Species-Abundance Distribution Patterns of Plant Communities in the Gurbantünggüt Desert, China

It is important to study the species-abundance distribution pattern in a community reveal mechanism of assembly. Six abundance models (log-normal model, Zipf Zipf–Mandelbrot broken stick niche preemption and Volkov model) were used fit six scales (10 m × 10 m, 20 40 ×40 60 80 100 m) fixed, semifixed, mobile sand dunes Gurbantünggüt Desert, respectively. The best-fitting model was determined using K-S test, Chi-square Akaike information criterion. results showed that values soil salinity, nutrients, water content, Shannon–Wiener diversity index (H′), Pielou evenness (E), Simpson (D) ranked all three habitats as fixed > semifixed dunes. rank curves span narrow range on horizontal axis at species richness minimal. As scale increases, curve gradually becomes higher m. At scales, fits best dune habitats. neutral habitats, In dunes, both processes played roles construction, reflecting manifestation niche-neutral continuum.