高寒草甸植物群落物种多样性和生产力关系的光竞争研究

通过施肥形成的生产力由低到高的过程中,物种多样性往往降低。总体竞争假说认为对所有资源的竞争作用对多样性的影响随着生产力提高而加剧,导致物种多样性的下降;光竞争假说则认为随着生产力提高,种间竞争从低生产力时的地下竞争转向高生产力时的光竞争,是光竞争导致了物种多样性的下降。为了验证这两种假说,本文通过在甘南玛曲高寒草甸的均匀施肥实验,研究了光竞争对高寒草甸植物群落物种多样性和生产力关系的影响。结果表明：(1)随着施肥梯度的增加,大部分植物的生长速率加快,高度和叶面积增加;(2)随着施肥梯度的增加,植物群落地上总的生物量提高,叶面积指数增加,透光率降低,物种多样性减少;(3)个体大小不对称的光竞争导致了高寒草甸植物群落物种多样性随施肥梯度的增加而减少。     

Different categories of biodiversity explain productivity variation after fertilization in a Tibetan alpine meadow community

The relationship between productivity and biodiversity has long been an important issue in ecological research. However, in recent decades, most ecologists have primarily focused on species diversity while paying little attention to functional diversity and phylogenetic diversity (PD), especially in alpine meadow communities following fertilization. In this study, a fertilization experiment involving the addition of nitrogen, phosphorus, and a mixture of both was implemented in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Species diversity, functional diversity, and PD were measured, and the responses of these parameters to the variation in productivity were analyzed. We found that the productivity of alpine plant communities was colimited by N and P, with N being the principal and P being the secondary limiting nutrient. Our results supported the prediction of both the mass ratio hypothesis and niche complementarity hypothesis in fertilized communities, but these hypotheses were not mutually exclusive. The combination of different aspects of biodiversity not only provides a crucial tool to explain the variation in productivity and to understand the underlying mechanisms but also plays an important role in predicting the variation in productivity of alpine meadow communities, which are sensitive to nutrient enrichment in the context of global change.     

Estimating air temperature of an alpine meadow on the Northern Tibetan Plateau using MODIS land surface temperature

Meteorological data are scarce due to lack of meteorology stations in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. This often results in an imprecise estimation of air temperature. A linear estimation of air temperature of an alpine meadow on Northern Tibetan Plateau at heights of 1.5 m–2.1 m by using MODIS land surface temperature (LST) data was conducted in this study. The results showed that linear estimation of daily maximum and daytime mean air temperatures from MODIS LST data were not accurate enough (P > 0.01, R² < 0.10) during the growing season. In contrast, the linear relationships between daily maximum and daytime mean air temperature and MODIS LST during the non-growing season were both significant (P < 0.01, R² > 0.40). MODIS LST data were accurate enough to linearly estimate daily minimum and nighttime mean air temperatures (P < 0.01, R² > 0.55). Moreover, derived LST from MODIS/Terra platform (MOD11A2) had higher accuracies than derived LST from MODIS/Aqua platform (MYD11A2) in linearly estimating air temperatures mentioned above.     

Estimating air temperature of an alpine meadow on the Northern Tibetan Plateau using MODIS land surface temperature

Meteorological data are scarce due to lack of meteorology stations in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. This often results in an imprecise estimation of air temperature. A linear estimation of air temperature of an alpine meadow on Northern Tibetan Plateau at heights of 1.5 m–2.1 m by using MODIS land surface temperature (LST) data was conducted in this study. The results showed that linear estimation of daily maximum and daytime mean air temperatures from MODIS LST data were not accurate enough (P > 0.01, R² < 0.10) during the growing season. In contrast, the linear relationships between daily maximum and daytime mean air temperature and MODIS LST during the non-growing season were both significant (P < 0.01, R² > 0.40). MODIS LST data were accurate enough to linearly estimate daily minimum and nighttime mean air temperatures (P < 0.01, R² > 0.55). Moreover, derived LST from MODIS/Terra platform (MOD11A2) had higher accuracies than derived LST from MODIS/Aqua platform (MYD11A2) in linearly estimating air temperatures mentioned above.     

