内蒙古羊草草原17年刈割演替过程中功能群组成动态及其对群落净初级生产力稳定性的影响

基于17 yr的野外实验数据,研究了内蒙古羊草草原群落刈割演替过程中的功能群组成动态,探索了功能群组成变化与群落净初级生产力(ANPP)之间的关系,分析了结构参数怎样影响功能参数.结果显示:在17 yr的割草演替过程中,群落的结构与功能均发生了变化.随着羊草群落刈割演替的进行,群落的功能群组成发生了显著变化,根茎禾草在群落中的优势地位相继被一、二年生植物、高丛生禾草和矮丛生禾草所取代.到17 yr末,群落变成根茎禾草、矮丛生禾草、高丛生禾草共同建群的群落.在对照群落中ANPP与年降水量显著相关,但在刈割群落中二者则不相关.年降水量解释对照群落ANPP变异的62%,而连年的刈割干扰则是刈割群落中ANPP动态的主要驱动因子.群落净初级生产则显出对刈割干扰的抵抗能力,在刈割干扰的前几年,依靠群落内功能群组成的不断调节,保持相对稳定的水平,当刈割进行5 yr之后,群落结构的变化积累到一定程度,净初级生产迅速下降到一个较低的水平,此后依靠群落结构的不断调节来维持这一功能水平.因此,群落结构是以渐变的方式改变的,而群落功能的下降则是以跃变的形式完成的.群落依赖于结构的不断调整来保持功能的相对稳定,但结构变化到一定程度也会导致功能的衰退.     

锡林河流域羊草草原植物种群和功能群的长期变异性及其对群落 …

分析了内蒙古锡林河流域羊草（Ｌｅｙｍｕｓ ｃｈｉｎｅｎｓｉｓ）草原群落植物种群、功能群和群落生物量的长期变异性,以及植物功能群间的补偿作用对群落稳定性的影响。结果表明：从种群水平到功能群落水平,地上生物量的年度间变异性逐渐降低,而稳定性则逐渐增加。植物功能群组成对群落稳定性具有更强烈的影响,在植物生活型功能群组成中多年生根茎禾草与多年生丛生禾草和多年生杂类草功能群,在生物量的年度变化上具有补偿作用     

刈割和施肥对高寒草甸功能多样性与地上净初级生产力关系的影响

功能多样性(FD)对群落地上净初级生产力(ANPP,g·m-2·a-1)有直接的影响,但不同扰动因素对FD-ANPP关系将产生何种影响尚不明确。通过在青藏高原高寒矮生嵩草(Kobresia humilis)草甸连续7年(2007–2013)的刈割(3水平:不刈割、留茬3cm的中度刈割和留茬1 cm的重度刈割)和施肥(2水平:施用12.75 g·m-2·a-1尿素+3.06 g·m-2·a-1(NH4)2HPO4、不施肥)控制实验,研究了刈割、施肥、年份及其交互作用对ANPP和FD的影响以及FD-ANPP关系的变化。研究结果显示:(1)增加刈割强度和土壤养分均显著提高了ANPP,但其效应随着年份的不同而有差异,ANPP随着时间呈波动下降趋势,而FD则随年度增大;(2)施肥显著增加了FD,而刈割对FD无显著影响(p0.05);(3)在6种刈割和施肥处理组合下,FD-ANPP关系随时间的变化主要受刈割扰动影响呈现正线性相关和无相关两种模式。无论施肥与否,不刈割(C0)群落中FD和ANPP之间无相关(n=90,p0.05);而刈割群落中FD和ANPP之间为正相关(n=90,p0.05)。由于刈割同时提高了FD和ANPP,促使二者在刈割群落中呈现正线性相关。(4)尽管施肥不影响FD和ANPP的关系模式,但与刈割共同作用,影响FD-ANPP关系的截距或斜率。上述结果说明,刈割扰动和土壤营养资源共同影响着FD-ANPP关系,而刈割在改变其关系模式方面起主导作用。     

