Selection and Configuration of Plants in High and Steep Cutting Rock Slope Greening in a Subtropical Region:A Case Study of the First-phase Urban Expressway of Xiazhou Avenue in Yichang
LIU Qi1,2, SU Li-jun2,3,4,5, XIAO Hai1, XU Wen-nian1, XIA Zhen-yao1
1. Key Laboratory of Geological Hazards on Three Gorges Reservoir Area(China Three Gorges University), Ministry of Education, Yichang Hubei 443002, China;
2. Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Earth Surface Process, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS, Chengdu Sichuan 610041, China;
3. CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
4. China-Pakistan Joint Research Center on Earth Sciences, Islamabad 45320, Pakistan;
5. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
Abstract This study aims to improve the diversity and stress resistance of slope plant communities, promote its positive succession and ecosystem restoration in combination with the experiences of plant protection application in the high and steep cutting rock slope of the first-phase urban expressway of Xiazhou Avenue in Yichang and provide a theoretical basis for plant protection in high and steep cutting rock slopes. Fifty sample quadrats were set at the study area of the artificial restoration slope, and a vegetation survey was conducted. Different sites were divided in accordance with principal component and cluster analyses. Analytic hierarchy process was applied to build a selected system, in which all types of plants were comprehensively evaluated at different site conditions. Niche breadth and interspecific association of dominant plants in the plant community were determined on the basis of correlation analysis methods, and proper plant selection and configuration were proposed. Results showed that herbs comprised Green bristlegrass, Bahia grass, Cynodon dactylon, Kentucky bluegrass and Red smartweed and shrubs included Lespedeza bicolor, Indigofera amblyantha, Amorpha fruticosa and Indigofera pseudotinctoria have comprehensive evaluation result for I value at four different site conditions. The dominant plants among herbs were Kentucky bluegrass, Bahia grass, Green bristlegrass, Barnyard grass and Cynodon dactylon, and those among shrubs were Lespedeza bicolor, Indigofera amblyantha, Amorpha fruticosa, Leucaena leucocephala and Indigofera pseudotinctoria. The best niche breadths of herbs were Kentucky bluegrass, Bahia grass and Green bristlegrass, and those of shrubs were Lespedeza bicolor, Indigofera amblyantha and Amorpha fruticosa. A highly significant correlation existed between Cynodon dactylon, Green bristlegrass and Lespedeza bicolor, Indigofera amblyantha in accordance with interspecific association analysis. At different site conditions, the selection of plant species with significant correlation and high comprehensive evaluation value can effectively improve the relative stability of plant communities and rapidly realise the purposes of soil conservation and slope greening.
Fund:Supported by the National Key Research & Development Plan of China (No.2017YFC0504902-01), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos.41790432; 41761144077; 41807068), the Open Fund of Key Laboratory of Geological Hazards on Three Gorges Reservoir Area, Ministry of Education (China Three Gorges University) (Nos.2017KDZ10; 2018KDZ06)
Corresponding Authors:
LIU Qi
E-mail: 1543594118@qq.com
LIU Qi,SU Li-jun,XIAO Hai, et al. Selection and Configuration of Plants in High and Steep Cutting Rock Slope Greening in a Subtropical Region:A Case Study of the First-phase Urban Expressway of Xiazhou Avenue in Yichang[J]. Journal of Highway and Transportation Research and Development, 2019, 13(4): 102-110.
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2019, Vol. 13 
