短花针茅荒漠草原物种多样性及生产力对长期不同放牧强度的响应

以内蒙古四子王旗短花针茅(Stipa breviflora)荒漠草原为研究对象,从植物个体尺度入手,通过2016年野外群落调查试验,对荒漠草原不同放牧处理[载畜率分别为0(CK)、0.91(LG)、1.82(MG)、2.71(HG)羊/(hm2·a-1)]下的物种组成、植物多样性与生产力的关系进行分析,以揭示荒漠草原群落中的物种组成、物种多样性及其功能群多样性对不同载畜率的响应机制。结果表明:(1)对照区的植物种最多,有13科30种,轻度放牧区只比对照区少野韭(Allium ramosum)1种植物,而中度放牧区和重度放牧区的植物种分别较对照区减少了30%和40%,其中减少的物种大多属于多年生杂类草与多年生根茎禾草两大功能群。(2)多年生丛生禾草在植物群落中占比始终最大(29%~78%),且随着载畜率的增加而增加,而其他功能群均随载畜率增加呈减小的趋势。(3)两种多样性指数中,除了功能群多样性的Margalef丰富度指数,其他多样性指数均在对照区达到最大值,且大小依次为对照轻度中度重度放牧区。(4)物种多样性的3个α多样性指数与草地生产力存在显著正相关关系,功能群多样性指数则与生产力无相关关系。研究认为,长期放牧使得荒漠草原群落结构趋于简单化,使多年生丛生禾草形成优势单种;且载畜率的增加使得短花针茅荒漠草原植物的多样性及生产力均显著下降,高水平的多样性会导致高水平的草地生产力,比较2种多样性指数指标,物种多样性指标对荒漠草原生产力的贡献更大。     

氮添加对宁夏荒漠草原植物初级生产力的影响机制

许多研究探索了与全球变化相关的生态系统功能的变化,但对生态系统功能变化的机制与途径了解较少。初级生产力是生态系统功能的重要组分,但关于氮(N)添加下荒漠草原植物群落初级生产力如何变化以及变化机制尚未明确,N是否通过影响生物多样性来影响荒漠草原初级生产力?为此,本研究在荒漠草原开展了为期4年的N添加控制实验(2018—2021年),试验处理包括对照和4个N添加水平(5、10、20和40 g m^-2 a^-1),研究了N添加对荒漠草原物种多样性、功能多样性、初级生产力及其关系的影响。结果表明：(1)N添加处理(2018—2021年)改变了植物物种多样性及功能多样性,但年际间变化趋势不同。N添加处理第四年(2021年)荒漠草原植物功能多样性(Rao指数)、群落加权平均值-株高、功能均匀度和功能离散度均显著增加,而荒漠草原植物物种丰富度和Shannon-Wiener指数均显著降低。(2)N添加可以通过影响物种丰富度和功能多样性进而间接地促进荒漠草原初级生产力,但群落加权性状值-株高对初级生产力的影响是正效应,而物种丰富度和功能离散度对初级生产力的影响是...     

物种多样性和功能群多样性与生态系统生产力的关系——以内蒙古短花针茅草原为例

生物多样性与生态系统生产力之间的关系是当前生态学领域的热点问题。短花针茅(Stipa breviflora)草原是内蒙古荒漠草原的主要类型, 生态系统脆弱, 气候波动剧烈, 研究内蒙古短花针茅草原生物多样性与生产力的关系具有十分重要的意义。该研究在内蒙古短花针茅草原区设置了202个样地进行群落调查, 在干旱区及半干旱区两种资源供给下, 分析了物种丰富度、功能群丰富度与生产力的关系, 旨在解决两个科学问题: 1)物种多样性和功能群多样性中, 哪一种与生产力关系更为密切?2)资源供给对多样性和生产力关系的影响。结果表明: 1)物种丰富度、群落生产力与年降水量呈正相关关系, 而功能群丰富度与年降水量之间不存在显著相关性; 2)群落生产力随物种丰富度的增加而增加, 且两者间呈正线性关系, 功能群丰富度与生产力之间不存在显著相关关系; 3)资源供给会影响多样性与生产力之间的关系, 资源供给低时, 多样性对生产力贡献较低, 资源供给高时, 多样性对生产力的贡献较高。该研究丰富了多样性与生产力关系的研究, 同时, 考虑到植物功能性状的研究在近几年受到生态学家的重视, 且多数研究集中于小尺度的人工控制实验, 因此, 在大尺度自然生态系统中开展功能性状多样性与生态系统功能关系的研究将十分必要。     

