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Zhou X, Dong L, Zhang Y, Li J, Ren Z, Niu K. Trait-dependent importance of intraspecific variation relative to species turnover in determining community functional composition following nutrient enrichment. Oecologia 2024; 205:107-119. [PMID: 38698244 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05555-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/05/2024]
Abstract
Community weighted mean trait, i.e., functional composition, has been extensively used for upscaling of individual traits to the community functional attributes and ecosystem functioning in recent years. Yet, the importance of intraspecific trait variation relative to species turnover in determining changes in CWM still remains unclear, especially under nutrient enrichment scenarios. In this study, we conducted a global data synthesis analysis and three nutrient addition experiments in two sites of alpine grassland to reveal the extent to which species turnover and ITV contribute to shift in CWM in response to nutrient enrichment. The results consistently show that the importance of ITV relative to species turnover in regulating CWM in response to nutrient enrichment strongly depends on trait attributes rather than on environmental factors (fertilization type, climatic factors, soil properties, and light transmittance). For whole plant traits (height) and leaf morphological traits, species turnover is generally more important than ITV in determining CWM following most treatments of nutrient addition. However, for leaf nutrient traits, ITV outweighed species turnover in determining shifts in CWM in response to almost all treatments of nutrient addition, regardless of types and gradients of the nutrient addition. Thus, our study not only provides robust evidence for trait-dependent importance of ITV in mediating community functional composition, but also highlights the need to consider the nature of functional traits in linking ITV to community assembly and ecosystem functioning under global nutrient enrichment scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Zhou
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Monitoring and Restoration of Desert-Oasis, MNR, Urumqi, 830046, China
| | - Liuwen Dong
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Monitoring and Restoration of Desert-Oasis, MNR, Urumqi, 830046, China
| | - Yongjun Zhang
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Monitoring and Restoration of Desert-Oasis, MNR, Urumqi, 830046, China
| | - Jingdong Li
- College of Ecology and Environment, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang University, Urumqi, 830046, China
- Technology Innovation Center for Ecological Monitoring and Restoration of Desert-Oasis, MNR, Urumqi, 830046, China
| | - Zhengwei Ren
- College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - Kechang Niu
- College of Biological Sciences and Technology, Yili Normal University, Yining, 835000, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Nanjing University, Nanjing, 210023, China.
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Wu W, Wang X, Ren Z, Zhou X, Du G. N-Induced Species Loss Dampened by Clipping Mainly Through Suppressing Dominant Species in an Alpine Meadow. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:815011. [PMID: 35392523 PMCID: PMC8980528 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.815011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen addition and clipping can exert substantial impact on species diversity but their interactions and the underlying mechanisms still remain unclear. Resource competition theory holds that sufficiently strong competitive ability of dominant species can lead to the losses of subordinate species through competitive exclusion, while niche differentiation theory suggests that the persistence of subordinate species in competitive systems can be promoted by guaranteeing positive growth rates of rare species. Taking advantage of a field experiment with nitrogen addition (10 g N m-2 year-1) and different clipping intensities (2, 15, and 30 cm) treatments in a Tibetan alpine meadow across 2015-2020, we assessed the relative importance of competitively dominant species and niche differentiation in driving species diversity changes via using community weighted mean (CWM) and variation coefficient of nearest neighbor distance (CV_NND) of functional traits including height, specific leaf area (SLA) and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). We show that nitrogen enrichment drove a strong plant diversity loss (P < 0.001). Clipping at different intensities had little effect on species diversity, but it can reduce the N-induced diversity loss. Nitrogen addition and clipping caused changes in community diversity were mainly indirectly attributed to their effects on community functional composition, and the competitive ability of dominant species. Nitrogen increased the CWM of functional traits to improve the competitive ability of dominant species. In contrast, clipping influenced species diversity positively by decreasing CWMheight (P < 0.001), and also negatively by increasing CWMSLA (P < 0.001) and decreasing CV_NNDSLA (P < 0.05). Interacting with N addition, clipping resulted in a neutral effect on species diversity, because clipping could offset the negative effects of nitrogen addition through an opposite effect on CWMheight. This study provides new insights into the mechanisms of diversity maintenance with respect to nitrogen addition and clipping. Thus, clipping is recommended as a useful management strategy to alleviate the species loss caused by nutrients enrichment and maintain the diversity of grassland ecosystems.
