Vegetation and Soil 15N Natural Abundance in Alpine Grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau: Patterns and Implications

The natural abundance of nitrogen (N) stable isotopes (δ¹⁵N) has the potential to enhance our understanding of the ecosystem N cycle at large spatial scales. However, vegetation and soil δ¹⁵N patterns along climatic and edaphic gradients have not yet been fully understood, particularly for high-altitude ecosystems. Here we determined vegetation and soil δ¹⁵N in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau by conducting four consecutive regional surveys during 2001–2004, and then examined their relationships with both climatic and edaphic variables. Our results showed that both vegetation and soil N in Tibetan alpine grasslands were more ¹⁵N-enriched than global averages. Vegetation δ¹⁵N did not exhibit any significant trend along the temperature gradient, but decreased significantly with an increase in precipitation amount. In contrast, soil δ¹⁵N did not vary with either mean annual temperature or precipitation. Our results also indicated that soil δ¹⁵N exhibited a slight increase with clay content, but decreased with soil carbon:nitrogen ratio. A general linear model analysis revealed that variations in vegetation δ¹⁵N were dominantly determined by climatic variables, whereas soil δ¹⁵N was related to edaphic variables. These results provide clues for potential climatic and edaphic regulations on ecosystem N cycle in these high-altitude regions.     

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。     

Nitrogen limitation and microbial diversity at the treeline

Tree growth limitation at treeline has mainly been studied in terms of carbon limitation while effects and mechanisms of potential nitrogen (N) limitation are barely known, especially in the southern hemisphere. We investigated how soil abiotic properties and microbial community structure and composition change from lower to upper sites within three vegetation belts (Nothofagus betuloides and N. pumilio forests, and alpine vegetation) across an elevation gradient (from 0 to 650 m a.s.l.) in Cordillera Darwin, southern Patagonia. Increasing elevation was associated with a decrease in soil N‐NH₄⁺ availability within the N. pumilio and the alpine vegetation belt. Within the alpine vegetation belt, a concurrent increase in the soil C:N ratio was associated with a shift from bacterial‐dominated in lower alpine sites to fungal‐dominated microbial communities in upper alpine sites. Lower forested belts (N. betuloides, N. pumilio) exhibited more complex patterns both in terms of soil properties and microbial communities. Overall, our results concur with recent findings from high‐latitude and altitude ecosystems showing decreased nutrient availability with elevation, leading to fungal‐dominated microbial communities. We suggest that growth limitation at treeline may result, in addition to proximal climatic parameters, from a competition between trees and soil microbial communities for limited soil inorganic N. At higher elevation, soil microbial communities could have comparably greater capacities to uptake soil N than trees, and the shift towards a fungal‐dominated community would favour N immobilization over N mineralization. Though evidences of altered nutrient dynamics in tree and alpine plant tissue with increasing altitude remain needed, we contend that the measured residual low amount of inorganic N available for trees in the soil could participate to the establishment limitation. Finally, our results suggest that responses of soil microbial communities to elevation could be influenced by functional properties of forest communities for instance through variations in litter quality.     

Reliability of pollen ratios for environmental reconstructions on the Tibetan Plateau

