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Yang P, Niu M, Fu Q, Qian L, Huang M, Li Z, Sun H, Chen J. Ecosystem engineers can regulate resource allocation strategies in associated plant species. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 15:1387951. [PMID: 38903422 PMCID: PMC11187262 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2024.1387951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 06/22/2024]
Abstract
Balancing the biomass requirements of different functions for the purpose of population reproduction and persistence can be challenging for alpine plants due to extreme environmental stresses from both above- and below-ground sources. The presence of ecosystem engineers in alpine ecosystems effectively alleviates microenvironmental stresses, hence promoting the survival and growth of other less stress-tolerant species. However, the influence of ecosystem engineers on plant resource allocation strategies remains highly unexplored. In this study, we compared resource allocation strategies, including biomass accumulation, reproductive effort (RE), root fraction (RF), as well as relationships between different functions, among four alpine plant species belonging to Gentianaceae across bare ground, tussock grass-, cushion-, and shrub-engineered microhabitats. Shrub-engineered microhabitats exerted the strongest effects on regulating plant resource allocation patterns, followed by tussock grass- and cushion-engineered microhabitats. Additionally, apart from microhabitats, population background and plant life history also significantly influenced resource allocation strategies. Generally, plants established within engineered microhabitats exhibited higher biomass accumulation, as well as increased flower, leaf and stem production. Furthermore, individuals within engineered microhabitats commonly displayed lower RF, indicating a greater allocation of resources to above-ground functions while reducing allocation to root development. RE of annual plants was significantly higher than that of perennial plants. However, individuals of annual plants within engineered microhabitats showed lower RE compared to their counterparts in bare ground habitats; whereas perennial species demonstrated similar RE between microhabitat types. Moreover, RE was generally independent of plant size in bare-ground habitats but exhibited size-dependency in certain populations for some species within specific engineered microhabitat types. However, size-dependency did exist for absolute reproductive and root biomass allocation in most of the cases examined here. No trade-offs were observed between flower mass and flower number, nor between leaf mass and leaf number. The capacity of ecosystem engineers to regulate resource allocation strategies in associated plants was confirmed. However, the resource allocation patterns resulted synergistically from the ecosystem engineering effects, population environmental backgrounds, and plant life history strategies. In general, such regulations can improve individual survival and reproductive potential, potentially promoting population persistence in challenging alpine environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengfei Yang
- School of Life Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Mengqiu Niu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- School of Ecology and Environment, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Quansheng Fu
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Lishen Qian
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Meihong Huang
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
- College of Biodiversity Conservation, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhimin Li
- School of Life Science, Yunnan Normal University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Hang Sun
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Jianguo Chen
- Key Laboratory for Plant Diversity and Biogeography of East Asia, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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Zhang H, Plett JM, Catunda KLM, Churchill AC, Moore BD, Powell JR, Power SA, Yang J, Anderson IC. Rapid quantification of biological nitrogen fixation using optical spectroscopy. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2024; 75:760-771. [PMID: 37891011 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erad426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 10/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023]
Abstract
Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) provides a globally important input of nitrogen (N); its quantification is critical but technically challenging. Leaf reflectance spectroscopy offers a more rapid approach than traditional techniques to measure plant N concentration ([N]) and isotopes (δ15N). Here we present a novel method for rapidly and inexpensively quantifying BNF using optical spectroscopy. We measured plant [N], δ15N, and the amount of N derived from atmospheric fixation (Ndfa) following the standard traditional methodology using isotope ratio mass spectrometry (IRMS) from tissues grown under controlled conditions and taken from field experiments. Using the same tissues, we predicted the same three parameters using optical spectroscopy. By comparing the optical spectroscopy-derived results with traditional measurements (i.e. IRMS), the amount of Ndfa predicted by optical spectroscopy was highly comparable to IRMS-based quantification, with R2 being 0.90 (slope=0.90) and 0.94 (slope=1.02) (root mean square error for predicting legume δ15N was 0.38 and 0.43) for legumes grown in glasshouse and field, respectively. This novel application of optical spectroscopy facilitates BNF studies because it is rapid, scalable, low cost, and complementary to existing technologies. Moreover, the proposed method successfully captures the dynamic response of BNF to climate changes such as warming and drought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haiyang Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jonathan M Plett
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Karen L M Catunda
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Amber C Churchill
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, 140 Gortner Laboratory, 1479 Gortner Ave., St Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Ben D Moore
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jeff R Powell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Sally A Power
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Jinyan Yang
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Ian C Anderson
