Global patterns and climatic drivers of above-and belowground net primary productivity in grasslands

Understanding patterns and determinants of net primary productivity(NPP) in global grasslands is ongoing challenges, especially for belowground NPP(BNPP) and its fraction(fBNPP). By developing a comprehensive field-based dataset, we revealed that, along with gradients of mean annual precipitation, actual evapotranspiration, and aridity, aboveground NPP(ANPP), BNPP,and total NPP(TNPP) exhibited hump-shaped patterns, whereas fBNPPshowed an opposite trend. ANPP and TNPP showed positive correlations with mean annual temperature, but fBNPPwas negatively correlated with it. The relationship between BNPP and climatic factors was considerably weak, indicating that BNPP was relatively stable regardless of the climate conditions. We also observed that the sensitivities of ANPP and BNPP to interannual temperature variability and those of BNPP to interannual precipitation fluctuations exhibited large variations among different study sites, and differed from those at the spatial scale. In contrast, the temporal sensitivities of ANPP to interannual precipitation variability were highly similar across all the individual sites and much smaller than those at the spatial scale. Overall, these results highlight that precipitation, temperature and evapotranspiration all play vital roles in shaping ANPP pattern and its partitioning to belowground and that the patterns of BNPP along climatic gradients do not mirror those of the ANPP.     

Asymmetry in above‐ and belowground productivity responses to N addition in a semi‐arid temperate steppe

Nitrogen (N) enrichment often increases aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) of the ecosystem, but it is unclear if belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) track responses of ANPP. Moreover, the frequency of N inputs may affect primary productivity but is rarely studied. To assess the response patterns of above‐ and belowground productivity to rates of N addition under different addition frequencies, we manipulated the rate (0–50 g N m^?2 year^?1) and frequency (twice vs. monthly additions per year) of NH₄NO₃ inputs for six consecutive years in a temperate grassland in northern China and measured ANPP and BNPP from 2012 to 2014. In the low range of N addition rates, BNPP showed the greatest negative response and ANPP showed the greatest positive responses with increases in N addition (<10 g N m^?2 year^?1). As N addition increased beyond 10 g N m^?2 year^?1, increases in ANPP dampened and decreases in BNPP ceased altogether. The response pattern of net primary productivity (combined above‐ and belowground; NPP) corresponded more closely to ANPP than to BNPP. The N effects on BNPP and BNPP/NPP (f_BNPP) were not dependent on N addition frequency in the range of N additions typically associated with N deposition. BNPP was more sensitive to N addition frequency than ANPP, especially at low rates of N addition. Our findings provide new insights into how plants regulate carbon allocation to different organs with increasing N rates and changing addition frequencies. These root response patterns, if incorporated into Earth system models, may improve the predictive power of C dynamics in dryland ecosystems in the face of global atmospheric N deposition.     

青藏高原两种植被类型净初级生产力与气候因素的关系及周转值分析

基于2008—2016年青海海北站9年净初级生产力及气候因子监测数据,分析了青藏高原高寒小嵩草草甸和高寒金露梅灌丛两种植被净初级生产力年际动态,并探讨了气候因子对其影响及其不同土层深度根系周转值特征。结果表明:(1)年际尺度上,小嵩草草甸地上净初级生产力表现为显著增加趋势,增幅为7.02 g m~(-2) a~(-1),而金露梅灌丛地上净初级生产力相对较为稳定;对于其地下净初级生产力和总生产力,小嵩草草甸和金露梅灌丛均表现为增加趋势(P0.05),9年间小嵩草草甸地上、地下和总净初级生产力平均值分别为(217.55±9.95)、(1882.75±161.33) g m~(-2) a~(-1)和(2100.30±163.38) g m~(-2) a~(-1),金露梅灌丛地上、地下和总净初级生产力9年间平均值分别为(256.27±11.4)、(1614.31±173.03) g m~(-2) a~(-1)和(1870.58±177.93) g m~(-2) a~(-1)。(2)不同植被类型地上净初级生产力对气候因素响应不同,金露梅灌丛地上净初级生产力主要受温度影响,而温度对小嵩草草甸地上净初级生产力无显著影响。此外,降水不是限制高寒生态系统草地地上净初级生产力主要因子,相比于降水影响,高寒生态系统地上净初级生产力更受温度调控。(3)年均温和年降水对金露梅灌丛和小嵩草草甸地下净初级生产力均无显著影响(P0.05),表明高寒生态系统,其地下生产力受外界气候条件变化影响微弱,是一个稳定的碳库。(4)两种植被类型其根系周转值均随着土壤深度的增加呈逐渐增加趋势,且高寒灌丛根系周转值明显高于高寒草甸根系周转值。研究表明,在全球气候变暖背景下将会增加金露梅灌丛地上净初级生产力,而对小嵩草草甸地上净初级生产力无显著影响。     

