植物种群更新研究是植物种群生态学的重要研究内容之一，对于揭示珍稀濒危物种的致危机制并提出保育对策等具有重要理论和实践意义。新疆野苹果是仅分布于新疆北部的国家二级重点保护物种。近年来，由于受病虫害及气候变化等因素影响，该物种出现了大面积死亡，已严重威胁到种群生存及可持续利用。本项目针对野苹果种群自然更新困难的问题，基于放牧家畜采食并传播野苹果种子的现象，以野苹果集中分布的新源和巩留县为研究区域，采用野外观测与控制实验及室内实验等相结合的方法，通过研究牛采食对种子传播、种子萌发及幼苗建成的影响等内容，以期：明确牛采食对种子传播距离与定居的影响，阐明牛消化在打破种子休眠并促进萌发中的作用，揭示牛粪及其微环境对种子萌发及幼苗存活与建成的影响，综合分析牛对野苹果种群有性更新的促进作用。研究成果不仅可为揭示放牧家畜对野苹果有性更新的促进作用提供典型案例，还可为该物种种群的保育和恢复提供重要理论依据。

Plant population regeneration is one of the important studies of plant population ecology, which is of great theoretical and practical significance to reveal the risk mechanism of rare and endangered species and to put forward conservation strategies. Malus sieversii is a rare, endangered and second-class protected plant species, which is only distributed in the northern Xinjiang of China. In recent years, due to diseases, insect pests, climate change and other reasons, a large area of this species has died, which is a serious threat to the survival and sustainable use of this germplasm resource. Thus, in this project, we focus on the urgent problem on natural regeneration of M.sieversii, based on the phenomenon of grazing livestock feeding and disseminating the seeds of M.sieversii. Choosing the county of Xinyuan and Gongliu as the study area and combining the methods of field observation and control experiment, we investigate the effects of the process of cattle ingestion on seed secondary dispersal, seed germination and seedling establishment. The results of the study could help us in confirming the effects of cattle ingestion on seed dispersal distance and seed settlement environment, elucidating the role of cattle foraging in breaking seed dormancy and promoting seed germination, revealing the effects of cattle feces and its microenvironment on seed germination and seeding establishment. .This research will not only provide a typical case for revealing the promoting effect of grazing livestock on sexual regeneration of M.sieversii, but also provide an important theoretical basis for the conservation and restoration of M.sieversii.