A study on the diversity and aboveground biomass in a Leymus chinensis meadow steppe community under different cutting intensities

The effects of cutting intensity on the biodiversity and aboveground biomass of Leymus chinensis meadow steppe were studied at the southern margin of the Inner Mongolian Plateau.Five stubble heights (2,5,10,15 cm,and non-cutting) were designed to represent different cutting intensities.The aboveground biomass of the dominant species,L.chinensis,was significantly reduced by an increase of cutting intensity (P0.05).The height of aboveground parts in the non-cutting treatment was significantly higher than those under the 10 and 15 cm cutting treatments (P0.05).The diversity indexes (Margalef index,Simpson index,Shannon-Wiener index and Pielou index) increased with an increase of cutting intensity (P0.05).The relative density of L.chinensis decreased with an increase of cutting intensity,while that of Cleistogenes squarrosa and Potentilla,increased.Correlation analysis indicated that there was a single peak curve between diversity index and aboveground biomass in this steppe community.Diversity index was significantly negatively correlated with the aboveground biomass of L.chinensis.