Purpose: Litter serves as a key reservoir of organic matter and nutrients, facilitating the release of organic carbon into soil systems. This study aimed to quantify the contribution of grassland litter to soil organic carbon (SOC) in the areas affected by varying degrees of rocky desertification. Methods: From March 2017 to January 2018, we investigated three rocky desertification grasslands (potential, moderate, and severe) using soil coring, litter collectors, and decomposition bag techniques. Litter biomass, decomposition rates, and organic carbon input were measured. Decomposition coefficients (k) for above-ground and below-ground litter were calculated, and correlations with bare rock rates were analyzed. Results: Litter biomass peaked in September-November and decreased with desertification severity. Below-ground litter biomass was highest in moderate desertification grasslands, where decomposition rates slowed. Above-ground litter k values were 0.0031, 0.0024, and 0.0018, while below-ground k values were 0.0034, 0.0028, and 0.0027 for potential, moderate, and severe sites, respectively. Annual decomposition rates ranged from 49 to 69

Fine-scale spatial vegetation patterns are widespread and can significantly affect large-scale ecological processes. Quantifying these patterns may provide valuable insight into larger scale ecological processes, facilitating the development of effective management strategies. In this paper, to quantify fine-scale spatial vegetation patterns, we analyzed seventy plots from seven humid grasslands in southwest China, using images with pixel sizes of 0.04, 0.25, 1, and 4 cm and plant cover levels ranging from 30.8 to 99.3%. The results showed that with increasing pixel size, plant patch density and total edge density decreased, while patch size increased, and the shape of plant patches became more regular. When plant cover was below 50%, increasing cover caused the small stems, branches, and leaves of grasses to fragment non-plant patches into smaller units, leading to higher patch density and larger patches, thus enhancing spatial heterogeneity. However, when plant cover exceeded 50%, further increases in cover resulted in rapid patch expansion and reduced patch density, creating a more homogeneous landscape dominated by plant patches. These findings suggest that medium plant cover levels are associated with the highest fine-scale spatial heterogeneity, which may facilitate biodiversity, stability, and functioning, with implications for ecosystem management and conservation, and warranting further investigation.

Current research on livestock movement ecology focuses on quantifying the factors that trigger alterations in movement behavior and understanding hidden mechanisms. Modern tracking technologies and robust statistical analysis models deliver new opportunities for investigating how individual animals cope with the joint effect of biotic and abiotic factors at different time scales. We applied multivariate Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) to characterize the fine-scale movement behavior (30-second intervals) of GPS-tracked domestic Zhongwei goats (Capra aegagrus hircus) for 124 days and analyzed the combined influence of biotic and abiotic factors and specific time of day on their seasonal movement behavioral transition in a predator-free, semi-arid mountain grassland in China. We classified the behaviors of goats into two states: foraging (low step length, varied turning angle) and travelling (long step lengths, small turning angles). The terrain slopes had the most impact on their movement behavioral transition in the full year, spring, autumn, and winter. However, in the summer with hotter temperatures, the specific time of day explains their movement behavior most. Forage resources indicated by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and terrain ruggedness measured by the Vector Ruggedness Measure (VRM), had less impact on their behavior transitions compared to terrain slope and specific time of day. Elevation and solar radiation could not explain their movement behavior in different seasons, nor could NDVI in winter or VRM in spring and autumn. Across different seasons, the probability of foraging behavior increased with the later times of day, steeper terrain slopes, and higher NDVI, while it decreased with increasing VRM. The impact of NDVI on the probability of foraging behavior was largest during the early onset of vegetation growth in spring, and lowest in winter coinciding with a lower availability of food resources. The movement speed was lower, and the daily foraging percentage was higher in spring and winter due to lower food resources and shorter daylight hours. In contrast, movement speed was higher, and the daily foraging percentage was lower in summer and autumn with more food resources and longer daylight hours. The percentage of time allocated to foraging increases hourly from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm across various seasons. HMMs were found to be useful for disentangling the movement behavior of goats. Our approach provides new insights into the seasonal and daily behavioral strategies of goats. Results demonstrate that in the mountain region, terrain slopes and specific times of the day more effectively trigger domestic goat behavioral transition from one state to the next compared with biotic factors, represented herein by NDVI, across different seasons. The early onset of vegetation growth and a shorter period of available high-quality forage in spring, significantly influenced goat behavioral transitions. Overall, these results are important for designing appropriate grazing management strategies that satisfy the ecological and socioeconomic demands of semi-arid grassland ecosystems.