Plant functional groups mediate effects of climate and soil factors on species richness and community biomass in grasslands of Mongolian Plateau

植物功能群在调控气候和土壤因子对蒙古高原草原群落物种丰富度和生物量影响中的作用 植物功能群组成主要受环境因素驱动,同时植物功能群组成也是影响草地生物多样性和生产力的主要因素之一。因此,理解植物功能群在调控环境因素对生态系统功能和生物多样性影响中可能发挥的作用至关重要。通过对蒙古高原草原65个样点的植物生物量和物种丰富度的调查,将157种多年生草本植物分为两种植物功能群(即禾草和杂类草)。通过随机森林模型和普通最小二乘回归,确定与植物功能群物种丰富度和地上生物量显著相关的环境因素(即干燥度、土壤总氮和pH),并利用结构方程模型探讨筛选出的环境因素与群落物种丰富度和生物量间的关系,以及植物功能群在驱动这种关系中发挥的作用。干燥度与禾草、杂类草以及整个群落的地上生物量和物种丰富度均呈显著的单峰关系。所有的物种丰富度和生物量指标均与土壤总氮和pH值显著相关。禾草在维持蒙古高原草原生态系统群落生物量中起着关键作用,并受气候因素的直接影响。而杂类草物种丰富度决定了群落总丰富度,并受到土壤因素直接的调控。因此,群落组成在调控环境因素对群落生物量和植物多样性的影响中起着关键作用。     

高寒草甸不同草地类型功能群多样性及组成对植物群落生产力的影响

对不同类型草地功能群多样性和组成与植物群落生产力之间的关系进行了探讨。结果表明：(1)在矮嵩草(Kobresia humlis)草甸和金露梅(Potentilla froticosa)灌丛中,豆科植物的作用比较明显,而其他功能群植物的作用较弱。(2)在藏嵩草(Kobresia tibetica)沼泽化草甸和小嵩草(K．pygmaca)草甸中,虽然杂类草、C3植物和莎草科植物功能群的生产力占群落初级生产力的比例较大,但二者在统计上没有显著性差异,这表明群落生产力除受物种多样性的影响外,也受物种本身特征和环境资源的影响,更主要的是受到功能群内物种密度和均匀度的影响,即功能群组成比功能群多样性更能说明对生态系统过程的影响。(3)不同类型草地群落植物功能群盖度与群落初级生产力呈显著的线性相关。(4)不同类型草地群落生产力与功能群内物种数的变化均表现为单峰曲线关系,即功能群内物种数处于中间水平时,群落生产力最高。     

长期氮添加对典型草原植物多样性与初级生产力的影响及途径

氮(N)沉降对陆地生态系统的结构和功能已产生了重要的影响, N也是中国北方草原植物生长和初级生产力的主要限制性元素。物种多样性和功能多样性是揭示生物多样性对生态系统功能维持机制的关键指标, 然而, 关于长期N添加下草原物种多样性与功能多样性的关系, 及其对初级生产力的影响途径及机制, 尚不十分清楚。为此, 该研究依托在内蒙古典型草原建立的长期N添加实验平台, 实验处理包括1个完全对照(不添加任何肥料)和6个N添加水平(0、1.75、5.25、10.50、17.50和28.00 g·m^-2·a^-1), 研究了长期N添加对典型草原物种多样性、功能多样性和初级生产力的影响大小及途径。结果表明: 1) N添加显著降低了典型草原的物种丰富度和Shannon-Wiener指数, 但对功能多样性(包括功能性状多样性指数和群落加权性状值)无显著的影响。2)结构方程模型分析表明, 功能多样性主要受物种丰富度的影响, 但是物种多样性减少并没有导致功能多样性降低, 其原因主要是功能群组成发生了改变, 即群落内多年生根茎禾草所占比例显著增加, 以致群落加权性状值变化不大。3) N通过影响物种丰富度和功能群组成, 间接影响群落加权性状值, 进而影响群落净初级生产力。其中, 群落加权性状值是最重要的影响因子, 可解释48%的初级生产力变化, 表明初级生产力主要是由群落内优势物种的生物量及功能性状所决定, 因此该研究的结果很好地支持了质量比假说。     