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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Ale R, Zhang L, Bahadur Raskoti B, Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Luo T. Leaf carbon isotope tracks the facilitation pattern of legume shrubs shaped by water availability and species replacement along a large elevation gradient in Trans-Himalayas. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2023; 132:429-442. [PMID: 37632795 PMCID: PMC10667008 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcad117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Accepted: 08/24/2023] [Indexed: 08/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Understanding patterns and mechanisms of nurse plant facilitation is important to predict the resilience of arid/semi-arid ecosystems to climate change. We investigate whether water availability and nurse species turnover interact to shape the facilitation pattern of widespread legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient. We also investigate whether leaf δ13C of nurse plants can track the facilitation pattern. METHODS We measured the relative interaction index (RII) of the number of species within and outside the canopy of two widespread legume shrub species (Caragana gerardiana and Caragana versicolor) alternatively distributed along a large elevation gradient in the Trans-Himalayas. We also assessed the proportional increase of species richness (ISR) at the community level using the paired plot data. To determine site-specific water availability, we measured the leaf δ13C of nurse shrubs and calculated the Thornthwaite moisture index (MI) for each elevation site. KEY RESULTS Elevational variations in RII, ISR and δ13C were mainly explained by the MI when the effects of soil nitrogen and plant traits (leaf nitrogen and shrub size) were controlled. Variations in RII and ISR across the two nurse species were explained better by δ13C than by smoothly changing climatic factors along elevation. At the transition zone between the upper limit of C. gerardiana (4100 m) and the lower limit of C. versicolor (4200 m), RII and ISR were much higher in C. versicolor than in C. gerardiana under a similar MI. Such an abrupt increase in facilitation induced by nurse species replacement was well tracked by the variation of δ13C. CONCLUSIONS Water availability and nurse species replacement are crucial to shaping facilitation patterns by legume shrubs along a large elevation gradient in dry mountainous regions, such as the Trans-Himalayas. Turnover in nurse species under global change might significantly alter the pattern of nurse plant facilitation associated with water availability, which can be well tracked by leaf δ13C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita Ale
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | | | - Guangshuai Cui
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Francisco I Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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Cui G, Pugnaire FI, Yang L, Zhao W, Ale R, Shen W, Luo T, Liang E, Zhang L. Shrub-mediated effects on soil nitrogen determines shrub-herbaceous interactions in drylands of the Tibetan Plateau. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2023; 14:1137365. [PMID: 36844071 PMCID: PMC9950575 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1137365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Shrub promotes the survival, growth and reproduction of understory species by buffering the environmental extremes and improving limited resources (i.e., facilitation effect) in arid and semiarid regions. However, the importance of soil water and nutrient availability on shrub facilitation, and its trend along a drought gradient have been relatively less addressed in water-limited systems. METHODS We investigated species richness, plant size, soil total nitrogen and dominant grass leaf δ13C within and outside the dominant leguminous cushion-like shrub Caragana versicolor along a water deficit gradient in drylands of Tibetan Plateau. RESULTS We found that C. versicolor increased grass species richness but had a negative effect on annual and perennial forbs. Along the water deficit gradient, plant interaction assessed by species richness (RIIspecies) showed a unimodal pattern with shift from increase to decrease, while plant interaction assessed by plant size (RIIsize) did not vary significantly. The effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen, rather than water availability, determined its overall effect on understory species richness. Neither the effect of C. versicolor on soil nitrogen nor water availability affected plant size. DISCUSSION Our study suggests that the drying tendency in association with the recent warming trends observed in drylands of Tibetan Plateau, will likely hinder the facilitation effect of nurse leguminous shrub on understories if moisture availability crosses a critical minimum threshold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangshuai Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Francisco I. Pugnaire
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Liu Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wanglin Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Rita Ale
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Tianxiang Luo
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Eryuan Liang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System Science, Resources and Environment (TPESRE), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Institute of Science and Technology Information of Tibet Autonomous Region, Lhasa, China
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Miao C, Bai Y, Zhang Y, She W, Liu L, Qiao Y, Qin S. Interspecific interactions alter plant functional strategies in a revegetated shrub-dominated community in the Mu Us Desert, China. ANNALS OF BOTANY 2022; 130:149-158. [PMID: 35311887 PMCID: PMC9445594 DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcac039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Previous studies investigating plant-plant interactions have focused on plant growth, context dependence and shifts in interactive outcomes. However, changes in functional traits in the context of interactions have been inadequately explored; few studies have focused on the effects of interactions on the plasticity of functional strategies. METHODS We conducted a 4-year removal experiment for the xeric shrub Artemisia ordosica and perennial graminoids (PGs) in the Mu Us Desert, northern China. Soil nutrient content, biomass and 12 functional traits related to plant morphology and nutrient status were measured for the shrub species and a dominant PG species (i.e. Leymus secalinus) in the presence and absence of shrubs and PGs. KEY RESULTS Shrubs affected the functional traits of L. secalinus, reducing leaf dry matter content and increasing plant height, which probably promoted the functional strategy of L. secalinus towards a more resource-acquisitive and competitive strategy. In contrast, when the shrubs were affected by PGs, they shifted towards a resource-conservative and stress-tolerative strategy, by increasing leaf dry matter content and decreasing specific leaf area. Moreover, the shrub species relied more on internal nutrient recycling (higher nitrogen resorption efficiency) rather than on external nitrogen uptake under nitrogen competition; instead, L. secalinus tended to exhibit higher external nitrogen uptake from soil during nitrogen shortages. CONCLUSIONS This study indicated that the functional strategies and nutrient cycling of the shrub species and the dominant PG were altered by each other. The shifts in functional traits may help plants to coexist in the community for a relatively long time. Our findings highlighted that interspecific interactions alter plant functional strategies and provided new insights into community assembly and succession mechanisms in a revegetated shrubland for ecological restoration of drylands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun Miao
