羊草的地上-地下功能性状对氮磷施肥梯度的响应及关联

羊草(Leymus chinensis)是我国北方典型草原群落的主要建群种和优势种,由于长期的过度放牧,羊草草原生态系统的结构和功能严重退化。养分添加作为恢复草地生态系统的一种管理措施,其应用目前还处于实验性研究阶段。关于羊草的地上-地下功能性状对养分添加,尤其是P添加的响应研究较少,相关机制尚不十分清楚。为此,该文以羊草为研究对象,通过温室栽培进行N(50,100,250 mg N·kg–1)和P(5,10,25 mg P·kg–1)各3个水平的养分添加实验,研究羊草的地上-地下功能性状对N、P添加的响应及适应机制。主要研究结果表明:1)羊草的地上生物量和总生物量主要受N添加的影响,N添加显著提高了羊草的地上生物量,而地下生物量主要受P添加的影响,尤其在中N和高N水平,P添加显著降低了羊草的地下生物量。羊草的根冠比受N、P添加的共同影响,随着N、P添加梯度加大,根冠比显著降低,N、P添加促进了羊草生物量向地上部分的分配和N、P向叶片的分配。2)在低N和高N水平,羊草对P添加的响应与适应机制不同。低N水平,羊草主要通过增加光合速率和比根长(SRL),提高光合能力和根系对N的获取能力促进地上部分的生长,而根系对P的吸收有利于地下部分的生长;在高N水平,P添加对羊草的个体生长无明显促进作用,甚至地下生物量明显受到P素抑制,羊草主要通过保持较高的比叶面积(SLA)和SRL,提高对光资源的截获能力和根系对N的获取和吸收能力,维持地上部分的生长。3)相对于地上性状,P添加对羊草的地下性状影响更大,羊草的SLA与SRL呈较弱的正相关关系,表明叶片与根系在资源获取和利用方面具有相对独立性。     

环青海湖地区天然草地和退耕恢复草地植物群落生物量对氮、磷添加的响应

植物群落生物量反映了植被的初级生产能力,是陆地生态系统碳(C)输入的最主要来源,往往受到自然界中氮(N)、磷(P)元素供应的限制。该试验以青藏高原环青海湖地区的高寒草原为研究对象,探讨了天然草地和退耕恢复草地植被群落生物量对N(10 g·m~(–2))、P(5 g·m~(–2))养分添加的响应。N、P添加显著增加了天然草地禾草的生物量,进而促使地上总生物量显著提高。退耕恢复草地禾草和杂类草的生物量对N添加均有一致的正响应,从而促使地上总生物量显著增加174%,群落地上和地下总生物量显著增加34%;而P添加对恢复草地生物量各项参数均无显著影响。回归分析显示:天然草地植物群落地上生物量随土壤中NO_3–-N含量的增加而增加(p0.05),退耕恢复草地植被地上、地下和总生物量均与土壤NO_3–-N含量显著正相关(p0.01),说明环湖地区高寒草原植物生长主要受N供应的限制,P的限制作用随土地利用方式的转变和群落演替阶段的不同而变化;相比天然草地,恢复草地在现阶段植被初级生产力受N的限制作用更强烈,土壤中可利用N含量是限制其植被自然恢复和重建的关键因子。     

氮磷养分共同添加促进退化典型草原恢复的机制

土壤养分含量降低是我国草原退化的主要原因之一,养分添加是退化草原恢复的有效措施,但过量养分添加会导致物种多样性降低。为了探讨适宜的养分添加量以及养分添加促进退化草原恢复的机制,本研究选择内蒙古典型草原的退化群落,通过氮(N)磷(P)养分共同添加梯度试验,研究了退化典型草原在群落、功能群和物种3个组织水平上对养分添加的响应。结果表明: 在群落水平,养分添加显著促进了退化典型草原生物量,但没有降低物种多样性;群落生物量随养分添加水平表现为饱和曲线响应,在12.0 g N·m^-2、3.8 g P·m^-2水平趋于饱和;物种多样性在低养分添加水平(N<9.6 g·m^-2、P<3.0 g·m^-2)较对照显著增加,在其余养分添加水平未发生显著变化。在功能群水平,随着养分添加量的增加,多年生根茎禾草在群落中优势度增加,生物量和密度均显著提高;一年生植物生物量和密度在高养分水平添加下显著增加,多年生丛生禾草和杂类草无显著变化。在物种水平,6个物种对养分添加响应不同,羊草通过增加种群密度和个体大小显著增加了种群生物量;大针茅、冰草和糙隐子草种群生物量没有显著变化;星毛委陵菜和黄囊苔草分别因为降低个体大小和种群密度减少了种群生物量。养分添加作为草原恢复的措施,可以显著增加退化草原生物量和物种多样性,降低植物群落中退化指示种,增加多年生根茎禾草。     