Aim Pollen ratios are widely used to gain palaeovegetation and palaeoclimatic information from fossil pollen spectra, although their applicability has seldom been tested with modern pollen data. I used a data set of 113 lake‐surface sediments from the eastern Tibetan Plateau to test the reliability of several pollen ratios. Location The lake‐surface pollen spectra cover a wide range of vegetation types (temperate desert, temperate steppe, alpine desert, alpine steppe, high‐alpine meadow, sub‐alpine shrub, coniferous and mixed forest) and climatic conditions (mean July temperature, T_July: 4.0–17.4°C; mean annual precipitation, P_ann: 104–670 mm). Methods Lake‐surface sediments were analysed palynologically, and several pollen ratios were calculated. These ratios were interpreted with respect to vegetation and climatic conditions. Results The arboreal pollen sum (AP) was highest in samples from forested areas and was significantly correlated with P_ann (r² = 0.44). In non‐forested areas, samples from large lakes and from lakes surrounded by sparse vegetation had increased AP values, suggesting that AP is a useful vegetation density indicator. Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae (A/C) ratios were lowest in desert areas and were positively correlated with P_ann (r² = 0.25). The aridity pollen index was inappropriate for inferring (palaeo‐)climatic information from samples on the eastern Tibetan Plateau as it had no significant correlation with the environmental factors. Artemisia/Cyperaceae (A/Cy) ratios had a significant correlation with T_July (r² = 0.23), but only a weak correlation with P_ann, which indicates that the A/Cy ratio is applicable as a temperature indicator. Furthermore, it is a valuable tool for the differentiation of high‐alpine meadow from steppe vegetation. Main conclusions AP sum, A/C ratio and A/Cy ratio are useful tools for qualitative and semi‐quantitative palaeoenvironmental reconstruction on the Tibetan Plateau; however, the results obtained should not be interpreted quantitatively.     

青藏高原植被样带地上部分生物量的分布格局（英文）

 实测了青藏高原植被样带22个地区不同植被类型的地上部分生物量并进行了格局分析。对于未受人为干扰的以常绿阔叶林为基带的亚高山天然植被,随着海拔升高,地上生物量呈递增趋势,在一定海拔高度达最大,海拔继续升高地上生物量则迅速下降。这一垂直分异规律在一定程度上反映了全球地带性森林植被最大生物量分布的纬向分异性。基于Weber定律的回归分析表明,地上生物量与水热因子的相关关系可用Logistic函数拟合,1月平均气温、7月平均气温、年平均气温、年降水量及其组合因子可解释高原植被样带地上生物量变化的28%～53%,其中年降水量及其同年平均气温的组合与地上生物量的相关性最高（R2为0.46～0.53,p<0.001）。但是,年降水量和平均气温的变化不足以解释西藏色齐拉山暗针叶林具有最高的地上生物量。我们认为,自然植被地上部分生物量的分布格局受到更为复杂的气候因子的制约,例如太阳辐射、湿度、风、水分和能量平衡等。     

Responses of vegetation structure and primary production of a forest transect in eastern China to global change

Aim A regional model of vegetation dynamics was enhanced to include biogeochemical cycling of nitrogen and was then applied to a forest transect in east China (FTEC) in order to investigate the responses of the transect to possible global change. Location Eastern China. Methods Biomass and nitrogen concentration of green and nongreen portions of vegetation, moisture contents of three soil layers, and total and available soil nitrogen are included as state variables in the enhanced model. The model was parameterized and validated against field observations of biomass, productivity, plant and soil nitrogen concentration, nitrogen uptake, a vegetation index derived from satellite remote sensing and digital maps of vegetation and soil distributions along a forest transect in eastern China (FTEC). The model was applied to FTEC in order to investigate the responsive characteristics of the ecosystems to global climatic change. Scenarios of climate change under doubled CO₂ produced by seven general circulation models (GCM) were used to drive the model. Results The simulations indicated that the model is capable of simulating accurately potential vegetation distribution and net primary productivity under contemporary climatic conditions. The simulations for GCM‐projected future climate scenarios with doubled atmospheric CO₂ concentration predicted that broadleaf forests would increase, but conifer forests, shrubs and grasses would decrease; and that deciduous forests would have the largest relative increase, but evergreen shrubs would have the largest decrease. Conclusions The overall effects of doubling CO₂ and climatic changes on FTEC were to produce an increased net primary productivity (NPP) at equilibrium for all seven GCM scenarios. The inclusion of nitrogen dynamics in the model imposes more constraint on the responses of FTEC to climatic change than the previous version of the model without nitrogen dynamics. Temperature exerts a stronger control on NPP than precipitation, as indicated by the negative correlations between NPP and temperature. The southern portion of FTEC, at latitudes less than 33 °N, show much larger increases in annual NPP than in the north. However, the predicted range of NPP increases is much larger in the north than in the south.     