施肥和放牧对青藏高原高寒草甸物种丰富度的影响

在草地生态系统中, 施肥通常会导致生物多样性下降, 但是关于引起生物多样性下降的机制还存在着很大的争议。该研究基于一个4年的施肥实验, 试图通过个体大小的不整齐性和单位植物氮含量, 定性地揭示青藏高原东部高寒草甸施肥后多样性下降的原因。研究显示: 在封育地, 施肥致使个体大小不整齐性增加了15%, 并不同程度地增加了物种的高度。同时, 施肥使物种间单位植物氮含量存在显著差异的数目降低了65%。施肥后光竞争加剧, 导致大个体植物排斥小个体植物, 进而引起了物种丰富度下降29.6%。与封育地不同, 放牧地施肥并没有改变个体大小不整齐性和物种的高度, 而是使物种间单位植物氮含量存在显著差异的数目增加了11.4%。施肥并没有改变放牧地的光竞争强度, 而是增加了物种间对土壤营养元素氮的竞争强度, 进而引起了物种丰富度下降17.3%。该研究还发现, 放牧施肥地的物种丰富度下降速度和等级显著低于封育施肥地的物种丰富度下降速度和等级, 这表明放牧减缓了施肥对物种丰富度的影响力。     

Plant diversity promotes soil fungal pathogen richness under fertilization in an alpine meadow

高寒草甸植物多样性促进了施肥条件下土壤真菌病原体的丰富度 在农业生态系统中,氮添加对植物病原真菌丰富度和相对多度的影响已被基本阐明,然而在自然生态系统中,氮添加如何影响土壤中的植物病原真菌(通过影响植物群落结构或土壤理化指标)仍知之甚少。本研究以青藏高原东部高寒草甸为研究对象,基于7年的氮添加梯度野外实验,使用Miseq平台,针对土壤真菌的ITS1基因进行测序,以评估氮添加对高寒草甸土壤中的植物病原菌丰富度和相对多度的影响,并阐明氮添加通过不同途径(即植物群落结构和土壤理化指标)影响病原菌的潜在机制。基于模型筛选和结构方程模型等统计方法,本研究发现,氮添加通过改变土壤理化指标影响土壤中的植物病原菌相对多度。但是,在排除掉氮添加对土壤中植物病原菌丰富度的影响后,地上植物物种丰富度与土壤中植物病原菌丰富度仍存在显著的正相关性。因此,我们认为高寒草甸土壤中植物病原菌丰富度和相对多度受到不同的机制调控。世界范围内,自然生态系统中氮素输入量的加剧(包括氮沉降和氮肥施用)所引起的植物物种丧失引起了人类的较大关注。除此之外,氮素输入所引起的植物病原菌丰富度和相对多度的变化也值得我们警醒,因为植物病原菌群落结构的改变可能会对生态系统功能和服务产生重要影响。     

Moderate grazing increased alpine meadow soils bacterial abundance and diversity index on the Tibetan Plateau

The response of grassland soil bacterial community characteristics to different grazing intensities is central ecological topics. However, the underlying mechanisms between bacterial abundance, diversity index, and grazing intensity remain unclear. We measured alpine meadow soil bacterial gene richness and diversity index under four grazing intensities using 16S rDNA sequence analysis on the Tibetan Plateau. The results suggest that extreme grazing significantly decreased alpine meadow both bacterial gene abundance and diversity index (p < .05). The lowest operational taxonomic unit numbers were 3,012 ± 447 copies under heavy grazing in the growing season. It was significantly lower than heavy grazing with approximately 3,958 ± 119 copies (p < .05). The Shannon index for medium and high grazing grassland bacterial diversity was slightly higher than for light grazing in the growing season. Furthermore, the lowest index was approximately 9.20 ± 0.50 for extreme grazing of grassland in the growing season. The average bacterial gene abundance and diversity index in the dormancy period were slightly higher than that in the growing season. Soil bulk density, pH, ammonium, and nitrate nitrogen were the main positive factors driving grazed grassland bacterial communities. Our study provides insight into the response of alpine meadows to grazing intensity, demonstrating that moderate grazing increases bacterial community diversity in grazed grasslands.     

