Table 1.
Sites conditions and the cover of different layers of plant communities.
| Vegetation Type | Plant Community a | Aspect b | Slope (°) | Tc c (%) | Sc d (%) | Gc e (%) | Tpc f (%) | Lc g (%) | Bc h (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Slope cropland | P | SW | 24 ± 2 | ||||||
| Natural grassland | A | SW | 23 ± 3 | 26 ± 11 | 26 ± 11 | 19 ± 12 | 40 ± 16 | ||
| SL | SW | 22 ± 4 | 15 ± 10 | 15 ± 10 | 16 ± 10 | 44 ± 16 | |||
| AS | SW | 24 ± 1 | 42 ± 13 | 42 ± 13 | 24 ± 10 | 34 ± 14 | |||
| AAB | SW | 25 ± 4 | 28 ± 13 | 28 ± 13 | 21 ± 13 | 44 ± 14 | |||
| Artificial shrubland | HAS | NW | 24 ± 4 | 41 ± 16 | 25 ± 9 | 67 ± 17 | 29 ± 8 | 32 ± 15 | |
| CAS | SW | 28 ± 1 | 41 ± 13 | 37 ± 17 | 78 ± 15 | 24 ± 9 | 19 ± 9 | ||
| Natural shrubland | SAS | SW | 29 ± 1 | 42 ± 5 | 23 ± 12 | 55 ± 17 | 25 ± 7 | 28 ± 9 | |
| SC | NW | 28 ± 2 | 32 ± 2 | 12 ± 3 | 44 ± 6 | 48 ± 17 | 33 ± 2 | ||
| Artificial forestland | AAS | NW | 27 ± 1 | 34 ± 19 | 17 ± 8 | 51 ± 14 | 20 ± 8 | 29 ± 7 | |
| RAS1 | NW | 26 ± 2 | 9 ± 3 | 18 ± 6 | 27 ± 7 | 21 ± 11 | 22 ± 10 | ||
| RAS2 | NW | 25 ± 3 | 28 ± 8 | 25 ± 10 | 53 ± 12 | 31 ± 16 | 23 ± 13 | ||
| Natural forestland | ASC | NW | 27 ± 2 | 45 ± 7 | 25 ± 11 | 15 ± 9 | 85 ± 7 | 57 ± 5 | 5 ± 1 |
| QSC | NW | 26 ± 2 | 60 ± 9 | 35 ± 6 | 10 ± 2 | 105 ± 6 | 87 ± 7 | 5 ± 2 |
a P: slope cropland cultivated with P. miliaceum or Z. mays (20 years); A: Artemisia scoparia (3–5 years); SL: S. bungeana + L. davurica (10–20 years); AS: A. gmelinii + S. bungeana (25–30 years); AAB: A. gmelinii + A. giralaii + B. ischaemum (30 years); HAS: H. rhamnoides − A. gmelinii + S. bungeana (15–20 years); CAS: C. intermedia − A. gmelinii + S. bungeana (15–20 years); SAS: S. viciifolia − A. gmelinii + S. bungeana (30–40 years); SC: S. julianae − C. lanceolata (30–40 years); AAS: A. sibirica − A. gmelinii + S. bungeana (15 years); RAS1: R. pseudoacacia − A. gmelinii + S. bungeana (6–8 years); RAS2: R. pseudoacacia − A. gmelinii + S. bungeana (15 years); ASC: A. buergerianum − S. julianae − C. lanceolata (40–50 years); QSC: Q. liaotungensis − S. julianae − C. lanceolata (60–70 years). b SW: 225°–270°; NW: 270°–315°. c Tree cover. d Shrub cover. e Grass cover. f Total plant cover (sum of tree cover, shrub cover and grass cover). g Litter cover. h Biocrust cover.