中国西北部草地植被降水利用效率的时空格局

植被降水利用效率(PUE)是评价干旱、半干旱地区植被生产力对降水量时空动态响应特征的重要指标。利用光能利用率CASA(Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach)模型估算了2001—2010年中国西北七省草地植被净初级生产力(NPP),结合降水量的空间插值数据,分析了近十年草地植被PUE的空间分布、主要植被类型的PUE,及其时空格局的驱动因素。结果表明:(1)2001—2010年西北七省草地植被的平均PUE为0.68 g C m~(-2)mm~(-1)。在温带草地各类型中,PUE的大小顺序为草甸草原灌丛典型草原荒漠草原荒漠,各类型草地PUE之间差异显著;对于高寒草地而言,高寒草原的PUE显著高于高寒草甸;(2)温带草地PUE的空间分布与年降水量的关系呈抛物线形状(R~2=0.65,P0.001),PUE峰值出现在年降水量P=472.9 mm的地区;荒漠地区植被PUE的空间分布与年降水量的关系同样呈抛物线形状(R~2=0.63,P0.001),PUE峰值出现在年降水量P=263.2mm的地区;对于高寒草地而言,年降水量100 mm以下地区植被PUE变异较大,年降水量大于100 mm的地区植被PUE的空间分布随降水量的变化呈抛物线形状(R~2=0.47,P0.001),PUE峰值出现在P=559.2 mm的地区;(3)不同降水量区域,植被PUE的年际波动与气候因子的关系也有较大差别。在年降水量为200—1000 mm的地区,草地PUE的年际波动与年降水量的变化呈正相关;在年降水量高于1050 mm的地区,草地PUE的年际波动与年均温的相关性较强,相关系数最高可达到0.4。     

内蒙古植被降水利用效率的时空格局及其驱动因素

植被降水利用效率(precipitation-use efficiency, PUE)是评价干旱、半干旱地区植被生产力对降水量时空动态响应特征的重要指标。该研究利用光能利用率CASA (Carnegie-Ames-Stanford Approach)模型估算了2001-2010年内蒙古地区植被净初级生产力(net primary productivity, NPP), 结合降水量的空间插值数据, 分析了近10年内蒙古地区植被PUE的空间分布、主要植被类型的PUE,及其时空格局的驱动因素。结果表明: 2001-2010年内蒙古地区所有植被的平均PUE为0.94 g C·m^-2·mm^-1, 且在105-120° E地带性规律明显,PUE上升速率为每10° 0.55 g C·m^-2·mm^-1。各植被类型间PUE差别较大, 其中灌丛PUE最高, 荒漠PUE最低。在不同的降水量区域, 植被PUE的空间分布与气候因子的关系有较大差别, 0-75 mm降水量区间内, PUE随降水量、气温的升高显著下降(R² = 0.226, p < 0.05); 175-300 mm降水量区间内, 植被 PUE的空间变化与降水量和气温呈极显著相关关系(R² = 0.878, p < 0.001), 且随降水量的增加显著上升( R² = 0.94, p < 0.001), 变化速率约为每100 mm降水0.57 g C·m ^-2·mm^-1; 在降水量大于475 mm的区域, 植被PUE的空间分布与降水量、气温的相关性显著(R² = 0.19, p < 0.05), 且随着气温的上升、降水量的下降而增加, 其中气温的贡献是降水量的8.61倍。在不同的降水量区域, 植被 PUE的年际波动与气候因子的关系也有较大差别, 对于年降水量0-220 mm的地区, PUE的年际波动与降水量呈正相关性、与气温呈负相关性; 在年降水量为220-310 mm的地区, PUE的年际波动主要受降水量的控制, 受气温影响较小; 在年降水量>310 mm的地区,PUE的年际波动与降水量、气温均呈正相关关系, 但在降水量越高的地区, PUE的年际波动与降水量的相关性越弱, 与气温的相关性越强。植被覆盖度与PUE的空间分布极显著相关(R² = 0.73, p < 0.001), 且与 PUE的年际波动也存在线性相关关系(R² = 0.11, p < 0.001); 叶面积指数( LAI)与PUE的年际波动呈线性相关关系(R² = 0.42, p < 0.001), 而当 LAI < 3.15时, PUE的空间分布随LAI增加而呈线性增加。     