刈割留茬高度对大针茅草原群落结构及稳定性的影响

2014—2018年8月在内蒙古锡林郭勒盟毛登牧场大针茅典型草原,以围封为对照,设置2、5和8 cm 3个刈割留茬高度,研究刈割留茬高度对群落结构及稳定性的影响。结果表明: 群落中共出现15科23属27种植物;优势种为大针茅、知母、羊草及糙隐子草,累计相对重要值为76.1%。多年生杂类草15种,一、二年生植物5种,多年生丛生禾草和灌木半灌木植物各有3种,多年生根茎禾草有1种。大针茅等处于群落上层;知母、羊草等植物处于群落中层;糙隐子草、刺穗藜、猪毛菜等植物处于群落底层。刈割造成大针茅及多年生丛生禾草相对重要值降低,使得糙隐子草、刺穗藜、猪毛菜及一、二年生植物相对重要值增加。留茬2 cm降低羊草相对重要值,而留茬5、8 cm使其增加;留茬5 cm增加知母相对重要值,而留茬2、8 cm使其降低;留茬8 cm降低杂类草相对重要值,而留茬2、5 cm使其增加。物种及功能群多样性年度间差异显著。总体上,刈割对物种丰富度无显著影响,对其物种多样性影响较小,但对功能群多样性存在一定影响。表明在刈割过程中,群落各功能群存在一定的补偿作用,使得群落保持相对稳定。刈割使群落稳定性增加,留茬5和8 cm时群落稳定性较大;留茬5 cm时群落变异性较大,而留茬8 cm时最小。留茬8 cm时群落稳定性高且变异性小,能促进群落长期稳定。     

Nitrogen addition amplified water effects on species composition shift and productivity increase

增加氮素放大了水分对物种组成变化和生产力提高的影响 水分和氮素是旱地生态系统中的重要资源,二者对群落结构和生态系统功能的影响存在着复杂的交互作用。未来降水(降雨与降雪)变化将如何影响地上净初级生产力(ANPP)尚未研究清楚,尤其是当降水变化与氮沉降引起的氮有效性增加相互结合时。在本研究中,我们探讨了半干旱温带典型草原对增加降水(降雨与降雪)和氮素的响应,包括群落生产力、两种主要植物功能群、多年生根茎禾草(PR)和多年生丛生禾草(PB)的多度和地上生物量的变化。研究结果发现,夏季增雨略微增加了群落的ANPP,显著增加了PR的多度和地上生物量,而对PB的多度和地上生物量没有影响。夏季增雨提高了PR生物量在ANPP中的占比,降低了PB生物量的占比。春季增雪对上述两个植物功能群地上生物量均无显著影响,尽管它对群落ANPP有一定的提高。在夏季增雨条件下,氮素添加显著增加了群落ANPP,主要是由于增加了PR的生物量,说明氮和水分添加对群落ANPP存在较强的交互作用,并在很大程度上通过提高PR生物量来实现。我们发现随着降水量的增加,施氮对生产力的正效应呈非线性增加。上述结果表明,在未来大气氮沉降增加的情景下,降水增加对草地生产力的影响将得到进一步放大。     

锡林河流域羊草草原植物种群和功能群的长期变异性及其对群落稳定性的影响

 分析了内蒙古锡林河流域羊草(Leymus chinensis)草原群落植物种群、功能群和群落生物量的长期变异性,以及植物功能群间的补偿作用对群落稳定性的影响,结果表明：从种群水平到功能群和群落水平,地上生物量的年度间变异性逐渐降低,而稳定性则逐渐增加。植物功能群组成对群落稳定性具有更强烈的影响,在植物生活型功能群组成中多年生根茎禾草与多年生丛生禾草和多年生杂类草功能群,在生物量的年度变化上具有补偿作用,在生态类群组成中,旱生植物与中旱生植物也具有补偿作用。植物种群多度的长期变异性可能依赖于物种对环境波动的敏感性和种间相互作用对环境波动的放大效应,生物多样性使物种对环境波动响应的多样性增加,并通过不同响应类型(功能群)间的补偿作用使群落稳定性增加。     

