Plant Functional Group Composition Research Articles

Just graze it! Biodiversity, nectar and forage resources in cultural landscapes grazed by different livestock species

ABSTRACT The Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve encompasses a heterogeneous landscape which provides numerous ecosystem services. Semi-natural grasslands provide forage for traditionally managed livestock and are important sources of nectar and pollen for pollinators. However, these services are not evenly distributed due to different biotic and abiotic constraints of the fjord landscape, which stretches from flat coastal areas to steep hills and mountains inland. We studied how geographic location and grazing livestock type affect the plant species richness, plant functional group composition, nectar and forage resources of these grasslands. We recorded plant species percentage cover in 30 fields in the Nordhordland Biosphere Reserve grazed by sheep, goats or cattle, and from these data we calculated indicator values for forage and nectar resource using species index values from existing trait databases. Sites grazed by cattle had significantly different plant functional group compositions than sites grazed by sheep or goats, independent of geographical location. Forage resource indicator values were lower at coastal sites grazed by sheep. We found a weak but significant positive correlation between nectar resource indicator value and plant species richness, as well as between nectar and forage resource indicator values. Type of livestock and geographical location are not the only factors influencing provisioning services in semi-natural grasslands. Nonetheless, traditional grazing maintains ecosystem service delivery even in low-productive coastal areas. Forage resource, nectar provision and plant species richness appear to be bundled, providing clear guidance for managing ecosystem services in Nordhordland UNESCO Biosphere Reserve’s valuable cultural landscapes.

Testing a novel pasture quality index using remote sensing tools in semiarid and Mediterranean grasslands

Estimating the nutritional value of herbage is a core aspect of livestock pasture management. Quantitative information related to significant findings is essential for assessing nutritional provision and preventing pasture degradation. Here, we developed a new Pasture Quality Index (PQI) that indicates the nutritional quality of pastures based on their nutritional value and the composition of plant functional groups of the vegetation. We applied the model on a regional scale using VENμS satellite data, collected more than 450 plant samples, and applied pasture quality parameters analysis. Pasture samples were collected from paddocks under two different grazing intensities in Israel in a semiarid and a Mediterranean grassland. Pasture quality was estimated five times over two years at mid- and peak vegetation growth stages. The PQI included: protein content, fiber content, dry matter digestibility and the proportion of unpalatable spiny thistles. A support vector machine regression model was used to train statistical models that relate ground truth PQI data to the reflectance values of the VENμS satellite. Large-scale forage quality maps at 5 m spatial resolution were created. Fine-resolution drone orthomosaics were used to enhance the satellite-based predictions accuracy, resulting in a model accuracy of R2 = 0.86. We observed that nutritional quality showed strong dependence on seasonality and the grazing regime, with higher quality observed during mid-growth compared to peak growth. Higher quality was also observed under grazing compared to ungrazed paddocks. The occurrence of unpalatable thistles in grazed paddocks significantly reduced the pasture quality at the Mediterranean grassland. To summarize, the PQI enables the integration of several quality indicators into an index that helps in detecting the effects of grazing management on rangelands. In addition, high accuracy was achieved in relating the overall PQI and high spatiotemporal resolution satellite imagery data. Our developed methodology enables site-specific, spatially explicit, frequent, and area-extensive pasture quality assessment that can aid in optimizing livestock management in various ecosystems.

Vegetation, topography, and soil depth drive microbial community structure in two Swedish grasslands.

Soil microbial diversity and community composition are shaped by various factors linked to land management, topographic position, and vegetation. To study the effects of these drivers, we characterized fungal and bacterial communities from bulk soil at four soil depths ranging from the surface to below the rooting zone of two Swedish grasslands with differing land-use histories, each including both an upper and a lower catenary position. We hypothesized that differences in plant species richness and plant functional group composition between the four study sites would drive the variation in soil microbial community composition and correlate with microbial diversity, and that microbial biomass and diversity would decrease with soil depth following a decline in resource availability. While vegetation was identified as the main driver of microbial community composition, the explained variation was significantly higher for bacteria than for fungi, and the communities differed more between grasslands than between catenary positions. Microbial biomass derived from DNA abundance decreased with depth, but diversity remained relatively stable, indicating diverse microbial communities even below the rooting zone. Finally, plant-microbial diversity correlations were significant only for specific plant and fungal functional groups, emphasizing the importance of functional interactions over general species richness.