Biological invasions pose significant threats to ecosystem structure and function, disrupt ecosystem services, cause high economic losses, and negatively impact human well-being. However, accurate prediction of species distribution is a critical challenge in ecological and biodiversity conservation. This study compares the predictive performance of 10 machine learning algorithms, including random forests, maximum entropy, support vector machines, and others, by integrating global occurrence records with climatic, edaphic, and human activity variables to identify the most robust model for predicting the global distribution of the invasive weed, Conyza sumatrensis (Retz.) E.Walker. Different algorithms yielded large variations in the predicted area of C. sumatrensis. Among these, random forests had the highest performance accuracy metrics and high agreement of predictions, aligning well with global occurrence records, and are used to explain and predict the potential distribution of C. sumatrensis. Distributions of C. sumatrensis are mainly influenced by temperature variables, adapted to a wide range of precipitation and various soil conditions, and facilitated by human activities. Currently, C. sumatrensis is distributed widely across all continents (6.20 Mkm2). The suitable habitat for C. sumatrensis is projected to have an increase of 8.03-8.78 % by 2041-2060 and 0.84-3.29 % by 2081-2100. In addition, the global extent of suitable environmental conditions for the establishment and spread of C. sumatrensis was anticipated to expand in urban and farmland by 2081-2100. The results provide an early warning of specific land-use types at higher risk of C. sumatrensis extent, offering valuable insights for managers to develop targeted prevention and control strategies. Additionally, to enhance predictive accuracy, our study underscores the critical role of selecting suitable algorithms and integrating human activity factors into invasive species distribution models.

The beet webworm (BWW), Loxostege sticticalis (L.), is a notorious migratory agriculture pest of crops and fodder plants, inducing sudden outbreaks and huge losses of food and forage production. Quantifying its spatiotemporal patterns and possible dynamics under future climate scenarios may have significant implications for management policies and practices against this destructive agriculture pest. In this paper, a database containing nearly 7,000 occurrence records for the spatiotemporal distribution of BWW in China was established and its possible dynamics under future climate scenarios predicted using Maxent. We found that BWW could affect a vast geographic range of Northern China, about one third of the country's land area. The beet webworm overwintered in most of its distribution regions. Maxent model found a northward movement and distribution reduction for BWW in China under future climate scenarios. The occurrence and overwintering regions will move northward about 0.3 degrees N-0.9 degrees N under warming climate scenarios, and about 40%-70% of the suitable habitat and overwintering habitat will disappear by 2100. Most of the northward movement and suitable area reduction likely will happen in 2 decades. Given the vast affected area, the abrupt outbreaks, the diverse host plants, the sensitivity to climate change, as well as their long-distance migration capacity, global scale research, and monitoring the population dynamics of BWW are essential for developing effective management strategies and mitigating its impact on agriculture and ecosystems.

Litter and root decomposition is an important source of soil organic matter and nutrients. To ascertain the contribution of litter and root to natural grassland nutrients in rocky desertification areas, from March 2017 to January 2018, the continuous soil column method, collector method, and litter decomposition method were used to study the soil nutrients, litter and root biomass, decomposition, and nutrient release of potential, moderate, and severe rocky desertification grasslands, as well as their responses to rocky desertification. The results showed that the litter and root decomposition rate showed a trend of being first fast and then slow, and the decomposition rate of litter and root was greater than 50% after 300 days. The annual litter decomposition rates of potential, moderate, and severe rocky desertification grasslands were 69.98%, 62.14%, and 49.79%, respectively, and the annual decomposition rates of root were 73.64%, 67.61%, and 64.09%, respectively. With a deepening degree of rocky desertification, the litter and root decomposition rate decreased. The decomposition coefficients, k, of litter in potential, moderate, and severe rocky desertification grasslands were 1.128, 0.896, and 0.668, respectively, and the decomposition coefficients, k, of root were 1.152, 1.018, and 0.987, respectively. The nutrient release processes of litter and root were different, and the release mode ultimately manifests as “release”. In rocky desertification grasslands, the organic carbon (OC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total potassium (TK) released by litter and root decomposition were 18.93–263.03 g·m−2·yr−1, 1.79–5.59 g·m−2·yr−1, 0.18–0.47 g·m−2·yr−1, and 0.66–3.70 g·m−2·yr−1, respectively. The contribution of root to soil nutrients was greater than that of litter. The degree of rocky desertification was negatively correlated with the biomass, decomposition rate, and nutrient return amount of litter and root. The results of this study provide direct field evidence and illustrate the contribution of litter and root decomposition in rocky desertification grasslands to soil nutrients.

