CollectHomepage AdvertisementContact usMessage

Arid Land Geography ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (3): 534-548.doi: 10.12118/j.issn.1000-6060.2025.137

• Biology and Pedology • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Characteristics of vegetation change and current status of community composition in the Hatengtaohai National Nature Reserve, Inner Mongolia

LI Mingxuan1(), LEI Dongxue1, DING Guodong1,2,3,4(), WANG Hanzhuo1   

  1. 1. School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
    2. Engineering Research Center of Forestry Ecological Engineering (MOE), Beijing 100083, China
    3. Key Laboratory of State Forestry and Grassland Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing 100083, China
    4. Yanchi Ecology Research Station of the Mu Us Desert, Wuzhong 751500, Ningxia, China
  • Received:2025-03-11 Revised:2025-11-13 Online:2026-03-25 Published:2026-03-24
  • Contact: DING Guodong E-mail:cattleyal118@163.com;dch1999@263.net

Abstract:

The Hatengtaohai National Nature Reserve in Inner Mongolia, China, lies within a typical transitional zone between desert and grassland desert and represents a crucial desert ecosystem in western Inner Mongolia. over the past three decades, the reserve’s vegetation has undergone significant changes, making a systematic analysis of its vegetation distribution patterns highly significant. In this study, using a combination of field surveys and remotesensing image interpretation, we conducted an in-depth analysis of the vegetation change characteristics and community composition within the reserve between 2000 and 2023. The results indicated that (1) Fractional vegetation coverage increased at a rate of 0.0027·a-1 across the reserve, exhibiting a “low in the west, high in the east” pattern. However, while the overall vegetation pattern remained stable, its general health status was concerning. (2) The reserve hosts 199 species of higher plants distributed across 47 families and 135 genera, including 6 protected species and 2 invasive species, and the flora predominantly comprises temperate distribution types. The vegetation can be classified into 11 plant communities belonging to 5 vegetation types, with the xeric shrub (widely distributed in the western mountains) being the dominant type. Surveys indicated a declining trend in plant diversity, with some protected species disappearing and two invasive species (namely, Cenchrus echinatus and Ipomoea purpurea) being introduced. Despite relatively rich community types, the overall structure remains simple. (3) Evapotranspiration and elevation are the primary drivers influencing fractional vegetation coverage and vegetation community distribution. In recent years, the impact of human disturbance has significantly diminished, reflecting the effectiveness of ecological conservation policies.

Key words: fractional vegetation coverage, floristic, community classification, species diversity, Hatengtaohai National Nature Reserve