长期氮添加对典型草原植物多样性与初级生产力的影响及途径

氮(N)沉降对陆地生态系统的结构和功能已产生了重要的影响, N也是中国北方草原植物生长和初级生产力的主要限制性元素。物种多样性和功能多样性是揭示生物多样性对生态系统功能维持机制的关键指标,然而,关于长期N添加下草原物种多样性与功能多样性的关系,及其对初级生产力的影响途径及机制,尚不十分清楚。为此,该研究依托在内蒙古典型草原建立的长期N添加实验平台,实验处理包括1个完全对照(不添加任何肥料)和6个N添加水平(0、1.75、5.25、10.50、17.50和28.00 g·m~(–2)·a~(–1)),研究了长期N添加对典型草原物种多样性、功能多样性和初级生产力的影响大小及途径。结果表明:1) N添加显著降低了典型草原的物种丰富度和Shannon-Wiener指数,但对功能多样性(包括功能性状多样性指数和群落加权性状值)无显著的影响。2)结构方程模型分析表明,功能多样性主要受物种丰富度的影响,但是物种多样性减少并没有导致功能多样性降低,其原因主要是功能群组成发生了改变,即群落内多年生根茎禾草所占比例显著增加,以致群落加权性状值变化不大。3)N通过影响物种丰富度和功能群组成,间接影响群落加权性状值,进而影响群落净初级生产力。其中,群落加权性状值是最重要的影响因子,可解释48%的初级生产力变化,表明初级生产力主要是由群落内优势物种的生物量及功能性状所决定,因此该研究的结果很好地支持了质量比假说。     

养分添加对内蒙古贝加尔针茅草原植物多样性与生产力的影响

研究养分添加对草地群落植物组分、结构和多样性格局的影响,对退化草地生态系统恢复与重建具有重要的理论和实践意义。以内蒙古贝加尔针茅(Stipa baicalensis)草原为对象,研究了N、P、K养分添加对草地群落植物多样性和生产力的影响。结果表明:1)养分添加显著提升草原初级生产力,其中氮素添加的效果最明显,NPK复合添加,草原初级生产力与对照相比提高了1.31倍。2)养分添加使草地群落结构发生改变,N素添加显著提高了贝加尔针茅和羊草(Leymus chinensis)为主的禾本科植物功能群在草地群落中所占的比重,而豆科植物功能群在草地群落中所占的比重则显著降低。3)养分添加使草原植物多样性不同程度地减少,其中以N素添加的效应较为显著。4)在养分添加条件下,植物多样性与草原生产力之间呈负线性相关关系,植物多样性、物种丰富度和物种均匀度与初级生产力的相关系数分别为-0.522、-0.391和-0.534。     

高寒草甸不同草地群落物种多样性与生产力关系研究

生态系统的结构和功能、生物多样性与生产力的关系问题是近年来群落生态学中研究的中心问题,其中,生态系统生产力水平是其功能的重要表现形式,用4种不同草地类型探讨自然群落的物种多样性与生产力关系.结果表明,矮嵩草草甸、小嵩草草甸和金露梅灌丛群落中物种多样性与生产力的关系呈线性增加关系,藏嵩草沼泽化草甸群落中线性增加关系不显著,这表明群落生产力除受物种多样性的影响外,也受物种本身特征和环境资源的影响.不同的环境资源和环境异质性是形成群落结构特征、物种多样性分布格局差异的主要原因之一.     

荒漠草原异常降水对不同载畜率植物群落物种组成及多样性的影响

放牧和异常降水对荒漠草原生态系统产生了显著的影响,群落物种组成及多样性因降水和载畜率的改变而变化。然而不同载畜率下荒漠草原植物群落物种组成及多样性对异常降水的响应尚不明晰。本研究以内蒙古短花针茅(Stipa breviflora)荒漠草原为研究对象,调查并分析不同载畜率(绵羊,CK:不放牧、LG:0.93、MG:1.82和HG:2.71羊单位hm^-2半年^-1)放牧区植物群落物种组成及其数量特征。结果表明：降水增加对群落数量特征和物种多样性促进作用显著,但对群落物种优势度指数有显著抑制作用;降水增加使得不同功能属性物种数目增多,引起建群种物种综合优势度降低,从而改变群落物种组成及多样性;不同功能属性物种对载畜率的响应存在差异,群落物种组成及多样性在响应异常降水变化时,降水与载畜率之间协同变化和相互制约,但直根系C3植物和群落总密度的变化主要受载畜率影响。异常降水可影响长期过度放牧引起的生态系统过程,对草地生态系统恢复有积极作用。     