To explore the population structures and dynamics of Rhododendron shrub communities at different stages of succession in northwest Guizhou, China, this study examined the populations of Rhododendron annae and Rhododendron irroratum shrub with two different stages. A space-for-time substitution was employed to establish the diameter class/height structures, static life tables, and survival/mortality rate/disappearance rate curves of both Rhododendron populations with different orders of succession. Their structural and quantitative dynamics were analyzed, and their development trends were predicted. The results showed that, quantitatively, the populations of R. annae and R. irroratum in the two Rhododendron communities with different orders of succession were dominated by age classes one, two, and three as well as height classes i, ii, and iii. The number of Rhododendron plants at the three age classes and the three height classes accounted for 97.61–100% of the total. The quantitative dynamic indices of R. annae and R. irroratum were both greater than 0, with and without considering external interference. In terms of age class and height structures, both Rhododendron populations were expanding populations, presenting “inverted-J-shaped” and irregular pyramid patterns. There was a sufficient number of young individuals, but few or no old individuals. Both survival curves of the populations of R. annae and R. irroratum in the two Rhododendron communities with different orders of succession belonged to the Deevy-II type. In the late stage of succession, the mortality curves and disappearance curves of both Rhododendron populations in these communities presented a trend of increasing first and then decreasing with increasing age class. This result indicates that at each age class, R. annae and R. irroratum showed a trend of gradual increase after two, four, and six years. In brief, the populations of R. annae and R. irroratum have rich reserves of seedlings and saplings, but high mortality and disappearance rates. In this context, it is necessary to reduce human interference and implement targeted conservation measures to promote the natural renewal of Rhododendron populations.

Litterfall is the carrier of material and energy conversion between plants and soil,and an important link of the nutrient cycle in terrestrial ecosystem.In this paper,during the 2010 and 2011 growing seasons （May-October）,we studied the production,decomposition and turnover of the litterfall of two Reaumuria soongorica communities,located in the Sangong River basin with different growth,as well as their association with soil factors and responses.In the research process,we used the collector and decomposition bag method.The results showed that the monthly litterfall production of the two communities increased initially,and decreased thereafter with time.Their production reached the maximum value in July and August,respectively.The annual litterfall production of community 1 and community 2 was 25.42 g·m –2 ·a –1 and34.05 g·m –2 ·a –1 ,respectively.The supplement amount of litterfall to soil organic carbon was 11.81 g·m –2 ·a –1 and 17.65g·m –2 ·a –1 ,respectively.The residual rate was 71.81%and 75.60%after a year’s decomposition in community 1 and community 2,respectively.When the litterfall decomposition reached 50%and 95%,it took 2.52 and 14.64 years for community 1 and 3.69 and 20.13 years for community 2,respectively.The turnover of litterfall in community 1 and community 2 was 1.21 times·a –1 and 0.98 times·a –1 ,respectively.Soil water content,pH and bulk density were the main factors affecting the decomposition of litterfall in the two communities.

Optimal fertilization is an important measure for managing cultivated grasslands, and a necessary means for maintaining the nutrient balance, yield, and quality of grassland ecosystems. This study aimed to explore the effects of organic fertilizers on the production performance and nutritional quality of cultivated grasslands in karst areas. Two types of monocultured cultivated grasslands (i.e., Medicago sativa and Dactylis glomerata ) were employed as the research objects, and a randomized block design was adopted to investigate the effects of five fertilization gradients on the forage height, coverage, yield, and nutritional quality of the cultivated grasslands. According to the results, the plant height, coverage, and yield of M. sativa first presented an increasing trend, then decreased with increasing fertilization gradient, with a peak at 20–30 t/hm 2 fertilization gradient. The height, coverage, and yield of D. glomerata increased gradually with increase in fertilization gradient, and peaked at 40 t/hm 2 . Meanwhile, the crude protein (CP) and ether extract (EE) contents of both grassland types displayed first presented an increasing trend, then decreased with increasing fertilization gradient, and peaked at 10–30 t/hm 2 fertilization gradient. The neutral detergent fiber (NDF) and acidic detergent fiber (ADF) contents of M. sativa presented “N-shaped” and “M-shaped” change trends with increasing fertilization gradient, while those of D. glomerata showed “V-shaped” and “M-shaped” change trends, reaching minimum values under fertilization gradients of 30 and 20 t/hm 2 , respectively. Year, fertilization, and year × fertilization (Y×F) significantly affected the plant heights, coverages, dry/fresh weight ratios, and yields of M. sativa and D. glomerata . The contribution of coverage to the subordinate function of M. sativa was greatest at a fertilization gradient of 20 t/hm 2 . Meanwhile, the subordinate function values of the height and coverage of D. glomerata increased gradually with increasing fertilization gradient, but the difference in the subordinate function value of height was only 0.09%–0.18% under the fertilization gradient of 20–40 t/hm 2 . Evaluation of forage nutrition revealed 10–30 t/hm 2 and 20–30 t/hm 2 as the optimal organic fertilizer application rates for M. sativa and D. glomerata , respectively.

