the following: (1) A total of 633 examples of spontaneous vegetation were recorded, belonging to 93 families and 341 genera, mainly consisting of herbaceous plants and native plants. (2) The diversity index and similarity index of spontaneous vegetation in gravel-type abandoned land habitats are higher than those in other habitat types, while the diversity index of spontaneous vegetation in trees and shrubs is lower, and there is no significant difference in regards to different habitats. (3) Urban population density is a key factor affecting the diversity of native plants, while woody plant coverage, patch area, and landscape trait index are key factors affecting non-native plants. (4) The results of canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) showed that the total explanatory power of environmental characteristic factors in regards to the distribution pattern of spontaneous vegetation was 7.5%. The closest distance between adjacent patches, the coverage of woody plants in patches, the distance from the city edge, the patch area, and the surface impermeability of the buffer zones were key factors affecting the distribution of dominant species in spontaneous vegetation communities. The research results will provide an important reference for the conservation of urban biodiversity and the construction of low-maintenance urban green space plant landscapes in Heilongjiang Province.https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/21/2982spontaneous vegetationcommunity structureplant diversityenvironmental characteristic factorsdistribution patternHeilongjiang Province
spellingShingle Haiyan Zhu
Congcong Zhao
Feinuo Li
Peixin Shen
Lisa Liu
Yuandong Hu
Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, China
Plants
spontaneous vegetation
community structure
plant diversity
environmental characteristic factors
distribution pattern
Heilongjiang Province
title Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, China
title_full Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, China
title_fullStr Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, China
title_full_unstemmed Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, China
title_short Distribution Patterns of Urban Spontaneous Vegetation Diversity and Their Response to Habitat Heterogeneity: A Case Study of Five Cities in Heilongjiang Province, China
title_sort distribution patterns of urban spontaneous vegetation diversity and their response to habitat heterogeneity a case study of five cities in heilongjiang province china
topic spontaneous vegetation
community structure
plant diversity
environmental characteristic factors
distribution pattern
Heilongjiang Province
url https://www.mdpi.com/2223-7747/13/21/2982
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