功能多样性和功能冗余对高寒草甸群落稳定性的影响

功能多样性和功能冗余是影响群落稳定性的重要因素,但它们对稳定性影响的相对强弱尚有争论。通过在青藏高原高寒矮嵩草(Kobresia humilis)草甸为期6a的刈割(不刈割、留茬3cm、留茬1cm)和施肥(施肥、不施肥)控制实验对此进行了探讨。研究结果显示,群落稳定性随着功能多样性和功能冗余的增大而单调增加,但由于功能多样性的变异性大于功能冗余的变异性,功能多样性与物种多样性间的相关性强于功能冗余与物种多样性间的相关性,功能多样性与群落稳定性间的相关性也强于功能冗余与群落稳定性间的相关性,因此,尽管功能冗余产生的保险效应对维持群落稳定性具有促进作用,但功能多样性的互补效应对维持群落稳定性的作用更大。结果表明,功能多样性和功能冗余对群落稳定性的相对影响与其变化程度正相关,功能多样性与群落稳定性的变化具有更紧密的联系,能更好地预测生态系统稳定性的变化。研究为草原生态系统的可持续管理提供了重要启示。     

Stability response of alpine meadow communities to temperature and precipitation changes on the Northern Tibetan Plateau

Biomass temporal stability plays a key role in maintaining sustainable ecosystem functions and services of grasslands, and climate change has exerted a profound impact on plant biomass. However, it remains unclear how the community biomass stability in alpine meadows responds to changes in some climate factors (e.g., temperature and precipitation). Long‐term field aboveground biomass monitoring was conducted in four alpine meadows (Haiyan [HY], Henan [HN], Gande [GD], and Qumalai [QML]) on the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. We found that climate factors and ecological factors together affected the community biomass stability and only the stability of HY had a significant decrease over the study period. The community biomass stability at each site was positively correlated with both the stability of the dominant functional group and functional groups asynchrony. The effect of dominant functional groups on community stability decreased with the increase of the effect of functional groups asynchrony on community stability and there may be a ‘trade‐off’ relationship between the effects of these two factors on community stability. Climatic factors directly or indirectly affect community biomass stability by influencing the stability of the dominant functional group or functional groups asynchrony. Air temperature and precipitation indirectly affected the community stability of HY and HN, but air temperature in the growing season and nongrowing season had direct negative and direct positive effects on the community stability of GD and QML, respectively. The underlying mechanisms varied between community composition and local climate conditions. Our findings highlighted the role of dominant functional group and functional groups asynchrony in maintaining community biomass stability in alpine meadows and we highlighted the importance of the environmental context when exploring the stability influence mechanism. Studies of community stability in alpine meadows along with different precipitation and temperature gradients are needed to improve our comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms controlling alpine meadow stability.     

Effects of grazing disturbance on plant diversity,community structure and direction of succession in an alpine meadow on Tibet Plateau,China