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

不同的草原利用方式(围封、放牧和割草等)随着大气氮沉降的不断加剧, 改变了凋落物输入量。凋落物作为连接地上-地下碳循环过程的关键环节, 对草原生态系统生产力和碳循环过程影响显著。氮是草原生产力的主要限制因子, 凋落物输入量的变化对草原生态系统结构和功能的影响仍缺乏长期实验证据支持。该研究在内蒙古半干旱典型草原建立一个凋落物输入变化和氮添加控制实验平台, 通过连续6年对群落生产力和功能群组成的监测, 研究了凋落物添加与去除和氮添加对半干旱草原群落生产力和功能群组成的影响。研究发现: 1)凋落物输入量增加和氮添加均显著提高了群落生产力, 在对照和氮添加处理下, 凋落物去除处理导致生产力分别降低了8.4%和7.6%, 而凋落物添加处理使生产力分别提高了10.7%和6.3%; 2)不同植物功能群对凋落物输入变化和氮添加的响应存在差异, 导致群落功能群结构发生变化。随着凋落物输入量增加和氮添加, 群落优势功能群多年生禾草(包括多年生丛生禾草和多年生根茎禾草)的生物量显著提高, 对群落生产力的贡献增加, 在群落中的优势地位增强; 而另一优势功能群多年生杂类草生物量对凋落物和氮添加处理均无显著响应, 进而导致在氮添加处理下其对群落生物量的贡献比例显著降低; 3)凋落物输入主要改善土壤水分状况, 而氮添加则主要通过提高土壤养分含量, 促进群落生产力, 并通过影响主要功能群生物量, 导致群落结构发生变化。以上结果表明, 适当的草原管理方式如围封禁牧和降低放牧强度等都能通过增加凋落物的输入来提高草原生产力, 维持生态系统稳定性。而适量的氮等养分添加管理也有助于提高草原生产力, 促进其恢复。     

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。     

水淹干扰对羊草草地地上生物量影响的初步研究

为在一定程度上揭示水淹干扰后草地净初级生产力变化的机制,对松嫩平原羊草草地水淹干扰梯度上的地上生物量进行了测定和比较,并对经历水淹干扰后土壤水分及主要养分(N、P)的变化以及植被物种组成的变化作了比较分析。结果表明,轻度和重度水淹干扰样带的地上生物量显著高于未受水淹干扰的对照样带,分别高出对照样带89．54％和113.45％,表明水淹干扰消除了对草地生产力起限制作用的因素,使草地净初级生产力有了大幅度提高,水淹干扰首先改变了土壤的水分状况,而水分状况是限制草地生产力的最主要的因素,尤其是在干旱年份,消除了干旱对草地生产力的限制;土壤水分的增加导致土壤养分(N、P等)的有效性显著增加,消除了原来土壤养分匮乏对草地生产力造成的限制;在水淹干扰作用下,群落的物种组成由相对低矮的物种组合趋向于向形态高大的、具有更高生产力潜力的物种组合转变。     

四种荒漠草原植物的生长对不同氮添加水平的响应

大气氮(N)沉降增加加速了生态系统N循环,从而会对生态系统的结构和功能产生巨大的影响,尤其是一些受N限制的生态系统。研究N添加对荒漠草原植物生长的影响,可为深入理解N沉降增加对我国北方草原群落结构的影响提供基础数据。该文基于2011年在宁夏荒漠草原设置的N沉降增加的野外模拟试验,研究了两年N添加下4个常见物种(牛枝子(Lespedeza potaninii)、老瓜头(Cynanchum komarovii)、针茅(Stipa capillata)和冰草(Agropyron cristatum))不同时期种群生物量和6–8月份相对生长速率的变化特征。并通过分析物种生长与植物(群落和叶片水平)和土壤碳(C)、N、磷(P)生态化学计量学特征的关系,探讨C:N:P化学计量比对植物生长养分限制的指示作用。结果显示N添加促进了4个物种的生长,但具有明显的种间差异性,且这种差异也存在于相同生活型的不同物种间。总体而言,4个物种种群生物量与叶片N浓度、叶片N:P、群落N库、土壤全N含量和土壤N:P存在明显的线性关系,与植物和土壤C:N和C:P的相关关系相对较弱。几个物种相对生长速率与植物和土壤N:P也呈现一定程度的正相关关系,但与其他指标相关性较弱。以上结果表明,短期N沉降增加提高了植物的相对生长速率,促进了植物生长,且更有利于针茅和老瓜头的生物量积累,从而可能会逐渐改变荒漠草原群落结构。植物N:P和土壤N:P对荒漠草原物种生长具有较强的指示作用:随着土壤N受限性逐渐缓解,土壤N含量和N:P相继升高,可供植物摄取的N增多,因而有利于植物生长和群落N库积累。     