Effects of recurrent summer droughts on arbuscular mycorrhizal and total fungal communities in experimental grasslands differing in plant diversity and community composition

IntroductionBiodiversity loss and climate change have been determined as major global drivers affecting ecosystems and their functioning. In this context, drought was shown to have negative effects on ecosystems by disrupting ecological processes, which could be buffered in more biodiverse systems. Many studies, however, focus on effects on aboveground communities of single drought events, while dynamics of soil-borne communities are still widely unclear, despite their important roles in ecosystem functioning.MethodsTo elucidate the effect of recurrent summer drought periods on fungal communities in a long-term grassland biodiversity experiment, roof shelters were installed on grassland plots ranging in plant species richness from 1 to 16 species and plant functional group richness (1-4 groups) and composition. After 9 years of summer droughts, bulk soil was sampled and used for Illumina sequencing of the ITS2 and SSU genes to characterize the total fungal and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal (AMF) communities, respectively.ResultsWe found shifts of AMF and total fungi community structures caused by recurrent drought and plant species richness, but no buffering of drought effects by plant diversity. Alpha-diversity (VT or ASV richness) of both AMF and total fungi increased with plant species richness but was not significantly affected by drought. Even though drought overall had minimal long-lasting effects, we found Diversispora and Paraglomus among the AMF and Penicillium among total fungal communities to be more abundant after the drought treatment. AMF communities were affected by the presence of individual plant functional groups, reacting stronger to presence of legumes under drought, while total fungal interaction with plant communities were similar under drought as control. AMF α-diversity differed between plant functional groups in control conditions but was independent of plant community composition under drought. In contrast, total fungi α-diversity was increased by presence of herbs and legumes only under drought.DiscussionFrom our results, we conclude that recurring moderate summer droughts do not strongly affect soil fungal communities. All shifts can be explained by indirect effects through the plant community and its top-down effect on soils altered by drought. Further, AMF are not less affected than total fungal communities, but rather respond differently by interacting more strongly with legumes in response to drought. Consequently, not plant species richness, but plant functional composition, dominates in shaping fungal communities under recurrent droughts.

Assessing the effect of mitigation efforts to improve vegetation recovery in powerline construction sites across Norway

Land-use related to technical infrastructure puts great pressure on nature and landscapes globally. We used a screening approach to evaluate vegetation development in 295 construction sites related to upkeeping of the national power grid in Norway and assessed if and how active measures for vegetation recovery can contribute to mitigate negative impacts on biodiversity and natural carbon storage. Bayesian networks were developed to assess the effect of interventions on the vegetation cover, and an ensemble learning algorithm (Boruta) was used to assess variable importance. Multivariate analysis was run to investigate plant functional group composition. The screening approach uncovered some broad results; A large diversity of installation types are associated with gridline-systems, and the large variation of mitigation measures are hard to classify and evaluate. Years since restoration, region and site ID were important to explain the total vegetation cover, while restoration treatment, soil and installation type were not important. Graminoids dominate the total vegetation cover, in both seeded and non-seeded sites. More detailed studies will contribute to more accurate evaluation of different measures and vegetation recovery. Lack of documentation and well-designed monitoring hamper the development of reliable procedures of mitigation in construction projects, as the ecological outcome of the efforts can be questioned.

Short‐term effects of experimental goose grazing and warming differ in three low‐Arctic coastal wetland plant communities

