Characteristic and affecting factors of wetland herbs’ distribution in the radiant belt toward land of lake–terrestrial ecotone in Tibet, China

Abstract Background Lake is a critical part of Tibet's hydrological cycle, the lake–terrestrial ecotone most sensitive area in water and terrestrial ecosystem. For ecological protection maintenance lakeside zone, defining upper boundary key issue that needs to be solved urgently. However, characteristics made it difficult delimit. Wetland herbs are characteristic plants ecotone, their distribution width can used reflect ecotone. We took Baksum Lake, Yamdroktso, Namtso, Siling Co as examples, based on spatial structure moving split-window technology (MSWT) delimited wetland herbs. Results The results MSWT showed each with natural-wetland type sampling line was 51 m, 56 33 ~ 53 19 31 m. detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) quantity species, BK1 > YT1 = NT1 NT2 SC1 SC2. principal component (PCA) (redundancy analysis) RDA soil moisture content (SMO), pH, (SSC), nutrient had obvious correlation width. Conclusion feasible method determine lake – SMO, SSC, were all important environmental factors affecting four lakes; SMO factor. Besides, compared lakes Middle-Lower Yangtze Plain, high-density population distribution, high-intensive human activity invaded plants' growth area, resulting smaller edge equivalent It determines management provides theoretical basis for construction projects, great significance restoration watershed control planning.