广西马尾松林植物功能多样性与生产力的关系

探索植物多样性与生产力的关系可为森林经营与管理提供科学基础。本研究以广西4个地区的马尾松(Pinus massoniana)人工林群落为研究对象, 通过计算物种多样性、功能多样性和功能优势值, 运用相关分析、自动线性建模和方差划分等方法, 分析了多样性与生产力的关系。研究发现, 生产力与物种丰富度、Shannon指数、功能丰富度、功能均匀度极显著正相关(P < 0.01), 与物种均匀度、功能多样性、功能离散度、功能团个数、坡向显著正相关(P < 0.05), 与林龄极显著负相关(P < 0.01), 4个功能多样性参数和4个物种多样性参数两两之间皆为显著正相关; 未发现初始生物量制约生产力的提高; 方差划分最优模型中, 功能多样性参数效应、功能优势值效应和林龄效应分别解释生产力方差的56%、43%和33%, 功能多样性参数效应和功能优势值效应重叠部分高达27%; 生态位互补效应主要由功能丰富度和功能均匀度产生, 选择效应主要由生长型优势值产生; 生长型优势值为灌木的样地生产力较高, 次优种或过渡种对生态系统功能也有重要作用。以生产力为响应变量的自动线性建模最佳子集包括重要性由大到小的5个因素: 林龄、生长型优势值、功能丰富度、功能均匀度、功能团个数。建议维护森林功能多样性, 加强林下叶层植物保护, 用好功能重要的物种, 通过林下叶层的补偿性光合作用和生长竞争, 有效地提高生产力和生物多样性。     

Functional dominance rather than taxonomic diversity and functional diversity mainly affects community aboveground biomass in the Inner Mongolia grassland

The relationship between biodiversity and productivity has been a hot topic in ecology. However, the relative importance of taxonomic diversity and functional characteristics (including functional dominance and functional diversity) in maintaining community productivity and the underlying mechanisms (including selection and complementarity effects) of the relationship between diversity and community productivity have been widely controversial. In this study, 194 sites were surveyed in five grassland types along a precipitation gradient in the Inner Mongolia grassland of China. The relationships between taxonomic diversity (species richness and the Shannon–Weaver index), functional dominance (the community‐weighted mean of four plant traits), functional diversity (Rao's quadratic entropy), and community aboveground biomass were analyzed. The results showed that (1) taxonomic diversity, functional dominance, functional diversity, and community aboveground biomass all increased from low to high precipitation grassland types; (2) there were significant positive linear relationships between taxonomic diversity, functional dominance, functional diversity, and community aboveground biomass; (3) the effect of functional characteristics on community aboveground biomass is greater than that of taxonomic diversity; and (4) community aboveground biomass depends on the community‐weighted mean plant height, which explained 57.1% of the variation in the community aboveground biomass. Our results suggested that functional dominance rather than taxonomic diversity and functional diversity mainly determines community productivity and that the selection effect plays a dominant role in maintaining the relationship between biodiversity and community productivity in the Inner Mongolia grassland.     

Effects of different components of diversity on productivity in artificial plant communities

In an experiment on artificial plant communities, the effects of three components of plant diversity—plant species diversity, plant functional group diversity and plant functional diversity—on community productivity and soil water content were compared. We found that simple regression analysis showed a positive diversity effect on ecosystem processes (productivity and soil water content). However, when three components of diversity were included in the multiple regression analyses, the results showed that functional group diversity and functional diversity had more important effects on productivity and resource use efficiency. These results suggested that, compared with species number, functional differences among species and the range of functional traits carried by plants are the basis of biodiversity effects on ecosystem functioning. These diversity effects of increasing functional group diversity or functional diversity were likely because species differing greatly in size, life form, phenology and capacity to capture and use resources efficiently in diverse communities realize complementary resource use in temporal, spatial, and biological ways.     

Earthworm and belowground competition effects on plant productivity in a plant diversity gradient

Diversity is one major factor driving plant productivity in temperate grasslands. Although decomposers like earthworms are known to affect plant productivity, interacting effects of plant diversity and earthworms on plant productivity have been neglected in field studies. We investigated in the field the effects of earthworms on plant productivity, their interaction with plant species and functional group richness, and their effects on belowground plant competition. In the framework of the Jena Experiment we determined plant community productivity (in 2004 and 2007) and performance of two phytometer plant species [Centaurea jacea (herb) and Lolium perenne (grass); in 2007 and 2008] in a plant species (from one to 16) and functional group richness gradient (from one to four). We sampled earthworm subplots and subplots with decreased earthworm density and reduced aboveground competition of phytometer plants by removing the shoot biomass of the resident plant community. Earthworms increased total plant community productivity (+11%), legume shoot biomass (+35%) and shoot biomass of the phytometer C. jacea (+21%). Further, phytometer performance decreased, i.e. belowground competition increased, with increasing plant species and functional group richness. Although single plant functional groups benefited from higher earthworm numbers, the effects did not vary with plant species and functional group richness. The present study indicates that earthworms indeed affect the productivity of semi-natural grasslands irrespective of the diversity of the plant community. Belowground competition increased with increasing plant species diversity. However, belowground competition was modified by earthworms as reflected by increased productivity of the phytometer C. jacea. Moreover, particularly legumes benefited from earthworm presence. Considering also previous studies, we suggest that earthworms and legumes form a loose mutualistic relationship affecting essential ecosystem functions in temperate grasslands, in particular decomposition and plant productivity. Further, earthworms likely alter competitive interactions among plants and the structure of plant communities by beneficially affecting certain plant functional groups.     

