Observation and modeling of plant biomass of meadow steppe in Tumugi, Xingan League, Inner Mongolia, China

We examined the long-term dynamics of plant biomass of Filifolium sibiricum steppe, Stipa baicalensis steppe and Leymus chinense (syn. Aneurolepidium chinense) steppe relative to interannual variation of precipitation and temperature during 1981–1990 in the Tumugi, Xingan League, eastern Inner Mongolia of China. On the average, annual precipitation was 41.1 cm. Peak live aboveground biomass (PLAB) was 152 g m^-2 for F. sibiricum steppe and S. baicalensis steppe and 162 g m^-2 for L. chinense steppe. Peak live belowground biomass (PLBB) varied between 968 g m^-2 for F. sibiricum steppe and 1022 g m^-2 for L. chinense steppe. The coefficient of variation (CV) in annual precipitation (25%) was lower than the CV in PLAB (35% to 37%) but larger than the CV in PLBB (10%) of the three meadow steppe sites. Rain use efficiency was 3.6 gDM m^-2 cm^-1 yr^-1 for F. sibiricum steppe and S. baicalensis steppe, and 3.9 gDM m^-2 cm^-1 yr^-1 for L. chinense steppe, respectively.Using the CENTURY ecosystem model, simulation results agreed reasonably well with the observed soil organic matter, seasonal dynamics and interannual variation of plant biomass of these three steppe sites during 1981–1990. The CENTURY model is slightly more successful than the empirical regression models that use annual precipitation to estimate PLAB of these meadow steppe over time. Both seasonal distribution and interannal variation in precipitation and temperature are the important controls of temporal dynamics of plant biomass, rain use efficiency, carbon flux and storage of these meadow steppe ecosystems over time.     

Differential use of large summer rainfall events by shrubs and grasses: a manipulative experiment in the Patagonian steppe

In the Patagonian steppe, years with above-average precipitation (wet years) are characterized by the occurrence of large rainfall events. The objective of this paper was to analyze the ability of shrubs and grasses to use these large events. Shrubs absorb water from the lower layers, grasses from the upper layers, intercepting water that would otherwise reach the layers exploited by shrubs. We hypothesized that both life-forms could use the large rainfalls and that the response of shrubs could be more affected by the presence of grasses than vice versa. We performed a field experiment using a factorial combination of water addition and life-form removal, and repeated it during the warm season of three successive years. The response variables were leaf growth, and soil and plant water potential. Grasses always responded to experimental large rainfall events, and their response was greater in dry than in wet years. Shrubs only used large rainfalls in the driest year, when the soil water potential in the deep layers was low. The presence or absence of one life-form did not modify the response of the other. The magnitude of the increase in soil water potential was much higher in dry than in humid years, suggesting an explanation for the differences among years in the magnitude of the response of shrubs and grasses. We propose that the generally reported poor response of deep-rooted shrubs to summer rainfalls could be because (1) the water is insufficient to reach deep soil layers, (2) the plants are in a dormant phenological status, and/or (3) deep soil layers have a high water potential. The two last situations may result in high deep-drainage losses, one of the most likely explanations for the elsewhere-reported low response of aboveground net primary production to precipitation during wet years. Received: 23 January 1997 / Accepted: 19 November 1997     

The effect of a dry spring on seasonal carbon allocation and vegetation dynamics in a poplar bioenergy plantation

In this study the seasonal variation in carbon, water and energy fluxes as well as in net primary productivity (NPP) of different tree components is presented for a 2‐year‐old poplar (Populus spp.) plantation. A thorough ecophysiological study was performed at ecosystem scale, at tree and at leaf level, in this high‐density bioenergy plantation. Seasonal variation in NPP and fluxes was analysed in relation to meteorological parameters at the field site. The growing season length in terms of carbon uptake was controlled by leaf area development until the maximum leaf area index (LAI_max) was reached. Afterwards, a shift to belowground carbon allocation was observed. A dry period in spring caused a reduced leaf area production as well as a decrease in net ecosystem exchange and gross primary production (GPP) due to stomatal closure. Water use efficiency and fine root growth increased in response to limiting soil water availability in the root zone. When soil water availability was not limiting, GPP was controlled by a decrease in solar radiation and air temperature. The results of this study indicate that the productivity of recently established bioenergy plantations with fast‐growing trees is very sensitive to drought. The interaction between soil water availability and factors controlling ecosystem GPP is crucial in assessing the CO₂ mitigation potential under future climate conditions.     