To elucidate the effects of grazing intensity and grazing time on plant diversity and community structure, as well as the successional differentiation in an alpine meadow, a controlled grazing trial, with six grazing intensities on an alpine meadow was conducted in the eastern Qilian Mountain region for four years. Using species accumulation curves, RDA ordination and variance decomposition, we analyzed the changes in proportion of dominant species, richness, abundance, as well as the life forms of plant communities under grazing disturbance. Both the grazing intensity and grazing time had a significant effect on these dominant species, richness, abundance, as well as the life forms in the plant community (P < 0.01). More detailed results showed that: (1) The richness and abundance of plant species were highest in the light grazing plot, and these increased as time passed. In the heavy grazing plot, the abundance of plant species decreased as time passed, but the richness of these species did not change significantly. (2) The abundance of Gramineae and Umbelliferae were negatively and significantly correlated with the duration of grazing treatments, whereas Plantaginaceae and Geraniaceae were positively and significantly correlated with the grazing intensity. Over time, the abundance of bunch-type plants decreased and other life forms of plants have increased. With the increase in grazing intensity, the plants' abundance with the rosette type did not change, but other life forms of plants decreased. The results of variance decomposition indicated that grazing disturbance has had greater effects on life forms and plant populations, followed by the changes in the dominant species and their abundance, with lesser effects on the richness of the species. Grazing intensity had a greater effect than the duration of the grazing treatment had. The results of PCA showed that the climax community in both the lowest and the highest grazing intensity plots had changed over time. In the sample plots with light grazing intensity, the plant community changed to an Elymus nutans + Poa crymophila community, but later changed to a Melilotoides ruthenicus + Kobresia humilis community under heavy grazing.     

停止人为去除植物功能群后的高寒草甸多样性恢复过程与群落构建

已有大量研究利用功能性状或系统发育来推断群落构建机制, 然而不同过程可能会导致相似的格局。本文基于对甘南高寒草甸植物功能群去除处理后群落恢复过程的跟踪调查, 对比了物种多样性、功能多样性和系统发育多样性的动态变化, 并分析了物种定殖与消失过程对功能多样性和系统发育多样性变化的影响。结果表明: 去除不同数量功能群的群落中: (1)包括物种丰富度(SR)、Shannon-Wiener指数(H°)和Simpson指数(D)在内的传统物种多样性均随时间快速上升并与自然群落趋同, 不同群落的均匀度指数(J)随时间呈增加趋势并趋于相似; 功能多样性(FD)与系统发育多样性(PD)呈现出与物种多样性相似的动态变化趋势, 而平均配对距离(MPD/MPD_a、MFD/MFD_a)则向中等程度聚集。(2)不同群落的功能群和物种组成在短期内均恢复到与自然群落非常相似的程度。(3)物种定殖与消失过程的功能格局是群落恢复过程中趋同效应的主要驱动力。本研究揭示了高寒草甸植物功能群去除停止后群落短期内快速恢复的过程, 说明在小尺度且周边具有大范围未退化草甸的情况下, 无论物种多样性、功能多样性还是系统发育多样性都具有较快的恢复能力, 同时说明了利用群落系统发育多样性格局来推断群落构建机制的局限性。     

Effects of grazing disturbance on plant diversity,community structure and direction of succession in an alpine meadow on Tibet Plateau,China

To elucidate the effects of grazing intensity and grazing time on plant diversity and community structure, as well as the successional differentiation in an alpine meadow, a controlled grazing trial, with six grazing intensities on an alpine meadow was conducted in the eastern Qilian Mountain region for four years. Using species accumulation curves, RDA ordination and variance decomposition, we analyzed the changes in proportion of dominant species, richness, abundance, as well as the life forms of plant communities under grazing disturbance. Both the grazing intensity and grazing time had a significant effect on these dominant species, richness, abundance, as well as the life forms in the plant community (P < 0.01). More detailed results showed that: (1) The richness and abundance of plant species were highest in the light grazing plot, and these increased as time passed. In the heavy grazing plot, the abundance of plant species decreased as time passed, but the richness of these species did not change significantly. (2) The abundance of Gramineae and Umbelliferae were negatively and significantly correlated with the duration of grazing treatments, whereas Plantaginaceae and Geraniaceae were positively and significantly correlated with the grazing intensity. Over time, the abundance of bunch-type plants decreased and other life forms of plants have increased. With the increase in grazing intensity, the plants' abundance with the rosette type did not change, but other life forms of plants decreased. The results of variance decomposition indicated that grazing disturbance has had greater effects on life forms and plant populations, followed by the changes in the dominant species and their abundance, with lesser effects on the richness of the species. Grazing intensity had a greater effect than the duration of the grazing treatment had. The results of PCA showed that the climax community in both the lowest and the highest grazing intensity plots had changed over time. In the sample plots with light grazing intensity, the plant community changed to an Elymus nutans + Poa crymophila community, but later changed to a Melilotoides ruthenicus + Kobresia humilis community under heavy grazing.     

