State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
State Key Laboratory of Water Environment Simulation, School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China.
Environ Pollut. 2019 Nov;254(Pt B):113111. doi: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113111. Epub 2019 Aug 28.
Mining is well-known as one of the most aggressive human disturbances leading to massive and irreversible damages to natural ecosystems. However, the influence mechanisms of open-pit mining on plant communities and soil properties of alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau are not well understood. In this study, we used structural equation modeling (SEM) to study the influence mechanisms in the disturbed areas of the Qulong copper mine. Our results revealed that the soil parameters of alpine meadow have been significantly changed by mining activities. SEM results showed that Plantago depressa Willd. was more suitable for growing in current soil conditions due to its tolerance to heavy metals than other dominant species, which meant that it would substitute the current two dominant species (Kobresia myosuroides (Villars) Fiori and Blysmus sinocompressus Tang et Wang) in the future and become the most important dominant species in the study area. Unfortunately, the Shannon-Wiener index, Alatalo evenness index and M-Gordon stability index are relatively low in the plot with Plantago depressa Willd. as the dominant species. In a word, the fragile alpine meadow ecosystem may degenerate in the future due to plants and soil disturbed by mining activities. Further, eight targeted recommendations were proposed to protect alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.
采矿是已知的最具侵略性的人类干扰之一，会对自然生态系统造成大规模和不可逆转的破坏。然而，露天采矿对青藏高原高寒草甸植物群落和土壤性质的影响机制尚不清楚。在本研究中，我们使用结构方程模型（SEM）来研究曲龙铜矿干扰区的影响机制。研究结果表明，采矿活动已显著改变高寒草甸的土壤参数。SEM 结果表明，由于对重金属的耐受性，车前草比其他优势种更适合在当前的土壤条件下生长，这意味着它将在未来替代目前的两种优势种（高山嵩草和中华羊茅），并成为研究区最重要的优势种。不幸的是，在以车前草为优势种的样地中，香农-威纳指数、阿尔塔洛均匀度指数和 M-Gordon 稳定性指数相对较低。总之，由于采矿活动对植物和土壤的干扰，脆弱的高寒草甸生态系统可能会在未来退化。此外，还提出了八项有针对性的建议，以保护青藏高原的高寒草甸。