AbstractQuestionUnderstanding the sensitivity and magnitude of plant community responses in tundra wetlands to herbivory and warming is pressing as these ecosystems are increasingly threatened by changes in grazing pressure and higher temperatures. Here, we ask to what extent different low‐Arctic coastal wetland plant communities are affected by short‐term goose grazing and warming, and whether these communities differ in their responses.LocationYukon–Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska.MethodsWe conducted an experiment where we simulated goose grazing by clipping the vegetation and summer warming by using open‐top chambers in three plant communities along a 6‐km coastal–inland gradient. We assessed plant community compositional changes following two years of treatments.ResultsGrazing had stronger effects than warming on both plant functional group and species composition. Overall, grazing decreased the abundance of grasses and sedges and increased the abundance of forbs, whereas warming only caused a decrease in forb abundance. However, plant communities and functional groups, both within and across communities, varied widely in their responses to treatments. Grazing decreased grass abundance (−25%) and increased forb abundance (+44%) in the two more coastal communities, and reduced sedge abundance (−22%) only in the most inland community. Warming only decreased forb abundance (−18%) in the most coastal community, which overall was the most responsive to treatments.ConclusionsWe show that short‐term goose grazing predominates over short‐term summer warming in eliciting compositional changes in three different low‐Arctic coastal wetland plant communities. Yet, responses varied among communities and the same functional groups could respond differently across them, highlighting the importance of investigating the effects of biotic and abiotic drivers in different contexts. By showing that tundra wetland plant communities can differ in their immediate sensitivity to goose grazing and, though to a lesser extent, warming, our findings have implications for the functioning of these rapidly changing high‐latitude ecosystems.

Nitrogen Deposition Shifts Grassland Communities Through Directly Increasing Dominance of Graminoids: A 3-Year Case Study From the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Nitrogen (N) deposition has been increasing for decades and has profoundly influenced the structure and function of grassland ecosystems in many regions of the world. However, the impact of N deposition on alpine grasslands is less well documented. We conducted a 3-year field experiment to determine the effects of N deposition on plant species richness, composition, and community productivity in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China. We found that 3 years of N deposition had a profound effect on these plant community parameters. Increasing N rates increased the dominance of graminoids and reduced the presence of non-graminoids. Species richness was inversely associated with aboveground biomass. The shift in plant species and functional group composition was largely responsible for the increase in productivity associated with N deposition. Climatic factors also interacted with N addition to influence productivity. Our findings suggest that short-term N deposition could increase the productivity of alpine meadows through shifts in composition toward a graminoid-dominated community. Longer-term studies are needed to determine if shifts in composition and increased productivity will be maintained. Future work must also evaluate whether decreasing plant diversity will impair the long-term stability and function of sensitive alpine grasslands.

Plant Diversity, Functional Group Composition and Legumes Effects versus Fertilisation on the Yield and Forage Quality

Elevating plant diversity and functional group composition amount in the swards may contribute to lower N fertiliser use. The excessive use of fertilisers in agriculture is one of the causes of environmental pollution issues. We investigated the effects of plant diversity, functional community composition, and fertilisation on the dry matter yield and its quality at the Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and Forestry, Central Lithuania. The study aimed to determine the productivity potential of single-species and multi-species swards with three, four, six, and eight plant species in the mixtures including four grasses and four legumes. Two experimental backgrounds were used with N0 and N150 kg ha−1 yr−1 for all treatments. In the two-year experiment manipulating species richness and functional group diversity had a positive effect on the dry matter yield and produced better quality of the forage when compared with single-species swards. Crude protein in the forage of grass–legume mixtures was significantly greater than for grass monocultures. Investigating fertilisation background was a concern; it had a positive effect on the single-species sward yield but decreased the yield of multi-species swards.

Species composition of semi‐natural mesic grasslands as a factor influencing the methane yield of plant biomass (Central Europe)

AbstractSemi‐natural lowland and mountain mesic meadows are grasslands rich in species, and their conservation status depends on treatments such as mowing or grazing livestock. In many countries, the condition of grasslands is deteriorating because of their inappropriate use or abandonment. This study aimed to determine the effects of the species composition of plant communities and functional plant groups on the methane yield from biomass harvested from mesic grasslands in the Sudetes Mountains. Biogas potential analysis was performed based on biomass samples collected from Poland and the Czech Republic. The biogas potential was determined in 40 day‐long batch anaerobic digestion tests. The average methane yield obtained from the biomass was 246 ± 16 NL CH4 kg−1 VS, whereas the methane yield per hectare was 870 ± 203 m3 CH4 ha−1. Plant communities comprising different dominant species had no effect on the methane yield but affected the methane yield per hectare. Additionally, the species composition of grasslands with a higher percentage of forbs had lower biomass yield, resulting in lower methane yields per hectare. The continuity of the low‐intensity management of mountain grassland, which can be provided by the utilization of their biomass for bioenergy production, sustains high biodiversity and ensures appropriate meadow conservation.