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Zhao S, Zhang T, Yue P, Lv P, Hu Y, Medina‐Roldán E, Zuo X. Increased grazing intensities induce differentiation of the relationships between functional traits and aboveground plant biomass in shrub‐ and grass‐dominated community in desert steppe. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shenglong Zhao
- Urat Desert‐Grassland Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Tonghui Zhang
- Naiman Desertification Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
| | - Ping Yue
- Urat Desert‐Grassland Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
| | - Peng Lv
- Urat Desert‐Grassland Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Ya Hu
- Urat Desert‐Grassland Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Eduardo Medina‐Roldán
- Department of Health and Environmental Science Xi'an Jiaotong‐Liverpool University Suzhou China
| | - Xiaoan Zuo
- Urat Desert‐Grassland Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
- Naiman Desertification Research Station Northwest Institute of Eco‐Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences Lanzhou China
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4
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Ghereghlou M, Esmaeili AA, Darroudi M. Green Synthesis of Fluorescent Carbon Dots from Elaeagnus angustifolia and its Application as Tartrazine Sensor. J Fluoresc 2021; 31:185-193. [PMID: 33196957 DOI: 10.1007/s10895-020-02645-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
This article has introduced and examined a novel and green approach for the very first time, which had been developed for the synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) and performed through the utilization of Elaeagnus angustifolia (E. A) as a natural carbon source. This straightforward procedure has been based upon a hydrothermal treatment with a quantum yield of 16.8% that had been designed to synthesize water-soluble CDs in one step and result in a satisfying fluorescence. Additionally, we have attempted to assess the sensing system that had been exerted through the usage of CDs for the detection of food colorant tartrazine, since they can function as a fluorescent sensor due to the interplay that occurs among tartrazine and CDs leading to the quenching of their fluorescence. The detection limit has been measured to be equaled to 0.086 μM (86 nM) and the linear range has been observed to be 0.47-234 μM. The proposed highly sensitive and simple method has exhibited an excellent selectivity and proved to be effectively applicable for distinguishing the tartrazine of real samples.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mahnaz Ghereghlou
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Abbas Ali Esmaeili
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran.
| | - Majid Darroudi
- Nuclear Medicine Research Center, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
- Department of Medical Biotechnology and Nanotechnology, School of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran.
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Kang S, Niu J, Zhang Q, Zhang X, Han G, Zhao M. Niche differentiation is the underlying mechanism maintaining the relationship between community diversity and stability under grazing pressure. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01246] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
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Peng F, Xue X, Li C, Lai C, Sun J, Tsubo M, Tsunekawa A, Wang T. Plant community of alpine steppe shows stronger association with soil properties than alpine meadow alongside degradation. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 733:139048. [PMID: 32446054 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.139048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Revised: 04/25/2020] [Accepted: 04/25/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The interaction between soil properties and plant community determines the efficacy to restore the degraded grassland via improving soil properties. We conducted a field survey to investigate the relationship between plant community composition and soil physical and chemical properties alongside different degradation stages of alpine grassland. Results showed that with the increasing severity of degradation, the dominant plants shifted from sedge and graminoid species, respectively, to forbs species in alpine meadow (AM) and alpine steppe (AS). Species richness and diversity indices were unchanged until the severely degraded stage in both AM and AS. Forward selection showed bulk density (BD) and ammonia nitrogen (NH4+) at 10-20 cm, pH and the ratio of soil organic carbon to total nitrogen (C/N) at 0-10 cm were the four important variables being responsible for the species community variation alongside degradation of AS, which explained 18.7% of the total variance. Soil nitrate nitrogen (NO3-) and C/N at 20-30 cm, NH4+ at 10-20, and BD at 0-10 cm were the important variables in driving the community variance alongside degradation stages, which only explained 9.5% of the total variance of AM. The loss of dense root layer and the species community change induced change in BD, and difference in plant competition for available resources would lead to the stronger association between vegetation community and soil properties in AS than that in AM. Our results indicate that though improving soil nutrients and soil texture to restore the degraded AS may be more effective than to restore degraded AM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fei Peng
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; International Platform for Dryland Research and Education, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan; Beiluhe Observation and Research Station on Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China.
