COS 87-6
Apcocynum pictum and its role in riparian Tugai vegetation restoration along the Tarim River in Northwest China
The most productive ecosystems in Central Asia belong to the riparian vegetation along the rivers in the region called Tugai vegetation. Due to vast land reclamation along the Tarim River in Xinjiang, Northwest China to grow cotton, native plant species are facing a severe competition for water which is essential to their survival. Therefore restoring basic ecosystem services of the Tugai landscape is critical to controlling sand storms and long term sustainability of the area. Apocynum pictum grow under the arid climate of Central Asia and provide utilization options without irrigation. Fully restored Apocynum species would serve as an essential part of the Tugai vegetation landscape. A multidisciplinary approach is being used in this study to investigate two related issues to offer a comprehensive look at Apocynum’s role in potential Tugai vegetation restoration.
Five sites in three locations were chosen. At each site, 3-5 plots were selected randomly applying the point center quarter method according to Mueller-Dombois and Ellenberg (1974) for biomass sampling and subsequently plant physical characters and Dry biomass were measured. Concurrently, soil profiles are drilled in each site at various soil layers to get soil samples and electric conductivity. Apocynum plant samples have been analyzed from all sites with regard to their mineral and nutrient content in the plant tissue following the methodology of Steffenhagen et al. (2008).
Natural resource management types of Apocynumare identified and made cost revenue analysis of different resource types with structured questionnaire surveys of stakeholders.
Results/Conclusions
The total aboveground biomass ranges from 0.6 t/ha (Qongaral1) to 1.25 t/ha (Xayar 1) which is in the range for grassland species of Central Asia. The results show that A. pictum tolerates salt better than cotton; it might be used in fields that have been salinized by cotton production. Evapotranspiration results also revealed that water consumption of A.pcitum is significantly less than cotton. There are three different natural resource management types, which are open access, ranching and farming. An economic analysis demonstrated that Cotton has higher costs and lower returns compared to cotton. Finally, we conclude that A. pictum offers opportunities for restoration of vegetation in riparian ecosystems on salinized sites under the arid conditions of NW China as well as Central Asia. Restoration measures, which include A. pictum, provide opportunities for local communities to generate an income by producing tea, fiber and fodder for their livestock.