Abstract: Based on the investigation data of 58 quadrats, and by using χ²-test and Spearman rank correlation coefficient, this paper studied the interspecific relationships of dominant species in Caragana communities in semi-arid regions of China. Among all the dominant species pairs, most of them had negative correlations, and only a few had significant correlations, which suggested that the Caragana communities were under dynamic succession, and tended to fluctuation or even degradation by external disturbances. Based on the interspecific association and correlation analyses, the 20 dominant species were classified into 3 ecological groups. In the same ecological groups, the members all showed stronger positive association, suggesting their inter-dependent relationships with similar resource utilization and ecological demands. On the contrary, the associations between the ecological groups were loose and scattered, showing a distinct regional differentiation.

Key words: Fish-shrimp mix-culture, Penaeus chinensis, Aquaculture ecosystem, Bacteria