| | - Xian Xue
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; Beiluhe Observation and Research Station on Frozen Soil Engineering and Environment in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
| | - Chengyang Li
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Chimin Lai
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jian Sun
- Synthesis Research Centre of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Mitsuru Tsubo
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, Tottori, Japan
| | | | - Tao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Desert and Desertification, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Yin J, Li X, Guo H, Zhang J, Kong L, Ren W. Legacy effects of historical grazing alter leaf stomatal characteristics in progeny plants. PeerJ 2020; 8:e9266. [PMID: 32596041 PMCID: PMC7305771 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.9266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2019] [Accepted: 05/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Grazing, one of the primary utilization modes of grassland, is the main cause of grassland degradation. Historical overgrazing results in dwarf phenotype and decreased photosynthesis of perennial plants. However, it remains unknown what the mechanism underlying of this legacy effect is, and the role of stomata in the resulting decreased photosynthesis also remains unclear. To address these questions, differences in stomatal density, length and width on both adaxial and abaxial epidermis were compared between overgrazing and ungrazed Leymus chinensis offspring by using rhizome buds cultivated in a greenhouse, and the correlation between photosynthetic capacity and stomatal behavior was also investigated. Our results showed that historical grazing significantly impacted phenotype, photosynthesis and stomatal traits of L. chinensis. The offspring plants taken from overgrazed parents were dwarfed compared to those taken from ungrazed parents, and the photosynthesis and stomatal conductance of plants with a grazing history decreased by 28.6% and 21.3%, respectively. In addition, stomatal density and length on adaxial and abaxial leaf surfaces were significantly increased; however, stomatal width on abaxial leaf surfaces of overgrazed L. chinensis was significantly decreased compared with ungrazed individuals. Moreover, the expression patterns of eight genes related to stomatal regulation were tested: seven were down-regulated (2-18 times) and one was up-regulated (three times). Genes, involved in ABC transporter and receptor-like serine/threonine protein kinase were down-regulated. These results suggest that legacy effects of historical grazing affect the stomatal conductance by decreasing the stomatal width in progeny plants, which thus results in lower photosynthesis. Furthermore, changes of stomatal traits and function were regulated by the inhibition of ABC transporter and serine/threonine protein kinase. These findings are helpful for future exploration of the possible mechanisms underlying the response of grassland plants to long-term overgrazing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jingjing Yin
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Xiliang Li
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Huiqin Guo
- School of Life Science, Inner Mongolia Agricultural University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jize Zhang
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Lingqi Kong
- Institute of Grassland Research, Chinese Academy of Agriculture Sciences, Hohhot, China
| | - Weibo Ren
- School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
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Li M, Zhang X, Niu B, He Y, Wang X, Wu J. Changes in plant species richness distribution in Tibetan alpine grasslands under different precipitation scenarios. Glob Ecol Conserv 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00848] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
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9
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Dong K, Hao G, Yang N, Zhang JL, Ding XF, Ren HQ, Shen JF, Wang JL, Jiang L, Zhao NX, Gao YB. Community assembly mechanisms and succession processes significantly differ among treatments during the restoration of Stipa grandis - Leymus chinensis communities. Sci Rep 2019; 9:16289. [PMID: 31705024 PMCID: PMC6841928 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-52734-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding community assembly mechanisms is helpful to predict community dynamics. To explore which community assembly mechanism(s) drive(s) the grassland restoration in semi-arid region, we investigated the relationships between plant trait and species relative abundance (SRA), and estimated community functional diversity indices for each community under different treatments (enclosure, grazing and mowing treatment) in a restoration region of Stipa grandis - Leymus chinensis communities in the northern China from 2010 to 2012. There was a high fraction of significant relationships between trait value and SRA, suggesting that niche theory structured the grassland restoration in this region. The functional richness was higher and the functional divergence was lower in the enclosure community than that in the grazing or mowing community, and significantly positive plant height - SRA relationship was found in the enclosure community. These findings demonstrated that limiting similarity based on niche theory was more important in structuring the enclosure community and that environmental filtering based on niche theory played a more important role in driving the grazing or mowing community. Only the factor of year significantly affected the functional evenness (FEve), and the lowest FEve in 2011 implied that the relatively lower precipitation could enhance the effect of limiting similarity on community assembly in the semi-arid grassland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Dong
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
| | - Guang Hao
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
| | - Nan Yang
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
| | - Jian-Li Zhang
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
| | - Xin-Feng Ding
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
| | - Hui-Qin Ren
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
| | - Jun-Fang Shen
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
| | - Jin-Long Wang
- College of Agronomy & Resources and Environment, Tianjin Agricultural University, Tianjin, 300384, P.R. China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA, 30332, USA
| | - Nian-Xi Zhao
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China.