Contrasting above‐ and belowground sensitivity of three Great Plains grasslands to altered rainfall regimes

Intensification of the global hydrological cycle with atmospheric warming is expected to increase interannual variation in precipitation amount and the frequency of extreme precipitation events. Although studies in grasslands have shown sensitivity of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) to both precipitation amount and event size, we lack equivalent knowledge for responses of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and NPP. We conducted a 2‐year experiment in three US Great Plains grasslands – the C₄‐dominated shortgrass prairie (SGP; low ANPP) and tallgrass prairie (TGP; high ANPP), and the C₃‐dominated northern mixed grass prairie (NMP; intermediate ANPP) – to test three predictions: (i) both ANPP and BNPP responses to increased precipitation amount would vary inversely with mean annual precipitation (MAP) and site productivity; (ii) increased numbers of extreme rainfall events during high‐rainfall years would affect high and low MAP sites differently; and (iii) responses belowground would mirror those aboveground. We increased growing season precipitation by as much as 50% by augmenting natural rainfall via (i) many (11–13) small or (ii) fewer (3–5) large watering events, with the latter coinciding with naturally occurring large storms. Both ANPP and BNPP increased with water addition in the two C₄ grasslands, with greater ANPP sensitivity in TGP, but greater BNPP and NPP sensitivity in SGP. ANPP and BNPP did not respond to any rainfall manipulations in the C₃‐dominated NMP. Consistent with previous studies, fewer larger (extreme) rainfall events increased ANPP relative to many small events in SGP, but event size had no effect in TGP. Neither system responded consistently above‐ and belowground to event size; consequently, total NPP was insensitive to event size. The diversity of responses observed in these three grassland types underscores the challenge of predicting responses relevant to C cycling to forecast changes in precipitation regimes even within relatively homogeneous biomes such as grasslands.     

Drought effects on above- and belowground production of a grazed temperate grassland ecosystem

The effect of climatic variation on terrestrial aboveground productivity (ANPP) has been well studied. However, little is known about how variable climate, including drought, may influence belowground productivity (BNPP), which constitutes most of the annual primary production of grasslands. The objectives of this study were to (1) examine how a 3-year period of declining moisture, which began as climatically wet to average across Yellowstone National Park (YNP) and ended in drought, affected ANPP and BNPP in grasslands of YNP and (2) how herds of grazing ungulates, which were shown previously to stimulate grassland shoot and root growth in YNP, may have interacted with climatic conditions to influence grassland production. ANPP and 0–20 cm BNPP, representing the bulk of the root dynamics, were measured in grazed and ungrazed (fenced) grassland at nine sites ranging widely in elevation, soil conditions and plant production during the 3-year study. Results revealed that 0–20 cm BNPP was strongly influenced by drought (P = 0.0005) and declined from 1999 to 2001 among ungrazed and grazed grasslands by 39 and 49%, respectively. The greater reduction in 0–20 cm BNPP among grazed grasslands was due, in part, to a decline (P = 0.07) in the stimulatory effect of grazing, i.e., the ratio g BNPP stimulated: g shoot consumed. In contrast, ANPP was unaffected by drought in either type of grassland. Thus, the effect of this drought in YNP was a large reduction in BNPP, which was a function of (1) a direct negative influence of increased moisture stress on root growth and (2) a weak interaction between drought and herbivory that led to a decline in the positive feedback from grazers to BNPP. These findings highlight the need to better understand factors that control root growth and to study the effects of climatic variation on grasslands within an ecosystem framework to include potentially important climate–consumer interactions.     