Net primary production, carbon storage and climate change in Chinese biomes

Net primary production (NPP) and leaf area index (LAI) of Chinese biomes were simulated by BIOME3 under the present climate, and their responses to climate change and doubled CO₂ under a future climatic scenario using output from Hadley Center coupled ocean‐atmosphere general circulation model with CO₂ modelled at 340 and 500 ppmv. The model estimated annual mean NPP of the biomes in China to be between 0 and 1270.7 gC m^‐2 yr^‐1 at present. The highest productivity was found in tropical seasonal and rain forests while temperate forests had an intermediate NPP, which is higher than a lower NPP of temperate savannas, grasslands and steppes. The lowest NPP occurred in desert, alpine tundra and ice/polar desert in cold or arid regions, especially on the Tibetan Plateau. The lowest monthly NPP of each biome occurred generally in February and the highest monthly NPP occurred during the summer (June to August). The annual mean NPP and LAI of most of biomes at changed climate with CO₂ at 340 and 500 ppmv (direct effects on physiology) would be greater than present. The direct effects of carbon dioxide on plant physiology result in significant increase of LAI and NPP. The carbon storage of Chinese biomes at present and changed climates was calculated by the carbon density and vegetation area method. The present estimates of carbon storage are totally 175.83 × 10¹² gC (57.57 × 10¹² gC in vegetation and 118.28 × 10¹² gC in soils). Changed climate without and with the CO₂ direct physiological effects will result in an increase of carbon storage of 5.1 and 16.33 × 10¹², gC compared to present, respectively. The interaction between elevated CO₂ and climate change plays an important role in the overall responses of NPP and carbon to climate change.     

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.     

Elevated carbon dioxide and ozone alter productivity and ecosystem carbon content in northern temperate forests

Three young northern temperate forest communities in the north‐central United States were exposed to factorial combinations of elevated carbon dioxide (CO₂) and tropospheric ozone (O₃) for 11 years. Here, we report results from an extensive sampling of plant biomass and soil conducted at the conclusion of the experiment that enabled us to estimate ecosystem carbon (C) content and cumulative net primary productivity (NPP). Elevated CO₂ enhanced ecosystem C content by 11%, whereas elevated O₃ decreased ecosystem C content by 9%. There was little variation in treatment effects on C content across communities and no meaningful interactions between CO₂ and O₃. Treatment effects on ecosystem C content resulted primarily from changes in the near‐surface mineral soil and tree C, particularly differences in woody tissues. Excluding the mineral soil, cumulative NPP was a strong predictor of ecosystem C content (r² = 0.96). Elevated CO₂ enhanced cumulative NPP by 39%, a consequence of a 28% increase in canopy nitrogen (N) content (g N m^?2) and a 28% increase in N productivity (NPP/canopy N). In contrast, elevated O₃ lowered NPP by 10% because of a 21% decrease in canopy N, but did not impact N productivity. Consequently, as the marginal impact of canopy N on NPP (?NPP/?N) decreased through time with further canopy development, the O₃ effect on NPP dissipated. Within the mineral soil, there was less C in the top 0.1 m of soil under elevated O₃ and less soil C from 0.1 to 0.2 m in depth under elevated CO₂. Overall, these results suggest that elevated CO₂ may create a sustained increase in NPP, whereas the long‐term effect of elevated O₃ on NPP will be smaller than expected. However, changes in soil C are not well‐understood and limit our ability to predict changes in ecosystem C content.     