Introduced annuals mediate climate‐driven community change in Mediterranean prairies of the Pacific Northwest, USA

AbstractAimHow climate change will alter plant functional group composition is a critical question given the well‐recognized effects of plant functional groups on ecosystem services. While climate can have direct effects on different functional groups, indirect effects mediated through changes in biotic interactions have the potential to amplify or counteract direct climatic effects. As a result, identifying the underlying causes for climate effects on plant communities is important to conservation and restoration initiatives.LocationWestern Pacific Northwest (Oregon and Washington), USA.MethodsUtilizing a 3‐year experiment in three prairie sites across a 520‐km latitudinal climate gradient, we manipulated temperature and precipitation and recorded plant cover at the peak of each growing season. We used structural equation models to examine how abiotic drivers (i.e. temperature, moisture and soil nitrogen) controlled functional group cover, and how these groups in turn determined overall plant diversity.ResultsWarming increased the cover of introduced annual species, causing subsequent declines in other functional groups and diversity. While we found direct effects of temperature and moisture on extant vegetation (i.e. native annuals, native perennials and introduced perennials), these effects were typically amplified by introduced annuals. Competition for moisture and light or space, rather than nitrogen, were critical mechanisms of community change in this seasonally water‐limited Mediterranean‐climate system. Diversity declines were driven by reductions in native annual cover and increasing dominance by introduced annuals.Main conclusionsA shift towards increasing introduced annual dominance in this system may be akin to that previously experienced in California grasslands, resulting in the “Californication” of Pacific Northwest prairies. Such a phenomenon may challenge local land managers in their efforts to maintain species‐rich and functionally diverse prairie ecosystems in the future.

Soil microbial activity along an altitudinal gradient: Vegetation as a main driver beyond topographic and edaphic factors

An altitudinal gradient in the mountains constitutes a unique ‘open-lab’ to examine environmental hypotheses and analyse the expected effects of global warming. The distribution of carbon (C)-, nitrogen (N)-, and phosphorus (P)-acquiring enzyme activity, microbial catabolic activity as represented by a community-level physiological profile (CLPP), and microbial functional diversity (HCLPP) within mountainous ecosystems consisting of mixed, fir and deciduous forests, as well as subalpine and alpine meadows (1260–2480 m a.s.l., Mt. Tkachiha, the Northwest Caucasus, Russia) has been studied. Concerning potential drivers, vegetation (plant projective cover, plant functional group composition, plant richness and diversity) and edaphic (soil nutrients: total and available C and N, total P, pH, texture, temperature, microbial biomass C) and topographic (elevation, slope, mean annual temperature calculated using biannual monitoring data) properties have been considered. The distribution patterns of the studied hydrolytic enzymes along an altitudinal gradient cannot be explained solely by elevation change and soil nutrient content. The activity of soil leucine aminopeptidase depends on vegetation type and graminoid abundance. β-D-glucosidase activity was mainly driven by the quality of soil organic matter (SOM), demonstrating a significant relation with the soil C:N ratio. The chitinase and phosphatase turned out soil temperature-sensitive enzymes. The CLPP depends on the available N content in the soil. The HCLPP distribution with altitude was driven by available N and forbs abundance represented by the widest spectrum of plant families and species. An altitudinal gradient determines the spread of the vegetation zone. In turn, vegetation properties, such as plant functional group composition, species richness and diversity, play a significant role in the distribution of soil microbial activity along an altitudinal gradient that controls the decomposition of SOM and nutrient cycling. Thus, the significant role of vegetation in the distribution of soil microbial activity across a wide range of natural ecosystems and in consideration of topographic and edaphic factors has been demonstrated.

Community change can buffer chronic nitrogen impacts, but multiple nutrients tip the scale.