Effects of Grazing on Above- vs. Below-Ground Biomass Allocation of Alpine Grasslands on the Northern Tibetan Plateau

Biomass allocation is an essential concept for understanding above- vs. below-ground functions and for predicting the dynamics of community structure and ecosystem service under ongoing climate change. There is rare available knowledge of grazing effects on biomass allocation in multiple zonal alpine grassland types along climatic gradients across the Northern Tibetan Plateau. We collected the peak above- and below-ground biomass (AGB and BGB) values at 106 pairs of well-matched grazed vs. fenced sites during summers of 2010–2013, of which 33 pairs were subject to meadow, 52 to steppe and 21 to desert-steppe. The aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) was represented by the peak AGB while the belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) was estimated from ANPP, the ratio of living vs. dead BGB, and the root turnover rate. Two-ways analyses of variance (ANOVA) and paired samples comparisons with t-test were applied to examine the effects of pasture managements (PMS, i.e., grazed vs. fenced) and zonal grassland types on both ANPP and BNPP. Allometric and isometric allocation hypotheses were also tested between logarithmically transformed ANPP and BNPP using standardized major axis (SMA) analyses across grazed, fenced and overall sites. In our study, a high community-dependency was observed to support the allometric biomass allocation hypothesis, in association with decreased ANPP and a decreasing-to-increasing BNPP proportions with increasing aridity across the Northern Tibetan Plateau. Grazing vs. fencing seemed to have a trivial effect on ANPP compared to the overwhelming influence of different zonal grassland types. Vegetation links above- and below-ground ecological functions through integrated meta-population adaptive strategies to the increasing severity of habitat conditions. Therefore, more detailed studies on functional diversity are essentially to achieve conservation and sustainability goals under ongoing climatic warming and intensifying human influences.     

Resource manipulation effects on net primary production,biomass allocation and rain-use efficiency of two semiarid grassland sites in Inner Mongolia,China

Productivity of semiarid grasslands is affected by soil water and nutrient availability, with water controlling net primary production under dry conditions and soil nutrients constraining biomass production under wet conditions. In order to investigate limitations on plants by the response of root–shoot biomass allocation to water and nitrogen (N) availability, a field experiment, on restoration plots with rainfed, unfertilized control plots, fertilized plots receiving N (25 kg urea-N ha⁻¹) and water (irrigation simulating a wet season), was conducted at two sites with different grazing histories: moderate (MG) and heavy (HG) grazing. Irrigation and N addition had no effect on belowground biomass. Irrigation increased aboveground (ANPP) and belowground net primary production (BNPP) and rain-use efficiency based on ANPP (RUE_ANPP), whereas N addition on rainfed plots had no effect on any of the measured parameters. N fertilizer application on irrigated plots increased ANPP and RUE_ANPP and reduced the root fraction (RF: root dry matter/total dry matter), resulting in smaller N effects on total net primary production (NPP) and rain-use efficiency based on NPP. This suggests that BNPP should be included in evaluating ecosystem responses to resource availability from the whole-plant perspective. N effects on all measured parameters were similar on both sites. However, site HG responded to irrigation with higher ANPP and a lower RF when compared to site MG, indicating that species composition had a pronounced effect on carbon allocation pattern due to below- and aboveground niche complementarity.     

A Test of Diversity–Productivity Models in Natural,Degraded, and Restored Wet Prairies