| | - Yu-Bao Gao
- Department of Plant Biology and Ecology, College of Life Science, Nankai University, Tianjin, 300071, P.R. China
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10
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Firn J, Nguyen H, Schütz M, Risch AC. Leaf trait variability between and within subalpine grassland species differs depending on site conditions and herbivory. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190429. [PMID: 31337314 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0429] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Plant traits are commonly used to predict ecosystem-level processes, but the validity of such predictions is dependent on the assumption that trait variability between species is greater than trait variability within a species-the robustness assumption. Here, we compare leaf trait intraspecific and interspecific variability depending on geographical differences between sites and 5 years of experimental herbivore exclusion in two vegetation types of subalpine grasslands in Switzerland. Four leaf traits were measured from eight herbaceous species common to all 18 sites. Intraspecific trait variability differed significantly depending on site and herbivory. However, the amount and structure of variability depended on the trait measured and whether considering leaf traits separately or multiple leaf traits simultaneously. Leaf phosphorus concentration showed the highest intraspecific variability, while specific leaf area showed the highest interspecific variability and displayed intraspecific variability only in response to herbivore exclusion. Species identity based on multiple traits was not predictable. We find intraspecific variability is an essential consideration when using plant functional traits as a common currency not just species mean traits. This is particularly true for leaf nutrient concentrations, which showed high intraspecific variability in response to site differences and herbivore exclusion, a finding which suggests that the robustness assumption does not always hold.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Firn
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Huong Nguyen
- School of Earth, Environmental and Biological Sciences, Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, Queensland 4001, Australia
| | - Martin Schütz
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Anita C Risch
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research (WSL), Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
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11
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Zhang B, Xue K, Zhou S, Che R, Du J, Tang L, Pang Z, Wang F, Wang D, Cui X, Hao Y, Wang Y. Phosphorus mediates soil prokaryote distribution pattern along a small-scale elevation gradient in Noijin Kangsang Peak, Tibetan Plateau. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2019; 95:5499016. [DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiz076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Biao Zhang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Kai Xue
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100085, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shutong Zhou
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Rongxiao Che
- Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University, Kunming 650091, China
| | - Jianqing Du
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Li Tang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Zhe Pang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Fang Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Nathan QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Di Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaoyong Cui
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanbin Hao
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yanfen Wang
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
- CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing 100101, China
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12
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Török P, Penksza K, Tóth E, Kelemen A, Sonkoly J, Tóthmérész B. Vegetation type and grazing intensity jointly shape grazing effects on grassland biodiversity. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:10326-10335. [PMID: 30397469 PMCID: PMC6206222 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2018] [Accepted: 08/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
In the Palaearctic steppe zone, overgrazing was identified as one of the key drivers of declining grassland biodiversity, which underlines the necessity of the functional evaluation of increased grazing pressure on grassland vegetation. We tested the following hypotheses: (a) The effect of grazing intensity on species and functional diversity is strongly dependent on grassland type. (b) The magnitude of diet selectivity of grazers decreases with increasing grazing intensity. (c) Increasing grazing intensity increases evenness and functional evenness of the subjected grasslands. We analyzed vegetation patterns in four types of grasslands (Dry alkali short-grass steppes, Dry loess steppes, Non-alkali wet and Alkali wet grasslands) along an intensity gradient of beef cattle grazing at 73 sites in Hungary. Species richness, Shannon diversity, evenness, and four leaf traits were analyzed. We calculated community-weighted means for each single trait, and multi-trait functional richness, functional evenness, and divergence for all leaf traits. All species and functional diversity metrics were significantly affected by the grassland type, except leaf dry matter content. The effect of interaction between grazing intensity and grassland type was also significant for functional richness, functional evenness, community-weighted means of leaf area, and for species richness and evenness. An upward trend of specific leaf area was detected in all grasslands with the highest scores for the overgrazed sites, but the change was also grassland type dependent. The detected trend suggests that with increased intensity the overall selectivity of grazing decreased. We found that evenness was affected but functional evenness was not affected by grazing intensity. Functional evenness scores were more related to the grassland type than to changes in grazing intensity, and displayed a high variability. We stress that one-size-fits-all strategies cannot be recommended and actions should be fine-tuned at least at the level of grassland type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Péter Török