Attribution of seasonal leaf area index trends in the northern latitudes with “optimally” integrated ecosystem models

Significant increases in remotely sensed vegetation indices in the northern latitudes since the 1980s have been detected and attributed at annual and growing season scales. However, we presently lack a systematic understanding of how vegetation responds to asymmetric seasonal environmental changes. In this study, we first investigated trends in the seasonal mean leaf area index (LAI) at northern latitudes (north of 30°N) between 1982 and 2009 using three remotely sensed long‐term LAI data sets. The most significant LAI increases occurred in summer (0.009 m² m^?2 year^?1, p < .01), followed by autumn (0.005 m² m^?2 year^?1, p < .01) and spring (0.003 m² m^?2 year^?1, p < .01). We then quantified the contribution of elevating atmospheric CO₂ concentration (eCO₂), climate change, nitrogen deposition, and land cover change to seasonal LAI increases based on factorial simulations from 10 state‐of‐the‐art ecosystem models. Unlike previous studies that used multimodel ensemble mean (MME), we used the Bayesian model averaging (BMA) to optimize the integration of model ensemble. The optimally integrated ensemble LAI changes are significantly closer to the observed seasonal LAI changes than the traditional MME results. The BMA factorial simulations suggest that eCO₂ provides the greatest contribution to increasing LAI trends in all seasons (0.003–0.007 m² m^?2 year^?1), and is the main factor driving asymmetric seasonal LAI trends. Climate change controls the spatial pattern of seasonal LAI trends and dominates the increase in seasonal LAI in the northern high latitudes. The effects of nitrogen deposition and land use change are relatively small in all seasons (around 0.0002 m² m^?2 year^?1 and 0.0001–0.001 m² m^?2 year^?1, respectively). Our analysis of the seasonal LAI responses to the interactions between seasonal changes in environmental factors offers a new perspective on the response of global vegetation to environmental changes.     

Storage, patterns and controls of soil organic carbon in the Tibetan grasslands

The soils of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau store a large amount of organic carbon, but the magnitude, spatial patterns and environmental controls of the storage are little investigated. In this study, using data of soil organic carbon (SOC) in 405 profiles collected from 135 sites across the plateau and a satellite-based dataset of enhanced vegetation index (EVI) during 2001–2004, we estimated storage and spatial patterns of SOC in the alpine grasslands. We also explored the relationships between SOC density (soil carbon storage per area) and climatic variables and soil texture. Our results indicated that SOC storage in the top 1 m in the alpine grasslands was estimated at 7.4 Pg C (1 Pg=10¹⁵ g), with an average density of 6.5 kg m⁻². The density of SOC decreased from the southeastern to the northwestern areas, corresponding to the precipitation gradient. The SOC density increased significantly with soil moisture, clay and silt content, but weakly with mean annual temperature. These variables could together explain about 72% of total variation in SOC density, of which 54% was attributed to soil moisture, suggesting a key role of soil moisture in shaping spatial patterns of SOC density in the alpine grasslands.     

Climate-driven changes in shoot density and shoot biomass in Leymus chinensis (Poaceae) on the North-east China Transect (NECT)

Aim Climate‐driven changes affecting ecosystem primary production have been well documented for many vegetation types, while the effects of climate on plant populations remains unclear. Herein, we address the relationships between climatic variables and shoot density, reproductive allocation and shoot biomass in Leymus chinensis on a large‐scale climatic gradient in 2000. Location Nine sites experiencing similar light regimes, but differing in longitude, precipitation and altitude were selected on the North‐east China Transect (NECT) from 115° to 124°E, around a latitude of 43.5°N. Methods Densities of total, vegetative and reproductive shoots and of shoot biomass were measured twice over the growing season in each site. Climatic data were taken from the climate database of the Laboratory of Quantitative Vegetation Ecology, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences and from the local weather stations throughout the NECT. Results Densities of total, vegetative and reproductive shoots increased significantly from the west to the east and from dry to moist along the NECT, and were strongly correlated with annual precipitation (r² = 0.934, 0.943 and 0.863, respectively) and an aridity index (r² = 0.809, 0.816 and 0.744, respectively). The average total shoot density at the east end (470/m²) was about three times that at the west (160/m²). Reproductive allocation and shoot biomass for both vegetative and reproductive shoots increased with precipitation and declined with the aridity index along the NECT. There were positive correlations between shoot biomass and annual precipitation for vegetative shoots (P < 0.05, R² = 0.604) and March precipitation for reproductive shoots (P < 0.05, R² = 0.533), respectively. Main conclusions These findings suggest that L. chinensis adjusts to decreasing precipitation/increasing aridity by alterations in shoot density, reproductive allocation and shoot biomass along the drought gradient of the NECT.     