Conceptual restoration models depict strong correlations between structure and function, with both decreasing as an ecosystem is degraded and increasing during restoration. We evaluated the “linear” and “asymptotic” models by measuring diversity and annual net primary productivity (NPP) within four states of a southern Wisconsin floodplain: a remnant (unplowed) wet prairie, two degraded sites (soybean field and invaded prairie), and a restored prairie. Neither model fit our data for aboveground (ANPP), belowground (BNPP), or total (TNPP) productivity. ANPP declined as species richness increased (r = 0.998, df = 2), with highest values for soybeans (1,024 g/m²; two species in 30 0.25‐m² plots) and invaded prairie (937 g/m²; nine species, 99% cover of Phalaris arundinacea), intermediate for restored prairie (712 g/m²; 28 species), and lowest for diverse remnant prairie (571 g/m²; 36 species). In contrast, BNPP was lowest for soybeans (225 g/m²) and highest for remnant prairie (571 g/m²). TNPP in restored prairie (990 g/m²) matched that of the remnant (1,147 g/m²) within 7 years, but root:shoot NPP ratios were quite different (0.39 and 0.99, respectively). Overall, results suggest that the relationship between species diversity and productivity can differ with the component measured (ANPP, BNPP, or TNPP) and that diversity does not ensure high productivity. Because measuring ANPP does not fully test ecosystem‐function theory, we recommend assessing BNPP and additional ecosystem processes in future attempts to determine whether adding species will restore more function to degraded ecosystems.     

Above- and Belowground Net Primary Production in a Temperate Mixed Deciduous Forest

Our current ability to detect and predict changes in forest ecosystem productivity is constrained by several limitations. These include a poor understanding of belowground productivity, the short duration of most analyses, and a need for greater examination of species- or community-specific variability in productivity studies. We quantified aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) over 3 years (1999–2001), and both belowground NPP (BNPP) and total NPP over 2 years (2000–2001) in both mesic and xeric site community types of the mixed mesophytic forest of southeastern Kentucky to examine landscape variability in productivity and its relation with soil resource [water and nitrogen (N)] availability. Across sites, ANPP was significantly correlated with N availability (R² = 0.58, P = 0.028) while BNPP was best predicted by soil moisture content (R² = 0.72, P = 0.008). Because of these offsetting patterns, total NPP was unrelated to either soil resource. Interannual variability in growing season precipitation during the study resulted in a 50% decline in mesic site litter production, possibly due to a lag effect following a moderate drought year in 1999. As a result, ANPP in mesic sites declined 27% in 2000 compared to 1999, while xeric sites had no aboveground production differences related to precipitation variability. If global climate change produces more frequent occurrences of drought, then the response of mesic sites to prolonged moisture deficiency and the consequences of shifting carbon (C) allocation on C storage will become important questions.     

Contrasting Effects of Precipitation Manipulations on Production in Two Sites within the Central Grassland Region, USA

In grassland ecosystems, where soil water most frequently controls ecosystem processes, expected changes in precipitation and temperature may have dramatic effects on ecosystem dynamics. Previous observational studies have reported that aboveground net primary production (ANPP) in grasslands is very sensitive to changes in precipitation. Yet, we lack experimentally based evidence to support these observations. Further, most of the studies have focused solely on ANPP, neglecting belowground production (BNPP). This is an important gap in our knowledge, as BNPP represents 50% or more of total net primary production (NPP) in grasslands. Here, we present results from a 3-year water manipulation experiment (2008–2010) at two sites in the central grassland region of North America, USA. We were successful in changing the soil water content in our treatments, but these changes resulted in different, but significant responses in ANPP and BNPP at our two sites. At the shortgrass steppe, we found that neither NPP nor ANPP were sensitive to treatment precipitation, and although we found BNPP was sensitive to changes in treatment precipitation, the direction of the response varied between years. In contrast, ANPP was very sensitive to treatment precipitation on the mixed-grass prairie, whereas BNPP was insensitive. Based on our finding that two grassland ecosystems showed dramatically different above and belowground production responses to soil water manipulations, we cannot assume that predicted changes in climate will cause similar above- and belowground production responses. Second, our results demonstrated that sites within the same region may differ markedly in the sensitivity of ANPP to changes in growing season precipitation.     

Estimating net primary productivity from grassland biomass dynamics measurements

To address the need for a high quality data set based upon field observations suitable for parameterization, calibration, and validation of terrestrial biosphere models, we have developed a comprehensive global database on net primary productivity (NPP). We have compiled field measurements of biomass and associated environmental data for multiple study sites in major grassland types worldwide. Where sufficient data were available, we compared aboveground and total NPP estimated by six computational methods (algorithms) for 31 grassland sites. As has been found previously, NPP estimates were 2–5 times higher using methods which accounted for the dynamics of dead matter, compared with what is still the most commonly applied estimate of NPP (maximum peak live biomass). It is suggested that assumptions such as the use of peak biomass as an indicator of NPP in grasslands may apply only within certain subbiomes, e.g. temperate steppe grasslands. Additional data on belowground dynamics, or other reliable estimates of belowground productivity, are required if grasslands are to be fully appreciated for their role in the global carbon cycle.     

