Interspecific Correlations among Bryophytes and among Bryophytes and Vascular Plants in Two Scales in Jinchuan Peatland

Abstract

Two quadrat scales,1 m×1 m and 25 cm ×25 cm,were established to investigate the vegetation of the Jinchuan Peatland.Interspecific correlations among 9 bryophytes and 30 main vascular plants were analyzed by X 2-test,Pearson correlation,and Spearman rank correlation quantitatively.There were significantly negative associations among three main peatmosses: Sphagnum subsecundum,S.palustre,and S.capillifolium,each of which occupied different habitats.Accordingly,four ecological species groups were classified.Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that positive association amounted to 49.53% of the 741 species pairs in the large quadrats,and more than 41.14% of the 666 species pairs in the small quadrats.This study suggests that quadrat size played a crucial role in analyzing interspecific associations in peatlands,with great disparity in body size of different plant groups.It appears more suitable to analyze interspecific associations among bryophytes and among bryophytes and-vascular plants with small and large quadrats,respectively.