Spatial Distribution and Influencing Factors of Temperate Desert Grassland Biomass in Northern Xinjiang

Temperate desert grassland is one of the main grassland types in Xinjiang,which plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem stability of western arid region.The densities of herbaceous,shrubs, litter,aboveground and underground biomass in the 82 plots of temperate desert grasslands in northern Xinjiang were surveyed from 2011 to 2012.The relationship between aboveground biomass and altitude was analyzed.Results showed that the average biomass of herbaceous plant was 70.68 g·m~(-2),shrub biomass was 35.28 g·m~(-2),litter amount was 25.29 g·m~(-2),aboveground biomass was 129.33 g·m~(-2),underground biomass was 475.65 g·m~(-2),and total biomass was 604.98 g·m~(-2) in the temperature desert grassland of northern Xinjiang.Affected by climate,the temperate desert grassland biomass gradually reduced in the northern slop of Tianshan Mountain from west to east;and mainly distributed between 400~ 1200 m altitude.Herbaceous biomass increased significantly(P0.01) with the increase of altitude,while shrub biomass reduced significantly(P0.01) with the increase of altitude.In summary,this study has academic significance for the ongoing management of grassland resources in the northern Xinjiang.