Anthropogenic nitrogen (N) inputs are causing large changes in ecosystems worldwide. Many previous studies have examined the impact of N on terrestrial ecosystems; however, most have added N at rates that are much higher than predicted future deposition rates. Here, we present the results from a gradient of experimental N addition (0-10g·N·m-2 ) in a temperate grassland. After a decade of N addition, we found that all levels of N addition changed plant functional group composition, likely indicating altered function for plant communities exposed to 10 yr of N inputs. However, N addition only had weak impacts on species composition and this functional group shift was not driven by any particular species, suggesting high levels of functional redundancy among grasslands species. Adding other nutrients (P, K, and micronutrients) in combination with N caused substantially greater changes in the relative abundance of species and functional groups. Together, these results suggest that compositional change within functional groups may buffer grasslands from impacts of N deposition, but concurrent eutrophication with other elements will likely lead to substantial changes in plant composition and biomass.

Moderate Grazer Density Stabilizes Forage Availability More Than Patch Burning in Low-Stature Grassland

Spatially patchy fire creates landscape-level diversity that in turn stabilizes several rangeland ecosystem services, including forage production and habitat availability. To enhance biodiversity and livestock production, efforts are underway to restore fire regimes in rangelands throughout the Great Plains. However, invasive species such as tall fescue Schedonorus arundinaceus syn. Festuca arundinacea, initially introduced for forage production, hamper prescribed fire use. Grazer density, or stocking rate, modulates the effect of patchy fire regimes on ecological patterns in invaded, semi-natural rangeland pastures. We compare three diversity–stability responses—temporal variability in aboveground plant biomass, portfolio effects among plant functional groups, and beta diversity in plant functional group composition—in pastures managed with two different fire regimes through three periods of heavy, light, and moderate stocking rate in southern Iowa, USA. Pastures were either burned in patches, with one-third of the pasture burned each year, or completely burned every third year. The period of moderate grazer density had the least temporal variability in aboveground plant biomass, regardless of fire regime. We also found statistical evidence for a portfolio effect under moderate stocking, where diversification of plant communities through varying cover of functional groups can stabilize communities by reducing year-to-year variability. Beta diversity among plant functional groups was greatest during the moderate grazer density period as well. The short stature of tall fescue prevented the patch-burning regime to create contrast in vegetation structure among patches, and there was no difference in any diversity–stability mechanism response across the two different patterns of burning. Although longitudinal, these data suggest that temporal variability in aboveground plant biomass declines with diversity–stability mechanisms that underlie ecosystem function. Our results also support a decades-old principle of range management: moderate grazing intensity enhances diversity and stability, which has been shown to buffer forage shortfalls during drought.

Interactions between species richness, herbivory and precipitation affect standing biomass in Mongolian rangelands

AbstractQuestionsLivestock management in rangelands depends on the production of plant biomass. Biomass production is driven by the temporal and spatial variability in precipitation, but our understanding of how precipitation variability mediates grazing effects on biomass production is still fragmented. Along a 600‐km precipitation gradient we extracted biomass data to ask the questions: (a) what are the effects of grazing intensity on biomass production; (b) does grazing intensity interact with plant species richness to affect biomass production; and (c) how do plant functional groups respond to grazing and precipitation?LocationMongolia.MethodsBiomass was sampled along 15 grazing intensity transects within the precipitation gradient over two consecutive years. We modeled spatial variability in above‐ground plant biomass using mixed‐effects models. Normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data were combined with field‐sampled biomass data to correct for inter‐annual precipitation variation. The effects of species richness were modeled with respect to possible interactions with grazing intensity, and the composition of plant functional groups was modeled with respect to possible interactions between grazing intensity and precipitation.ResultsBiomass was negatively correlated with grazing intensity and this effect increased as precipitation increased. Biomass was positively correlated with species richness in both years, but the strength of this effect and the interaction between species richness and grazing intensity differed between 2014 and 2015 in line with highly variable precipitation between both years. The plant functional groups grasses, sedges, legumes, wormwood and forbs had contrasting responses to grazing and precipitation.ConclusionBiomass production in drylands is more vulnerable to changes in precipitation variability and grazing intensities in relatively moist and productive rangelands than in dry and unproductive ones. Future rangeland management needs to address potentially increasing precipitation variability in order to promote desired forage plants, and to preserve the positive effects of biodiversity for biomass production.