内蒙古高原针茅草原植物多样性与植物功能群组成对群落初级生产力稳定性的影响

内蒙古高原4类地带性草原群落,贝加尔针茅（Stipa baicalensis Roshew.）群落、大针茅（S.grandis P.Smirn.）群落、克氏针茅（S.krylovii Roshev.）群落和小针茅（S.klemenzii Roshev.）群落初级生产力连续12年的定位研究结果表明,在气修波动下群落生产力及其稳定性与群落多样性特征的变化是一致的,从贝加尔针茅群落到小针茅群落。植物多样性显下降,群东中起重要作用的植物功能群的数量逐渐减少,群落初级生产力及其稳定性也逐渐降低。生活型功能群组成中,多年生丛生禾草、多年生根茎禾草与苔草和多年生杂类草功能群多样性与群落初级生产力稳定性极显地呈正相关。生态类群组成中,旱生植物和中旱生植物功能群多样性也与群落初级生产力稳定性极显地呈正相关,生态位互补效应（niche complementary effect）可能是高植物多样性群落具有高生产力的机制,而植物多样性对群落初级生产力稳定性的影响可能是通过不同功能群间的补偿作用来实现的。     

内蒙古锡林河流域草原群落植物功能群组成沿水热梯度变化的样带研究

 用样带法调查了草原群落植物功能群组成沿水热梯度的变化。结果表明,随着海拔高度的降低,降水量的减少,热量和干燥度的增加,群落植物生活型功能群组成中,多年生杂类草的相对多度逐渐减少,而多年生丛生禾草的相对多度逐渐增加,多年生丛生禾草对多年生杂类草具有强烈的生态替代作用。在植物生态类群功能群组成中,中旱生植物的作用逐渐减弱,而旱生植物的作用显著增强。草地的利用方式对群落组成具有重要的影响,永久样地和割草场中不耐牧种的相对生物量显著地高于放牧场,而放牧场中耐牧种的相对生物量则显著地高于永久样地和割草场。受草地利用     

氮素添加对呼伦贝尔草甸草原植物氮钾元素含量和计量比的影响

钾(K)是植物叶片中仅次于氮(N)的第二大营养元素,在调节植物生长发育、稳态维持和胁迫响应等方面具有重要作用。以往关于氮素输入对植物养分状况影响的研究中多关注了氮磷养分,较少关注钾及其与其他元素的计量关系。本研究以内蒙古呼伦贝尔草甸草原为对象,研究氮素添加和刈割对植物功能群水平和群落水平钾含量及计量特征(N∶K)的影响,分析功能群自身养分状况和群落组成改变对群落水平养分状况变化的相对贡献。结果表明: 为期6年的氮素添加提高了所有植物功能群的N含量以及根茎禾草和豆科植物的K含量,刈割降低了根茎禾草和丛生禾草的N含量,而对所有功能群的K含量和N∶K均无显著影响。氮素添加显著提高了群落水平植物N和K含量,刈割仅增加了群落植物的N含量。氮素添加和刈割对功能群和群落水平上的植物N∶K均无显著影响。功能群本身的养分变化情况对群落水平植物养分状况的贡献大于群落组成的贡献。在对群落水平养分特征的影响方面,功能群本身养分变化的贡献与群落组成的贡献具有负的协变关系。呼伦贝尔草甸草原植物具有较高的N∶K内稳性,能够较好地调节自身的氮钾平衡,这对氮沉降背景下维持氮钾元素计量关系具有重要意义。     

刈割、施肥对高寒草甸物种多样性与生态系统功能关系的影响及群落稳定性机制

植物群落中不同“功能身份”物种的多样性与特定生态系统功能之间具有何种关系及其作用机制尚不明确.通过在高寒矮嵩草(Kobresia humilis)草甸为期5年的刈割(不刈割、留茬3 cm、留茬1 cm)、施肥(施肥、不施肥)和浇水(浇水、不浇水)控制实验,研究了刈割与土壤资源获得性梯度上不同“功能身份”物种(群落中所有物种、响应物种、作用物种和共有物种)的多样性变化与群落地上净初级生产力和稳定性的关系以及稳定性机制.研究结果显示:群落中响应物种、作用物种和共有物种数分别占全部物种数的36.6％、18.3％和64.8％,物种多样性对生态系统功能具有不同的效应,净初级生产力主要受响应物种和作用物种的多样性变化影响,而稳定性则主要由共有物种的多样性变化决定;群落稳定性的维持主要依赖于共有物种的多样性增加,其作用机制是投资组合效应,而超产效应和异步性效应对稳定性并无作用;刈割和施肥对物种多样性、稳定性和净初级生产力具有相反的影响,前者能增加物种多样性和稳定性,并降低净初级生产力,而后者的作用正相反.这与群落中全部物种的多样性变化受刈割影响较大,而作用物种的多样性变化受资源获得性影响较大有关.上述结果表明高寒草甸生态系统地上净初级生产力主要由少数影响生产力的作用物种的多样性决定,而稳定性则由大量共有物种的多样性所掌控.投资组合效应是物种多样性导致稳定性的机制.由于群落中不同物种的多样性效应具有分异性,对于特定的生态系统功能而言,物种的“功能身份”可能比物种多样性本身更重要,不加区别地笼统定义物种多样性与生态系统功能的关系可能欠妥.     

