Abstract
Biomass partitioning has been explored across various biomes. However, the strategies of allocation in plants still remain contentious. This study investigated allocation patterns of above- and belowground biomass at the community level, using biomass survey from the Tibetan Plateau. We explored above- and belowground biomass by conducting three consecutive sampling campaigns across shrub biomes on the northeast Tibetan Plateau during 2011–2013. We then documented the above-ground biomass (AGB), below-ground biomass (BGB) and root: shoot ratio (R/S) and the relationships between R/S and environment factors using data from 201 plots surveyed from 67 sites. We further examined relationships between above-ground and below-ground biomass across various shrub types. Our results indicated that the median values of AGB, BGB, and R/S in Tibetan shrub were 1102.55, 874.91 g m-2, and 0.85, respectively. R/S showed significant trend with mean annual precipitation (MAP), while decreased with mean annual temperature (MAT). Reduced major axis analysis indicated that the slope of the log-log relationship between above- and belowground biomass revealed a significant difference from 1.0 over space, supporting the optimal hypothesis. Interestingly, the slopes of the allometric relationship between log AGB and log BGB differed significantly between alpine and desert shrub. Our findings supported the optimal theory of above- and belowground biomass partitioning in Tibetan shrub, while the isometric hypothesis for alpine shrub at the community level.
Highlights
Root: shoot ratio (R/S) is one of the most common descriptors of the relationship between root and shoot biomass, which has become a key method for estimating below-ground biomass (BGB) from above-ground biomass (AGB)
We found that R/S of grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau is 5.8 [9] and smaller than that on the Inner Mongolia, which is 6.3 [38]
Though the generality of isometric relationship exists between log AGB and log BGB at the level of woody and non-woody communities [9], we further demonstrated that different biomass allocation hypothesis for particular biomes
Summary
Root: shoot ratio (R/S) is one of the most common descriptors of the relationship between root and shoot biomass, which has become a key method for estimating below-ground biomass (BGB) from above-ground biomass (AGB). The partitioning of above- and belowground biomass is a core parameter of carbon cycling in terrestrial biomes [1,2]. R/S has been interpreted as a critical parameter as reflecting the differential. Biomass Allocation at Tibetan Plateau Shrub Biomes design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript
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