Above- and belowground biomass in relation to environmental factors in temperate grasslands, Inner Mongolia

Above- and belowground biomasses of grasslands are important parameters for characterizing re- gional and global carbon cycles in grassland ecosystems. Compared with the relatively detailed in- formation for aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB) is poorly reported at the re- gional scales. The present study, based on a total of 113 sampling sites in temperate grassland of the Inner Mongolia, investigated regional distribution patterns of AGB, BGB, vertical distribution of roots, and their relationships with environmental factors. AGB and BGB increased from the southwest to the northeast of the study region. The largest biomass occurred in meadow steppe, with mean AGB and BGB of 196.7 and 1385.2 g/m2, respectively; while the lowest biomass occurred in desert steppe, with an AGB of 56.6 g/m2 and a BGB of 301.0 g/m2. In addition, about 47% of root biomass was distributed in the top 10 cm soil. Further statistical analysis indicated that precipitation was the primary determinant factor in shaping these distribution patterns. Vertical distribution of roots was significantly affected by precipitation, while the effects of soil texture and grassland types were weak.     

Effects of climate warming on carbon fluxes in grasslands— A global meta‐analysis

Climate warming will affect terrestrial ecosystems in many ways, and warming‐induced changes in terrestrial carbon (C) cycling could accelerate or slow future warming. So far, warming experiments have shown a wide range of C flux responses, across and within biome types. However, past meta‐analyses of C flux responses have lacked sufficient sample size to discern relative responses for a given biome type. For instance grasslands contribute greatly to global terrestrial C fluxes, and to date grassland warming experiments provide the opportunity to evaluate concurrent responses of both plant and soil C fluxes. Here, we compiled data from 70 sites (in total 622 observations) to evaluate the response of C fluxes to experimental warming across three grassland types (cold, temperate, and semi‐arid), warming methods, and short (≤3 years) and longer‐term (>3 years) experiment lengths. Overall, our meta‐analysis revealed that experimental warming stimulated C fluxes in grassland ecosystems with regard to both plant production (e.g., net primary productivity (NPP) 15.4%; aboveground NPP (ANPP) by 7.6%, belowground NPP (BNPP) by 11.6%) and soil respiration (Rs) (9.5%). However, the magnitude of C flux stimulation varied significantly across cold, temperate and semi‐arid grasslands, in that responses for most C fluxes were larger in cold than temperate or semi‐arid ecosystems. In semi‐arid and temperate grasslands, ecosystem respiration (Reco) was more sensitive to warming than gross primary productivity (GPP), while the opposite was observed for cold grasslands, where warming produced a net increase in whole‐ecosystem C storage. However, the stimulatory effect of warming on ANPP and Rs observed in short‐term studies (≤3 years) in both cold and temperate grasslands disappeared in longer‐term experiments (>3 years). These results highlight the importance of conducting long‐term warming experiments, and in examining responses across a wide range of climate.     

Biomass allocation and productivity–richness relationship across four grassland types at the Qinghai Plateau

Aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) allocation and productivity–richness relationship are controversial. Here, we assessed AGB and BGB allocation and the productivity–richness relationship at community level across four grassland types based on the biomass data collected from 80 sites across the Qinghai Plateau during 2011–2012. The reduced major axis regression and general linear models were used and showed that (a) the median values of AGB were significantly higher in alpine meadow than in other three grassland types; the ratio of root to shoot (R/S) was significantly higher in desert grassland (36.06) than intemperate grassland (16.60), alpine meadow (13.35), and meadow steppe (19.46). The temperate grassland had deeper root distribution than the other three grasslands, with about 91.45% roots distributed in the top 30 cm soil layer. (b) The slopes between log AGB and log BGB in the temperate grassland and meadow steppe were 1.09 and 1, respectively, whereas that in the desert grassland was 1.12, which was significantly different from the isometric allocation relationship. A competitive relationship between AGB and BGB was observed in the alpine meadow with a slope of ?1.83, indicating a trade‐off between AGB and BGB in the alpine meadow. (c) A positive productivity–richness relationship existed across the four grassland types, suggesting that the positive productivity–richness relationship might not be affected by the environmental factors at the plant location. Our results provide a new insight for biomass allocation and biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research.     