- MTA‐DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research GroupDebrecenHungary
- Department of EcologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Károly Penksza
- Department of BotanyInstitute of Botany and EcophysiologySzent István UniversityGödöllőHungary
| | - Edina Tóth
- MTA‐DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research GroupDebrecenHungary
| | - András Kelemen
- Department of EcologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- MTA TKIMTA's Post Doctoral Research ProgramBudapestHungary
| | - Judit Sonkoly
- MTA‐DE Lendület Functional and Restoration Ecology Research GroupDebrecenHungary
- Department of EcologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
| | - Béla Tóthmérész
- Department of EcologyUniversity of DebrecenDebrecenHungary
- MTA‐DE Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services Research GroupDebrecenHungary
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13
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Mu J, Wu Q, Yang Y, Huang M, Grozinger CM. Plant reproductive strategies vary under low and high pollinator densities. OIKOS 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Junpeng Mu
- Ecological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province; Mianyang Normal Univ.; CN-621000 Mianyang China
| | - Qinggui Wu
- Ecological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province; Mianyang Normal Univ.; CN-621000 Mianyang China
| | - Yulian Yang
- Ecological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province; Mianyang Normal Univ.; CN-621000 Mianyang China
| | - Mei Huang
- Ecological Security and Protection Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province; Mianyang Normal Univ.; CN-621000 Mianyang China
| | - Christina M. Grozinger
- Dept of Entomology; Center for Pollinator Research, The Pennsylvania State Univ.; PA USA
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14
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Liu H, Li Y, Ren F, Lin L, Zhu W, He JS, Niu K. Trait-abundance relation in response to nutrient addition in a Tibetan alpine meadow: The importance of species trade-off in resource conservation and acquisition. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:10575-10581. [PMID: 29299239 PMCID: PMC5743641 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2017] [Revised: 08/28/2017] [Accepted: 09/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
In competition‐dominated communities, traits promoting resource conservation and competitive ability are expected to have an important influence on species relative abundance (SRA). Yet, few studies have tested the trait‐abundance relations in the line of species trade‐off in resource conservation versus acquisition, indicating by multiple traits coordination. We measured SRA and key functional traits involving leaf economic spectrum (SLA, specific leaf area; LDMC, leaf dry matter content; LCC, leaf carbon concentration; LNC, leaf nitrogen concentration; LPC, leaf phosphorus concentration; Hs, mature height) for ten common species in all plots subjected to addition of nitrogen fertilizer (N), phosphorus fertilizer (P), or both of them (NP) in a Tibetan alpine meadow. We test whether SRA is positively related with traits promoting plant resource conservation, while negatively correlated with traits promoting plant growth and resource acquisition. We found that species were primarily differentiated along a trade‐off axis involving traits promoting nutrient acquisition and fast growth (e.g., LPC and SLA) versus traits promoting resource conservation and competition ability (e.g., large LDMC). We further found that SRA was positively correlated with plant height, LDMC, and LCC, but negatively associated with SLA and leaf nutrient concentration irrespective of fertilization. A stronger positive height‐SRA was found in NP‐fertilized plots than in other plots, while negative correlations between SRA and SLA and LPC were found in N or P fertilized plots. The results indicate that species trade‐off in nutrient acquisition and resource conservation was a key driver of SRA in competition‐dominated communities following fertilization, with the linkage between SRA and traits depending on plant competition for specific soil nutrient and/or light availability. The results highlight the importance of competitive exclusion in plant community assembly following fertilization and suggest that abundant species in local communities become dominated at expense of growth while infrequent species hold an advantage in fast growth and dispersals to neighbor meta‐communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huiying Liu
- Department of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Sciences Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing China
| | - Ying Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Xining Qinghai China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Fei Ren
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Xining Qinghai China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Li Lin
- Department of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Sciences Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing China