Bacterial-feeding nematodes affect bacteria-mediated nitrogen (N) cycling processes by their predation on bacteria. However, the correlations between bacterial abundance, diversity, community composition, and the abundance of bacterial-feeding nematodes in the presence of organic combined with inorganic fertilizers, and their effects on soil N availability are unclear. Here, four field fertilization treatments, including unfertilized control (CK), chemical N, phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) fertilizers (NPK), NPK plus crop straw (SNPK), and NPK plus pig manure (MNPK), were performed for studying relationships among bacterial abundance, diversity, community composition, and the abundance of bacterial-feeding nematodes along with corresponding effects on soil N availability. Results showed that nitrate nitrogen (NO 3 − -N) content was significantly upregulated in the SNPK and MNPK treatments compared to that in the NPK treatment and showed a significant positive relationship with bacterial abundance and community composition. As revealed by partial least squares structural equation model (PLS-SEM), bacterial community composition had a stronger effect on the NO 3 − -N content, and bacterial-feeding nematodes indirectly affected the NO 3 − -N content by directly positively affecting the bacterial community composition, among which the bacterial-feeding nematode Eucephalobus played a stronger role in the production of NO 3 − -N. Overall, the findings of this study suggested that bacterial-feeding nematodes can improve soil N availability through impacting bacterial community composition rather than bacterial diversity and abundance. These results suggest that bacterial-feeding nematodes may play an important role in improving soil N availability in farmlands.

Goats rarely move and forage randomly. They tend to move in ways generally influenced by biotic and abiotic factors, respectively. However, few studies have explored the foraging behaviour of goats in the absence of predation and human disturbance. Based on step selection function modelling framework, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index, vegetation surveys, and Global Positioning System tracking of 124 free-ranging domestic adult male Zhongwei goats over one year (2016-2017) were used to assess how biotic and abiotic environmental factors affected their spatiotemporal distribution, and developed a conceptual model to represent the goats' trade-off between forage quantity and preference at different seasons, in the semi-arid grassland of Loess Plateau of 1 178 hectare. The results showed that spatial distributions of goats responded to spatiotemporal variation of biotic factors rather than abiotic factors of elevation, slope and solar radiation, which indicated that biotic factors were of priority to abiotic factors in the foraging process for the goats. According to the season changing, the goats positively used areas with higher forage quantity in the spring and winter, areas of higher forage quantity and preferred species in summer, and areas of abundance of preferred species in autumn. We developed a model to describe the phenomenon that the goats selected areas with higher preferred species only when the for-age quantity was plentiful, otherwise they selected areas with higher forage quantity. Better understanding of the patterns and drivers of spatiotemporal distribution of the goats can improve our ability to predict foraging behaviour of livestock in heterogeneous environment and lead to better management practices and policies for the sustainability of these semi-arid landscapes and associated ecosystem services.(c) 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of The Animal Consortium. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

Forage quality is a key property of grassland ecosystems. In this study, grassland forage qualities were measured at 373 sampling sites throughout Guizhou Province in the karst mountain region of Southwest China, and the factors affecting it were explored. The forage quality level of most plant species was categorized into four levels: (1) preferred forage species; (2) desirable forage species; (3) consumed but undesirable forage species; and (4) non-consumable or toxic forage species. High temperature and precipitation appeared to facilitate the growth of preferred forage species, but limited the growth of other plants. Increasing soil pH had a positive impact on the number and biomass of preferred forage plants, but a negative influence on other plants, especially non-consumable or toxic plants. Both GDP and population density had a positive correlation with the number and biomass of preferred forage species, while such correlations for other levels of forage species tended to be negative. Grazing could lead to a decrease in the preferred forage species. Therefore, it is suggested that by focusing on soil improvement in grassland and maintaining an appropriate grazing intensity, global warming and rapid economic growth in Guizhou Province will likely contribute to increase the forage quality of karst grasslands in Southwest China.

