To understand the usages of available resource by dominant plants, their niches and the mechanisms of inter-specific competition and co-existence in the water level fluctuation zone, we studied the spatial distributions and niche characteristics of existing dominant herbaceous species at a typical water-level-fluctuation site of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Zigui. The results showed that there were 39 herb species in total, which belonged to 18 families and 32 genera. Gramineae, Compositae, Polygonaceae and Euphorbiaceae were the dominant families. Cynodon dactylon, Setaria viridis, Bidentis tripartitae and Digitaria chrysoblephara were the dominant species, with high importance value and niche breadth. In addition, at 145-155 m, 155-165 m and 165-175 m altitude section, the three major species, expressing the highest ecological niche breadth, which were in order of C. dactylon ＞ Polygonum lapathifolium ＞ S. viridis, S. viridis ＞ D. chrysoblephara ＞ C. dactylon, and S. viridis ＞ B. tripartitae ＞ P. orientale, respectively. The niche overlap of the species between the different altitudes zone was relatively high. The species which had a broad niche could co-exist with those occupying narrow niche. The niche overlap could not be determined by niche breadth lonely. Furthermore, after seven times of water level fluctuations, most of the species were annual herbs, and the degree of niche differentiation was low in the area. Due to scarce resources and unstable habitats, the inter-specific competition was strong, and the vegetation was at the primary successional stage.
为揭示经历长期水位变动后,三峡水库消落带优势植物对可利用资源的分享状况、不同资源环境下植物种群生态位特征以及植物种间竞争和共存机制,对三峡库区秭归段典型消落带现存优势草本物种的种群空间格局及生态位特征进行研究.结果表明: 该区共有草本植物39种,隶属18科32属,以禾本科、菊科、蓼科和大戟科植物为主;狗牙根、狗尾草、狼把草和毛马唐具有较大的重要值和生态位宽度,为主要优势种;海拔145～155 m段植物生态位宽度前3位依次为狗牙根＞酸模叶蓼＞狗尾草;海拔155～165 m段植物生态位宽度前3位依次为狗尾草＞毛马唐＞狗牙根;海拔165～175 m段植物生态位宽度前3位依次为狗尾草＞狼把草＞红蓼;不同海拔物种间生态位重叠均保持较高状态,生态位宽度较小物种也可与生态位宽度较大物种有较大的生态位重叠值,仅凭生态位宽度不能判定生态位重叠值.消落带经历7次水位涨落周年后,大多数优势物种为一年生草本植物,生态位分化程度较低,在资源匮乏且不稳定的生境中种间竞争强烈,消落带植被仍处于群落演替的初级阶段.
Keywords: dominant species; niche breadth; niche overlap; plant composition; water-level-fluctuating zone.