Effects of vegetation management on plant and insect functional group composition in Quercus serrata secondary forests on the Musashino Terrace, Japan

Effects of vegetation management on plant and insect functional group composition in <i>Quercus serrata</i> secondary forests on the Musashino Terrace, Japan

Above‐belowground linkages of functionally dissimilar plant communities and soil properties in a grassland experiment

AbstractChanges in plant community composition can have long‐lasting consequences for ecosystem functioning. However, how the duration of plant growth of functionally distinct grassland plant communities influences abiotic and biotic soil properties and thus ecosystem functions is poorly known. In a field experiment, we established identical experimental subplots in two successive years comprising of fast‐ or slow‐growing grass and forb community mixtures with different forb:grass ratios. After one and two years of plant growth, we measured above‐ and belowground biomass, soil abiotic characteristics (pH, organic matter, soil nutrients), soil microbial properties (respiration, biomass, community composition), and nematode abundance. Fast‐ and slow‐growing plant communities did not differ in above‐ and belowground biomass. However, fast‐ and slow‐growing plant communities created distinct soil bacterial communities, whereas soil fungal communities differed most in 100% forb communities compared to other forb:grass ratio mixtures. Moreover, soil nitrate availability was higher after two years of plant growth, whereas the opposite was true for soil ammonium concentrations. Furthermore, total nematodes and especially bacterial‐feeding nematodes were more abundant after two years of plant growth. Our results show that plant community composition is a driving factor in soil microbial community assembly and that the duration of plant growth plays a crucial role in the establishment of plant community and functional group composition effects on abiotic and biotic soil ecosystem functioning under natural field conditions.

Rapid recovery of the vegetation diversity and soil fertility after cropland abandonment in a semiarid oak ecosystem: An approach based on plant functional groups

In many parts of the world, including the semi-arid Mediterranean areas, land abandonment has led to significant changes in vegetation composition, plant diversity as well as soil fertility. In this study, new approaches were presented on how the understory plant functional group diversity and composition changed after land abandonment in Zagros oak forests (Quercus brantii Lindl.) in western Iran. In addition, the impact of land-use change on main soil properties were investigated. The diversity and nutrient status of the three stages of the secondary succession of abandoned agroforestry systems were compared: croplands after a short period of abandonment (~5 years), croplands after a long period of abandonment (~15 years) and oak forests representing the ‘climax’ stage. The plant species were classified in four functional groups (annual forb, annual grass, perennial forb, and perennial grass). The diversity indices were computed for each group and each stage. Results showed that the Shannon-Wiener diversity and Margalef richness of all functional groups significantly increased with time from the shortly abandoned croplands to the forest. Shortly after abandonment, annuals (especially annual forbs) were dominant whereas the abundance of the perennials increased after 15 years of abandonment and in the ‘climax’ forest. The soil content in lime decreased along the successional stages (from 52.7% to 26.4%) and was strongly negatively correlated with the diversity of the perennial forbs. In contrast, the soil total nitrogen and aggregate stability increased with succession (respectively from 0.04% to 0.19% and from 0.49 mm to 0.92 mm) and were strongly positively correlated with the diversity of this group. Recovery in soil fertility (and in particular, total nitrogen), provided suitable conditions for the establishment of a wide range of plant functional groups, which in turn increased the species diversity. The relatively fast recovery of soil fertility and plant diversity of abandoned agricultural lands indicated that the reestablishment of the forest vegetation could rely mostly on natural processes.

Snow as a parameter of bryophyte niche partitioning in snow-beds of the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians)