| | - Wenyan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Xining Qinghai China
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- Department of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Sciences Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing China.,Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology Chinese Academy of Sciences Xining Qinghai China
| | - Kechang Niu
- Department of Biology Nanjing University Nanjing China
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15
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Zhou X, Guo Z, Zhang P, Li H, Chu C, Li X, Du G. Different categories of biodiversity explain productivity variation after fertilization in a Tibetan alpine meadow community. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:3464-3474. [PMID: 28515882 PMCID: PMC5433997 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between productivity and biodiversity has long been an important issue in ecological research. However, in recent decades, most ecologists have primarily focused on species diversity while paying little attention to functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity (PD), especially in alpine meadow communities following fertilization. In this study, a fertilization experiment involving the addition of nitrogen, phosphorus, and a mixture of both was implemented in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Species diversity, functional diversity, and PD were measured, and the responses of these parameters to the variation in productivity were analyzed. We found that the productivity of alpine plant communities was colimited by N and P, with N being the principal and P being the secondary limiting nutrient. Our results supported the prediction of both the mass ratio hypothesis and niche complementarity hypothesis in fertilized communities, but these hypotheses were not mutually exclusive. The combination of different aspects of biodiversity not only provides a crucial tool to explain the variation in productivity and to understand the underlying mechanisms but also plays an important role in predicting the variation in productivity of alpine meadow communities, which are sensitive to nutrient enrichment in the context of global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolong Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems School of Life Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou Gansu China.,Institute of Arid Ecology and Environment Xinjiang University Urumqi Xinjiang China
| | - Zhi Guo
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems School of Life Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou Gansu China
| | - Pengfei Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems School of Life Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou Gansu China
| | - Honglin Li
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems School of Life Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou Gansu China
| | - Chengjin Chu
- SYSU-Alberta Joint Lab for Biodiversity Conservation State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol and School of Life Sciences Sun Yat-sen University Guangzhou China
| | - Xilai Li
- College of Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Qinghai University Xining China
| | - Guozhen Du
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland and Agro-ecosystems School of Life Sciences Lanzhou University Lanzhou Gansu China
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16
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Plant functional trait diversity regulates the nonlinear response of productivity to regional climate change in Tibetan alpine grasslands. Sci Rep 2016; 6:35649. [PMID: 27759112 PMCID: PMC5069490 DOI: 10.1038/srep35649] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The biodiversity-productivity relationship is still under debate for alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau. We know little about direct and indirect effects of biotic and abiotic drivers on this relationship, especially in regard to plant functional trait diversity. Here, we examine how aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and precipitation use efficiency (PUE) respond to climate, soil and community structure across alpine grasslands on the Northern Tibetan Plateau. We found that both ANPP and PUE showed nonlinear patterns along water availability and site altitude variation, which together accounted for 80.3% and 68.8% of variation in ANPP and PUE, respectively, by optimal generalized additive models. Functional trait divergence (FTD) and community weighted mean (CWM) of plant functional traits were as important as plant species diversity (PSD) for explaining the nonlinear productivity-climate relationship. These findings were confirmed by results from principal component analyses and structural equation models. We also found that FTD was negatively correlated with PSD across different alpine grasslands. Our results implicate: first, the combinatorial influences of temperature and precipitation gradients are important for predicting alpine grassland dynamics; second, the convergence and divergence of plant functional traits may have the potential to elucidate the effect of plant diversity on ecosystem functionality.
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17
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Niu K, He JS, Lechowicz MJ. Grazing-induced shifts in community functional composition and soil nutrient availability in Tibetan alpine meadows. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kechang Niu
- Department of Biology; Nanjing University; Nanjing 210023 China
- Department of Ecology; Peking University; Beijing 100871 China
- Department of Biology; McGill University; Montréal QC H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- Department of Ecology; Peking University; Beijing 100871 China
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