VEGETATION PATTERNS IN A NEW-BORN COASTAL WETLAND IN THE YELLOW RIVER DELTA, CHINA

In order to further elucidate vegetation patterns under land-ocean interactions, to protect and restore the coastal wetland alternatively and effectively, spots were set in a new-born coastal wetland, serving as the perfect example for a vegetation survey in the Yellow River Delta. The new-born coastal wetland was formed in 1996, without any effects of human activities since then. Plant communities composed by herbaceous plants and few woody plants characterized the zonal distribution from the river to the sea. The herbaceous plants emerged from the river bank or the sea beach to the inner upland, while the woody plants changed with opposite trends. Most plants near the river were not halotolerant, while plants near the sea were mainly halophytes. Species richness and Shannon-Wiener index coincided with this similar trend. Species diversity in the upland was larger than that near the river or the sea. The upstream seed bank was responsible for vegetation species. In spite of stable water tables, salinity governed by the Bohai Sea tide and water-sediment regulation of the Yellow River had measurable effects on vegetation composition and distribution.