Abstract Understanding relationships between microclimate and bryophyte species diversity in alpine conditions creates a background for investigation into the response of vegetation to potential climate changes and anthropogenic pressure. This study presents the reaction of spore-bearing plants (liverworts and mosses) to the main thermal gradients in the snow-beds of the Tatra Mountains (Western Carpathians) and the mechanisms behind these response patterns. The results were based on direct, year-long temperature measurements in 47 permanent plots located at sites where the plant cover is formed largely by bryophytes. Data were gathered in 2010–2013 using Onset Hobo Pro v.2 temperature data loggers. Habitat variables i.e. seasonal snow cover duration (SCD), zero curtain period (ZC) and July mean ground surface temperature (MGST_VII) were determined using the ground surface temperature (GST) method. Additionally, the sum of potential incoming solar radiation in July (PISR_VII) was analysed on the basis of the localisation of permanent plots. Using detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and redundancy analysis (RDA), we analysed the relationships between the species composition and the microclimatic variables. The generalised additive model (GAM) was employed to investigate the response curves of bryophyte species to snow parameters (SCD and ZC). Humidity (expressed as ZC temperature parameter) proved to have the highest impact on the distribution of bryophytes in snow-beds. Moreover, ground temperature in the vegetative season (in July, MGST_VII) and altitude had statistically significant effects. The responses of liverworts to microclimate gradients were more varied in comparison with those of the mosses. Humidity significantly affects the occurrence of the species of both groups in snow-beds. However, mosses respond to ground temperature (MGST_VII), whereas liverworts respond to SCD, and this distinguishes the niches of these groups. The ZC is a significant parameter affecting plant functional group composition, demonstrating a high relationship between cryptogamic plants and alpine climate. Pohlia ludwigii, Nardia breidleri and Moerckia blyttii prefer the high humidity of the snow-beds, while Marsupella condensata, M. apiculata and Pohlia drummondii are associated with dry habitats.

嘉峪关草湖湿地植物功能群组成及其性状对不同生境的响应

PDF HTML阅读 XML下载 导出引用 引用提醒 嘉峪关草湖湿地植物功能群组成及其性状对不同生境的响应 DOI: 10.5846/stxb201811052396 作者: 作者单位: 作者简介: 通讯作者: 中图分类号: 基金项目: 国家自然科学基金项目（41861009） Responses of composition and functional traits of plant functional groups to different habitats in Jiayuguan Caohu Wetland Author: Affiliation: Fund Project: 摘要 | 图/表 | 访问统计 | 参考文献 | 相似文献 | 引证文献 | 资源附件 | 文章评论 摘要:植物功能群与生境的关系是生态学研究的重要内容，对于揭示植物的环境适应机制、群落构建机制、预测植被变化等具有重要意义。为研究局域尺度上干旱区湿地、沙漠、戈壁等生态系统功能群的环境适应机制，在嘉峪关草湖国家湿地公园内，基于植物功能性状数据，研究了荒漠区不同生境条件下的功能群组成和功能性状特性。结果表明：随着生境条件的改变，土壤含水量、含盐量、容重、pH值等土壤性质发生显著变化；植物的功能群组成和功能性状会发生适应性的变化，沼泽湿地生境内植被的功能性状以克隆、C4光合途径、根茎型等特征为主，盐沼湿地以叶片被蜡、叶茎肉质、CS策略等特征为主，沙丘生境以叶片具毛、风播、具增厚或增长的根、一年生、CR策略等特征为主，荒漠戈壁以叶片少、具增厚或增长的根、虫媒、地上芽等特征为主。局域尺度上，生境异质性尤其是土壤条件的异质性是影响植物群落组成和植物功能性状变化的重要环境因子。 Abstract:The relationship between plant functional groups and habitats is an important topic of the research of ecology. It can reveal the mechanism of plant environmental adaption, community construction, and can predict the changes of vegetation. In order to study adaption of the functional groups to different habitats in the arid area such as wetland, desert and gobi on a local scale, the composition and functional traits of functional groups in different habitats of desert areas were studied in Jiayuguan Caohu National Wetland Park based on the data of plant functional traits. The results showed that, with the change of habitat conditions, the soil water moisture, salt content, bulk density, pH value and other soil properties changed significantly. The composition of plant functional groups and functional traits changed adaptively. The functional traits of vegetation in the marsh wetland were mainly clonal plant, C4 photosynthetic pathway, and rhizomatous plant. The salt marsh wetland were mainly wax-coating, leaf or stem succulence, and CS strategy type. Dune habitats were with hairiness, thickened or long roots, annual, and CR strategy type, while Gobi with reduced leaves, thickened or long roots, entomophilous, and chamaephyte. On the local scale, habitat heterogeneity, especially soil heterogeneity, is an important environmental factor affecting the composition of plant communities and the changes of plant functional traits. 参考文献 相似文献 引证文献

Effect of altered litter input and nitrogen addition on ecosystem aboveground primary productivity and plant functional group composition in a semiarid grassland

Effect of altered litter input and nitrogen addition on ecosystem aboveground primary productivity and plant functional group composition in a semiarid grassland