Litter accumulation alters the abiotic environment and drives community successional changes in two fenced grasslands in Inner Mongolia

Fencing is an effective and practical method for restoring degraded grasslands in northern China. However, little is known about the role of excess litter accumulation due to long‐term fencing in regulating abiotic environment and driving changes in community structure and function. We conducted a three‐year field experiment in two fenced grasslands in Inner Mongolia, and monitored light quantity, soil temperature, and soil moisture continuously, and determined community height, community aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), and the relative dominance of different plant functional groups. Litter accumulation reduced light quantity and soil temperature but increased soil moisture. The regulating effects of litter accumulation on soil temperature and soil moisture fluctuated temporally and gradually weakened over the growing season. Litter accumulation also altered community vertical structure and function by increasing community height and ANPP. The increase in soil moisture increased the relative dominance of rhizome grasses but suppressed bunch grasses, thereby shifting bunch grass grasslands to rhizome grass grasslands. Our findings provide a potential mechanism for community succession in the context of litter accumulation in fenced grasslands and indicate that the vegetation and ecosystem services of degraded grasslands are improved after appropriate fencing.     

Grazing effects on plant functional group diversity in Mediterranean shrublands

Grazing is one of the prevalent human activities that even today are taking place inside protected areas with direct or indirect effects on ecosystems. In this study we analyzed the effects of grazing on plant species diversity, plant functional group (PFG) diversity and community composition of shrublands. We analyzed plant diversity data from 582 sampling plots located in 66 protected areas of the Greek Natura 2000 network, containing in total 1102 plant species and subspecies. We also classified a priori all plant species in seven PFGs: annual forbs, annual grasses/sedges, legumes, perennial forbs, perennial grasses/sedges, small shrubs and tall shrubs. For each site, grazing intensity was estimated in four classes (no grazing, low, medium and high grazing intensity). We found that, at the spatial and temporal scale of this study, as grazing intensity increased, so did total species richness. However, each PFG displayed a different response to grazing. Short-lived species (annual grasses or forbs and legumes) benefited from grazing and their species richness and proportion in the community increased with grazing. Perennial grasses and forbs species richness increased with grazing intensity, but their dominance decreased, since their proportion in the community declined. Short shrub species richness remained unaffected by grazing, while tall shrub diversity decreased. Finally, in sites without grazing the spatial pattern of species richness of the different PFGs was not congruent with each other, while in grazed sites they were significantly positively correlated (with the exception of tall shrubs). This finding may imply that grazing is a selective pressure organizing the community structure, and imposing a certain contribution of each PFG. So, in Mediterranean shrublands in protected areas with a long historical record of grazing, it seems that grazing promotes species diversity and its continuation on a portion of the landscape may be a necessary part of an effective management plan.     