Nitrogen controls the net primary production of an alpine Kobresia meadow in the northern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau

Net primary production (NPP) is a fundamental property of natural ecosystems. Understanding the temporal variations of NPP could provide new insights into the responses of communities to environmental factors. However, few studies based on long‐term field biomass measurements have directly addressed this subject in the unique environment of the Qinghai‐Tibet plateau (QTP). We examined the interannual variations of NPP during 2008–2015 by monitoring both aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and belowground net primary productivity (BNPP), and identified their relationships with environmental factors with the general linear model (GLM) and structural equation model (SEM). In addition, the interannual variation of root turnover and its controls were also investigated. The results show that the ANPP and BNPP increased by rates of 15.01 and 143.09 g/m² per year during 2008–2015, respectively. BNPP was mainly affected by growing season air temperature (GST) and growing season precipitation (GSP) rather than mean annual air temperature (MAT) or mean annual precipitation (MAP), while ANPP was only controlled by GST. In addition, available nitrogen (AN) was significantly positively associated with BNPP and ANPP. Root turnover rate averaged 30%/year, increased with soil depth, and was largely controlled by GST. Our results suggest that alpine Kobresia meadow was an N‐limited ecosystem, and the NPP on the QTP might increase further in the future in the context of global warming and nitrogen deposition.     

新疆草地净初级生产力(NPP)空间分布格局及其对气候变化的响应

分析植被物候与净初级生产力对气候变化的响应一直是研究全球变化的核心内容之一。新疆草地生态系统极为脆弱,对气候和环境变化的影响十分敏感,在新疆地区开展草地物候和净初级生产力及其对气候变化的响应有着独特的意义。基于遥感数据和野外台站实测数据,利用CASA模型模拟了新疆草地植被净初级生产力(NPP),阐述了2001—2014年新疆地区草地的NPP的空间格局及与气象因子的关系。(1)通过实测生物量精度检验表明,CASA模型基本可以反映新疆地区草地植被NPP。(2)2001—2014年新疆草地NPP平均值为102.49 gC m~(-2) a~(-1)。不同草地类型的NPPA存在明显差异。其中,山地草甸平均NPP最高,达到252.37 gC m~(-2) a~(-1);温性草甸草原次之,为204.93 gC m~(-2) a~(-1)。高寒荒漠和温性荒漠的平均NPP最低,分别为43.94 gC m~(-2) a~(-1),53.11 gC m~(-2) a~(-1)。(3)新疆NPP的空间分布格局具有如下特点:山区NPP高于盆地NPP,北疆NPP高于南疆NPP;(4)降水能够促进新疆草地NPP增加,其中,夏季和秋季的降水对草地NPP的影响最为明显,温度对新疆地区草地NPP影响不大。降雨可以促进新疆草原NPP的增加。特别是在降水量较少但温度较高的草原,如温带荒漠草原、温带草原沙漠、温带沙漠、低地草甸等,年降水量和夏秋降水量对草地NPP有显著影响。温度对新疆草地NPP的影响不大。通过对新疆草地空间格局的分析,研究了草地NPP对气候变化的响应,为合理规划新疆草地的生产和利用,以及草地生态系统的健康发展和应对气候变化提供决策依据。     

Soil Respiration in Semiarid Temperate Grasslands under Various Land Management

Soil respiration, a major component of the global carbon cycle, is significantly influenced by land management practices. Grasslands are potentially a major sink for carbon, but can also be a source. Here, we investigated the potential effect of land management (grazing, clipping, and ungrazed enclosures) on soil respiration in the semiarid grassland of northern China. Our results showed the mean soil respiration was significantly higher under enclosures (2.17μmol.m⁻².s⁻¹) and clipping (2.06μmol.m⁻².s⁻¹) than under grazing (1.65μmol.m⁻².s⁻¹) over the three growing seasons. The high rates of soil respiration under enclosure and clipping were associated with the higher belowground net primary productivity (BNPP). Our analyses indicated that soil respiration was primarily related to BNPP under grazing, to soil water content under clipping. Using structural equation models, we found that soil water content, aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and BNPP regulated soil respiration, with soil water content as the predominant factor. Our findings highlight that management-induced changes in abiotic (soil temperature and soil water content) and biotic (ANPP and BNPP) factors regulate soil respiration in the semiarid temperate grassland of northern China.     