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。     

模拟夏季干旱对东灵山森林植被动态的影响

应用LPJ-GUESS植被动态模型, 在耦合不同物种的干旱响应策略的基础上, 研究了夏季干旱化对东灵山地区森林植被的物种组成及其功能的影响。结果表明, 在气候变暖、降水减少、CO₂浓度升高的情况下, 无论树种采取何种策略, 东灵山暖温带森林的总净初级生产力和生物量都有增加的趋势, 降水在未来近一个世纪内尚未成为本地区植被生长的限制因子。但森林植被的树种组成与树种的干旱响应策略密切相关, 不耐旱的物种核桃楸(Juglans mandshurica)的生物量水平在长期干旱条件下并没有降低, 而耐旱的物种辽东栎(Quercus liaotungensis)在受到干旱化长期影响时, 其生物量有下降的趋势。这种响应策略也会导致植被蒸散等生态系统水分循环过程的差异。因此, 降水变化对森林生态系统影响的长期模拟研究应该考虑物种对干旱的不同响应策略。     

Response and correlation of above- and below-ground functional traits of Leymus chinensis to nitrogen and phosphorus additions

AimsLeymus chinensis is a constructive and dominant species in typical steppe of northern China. The structure and functions of L. chinensis grassland ecosystem has been degenerated seriously due to long-term overgrazing in recent decades. As an effective measure to restore the degraded grasslands, the effects of nutrient addition on plant growth and ecosystem structure and functioning have been paid more attention in manipulation experimental research. The effects of nutrient addition, especially P addition on the above- and below-ground functional traits of L. chinensis have rarely been studied; particularly the underpinning mechanisms remain unclear. Our objective is to examine the responses and adaptive mechanisms of L. chinensis to different levels of N and P additions. MethodsWe conducted a culture experiment in the greenhouse, with three levels of N (50, 100 and 250 mg N·kg^-1) and P (5, 10 and 25 mg P·kg^-1) addition treatments. The above- and below-ground biomass, leaf traits (e.g., specific leaf area, leaf N and P contents) and root traits (e.g., specific root length, root N and P contents) of L. chinensis were determined in this study.Important findings Our results showed that: 1) the aboveground biomass and total biomass of L. chinensis were mostly affected by N addition, while the belowground biomass was mainly affected by P addition. N addition greatly enhanced the aboveground biomass of L. chinensis, while P addition reduced the belowground biomass at the moderate and high N levels. The root-shoot ratio of L. chinensis was influenced by both N and P additions, and root-shoot ratio decreased with increasing N and P levels. N and P additions promoted more biomass and N and P allocations to aboveground and leaf biomass. 2) Leymus chinensis showed different responses and adaptive mechanisms to P addition at low and high N levels. At low N level, L. chinensis exhibited high photosynthetic rate and specific root length (SRL) to improve photosynthetic capacity and root N acquisition, which promoted aboveground biomass. High root P content was favorable for belowground biomass. At high N level, P addition did not significantly affect plant growth of L. chinensis, even reduced its belowground biomass. Leymus chinensis showed high specific leaf area (SLA) and SRL to improve light interception and N acquisition in order to maintain stable aboveground biomass. 3) P addition greatly impacted below-ground than above-ground functional traits. SLA exhibited a weakly positive correlation with SRL, indicating L. chinensis exhibited relatively independence of resource acquirement and utilization between leaf and root functional traits.     

