NI Jian^{1, 2}，WANG Shijie^{1, 2}，LIU Libin^{1, 2}，CAI Xianli^{1, 2}，CHENG Anyun^{1, 2}，PENG Tao^{1, 2}，LI Tingyu^{1, 2}，HU Gang³，ZHANG Zhonghua³，ZHOU Yunchao^{2, 4}，GUO Ke⁵，LIU Changcheng⁵，BAI Xiaoyong^{1, 2}，LIU Xiuming^{1, 2}，LUO Weijun^{1, 2}，ZHANG Lin^{1, 2}，WU Yangyang^{1, 2}，LI Mengde^{1, 2}，GUO Chunzi^{1, 2}，XU Haiyang^{1, 2}，ZHONG Qiaolian^{1, 2}，GUO Yinming^{1, 2}，YANG Huamei^{1, 2}，XU Xin^{1, 2}，YANG Yong^{1, 2}

(1. State Key Laboratory of Environmental Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550081, China;
2. Puding Karst Ecosystem Observation and Research Station, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Puding 562100, China;
3. School of Chemistry and Life Science, Guangxi Teachers Education University, Nanning 530001, China；4. College of Forestry, Guizhou University, Guiyang 550025, China; 5. State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Changes, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China)

Abstract: The ecosystem grown in and adapted to the habitat of karst morphology, the so-called “karst ecosystem”, is very special and vulnerable to human disturbances and rocky desertification, leading to degradations in its structure and functions. It is therefore necessary and significant to permanently and long-term monitor compositions, structures, processes and functions of karst ecosystem as well as impacts from and responses to human disturbances, in order to explore its pattern and dynamic of this ecosystem. As one of the only two monitoring and research stations of karst ecosystems of the China Ecosystem Research Network (CERN), the Puding Karst Ecosystem Research Station (hereafter Puding station) aims to build up biological monitoring plots to investigate the structure, processes and functioning of the evergreen-deciduous broadleaved mixed forest on the Guizhou Plateau, and to demonstrate the ecological restoration of the degraded vegetation on karst terrain. The final destination is to establish an optimized paradigm of vegetation restoration and recovery in karst region, and to enhance ecological service of karst ecosystems. The monitoring network of the station is mainly set in the Houzhai River Watershed, a karst peak-depression landform in the central Guizhou Plateau with a total area of 82 km2: one primary site at Tianlongshan (evergreen and deciduous broadleaved mixed forest permanent plot) and four subsidiary sites (six human-disturbed plots at Chenqi, a clear cutting plot at Zhaojiatian, and an abandoned crop plot at Shawan). Another demonstration site is built in the Gaoyang River Watershed: one subsidiary site with nine vegetation restoration plots at Chenjiazhai. Various investigation plots and sites are widely distributed in these two watersheds and in other regions of the Guizhou Plateau. Such biological monitoring network of the Puding station can be potentially used to investigate and predict long-term changes and future development of the representative karst forest and shrubland in southwestern China.

Key words: Karst ecosystem; Structure and function; Ecological restoration; Long-term permanent monitoring; Rocky desertification

EARTH AND ENVIRONMENT Vol.45, No.1 Tot No.315, 2017, Page 106