Seasonal patterns of root and shoot interactions in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau

Aims Numerous studies have showed that the balance between negative and positive plant–plant interactions shifted along environmental gradients. But little is known how the positive or negative plant–plant interactions varied with temporal fluctuating habitat conditions and plant ontogenetic phases.Methods In a 2-year experiment, the four perennial grasses (Kobresia humilis, Stipa aliena, Elymus nutans and Saussurea superba) were grown under four interaction treatments (no root or shoot interaction, only shoot interaction, only root interaction, root and shoot interaction). Intensity of above- and belowground interactions is proposed to vary with the fluctuation of seasonal climatic conditions and soil available nutrients. Here we report measurements of above- and belowground interactions during entire growing season. Correlation between plant interaction intensity and seasonal soil available N as well as habitat climate conditions was also performed.Important findings Our experiment found that root interactions had negative effect on plant growth for the four species during growing season. However, both negative and positive shoot interactions occurred among the four species. Despite there being shoot facilitative effect for E. nutans and S. superba, the full interaction was negative, suggested that root interaction take more important role on plant growth than that of shoot interaction. The interaction between root and shoot effect varied as a function of species identity and growth phases. The weak correlation of plant interaction intensity to habitat environmental factors suggested that plant ontogenetic characteristics may be primary factors causing temporal variation in plant interaction.     

高寒草甸退化对土壤昆虫多样性的影响

土壤昆虫是陆地生态系统的重要组成部分,在物质循环和能量转化过程中起着重要的作用。为了查明高寒草甸生态系统退化对土壤昆虫群落的影响,于2011年的4、5、7和10月份别对青藏东缘的若尔盖高寒草甸的沼泽草甸、草原草甸、中度退化草甸和重度退化草甸的土壤昆虫群落进行了调查。共捕获土壤昆虫4172只,隶属于8目35科,共46类。优势类群有尖眼蕈蚊科幼虫(Sciaridae larvae)、摇蚊科幼虫(Chironomidae larvae)和象甲科幼虫(Curculionidae larvae),其中尖眼蕈蚊科幼虫为各退化阶段的共同优势类群。重度退化草甸的土壤昆虫密度和多样性指数均显著低于其它退化阶段(P0.01)。各退化阶段间的Sorenson相似性和Morisita-Horn相似性指数变化趋势表明退化对土壤昆虫的类群组和优势类群的个体数量影响较大。而土壤昆虫的群落密度和多样性指数的季节动态在不同退化阶段间也存在差异。此外,高寒草甸的退化还可影响昆虫群落优势类群的时空分布,但不同类群间存在差异。相关分析结果表明土壤昆虫多样性与土壤p H值呈显著负相关(P0.01),与地下生物量和磷含量呈显著正相关(P0.01),而密度仅与p H值呈显著负相关(P0.01)。研究结果表明高寒草甸退化可通过改变植物群落及土壤等环境因子影响土壤昆虫群落组成和多样性的空间分布和季节动态。     