水分和养分添加对羊草功能性状和地上生物量的影响

研究水分和养分添加对植物功能性状的影响, 对于揭示植物对环境变化的响应和适应规律至关重要。该文采用盆栽试验的方法, 进行不同水平水分处理(增水50%, 减水50%, 以498 mm降水量作为对照)和养分添加(无养分添加, 单施氮肥, 单施磷肥, 氮磷共施), 研究羊草(Leymus chinensis)的10种功能性状和地上生物量对水分和养分添加的响应。得出以下结论: (1)双因素方差分析结果表明, 水分主效应对羊草株高、分蘖数、茎生物量、叶生物量、叶面积、叶质量、净光合速率、蒸腾速率、水分利用效率存在显著影响; 养分主效应对羊草分蘖数、茎生物量、净光合速率、蒸腾速率、水分利用效率存在显著影响; 水分和养分的交互作用对羊草分蘖数、茎生物量、蒸腾速率、水分利用效率存在显著影响。(2)各功能性状对降水量的响应在不同养分添加水平是不同的, 分蘖数和叶面积在单施氮肥和氮磷共施条件下随降水量增加而增加, 而在无养分添加和单施磷肥条件下无显著变化; 茎生物量在无养分添加、单施氮肥和单施磷肥条件下随降水量增加而增加, 而在氮磷共施条件下无增加趋势; 比叶面积在单施氮肥条件下增水处理显著低于对照组, 而在其他养分添加条件下无明显变化。(3)短期氮磷处理显著影响羊草叶片光合生理性状, 而对叶形态性状影响不显著。(4)羊草地上生物量随降水量的增加呈现上升趋势, 并且在单施氮肥条件下, 增水处理使地上生物量达到最高, 为522.55 g·m ^-2。总之, 羊草的功能性状对降水量增加表现出明显的响应, 响应格局在不同养分条件下不同, 反映了其对水肥环境变化的适应。     

Responses of the functional traits in Cleistogenes squarrosa to nitrogen addition and drought

植物功能性状被广泛地用于研究植物对环境变化的响应。糙隐子草(Cleistogenes squarrosa)是内蒙古草原重要的C4物种,其功能性状是如何对水氮环境的变化做出响应的,还不十分清楚。该文采用盆栽实验的方法,进行氮添加(0,10.5,35.0和56.0 g·m–2·a–1)和降水(自然降水和70%平均月降水量)处理,研究糙隐子草整株性状、叶形态性状和叶生理性状对氮添加和干旱的响应。结果表明,氮添加显著影响了糙隐子草的整株性状,氮、水处理及它们的交互作用显著影响了糙隐子草的叶形态性状和叶生理性状。各功能性状对氮添加的响应格局在自然降水和干旱处理下是不同的。根深、茎生物量和茎叶比在干旱条件下低和中氮添加处理中较高,而在自然降水下无明显变化;比叶面积在干旱条件下随氮添加量的增加而增加,而在自然降水下无增加趋势;自然降水下,高氮添加显著刺激了光合速率和蒸腾速率,增加了水分利用效率,而在干旱条件下氮添加对它们没有显著影响;叶片单位面积的氮含量在自然降水下随氮添加量的增加有增加趋势,而在干旱条件下显著降低。在自然降水下,氮添加主要影响糙隐子草的叶形态和生理性状,而在干旱条件下,氮添加主要影响糙隐子草的整株性状和形态性状。总之,糙隐子草的功能性状对氮添加表现出明显的响应,响应格局在不同的水分条件下不同,反映了其对氮水环境变化的弹性适应。     

云南普洱季风常绿阔叶林优势物种不同生长阶段叶片碳、氮、磷化学计量特征北大核心CSCD

为探索植物叶片氮(N)、磷(P)、碳(C)生态化学计量特征随植物生长发育的变化规律,在普洱季风常绿阔叶林中,选取6种优势植物种(红锥(Castanopsis hystrix)、短刺锥(Castanopsis echidnocarpa)、泥柯(Lithocarpus fenestratus)、截果柯(Lithocarpus truncatus)、西南木荷(Schima wallichii)、茶梨(Anneslea fragrans))采集叶片,分析其N、P、C含量及化学计量比随植物生长发育的变化。结果显示:6种植物在不同生长阶段的N含量变化范围为7.90–17.72 mg·g–1,P为0.34–1.39 mg·g–1,C为458.48–516.87 mg·g–1,C:N为28.04–65.70,N:P为11.41–63.50,C:P为355.23–1 878.17,且不同生长阶段6种植物及总体叶片N、P、C含量及其化学计量比变化趋势各异。在变异系数上,N:P比整体变异最大,为36.46%(变化范围19.19%–91.65%),其次为C:P,为34.80%(变化范围15.99%–91.60%),C的整体变异最小,为3.12%(变化范围1.61%–5.89%)。变异来源分析结果显示,N含量、C含量、C:N、N:P及C:P均主要受植物生长阶段的影响,而P含量主要受物种与生长阶段的交互作用影响。     

Decomposition of lupine seeds and seedlings as N fertilizer in organic vegetable production

Aims

We investigated the response of the perennial grass Molinia caerulea (L.) Moench to combined effects of fertilization (N, P) and drought events. We hypothesized that N fertilization increases, and drought decreases productivity, but that N addition strengthens negative effects caused by drought.