Belowground net primary productivity and biomass allocation of a grassland in Inner Mongolia is affected by grazing intensity

The root system of permanent grasslands is of outstanding importance for resource acquisition. Particularly under semi-arid conditions, the acquisition of water and nutrients is highly variable during the vegetation growth period and between years. Additionally, grazing is repeatedly disturbing the functional equilibrium between the root system and the transpiring leaf canopy. However, very few data is available considering grazing effects on belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and root-shoot dry mass allocation in natural grassland systems. We hypothesise that grazing significantly reduces BNPP due to carbon reallocation to shoot growth. Root biomass and BNPP were estimated by soil coring in 2004, 2005 and 2006 and from ingrowth cores in 2005 and 2006 at one site which has been protected from grazing since 1979 (UG79), at one winter grazing (WG), and one heavily grazed (HG) site. BNPP was estimated from the summation of significant increments of total and live root biomass and from accumulated root biomass of ingrowth cores. Belowground biomass varied from 1,490–2,670 g m^?2 and was significantly lower under heavy grazing than at site UG79. Root turnover varied from 0.23 to 0.33 year^?1 and was not significantly different between sites. Heavy grazing significantly decreased live root biomass and BNPP compared to site UG79. Taking BNPP estimates from live root biomass dynamics and ingrowth cores as the most reliable values, the portion of dry mass allocated belowground relative to total net primary productivity (BNPP/NPP) varied between 0.50–0.66 and was reduced under heavy grazing in 2005, but not in 2006. The positive correlation between cumulative root length density of ingrowth cores and leaf dry matter suggests that the ingrowth core method is suitable for studying BNPP in this semi-arid steppe system. Grazing effects on BNPP and BNPP/NPP should be considered in regional carbon models and estimates of belowground nutrient cycling.     

Above and belowground net primary productivity of grassland influenced by supplemental water and nitrogen in Inner Mongolia

While water availability determines grassland productivity in semiarid regions, nutrient availability is the main limiting factor under wet conditions. An experiment was conducted in 2008 at two sites in Inner Mongolia with histories of heavy grazing (HG) and moderate grazing (MG) to study the interactive effects of water and nitrogen on above- and belowground net primary productivity (ANPP and BNPP), biomass partitioning, and plant species composition. The study comprises two water treatments (no irrigation and irrigated when soil water content was below 70% of the field capacity), and two nitrogen (N) levels (0 and 100 kg N ha^?1). Mean values of ANPP at the peak biomass time reached 1,028?±?95 SD g m^?2 at the HG site and 568?±?32 SD g m^?2 at the MG site in irrigated and fertilized treatment. Nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) was significantly higher at irrigated plots compared to rain-fed plots at both HG and MG sites. Water use efficiency (WUEt) based on total water input and ANPP decreased with irrigation at the HG site. Meanwhile, N application significantly increased WUEt, WUEp (based on precipitation), and WUEi (based on irrigation water) at both sites. BNPP was significantly higher at irrigated plots compared to rain-fed plots at both HG and MG sites, and it tended to decrease with N addition. However, the fraction of belowground to total biomass (f _BNPP = BNPP/(ANPP+BNPP) decreased with the addition of supplemental resources and exhibited a negative correlation with ANPP. Species diversity remained lower at the HG site compared to the MG site; it decreased with the addition of supplemental resources at the latter site. The annual Salsola collina contributed the most to the total biomass under irrigation. Based on global climate models, more frequent extreme climates are predicted in the future, which can result in changes in resource availabilities. Therefore, our research results have important implications for predicting the production and other properties of grassland ecosystems.