刈割和施肥对高寒草甸物种多样性和功能多样性时间动态及其关系的影响

强烈扰动和环境胁迫对植物群落的物种多样性(SD)和功能多样性(FD)有重要影响, 但SD和FD随时间的变化模式及其关系至今少有研究。该研究通过对高寒矮生嵩草(Kobresia humilis)草甸为期7年(2007-2013年)的刈割(3个水平: 不刈割、留茬3 cm和留茬1 cm)和施肥(2个水平: 施肥和不施肥)控制实验探讨了SD和FD随时间的变化模式及其关系。研究结果显示: (1)刈割显著增加了SD和FD, 施肥处理则降低了SD, 对FD增加仅有微弱影响; (2)各处理群落的SD随着时间而下降, FD则随时间增加; (3)随着刈割强度的增加, SD(x)-FD(y)关系由正线性相关变为无相关, 斜率大小为slope_l ≥ slope_m > slope_h (下标l、m和h分别表示轻度、中度和重度扰动强度), 施肥并不会改变此关系形式和斜率; (4)刈割与施肥对SD和FD的互作效应都不显著, 且不施肥群落SD(x)-FD(y)关系的斜率也为slope_l ≥ slope_m > slope_h。上述结果说明, 刈割并不一定导致植物功能性状的趋同构建, 也能引发趋异构建, 而施肥引起的强烈种间竞争也并未显著增强趋异构建过程, 这与植物群落构建理论的预测不完全一致。与施肥相比, 刈割扰动是决定群落中SD-FD时间关系形式的主要因素, 并决定着SD-FD关系斜率的变化。     

青藏高原高寒草甸植物群落生物量对氮、磷添加的响应

青藏高原正经历着明显的温暖化过程, 由此引起的土壤温度的升高促进了土壤中微生物的活性, 同时青藏高原东缘地区大气氮沉降十分明显, 并呈逐年增加的趋势, 这些环境变化均促使土壤中可利用营养元素增加, 因此深入了解青藏高原高寒草甸植物生物量对可利用营养元素增加的响应, 是准确预测未来全球变化背景下青藏高原高寒草甸碳循环过程的重要基础。该研究基于在青藏高原高寒草甸连续4年(2009-2012年)氮、磷添加后对不同功能群植物地上生物量、群落地上和地下生物量的测定, 探讨高寒草甸生态系统碳输入对氮、磷添加的响应。结果表明: (1)氮、磷添加均极显著增加了禾草的地上绝对生物量及其在群落总生物量中所占的比例, 同时均显著降低了杂类草在群落总生物量中的比例, 此外磷添加极显著降低了莎草地上绝对生物量及其在群落总生物量中所占的比例。(2)氮、磷添加均显著促进了青藏高原高寒草甸的地上生物量增加, 分别增加了24%和52%。(3)氮添加对高寒草甸地下生物量无显著影响, 而磷添加后地下生物量有增加的趋势。(4)氮添加对高寒草甸植物总生物量无显著影响, 而磷添加后植物总生物量显著增加。研究表明, 氮、磷添加可缓解青藏高原高寒草甸植物生长的营养限制, 促进植物地上部分的生长, 然而高寒草甸植物的生长极有可能更受土壤中可利用磷含量的限制。     

Additive effects of warming and grazing on fine-root decomposition and loss of nutrients in an alpine meadow

增温和放牧对高寒草甸植物细根的分解和养分丧失具有叠加效应 细根的分解是调控生态系统碳循环,影响养分循环以及土壤肥力的关键过程。然而,在自然生态系统中关于增温和放牧影响细根分解的研究十分匮乏。本研究利用非对称增温(即：昼夜和季节性不对称)和适度放牧(约50%饲草利用率)的两因素野外控制试验,探讨增温和放牧对青藏高原高寒草甸为期两年的细根分解和养分丧失的影响。增温和放牧通过提高细根分解促进了碳的循环,并影响了元素循环,但各元素的循环特征各自不同。增温和放牧对细根分解和养分丧失的影响是叠加的。试验两年期间,增温和放牧显著提高了细根累积生物量和总有机碳的丧失量。仅增温并放牧处理显著降低了氮元素百分率丧失量,而无论放牧与否,增温显著降低了磷元素苞粉率丧失量。与对照比较,仅增温或放牧提高了钾、钠、钙、镁的百分率丧失量。增温和放牧对细根分解和养分丧失未呈现交互影响。降低磷丧失较减低氮丧失对温度更加敏感。在未来变暖情景下,细根分解产生的不同养分百分率丧失对温度的敏感性差异可能调整不同养分在土壤中的有效率,进而影响生态系统的结构和功能。     