Old-field successional dynamics on the Inland Pampa,Argentina

Abstract. The first 10 yr of old-field successional dynamics on the Argentine Inland Pampa were studied on a series of adjacent plots established consecutively between 1978 and 1989. We examined differences in species abundance patterns among plots in order to detect the spatial and temporal variability of succession. Perennial grasses steadily increased in cover and replaced the dominant annual species after 5 yr. Pioneer dicots persisted in older seral stages with 20 — 23 species/plot. Overall, exotic species (mostly the grasses Lolium multiflorum and Cynodon dactylon) contributed much to the plant cover in these communities. Native grasses comprised 45 % of total cover at years 7 — 10 of succession, but occurred with less than 7 species/plot. Substantial variation was found in the successional pathway, which reflected the particular sequence from annual forbs to short-lived and perennial grasses in the various plots. The course of succession was apparently influenced by a 2-yr period of unusually high rainfall. Deyeuxia viridiflavescens, a native perennial grass virtually absent before the wet period, spread over the study area and dominated seral communities for 3 yr, irrespective of plot age. Climatic conditions thus affected the successional turnover of life forms by increasing the rate of colonization by perennial grasses. We further point out the constraints imposed on secondary succession by the life histories of ‘available’ species.     

退化羊草草原在浅耕翻处理后植物群落演替动态研究

 在中国科学院生态中心草原站利用统计方法研究了退化羊草（Leymus chinensis）草原浅耕翻后群落演替规律。通过对18年数据的分析,结果表明：由于过度放牧而退化的羊草草原在浅耕翻处理后群落密度恢复较快,尤其是羊草与处理前相比已有很大变化,从而使群落得到了恢复。群落植物种的多样性、均匀性指数在这18年中均呈抛物线状分布。羊草、冰草（Agropyron michnoi）、变蒿（Artemisia commutata）、黄蒿（A．scoparia）、星毛委陵菜（Ｐotentilla　acaulia）的生物量与多样性指数和均匀性指数有显著的相关性。羊草的相对密度在第五年达到最高水平,然后逐渐下降,自第十五年后羊草的相对密度基本趋于平衡,其重要值呈单峰型曲线。退化羊草草原18年恢复过程可划分为4个阶段：第一阶段（1～3年）为根茎禾草+一、二年生杂类草群落,第二阶段（4～9年）为纯羊草群落 ,第三阶段（10～13年）为羊草+冰草+多年生杂类草过度型群落,第四阶段（14～18年）为羊草+冰草+丛生禾草、多年生杂类草群落。经过处理后18年的恢复演替,退化群落仍未恢复到原生群落,演替将继续进行。     

Long‐term compositional responses of a South African mesic grassland to burning and mowing

Question: What is the long‐term compositional response of grass and forb species to various combinations of burning and mowing? Can these responses be predicted from simple plant traits? Location: Ukulinga research and training farm (24°24′E, 30°24′S), Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu‐Natal, South Africa. Methods: Grass species relative abundance in 1996 in various burning and mowing treatments of a long‐term (> 50 a) experiment was calculated from data obtained using a point sampling method, whereas forb species abundance in 1999 was determined using the importance score method. The experiment consisted of different frequencies (annual, biennial and triennial) of burning and mowing in winter or spring in combination with different frequencies of summer mowing (none, early, late or both). Results: Grasses responded to the type of disturbance (burn or mow) and frequency of burning, whereas forbs responded primarily to the presence or absence of any form of disturbance and secondarily to the timing of burning (spring versus winter). Summer mowing and annual or biennial dormant‐period burning maintained communities dominated by short grasses, whereas tall grasses dominated under annual dormant‐period mowing, triennial burning or protection from disturbance. Grass tillering strategy (below‐ or above‐ground) influenced response to burning frequency. Many erect herbaceous dicot species with aerial meristems were reduced in abundance by summer mowing whereas most small creeping herbaceous dicot species appeared to be dependent upon summer mowing. Conclusions: This long‐term experiment demonstrated that: (1) grasses and forbs responded differently to burning and mowing; (2) simple plant traits, such as height, position of tiller initiation, and position of meristems have potential for predicting the response of species to the timing and frequency of burning and mowing.     