为探明黔西北地区不同杜鹃灌丛群落特征和物种多样性变化，本研究以5个不同的杜鹃群落为研究对象，分析了物种组成、重要值和多样性指数。结果表明，5个群落共有33种植物，属16科23属，灌木层和草本层分别有27种和6种；优势种和共优势种植物分别为小果珍珠花、小果珍珠花+露珠杜鹃、小果珍珠花+露珠杜鹃、露珠杜鹃、露珠杜鹃+黄山杜鹃。5个杜鹃灌丛群落灌木层的α多样性指数差异明显，灌木层的Margalef丰富度指数、Simpson多样性指数均表现为露珠杜鹃+黄山杜鹃灌丛群落（V）最大，小果珍珠花灌丛群落（I）最小；Shannon-Wiener多样性指数和Pielou均匀度指数均表现为小果珍珠花+露珠杜鹃灌丛群落（II）最大，小果珍珠花灌丛群落（I）最小。露珠杜鹃+黄山杜鹃灌丛群落（V）有进一步演替为亚热带常绿阔叶林的趋势。杜鹃属植物覆盖度大的临近群落的Whittaker指数、Jaccard指数和Sorenson指数值均较覆盖度小的临近群落大。

The relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functions (BEF) are crucial for ecosystem management. How-ever, little is known about how grazing affects BEF relationships in the context of ecological succession. Here, using a 5-year experiment in a semiarid grassland of the Loess Plateau, China, we mainly focused on how grazing affected the relationships between plant species diversity and aboveground biomass (AGB) and explored the underlying mech-anisms behind the relationships. In addition, we compared the plant dynamics of community composition and struc-ture under no-grazing and grazing treatments during succession. We found that the plant species diversity-AGB relationship shifted from a negative-linear pattern in no-grazing to a humped-back model in grazing during plant com-munity succession, suggesting that grazing could regulate dominant species and alter the availability of light resources to suppress competitive exclusion during succession. In addition, changes in annual plants over time played crucial roles in the BEF relationships. The increase in annual Salsola collina in this study, which also alters multiple mecha-nisms of plant interaction, had a significant effect on the negative-linear relationship both with and without grazing. On average, compared to no-grazing treatment, grazing significantly decreased the plant community density (39.53 %), cover (16.97 %), height (7.85 %), and AGB (9.35 %), but increased plant diversity, including species rich-ness and the Shannon-Wiener index, and especially dramatically enhanced the Shannon-Wiener index (ranging from 1.55 to 2.13). These results underline the close association between grazing and the dynamics of plant communities in semiarid grasslands during succession. In particular, our findings further reveal grazing-dependent relationships be-tween diversity and AGB, which have significant implications for the management and biodiversity conservation mea-sures of semiarid grassland ecosystems.

Tree base sprouting is the main reproduction and expansion mode of Rhododendron plants. By leveraging the plot survey method, the species composition, community renewal, and species diversity in three Rhododendron shrub communities in control, and before and after clearcutting (CK, D3yr, and D6yr, respectively) were studied. Moreover, the dissimilarity of Rhododendron communities in CK, D3yr and D6yr were analyzed. The results showed that there were 26 plant species belonging to 14 families and 22 genera, in 3 communities in total, with 19 species of shrub plants and 7 species of herbaceous plants. The number of species increased from 13 in CK to 23 in D3yr and then decreased to 20 in D6yr. The height and coverage of D3yr and D6yr reached 39.3% and 58.9% of that of CK, respectively. The relative height of CK, D3yr, and D6yr was 43.79%, 65.4%, and 58.54%, respectively. The coverage of D3yr and D6yr reached 60.8% and 114.70% of that of CK, respectively. The relative coverage of CK, D3yr, and D6yr was 19.05%, 83.24%, and 77.32%, respectively. The important value of Rhododendron plants in the communities increased from 0.42 in CK to 0.74 in D3yr, and then decreased to 0.67 in D6yr. The α diversity in the shrub layer of D3yr and D6yr were generally lower than those of CK except Pielou evenness index. The β diversity indicates that the similarity between CK and D3yr was lower, that between CK and D6yr was moderate, and that between D3yr and D6yr was higher. The sprouting height and coverage of Rhododendron plants was significantly correlated with age and sprouting time. The sprouting ability of Rhododendron plants increased first and then decreased with age, while the sprouting ability of Rhododendron plants with age of 10–12 years was the strongest. Clearcutting measures can improve the dominance of Rhododendron plants in the communities, promote the sprouting and renewal of Rhododendron population, and accelerate the succession rate of communities.

