Morphological Characters of Stipa grandis (Gramineae) in the Semi-Arid Grassland of Inner Mongolia Plateau of China

Understanding the adaptive characters of some important species is not only very important for restoration biology, but also very important for environmental protection and resource collection. Stipa grandis P. Smirn is an important dominant species in the middle and eastern parts of Inner Mongolia steppe. The present study took morphological traits into account in order to examine the adaptive characters of S. grandis to local environmental conditions. At four sampling sites presenting various climatic characteristics and community characteristics, 22 morphological traits were measured in the end of the growth season. Four populations were categorized into two sub-groups based on Euclideans distances of morphological traits, and Mantels tests showed significant relationships between Euclideans distances of morphological traits and climatic divergence. The divergence of morphological traits seemed to be shaped by climatic difference in a certain sense, but the effects of other environmental factors could not be neglected. Such information is important for a better understanding of the adaptive strategy of S. grandis in northern China and will be useful for policy makers to work out a plan to protect and to utilize this important species.