Methods

Within a full-factorial 2-year greenhouse experiment we measured biomass productivity and allocation, tissue nutrient concentrations and nitrogen allocation patterns using ¹⁵N as a tracer.

Results

N fertilization caused a strong increase in productivity, but effects of drought were almost insignificant. However, we found strongly interrelated, non-additive effects of fertilization and drought, expressed by a strong increase of necrotic tissue. Dead aboveground biomass showed the highest values for N and ¹⁵N.

Conclusions

Accelerated productivity of aboveground tissue under N fertilization resulted in increased evaporative demands and thus higher drought susceptibility. In addition ¹⁵N allocation patterns showed that fertilization-drought treatments disenabled plants’ control of their N allocation. Molinia was unable to withdraw leaf N during the dieback of aboveground tissue. Due to the lack of an adaptive strategy to the combined effects of fertilization and drought, increasing summer drought may weaken the competitive performance of species with traits comparable to those of Molinia in N-fertilized environments.     

氮素对内蒙古典型草原羊草种群的影响

 为了研究氮素对内蒙古典型草原植物种群的影响,在中国科学院内蒙古草原生态系统定位研究站,实施了长期的氮素添加试验。就两年来不同梯度氮素处理对羊草(Leymus chinensis)种群的影响进行了分析。结果表明,氮素对羊草种群具有显著的调节效应,随着氮素梯度的增加,羊草种群密度、种群高度、地上生物量、地下生物量、总生物量均显著增加,羊草种群地下生物量／地上生物量比值逐渐降低。氮素对羊草种群构件的生物量分配有显著影响,随着氮素梯度的增加,羊草种群生物量向根茎的分配比例显著降低,向叶片和根系的分配比例显著提高。羊草种群的相对密度和相对生物量也随着氮素梯度的增加而显著提高。     

Nitrogen addition promotes terrestrial plants to allocate more biomass to aboveground organs: A global meta-analysis

A significant increase in reactive nitrogen (N) added to terrestrial ecosystems through agricultural fertilization or atmospheric deposition is considered to be one of the most widespread drivers of global change. Modifying biomass allocation is one primary strategy for maximizing plant growth rate, survival, and adaptability to various biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there is much uncertainty as to whether and how plant biomass allocation strategies change in response to increased N inputs in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we synthesized 3516 paired observations of plant biomass and their components related to N additions across terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Our meta-analysis reveals that N addition (ranging from 1.08 to 113.81 g m⁻² year⁻¹) increased terrestrial plant biomass by 55.6% on average. N addition has increased plant stem mass fraction, shoot mass fraction, and leaf mass fraction by 13.8%, 12.9%, and 13.4%, respectively, but with an associated decrease in plant reproductive mass (including flower and fruit biomass) fraction by 3.4%. We further documented a reduction in plant root-shoot ratio and root mass fraction by 27% (21.8%–32.1%) and 14.7% (11.6%–17.8%), respectively, in response to N addition. Meta-regression results showed that N addition effects on plant biomass were positively correlated with mean annual temperature, soil available phosphorus, soil total potassium, specific leaf area, and leaf area per plant. Nevertheless, they were negatively correlated with soil total N, leaf carbon/N ratio, leaf carbon and N content per leaf area, as well as the amount and duration of N addition. In summary, our meta-analysis suggests that N addition may alter terrestrial plant biomass allocation strategies, leading to more biomass being allocated to aboveground organs than belowground organs and growth versus reproductive trade-offs. At the global scale, leaf functional traits may dictate how plant species change their biomass allocation pattern in response to N addition.     