传统的教学方法不利于现今"草地生态学"的课程教学和学生学习,为满足用人单位对高校草业科学专业人才要求,改革"草地生态学"的课程教学方式方法势在必行.采用项目教学法,通过将理论与实践教学相结合,以项目为依托、实践为主线、能力为核心,融合知识学习、技能训练、学术科研整合等方式,阐明了项目教学法在贵州大学"草地生态学"课程中的操作和使用过程,充分挖掘和培养了学生的自主学习和动手的积极性,构建了"草地生态学"项目教学和项目实践的探究性教学体系,探索了"草地生态学"项目教学与科研互动的新方法、新途径.

目前,大部分高校在实施思政教育改革时,都会在原有的思政教学体制下结合学生的学科特征.但是,如何在专业课程中发掘思政元素,如何在实践中将思政要素融入到各个教学环节中,成为大学教师在实践中需要考虑的问题.本文通过对《测量学》实验课程教学的实践探究,深入剖析了专业课程与思想政治理念之间的关联性和差异性.希望能为学生的思想品德教育带来更多的帮助,使学生在实践中获得更多的专业知识和良好的职业操守,把专业知识和道德教育有机地联系在一起,通过实践和分析,有效地推进课程思政.

Seed germination is critical for successful crop production, and the sensitivity to pH and salt stress depends on the plant’s tolerance mechanisms. In view of the characteristics of calcium-rich and acidic soils in the karst areas of Guizhou Province, China, the effects of pH stress and calcium stress on the seed germination characteristics of three herbages were studied with the goal of exploring and revealing the mechanism of adaptation of the three herbages to an acidic soil environment and providing a theoretical basis for the selection and cultivation of acid-tolerant herbages in southwest China. In this study, six concentration gradients of CaCl2, including 0, 25 mmol/L, 50 mmol/L, 100 mmol/L, 150 mmol/L, and 200 mmol/L, and seven pH gradients, including 4.55, 5.35, 6.61, 7.03, 8.0, and 9.18 were established, respectively. The germination rate, germination potential and germination index of the seedlings were measured for each seed germination and seedling growth stage of orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, and alfalfa, respectively. The results showed that when the concentration of salt stress began to change, the herbage seeds could adapt to salt stress at an appropriate pH condition. When only the pH value or CaCl2 concentration changes, the increase in pH and CaCl2 will inhibit the growth of shoots and roots. Weak acid can promote the growth of shoots and young roots, while alkaline conditions can inhibit their growth. The effect of a low concentration of CaCl2 was not apparent, while a high concentration of CaCl2 clearly inhibited the plants. The optimal pH and CaCl2 of the bud and root lengths changed after the interaction. In conclusion, there is a substantial difference between pH and calcium salt stress, and the interaction between pH and calcium salt concentration has a substantial influence on the salt and alkali tolerance of the three types of seeds.

The restoration of vegetation on coal gangue mountains has always been an area of concern, and therefore, an important area of research. Liupanshui city in Guizhou province, China, has a large number of coal gangue mountains, and for this reason, was chosen for studying vegetation succession on these sites. Vetiveria zizanioides is known to accelerate the restoration of vegetation on coal gangue mountains and to shorten community succession timeframes. Because of this, we investigated different successional stages after the planting of V. zizanioides on coal gangue mountains in the Dahe coal mine comprehensive environmental governance project area in Liupanshui city. Through field community surveys and model prediction, the effects of planted V. zizanioides on the species composition, species diversity, and community succession of gangue mountains 3, 6, 8, 10, and 13 years after planting were explored. In total, 35 plant species belonging to 17 families and 32 genera were recorded across the five different coal gangue mountains. With more time after planting, the height, coverage, density, and biomass of V. zizanioides all decreased, but increased for Miscanthus floridulus. The Simpson diversity index, Shannon–Wiener diversity index, and Pielou evenness index all first increased before decreasing over time; maximum values were recorded for the coal gangue mountain 8 years after planting of V. zizanioides. According to different similarity and dissimilarity indices, the successional stages became more similar with increasing time after planting. According to biomass fitting and prediction curves, the succession process of coal gangue mountain plant communities could be divided into a V. zizanioides community stage, a M. floridulus community stage, and a woody plant stage, that starts to approach the natural community of evergreen broad-leaved forests, with durations of 0–5.62 years, 5.62–17.48 years, and over 17.48 years, respectively.