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuxuan Bai
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Weiwei She
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of State Forestry Administration on Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Liang Liu
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Yangui Qiao
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
| | - Shugao Qin
- Yanchi Research Station, School of Soil and Water Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
- Engineering Research Center of Forestry Ecological Engineering, Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, China
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Liu R, Guo Z, Steinberger Y. Differential responses of ground-active arthropod abundance and diversity to shrub afforestation in heterogeneous textured soils in desertified grassland ecosystems, North China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 829:154631. [PMID: 35307442 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154631] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/13/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Shrub afforestation is an effective way for restoration of soil communities and desertification control in desertified regions. However, little is unknown about how heterogeneous textured soils influence the effectiveness of shrub afforestation on the activities and diversity of ground-active arthropods. In the present study, ground-active arthropods were examined by pitfall trapping as well as by herbaceous performances and soil properties investigated in two shrub microhabitats (the shrub canopy and open spaces) in afforested sandy soil and sandy loam soil of northwestern China. The adjacent shifting sandy land, not covered by shrub plantations, served as a control. Total abundance in the open spaces in afforested sandy soil was significantly (p < 0.05) higher than those in the shrub canopy microhabitats in the same soil type and was also higher than those in both shrub microhabitats (open space and shrub canopy) in afforested sandy loam soil. A consistently (p < 0.05) greater taxa richness and the Shannon index as well as taxa richness of trophic groups (phytophages and predators) was found in shrub microhabitats in both soil types compared to the shifting sandy land. However, no significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in taxa richness, Shannon index, and the Simpson index of ground-active arthropods, and in the abundance and richness of both trophic groups among the four shrub microhabitats in both soil types. In conclusion, soil textural heterogeneity in terms of soil type had a significant effect on the abundance, but not on the biodiversity distribution and trophic relationship, of ground-active arthropods between shrub microhabitats. The facilitative effect of shrubs benefited a stable biodiversity distribution and thus a stable trophic relationship within ground-active arthropod communities through afforestation practices, regardless of soil type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rentao Liu
- School of Ecology and Environment, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China.
| | - Zhixia Guo
- Key Laboratory for Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystem in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Yosef Steinberger
- The Mina & Everard Goodman Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat-Gan 5290002, Israel
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Morcillo L, Bautista S. Interacting water, nutrients, and shrub age control steppe grass‐on‐shrub competition: Implications for restoration. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Luna Morcillo
- Mediterranean Center for Environmental Studies (CEAM Foundation), Joint Research Unit University of Alicante‐CEAM University of Alicante Alicante Spain
| | - Susana Bautista
- Department of Ecology and IMEM University of Alicante Alicante Spain
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8
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Xu Y, Dong K, Jiang M, Liu Y, He L, Wang J, Zhao N, Gao Y. Soil moisture and species richness interactively affect multiple ecosystem functions in a microcosm experiment of simulated shrub encroached grasslands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 803:149950. [PMID: 34487904 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 08/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functions (BEF) and the way in which ecosystem functions respond to changing climatic conditions or community composition is useful for predicting ecological consequences of global changes. However, how soil moisture condition, plant species richness interactively affect ecosystem functions in shrub-encroached grasslands is poorly understood. We conducted a soil moisture × species richness microcosm experiment using semi-arid grassland species with a N-fixing shrub Caragana microphylla Lam. as the dominant species to evaluate how soil moisture and plant species richness affected ecosystem functions directly or indirectly via regulating community functional structure, such as community-weighted mean values (CWM) and functional dispersion (FDis). Soil moisture and species richness interactively affected soil functions (soil C-, N-, P cycles and soil multifunctionality), with greater species richness buffering the adverse effects of soil drought. Soil moisture and species richness showed opposite effects on FDis but similar effects on CWM. FDis mediated the indirect effect of soil moisture and species richness on ecosystem functions, while CWM only mediated the indirect effect of soil moisture. More specifically, both soil moisture and plant species richness were negatively associated with soil P cycle, and the CWMPC1 contributed by traits related to resource-conservative strategy was positively associated with soil N cycle. Species richness showed a positive direct effect on total shoot biomass, which was mainly contributed by the complementarity effect of neighbor species richness. This study provides strong empirical support of how biomass and soil nutrient cycles respond to the changes of soil moisture and plant species richness in C. microphylla shrub-encroached grasslands, and insights on the mechanisms underlying the interactive effects of soil condition and community species composition on multiple ecosystem functions in N-fixing shrub encroached grasslands in semi-arid grassland regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujuan Xu
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Ke Dong
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Man Jiang
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Yulin Liu
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Luoyang He
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, PR China
| | - Jinlong Wang
- College of Agronomy & Resources and Environment, Tianjin Agricultural University, No. 22 Jinjing Road, Tianjin 300384, PR China
| | - Nianxi Zhao
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, PR China.