黑河流域植被水分利用效率时空分异及其对降水和气温的响应

植被水分利用效率(WUE)是衡量植被生态系统碳水耦合关系的重要指标,研究其时空分异特征对区域水资源合理利用及配置有重要意义。基于改进的光能利用率模型CASA,模拟估算了黑河流域2000—2013年植被净初级生产力(NPP),结合ETWatch模型估算的黑河流域2000—2013年蒸散数据ET,进一步估算了黑河流域植被水分利用效率WUE。分析了黑河流域NPP、ET和WUE空间格局和时间变化特征,探讨了WUE变化对降水和气温的相关性。结果表明:1)黑河流域空间上植被NPP在2000—2013年多年平均值为81.05 gC m^-2 a^-1,ET平均值为133.38 mm,植被WUE平均值为0.448 gC mm^-1 m^-2。植被NPP、ET与WUE的空间格局基本上类似,均呈现出自上游至下游逐渐减少的分布格局。2)黑河流域2000—2013年间植被平均NPP与平均WUE均呈现显著上升趋势(P<0.05),而ET平均值变化不显著。WUE年际变化斜率与其平均值在空间分布上存在一定的对应关系,空间上植被WU...     

Relative contribution of environmental and nutritional variables to net primary production of Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers in the riparian zone of a Three Gorges tributary

Our knowledge of fundamental drivers of terrestrial net primary production (NPP) is crucial for improving the predictability of ecosystem stability under global climate change. However, the patterns and determinants of NPP are not fully understood, especially in the riparian zone ecosystem disturbed by periodic drought–rewetting (DRW) cycles. The environmental (flooding time, pH, moisture, and clay content) and nutritional properties (soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphorus, ammonium (NH₄⁺‐N), nitrate (NO₃^‐‐N), and C:N:P stoichiometry) were investigated in the riparian zone of Pengxi River‐a typical tributary of Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR). Structure equation modeling was performed to evaluate the relative importance of environmental and nutritional properties on NPP of Cynodon dactylon (Linn.) Pers (C. dactylon)‐a dominating plant in the riparian zone of TGR. Our results indicated that NPP was much lower under much severe flooding stress. All of these variables could predict 46% of the NPP variance. Nutrient use efficiency (NUE) was one of the most critical predictor shaping the change of NPP. Specifically, flooding stress as a major driver had a direct positive effect on soil moisture and soil clay content. The soil clay content positively affects the soil C: N ratio, which further had an indirect negative impact on NPP by mediating NUE. Overall, our study provided a comprehensive analysis of the effects of the combined effect of environmental and nutrient factors on NPP and showed that continuous DRW cycles induced by hydrological regime stimulate the decrease of NPP of C. dactylon by changing NUE strategies. Further research is needed to explore the responses of NPP and NUE under different land use to DRW cycles and to investigate the DRW effects on the combined effect of environmental and nutrient factors by in situ experiments and long‐term studies.     

Structural adaptation rather than water conservation was observed in Scots pine over a range of wet to dry climates

We investigated the functional and structural responses of Scots pine to climate and estimated the importance of the genotype on the traits studied. We analysed ¹³C isotope discrimination (Δ¹³C) of various provenances in a common garden experiment and gas exchange characteristics for provenances growing in their natural environment. No clear climatic trend was found in the foliar Δ¹³C values of common garden trees. Similar results were obtained from estimation of λ (a largely VPD, temperature and light independent measure of intrinsic water use efficiency) from the gas exchange data. The ratio of needle mass to unit stem area and branch area to stem area increased towards south in both experiments and hence, seemed to be genetic. Trees from drier and warmer conditions seemed not to have either lower needle mass or higher intrinsic water use efficiency compared to northern latitudes. Received: 6 November 1998 / Accepted: 1 July 1999