Distribution Patterns of the Species Richness of Plants and Animals in Xinjiang,China

Abstract

There are 3 637 wild vascular plants,425 birds and 154 mammals in Xinjiang. In this study,a database of the distribution of all the plants,birds and mammals in Xinjiang was compiled,the distribution maps of the species richness of plants and animals were charted,the relations between these species were analyzed,and distribution hotspots of the species richness were obtained. The results revealed that the species richness in the northern and western parts of Xinjiang was higher than that in the southern and eastern parts. There were positive correlations of the richness among the vascular plants,halophytes,ephemeral plants,endemic plants and key protective plants,and there were also positive correlation between the richness of vascular plants and that of birds and mammals. Hotspots of different taxonomic groups were incongruent. Hotspots of vascular plants were distributed in the western part of the Altay Mountains,the western and central parts of the Tianshan Mountains,and the mountains in the west Junggar Basin; those of birds extended as far as the east Tianshan Mountains and the southern slope of the west Tianshan Mountains; and those of mammals were distributed only in the Altay Mountains and the west Tianshan Mountains. Altogether only 8.9% of the hotspots were shared by all the three groups. Current nature reserve networks cover the most of these hotspots. However,the Shawan-Manas region is an important conservation gap for biodiversity in Xinjiang.