高原鼠兔干扰对高寒草甸β多样性的影响

β多样性反映生物群落沿某一环境梯度的物种周转速率, 该研究尝试采用β多样性揭示植物群落随小型啮齿草食动物干扰梯度变化的生态过程。该研究利用野外随机样地的采集数据, 分析了高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae)不同干扰强度下Whittaker指数的变化特征, 并利用群落二元丰富度的方差分解法, 确定了单个物种(SCBD)和单个干扰位点(LCBD)对β多样性的贡献。主要结果: 随高原鼠兔干扰强度增加, 植物群落内物种周转速率呈先增加后降低的趋势; 占据位点数居中的物种对区域内的β多样性贡献较大, 其中冰草(Agropyron cristatum)、臭蒿(Artemisia hedinii)、小花草玉梅(Anemone rivularis var. flore-minore)等单个物种对整个区域内β多样性的贡献最为突出; 整个区域内干扰位点T₀ (高原鼠兔干扰强度为0)对区域β多样性贡献值最大, LCBD值和该位点的群落丰富度呈显著负相关关系, 但与高原鼠兔干扰强度无显著关联。说明重点保护LCBD值高的干扰位点所在的高寒草甸, 以及SCBD值较高的冰草、臭蒿、小花草玉梅, 对保护高原鼠兔存在时高寒草甸植物群落多样性具有重要意义。     

Grazing buffers the effect of climate change on the species diversity of seedlings in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau

Climate change predominated by warming over the past decades has affected plant biodiversity, distribution, and ecosystem functioning in alpine grasslands. Yet, little is known about the interactive effect of climate change and grazing on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Here, we conducted a vegetation translocation experiment (ten soil‐vegetation blocks were translocated from high‐altitudinal site 3,245 m to low‐altitudinal site 3,045 m) combined with grazing treatment in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. The results showed that (a) translocation induced effect of climate change from harsh, high‐altitudinal site to benign, low‐altitudinal site significantly promoted species richness, and density of asexual and sexual seedling, with an increase in the proportion of asexual recruitment to sexual recruitment; (b) grazing decreased the proportion of asexual seedling to sexual recruitment within community, led to a shift in the dominant plant functional groups from graminoids and legumes to forbs; and (c) grazing partly offset the increased species richness of seedling, but not seedling density, induced by climate change. These findings suggest that moderate grazing may buffer the effect of climate change on the plant community composition, and thus, functional role in alpine meadows. Further understanding the influence of climate change on grassland ecosystems needs to consider the non‐additive effect of grazing and climate change to sustainability of grassland services.     

围封与放牧管理对高寒草甸植物功能性状和功能多样性的影响

植物功能性状能够响应生存环境的变化并直接决定着生态系统功能。为了揭示围封与放牧管理对物种共存和驱动群落构建的影响机理,该研究以青藏高原东缘高寒草甸为对象,分析了围封与放牧处理对植物功能性状和功能多样性的影响。结果显示:(1)在群落水平,放牧显著降低了比叶面积和植物高度;在物种水平,放牧群落中多数杂类草比叶面积减小,而莎草类和禾草类的比叶面积在处理间无显著差异。(2)叶干物质含量与比叶面积在围封和放牧处理中均呈显著负相关关系,在放牧处理中,叶干物质含量与植物高度呈显著的二次函数关系,即随着叶干物质含量的增大,植物高度先减小后增大;在同等比叶面积的情况下,与围封相比,放牧降低了叶干物质含量;在相同叶干物质含量的情况下,与围封相比,放牧降低了植物高度。(3)放牧在总体上降低了种间性状的平均差异,植物性状表现出趋同响应,具体表现为放牧减小了叶干物质含量和植物高度的种间差异;与围封相比,放牧显著提高了功能均匀度,减小了功能分离度。研究表明,不同植物种对放牧的响应模式存在差异,放牧降低了种间对光资源的竞争,可能增加了对土壤养分的竞争,放牧驱动群落构建的过程中,土壤养分是非常重要的作用因子,说明放牧影响物种共存依赖于对多种资源的竞争。