内蒙古草甸草原与典型草原地下生物量与生产力季节动态及其碳库潜力

地下根系是草原生态系统的重要组成部分,其生物量及其净生产力对地下碳库具有直接与间接作用,分析地下生物量季节动态与周转对深入揭示草原生态系统碳库动态及其固碳速率与潜力具有重要意义。应用钻土芯法对不同利用方式或管理措施下内蒙古草甸草原、典型草原地下生物量动态及其与温度、降水的相关性研究表明:草甸草原和典型草原地上生物量季节动态均为单峰型曲线,与上月降水显著正相关(P0.05),但地下生物量季节动态表现为草甸草原呈"S"型曲线,典型草原则是双峰型曲线,与温度、降水相关性均不显著(P0.05);两种草原根冠比和地下生物量垂直分布均为指数函数曲线,根茎型草原地下生物量集中在土壤0—5 cm,丛生型草原地下生物量集中于土壤5—10 cm,根冠比值在生长旺季(7—8月份)最小。草甸草原地下净生产力及碳储量范围分别为2167—2953 g m-2a-1和975—1329 gC m-2a-1,典型草原为2342—3333 g m-2a-1和1054—1450 gC m-2a-1,地下净生产力及其碳储量约为地上净生产力及其碳储量的10倍,具有较大的年固碳能力,且相对稳定;地下净生产力与地上净生产力呈显著负相关性(P0.05);地下生物量碳库是地上生物量碳库的10倍左右,适度放牧可增加地下生产力,但长期过度放牧显著降低其地下生物量与生产力,并使其垂直分布趋向于浅层化。     

Nitrogen economy of alpine plants on the north Tibetan Plateau: Nitrogen conservation by resorption rather than open sources through biological symbiotic fixation

Nitrogen (N) is one of the most important factors limiting plant productivity, and N fixation by legume species is an important source of N input into ecosystems. Meanwhile, N resorption from senescent plant tissues conserves nutrients taken up in the current season, which may alleviate ecosystem N limitation. N fixation was assessed by the ¹⁵N dilution technique in four types of alpine grasslands along the precipitation and soil nutrient gradients. The N resorption efficiency (NRE) was also measured in these alpine grasslands. The aboveground biomass in the alpine meadow was 4–6 times higher than in the alpine meadow steppe, alpine steppe, and alpine desert steppe. However, the proportion of legume species to community biomass in the alpine steppe and the alpine desert steppe was significantly higher than the proportion in the alpine meadow. N fixation by the legume plants in the alpine meadow was 0.236 g N/m², which was significantly higher than N fixation in other alpine grasslands (0.041 to 0.089 g N/m²). The NRE in the alpine meadows was lower than in the other three alpine grasslands. Both the aboveground biomass and N fixation of the legume plants showed decreasing trends with the decline of precipitation and soil N gradients from east to west, while the NRE of alpine plants showed increasing trends along the gradients, which indicates that alpine plants enhance the NRE to adapt to the increasing droughts and nutrient‐poor environments. The opposite trends of N fixation and NRE along the precipitation and soil nutrient gradients indicate that alpine plants adapt to precipitation and soil nutrient limitation by promoting NRE (conservative nutrient use by alpine plants) rather than biological N fixation (open sources by legume plants) on the north Tibetan Plateau.     

Functional traits determine tree growth and ecosystem productivity of a tropical montane forest: Insights from a long‐term nutrient manipulation experiment

Trait‐response effects are critical to forecast community structure and biomass production in highly diverse tropical forests. Ecological theory and few observation studies indicate that trees with acquisitive functional traits would respond more strongly to higher resource availability than those with conservative traits. We assessed how long‐term tree growth in experimental nutrient addition plots (N, P, and N + P) varied as a function of morphological traits, tree size, and species identity. We also evaluated how trait‐based responses affected stand scale biomass production considering the community structure. We found that tree growth depended on interactions between functional traits and the type or combination of nutrients added. Common species with acquisitive functional traits responded more strongly to nutrient addition, mainly to N + P. Phosphorous enhanced the growth rates of species with acquisitive and conservative traits, had mostly positive effects on common species and neutral or negative effects in rare species. Moreover, trees receiving N + P grew faster irrespective of their initial size relative to trees in control or to trees in other treatment plots. Finally, species responses were highly idiosyncratic suggesting that community processes including competition and niche dimensionality may be altered under increased resource availability. We found no statistically significant effects of nutrient additions on aboveground biomass productivity because acquisitive species had a limited potential to increase their biomass, possibly due to their generally lower wood density. In contrast, P addition increased the growth rates of species characterized by more conservative resource strategies (with higher wood density) that were poorly represented in the plant community. We provide the first long‐term experimental evidence that trait‐based responses, community structure, and community processes modulate the effects of increased nutrient availability on biomass productivity in a tropical forest.