Disturbance: a double-edged sword for restoration in a changing climate

Ecological restoration often relies on disturbance as a tool for establishing target plant communities, but disturbance can be a double-edged sword, at times initiating invasion and unintended outcomes. Here we test how fire disturbance, designed to enhance restoration seeding success, combines with climate and initial vegetation conditions to shift perennial versus annual grass dominance and overall community diversity in Pacific Northwest grasslands. We seeded both native and introduced perennial grasses and native forbs in paired, replicated burned-unburned plots in three sites along a latitudinal climate gradient from southern Oregon to central-western Washington. Past restoration and climate manipulations at each site had increased the variation of starting conditions between plots. Burning promoted the expansion of extant forbs and perennial grasses across all sites. Burning also enhanced the seeding success of native perennial grass and native forbs at the northern and central site, and the success of introduced perennial grasses across all three sites. Annual grass dominance was driven more by latitude than burning, with annuals maintaining their dominance in the south and perennials in the north. At the same time, unrestored grasslands surrounding all sites remained dominated by perennial grasses, suggesting that initial plot clearing may have allowed for annual grass invasion in the southern site. When paired with disturbance, further warming may increase the risk of annual grass dominance, a potentially persistent state.     

Responses of savanna lawn and bunch grasses to water limitation

The grass layer of African savannas consists of two main vegetation types: grazing lawns, dominated by short, mostly clonally reproducing grasses, and bunch grasslands, dominated by tall bunch grasses. This patchy distribution of vegetation types is mostly created by large herbivores, which selectively feed on the more nutritious lawn grass species. Besides grazing, herbivores trample the soil, thereby causing soil compaction, with possible consequences for water infiltration. This raises two questions: (i) is water more limiting in grazing lawns than in bunch grasslands and (ii) are lawn grasses more drought tolerant than bunch grasses? To study these questions, we compared drought conditions in both lawn and bunch grasslands in a South African savanna. Additionally, in a climate room, we compared the performance of three lawn and three bunch grass species under a control and a water limitation treatment. Thirdly, we investigated whether there are differences between lawn and bunch grasses in traits related to drought tolerance. Our results show that despite large differences in water availability in the field, lawn and bunch grasses did not differ in their growth response to drought. Drought reduced growth of both growth forms equally. However, we found strong intrinsic trait differences between growth forms, with lawn grasses having higher specific root length and relative growth rate and bunch grasses having a higher root:shoot ratio. These results suggest that after drought-induced plant death, lawn grasses might be more capable of recolonizing patches of bare soil.     

Restorative mowing on an abandoned semi‐natural meadow: short‐term and predicted long‐term effects

Abstract. When management, in the form of cattle grazing and mowing, ceases the abundance of competitively superior plant species tends to increase in abandoned semi‐natural meadows. Litter accumulation elevates the soil nutrient levels and hinders seedling recruitment. We surveyed changes in plant cover and species composition of a formerly grazed meadow in permanent plots for six years. Some plots were unmown, while others were mown and raked annually in August. The cover of grasses decreased and herb cover remained unchanged regardless of the treatment. Mowing and raking significantly reduced litter accumulation and increased the number of ground layer species. The expected long‐term effects of abandonment and restorative mowing were studied by calculating the transition probabilities for unmown and mown plots and simulating the course of succession as projected by the transition matrices. During a simulation period of 30 yr, abandonment led to (1) a decrease in the cover of small herbs, (2) a slight increase in the cover of tall herbs and (3) a slight decrease in the cover of grasses. In contrast, the cover of small herbs on the mown plots remained unchanged or slightly increased during the course of simulation. These results suggest that mowing late in the season is primarily a management tool for the maintenance of the existing species diversity and composition. However, it may not be an effective restorative tool to induce overall changes in the resident vegetation of abandoned grass‐dominated meadows. Grazing or mowing early in the season may be more effective in this respect. Consequently, mowing early or, alternatively, late in the season may provide management strategies for the maintenance and restoration of species diversity, respectively.     

Plant community dynamics in a semi-arid ecosystem in relation to nutrient addition following a major disturbance

Effects of annual additions of mineral N and P (100 kg ha^–1) on plant species composition and annual aboveground net primary production (ANPP) were investigated during the first three years following disturbance in a semi-arid ecosystem. Additions of N reduced richness of perennial plant species during years 2 and 3, while P reduced the number of perennial species only in year 3. From year 1 to year 2, annual and biennial species richness declined in all treatments while ANPP of annual species increased greatly. Added N increased ANPP of annual species while it decreased ANPP of most perennial species relative to the unfertilized control treatment. Community similarities were higher for the control and native vegetation than for other pairs of treatments using both species presence and plant production data. Nitrogen additions have retarded but not completely arrested secondary succession in this system.