Using Phylogenetic,Functional and Trait Diversity to Understand Patterns of Plant Community Productivity

Background

Two decades of research showing that increasing plant diversity results in greater community productivity has been predicated on greater functional diversity allowing access to more of the total available resources. Thus, understanding phenotypic attributes that allow species to partition resources is fundamentally important to explaining diversity-productivity relationships.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here we use data from a long-term experiment (Cedar Creek, MN) and compare the extent to which productivity is explained by seven types of community metrics of functional variation: 1) species richness, 2) variation in 10 individual traits, 3) functional group richness, 4) a distance-based measure of functional diversity, 5) a hierarchical multivariate clustering method, 6) a nonmetric multidimensional scaling approach, and 7) a phylogenetic diversity measure, summing phylogenetic branch lengths connecting community members together and may be a surrogate for ecological differences. Although most of these diversity measures provided significant explanations of variation in productivity, the presence of a nitrogen fixer and phylogenetic diversity were the two best explanatory variables. Further, a statistical model that included the presence of a nitrogen fixer, seed weight and phylogenetic diversity was a better explanation of community productivity than other models.

Conclusions

Evolutionary relationships among species appear to explain patterns of grassland productivity. Further, these results reveal that functional differences among species involve a complex suite of traits and that perhaps phylogenetic relationships provide a better measure of the diversity among species that contributes to productivity than individual or small groups of traits.     

草甸和沼泽植物群落功能多样性与生产力的关系

功能多样性-生产力关系研究结果支持质量比假说和多样性假说, 但对于这两种假说的适用条件尚有争议。通过对吉林省西部草甸和沼泽植物群落的地上生物量、2个物种多样性指标(物种丰富度和Shannon-Weaver指数)、7种植物性状的两类功能多样性指标(群落权重均值和Rao二次熵), 以及土壤环境因子进行调查测量, 研究了群落功能多样性与生产力的关系。结果表明: 1)功能多样性与生产力的关系比物种多样性与生产力的关系更为密切; 2)功能群落权重均值解释生产力变异的能力好于Rao二次熵, 即优势物种对群落生产力的影响作用更大; 3)水淹条件影响着功能多样性与生产力的关系, 以群落权重均值为基础的质量比假说适于解释草甸群落功能多样性与生产力的关系, 而以Rao二次熵为基础的多样性假说适于解释有强烈环境筛(水淹)的沼泽群落功能多样性与生产力的关系。     

Density may alter diversity–productivity relationships in experimental plant communities

Contemporary biodiversity experiments, in which plant species richness is manipulated and aboveground productivity of the system measured, generally demonstrate that lowering plant species richness reduces productivity. However, we propose that community density may in part compensate for this reduction of productivity at low diversity. We conducted a factorial experiment in which plant functional group richness was held constant at three, while plant species richness increased from three to six to 12 species and community density from 440 to 1050 to 2525 seedlings m⁻². Response variables included density, evenness and above- and belowground biomass at harvest. The density gradient converged slightly during the course of the experiment due to about 10% mortality at the highest sowing density. Evenness measured in terms of aboveground biomass at harvest significantly declined with density, but the effect was weak. Overall, aboveground, belowground and total biomass increased significantly with species richness and community density. However, a significant interaction between species richness and community density occurred for both total and aboveground biomass, indicating that the diversity–productivity relationship was flatter at higher than at lower density. Thus, high species richness enabled low-density communities to reach productivity levels otherwise seen only at high density. The relative contributions of the three functional groups C₃, C₄ and nitrogen-fixers to aboveground biomass were less influenced by community density at high than at low species richness. We interpret the interaction effects between community density and species richness on community biomass by expanding findings about constant yield and size variation from monocultures to plant mixtures.