| | - Yubao Gao
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, No. 94 Weijin Road, Tianjin 300071, PR China
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Torres RC, Pollice J, Valfré‐Giorello TA, Herrero ML, Navarro‐Ramos SE, Ibarra‐Grellet I, Renison D. Effects of forest preservation, livestock exclusion, and use of shrubs as potential nurses on planting success of an endangered tree. Restor Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Romina C. Torres
- Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Center of Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- Institute of Biological and Technological Research CONICET‐National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- NGO Ecosistemas argentinos 27 de abril 2050 Córdoba Argentina
| | - Julieta Pollice
- Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Center of Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- Faculty of Tourism and Environment Provincial University of Córdoba Av. Cárcano 3590 Córdoba Argentina
| | - Tatiana A. Valfré‐Giorello
- Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Center of Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- Institute of Biological and Technological Research CONICET‐National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
| | - M. Lucrecia Herrero
- Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Center of Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- Institute of Biological and Technological Research CONICET‐National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
| | - Silvia E. Navarro‐Ramos
- Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Center of Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- Institute of Biological and Technological Research CONICET‐National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
| | - Ignacio Ibarra‐Grellet
- Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Center of Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
| | - Daniel Renison
- Faculty of Exact, Physical and Natural Sciences, Center of Ecology and Renewable Natural Resources National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- Institute of Biological and Technological Research CONICET‐National University of Córdoba Av. Vélez Sarsfield 1611 Córdoba X5016GCA Argentina
- NGO Ecosistemas argentinos 27 de abril 2050 Córdoba Argentina
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Yi S, Wu P, Peng X, Bai F, Gao Y, Zhang W, Du N, Guo W. Functional identity enhances aboveground productivity of a coastal saline meadow mediated by Tamarix chinensis in Laizhou Bay, China. Sci Rep 2020; 10:5826. [PMID: 32242029 PMCID: PMC7118169 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-62046-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Research in recent decades has confirmed that biodiversity influences ecosystem productivity; however, the potential mechanisms regulating this process remain subject to controversy, due to variation across ecosystems. Here, the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem productivity were evaluated using three variables of biodiversity (taxonomic diversity, functional identity, and functional diversity) and surrounding environmental conditions in a coastal saline meadow located on the south coast of Laizhou Bay, China. At this site, the shrub and field layers were primarily dominated by Tamarix chinensis and natural mesic grasses, respectively. Our results showed that functional identity, which is quantified as the community weighted mean of trait values, had greater explanatory ability than taxonomic and functional diversity. Thus, ecosystem productivity was determined disproportionately by the specific traits of dominant species. T. chinensis coverage was a biotic environmental factor that indirectly affected ecosystem productivity by increasing the community weighted mean of plant maximum height, which simultaneously declined with species richness. The present study advances our understanding of the mechanisms driving variation in the productivity of temperate coastal saline meadows, providing evidence supporting the "mass ratio" hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shijie Yi
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Pan Wu
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Xiqiang Peng
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Fenghua Bai
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Yanan Gao
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenxin Zhang
- Shandong Academy of Forestry, Jinan, 250014, People's Republic of China
| | - Ning Du
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China. .,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.
| | - Weihua Guo
- Institute of Ecology and Biodiversity, School of Life Science, Shandong University, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China. .,Shandong Provincial Engineering and Technology Research Center for Vegetation Ecology, Qingdao, 266237, People's Republic of China.
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11
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Liu Y, Shi Z, Gong L, Cong R, Yang X, Eldridge DJ. Is the removal of aboveground shrub biomass an effective technique to restore a shrub‐encroached grassland? Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yanshu Liu
- Institute of Desertification StudiesChinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091 China
| | - Zhongjie Shi
- Institute of Desertification StudiesChinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091 China
| | - Liyan Gong
- Institute of Desertification StudiesChinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091 China
| | - Richun Cong
- Institute of Desertification StudiesChinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091 China
| | - Xiaohui Yang
- Institute of Desertification StudiesChinese Academy of Forestry Beijing 100091 China
| | - David J. Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales 2052 Australia
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