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.     

Considerable methane uptake by alpine grasslands despite the cold climate: in situ measurements on the central Tibetan Plateau, 2008–2013

The uptake of CH₄ by aerate soil plays a secondary role in the removal of tropospheric CH₄, but it is still highly uncertain in terms of its magnitude, spatial, and temporal variation. In an attempt to quantify the sink of the vast alpine grasslands (1 400 000 km²) of the Tibetan Plateau, we conducted in situ measurements in an alpine steppe (4730 m) and alpine meadow (4900 m) using the static chamber and gas chromatograph method. For the alpine steppe, measurements (2008–2013) suggested that there is large interannual variability in CH₄ uptake, ranging from ?48.8 to ?95.8 μg CH₄ m^?2 h^?1 (averaged of ?71.5 ± 2.5 μg CH₄ m^?2 h^?1), due to the variability in precipitation seasonality. The seasonal pattern of CH₄ uptakes in the form of stronger uptake in the early growing season and weaker uptake in the rainy season closely matched the precipitation seasonality and subsequent soil moisture variation. The relationships between alpine steppe CH₄ uptake and soil moisture/temperature are best depicted by a quadratic function and an exponential function (Q₁₀ = 1.67) respectively. Our measurements also showed that the alpine meadow soil (average of ?59.2 ± 3.7 μg CH₄ m^?2 h^?1) uptake less CH₄ than the alpine steppe and produces a similar seasonal pattern, which is negatively regulated by soil moisture. Our measurements quantified – at values far higher than those estimated by process‐based models – that both the alpine steppe and alpine meadow are considerable CH₄ sinks, despite the cold weather of this high‐altitude area. The consecutive measurements gathered in this study also highlight that precipitation seasonality tends to drive the interannual variation in CH₄ uptake, indicating that future study should be done to better characterize how CH₄ cycling might feedback to the more extreme climate.     

Does climate determine broad‐scale patterns of species richness? A test of the causal link by natural experiment

Aim Broad‐scale spatial patterns of species richness are very strongly correlated with climatic variables. If there is a causal link, i.e. if climate directly or indirectly determines patterns of richness, then when the climatic variables change, richness should change in the manner that spatial correlations between richness and climate would predict. The present study tests this prediction using seasonal changes in climatic variables and bird richness. Location We used a grid of equal area quadrats (37 000 km²) covering North and Central America as far south as Nicaragua. Methods Summer and winter bird distribution data were drawn from monographs and field guides. Climatic data came from published sources. We also used remotely sensed NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index — a measure of greenness). Results Bird species richness changes temporally (between summer and winter) in a manner that is close to, but statistically distinguishable from, the change one would predict from models relating the spatial variation in richness at a single time to climatic variables. If one further takes into account the seasonal changes in NDVI and within‐season variability of temperature and precipitation, then winter and summer richness follow congruent, statistically indistinguishable patterns. Main conclusions Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that climatic variables (temperature and precipitation) and vegetation cover directly or indirectly influence patterns of bird species richness.     

Modern pollen representation of source vegetation in the Qaidam Basin and surrounding mountains, north-eastern Tibetan Plateau

We use a data set of 35 surface pollen samples from lake sediments, moss polsters and top soils on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau to explore the relationship between modern pollen assemblages and contemporary vegetation patterns. The surface pollen transect spanned four vegetation zones––alpine meadow, steppe, steppe desert and desert––under different climatic/elevational conditions. Relative representation (R _rel) values and Principal Components Analysis (PCA) were used to determine the relationships between modern pollen and vegetation and regional climate gradients. The results show that the main vegetation zones along the regional and elevational transects can be distinguished by their modern pollen spectra. Relative to Poaceae, a high representation of Artemisia, Nitraria and Chenopodiaceae was found, while Cyperaceae and Gentiana showed values in the middle range, and Ranunculaceae, Asteraceae, Ephedra and Fabaceae had low relative representation values. PCA results indicate a high correlation between the biogeoclimatic zones and annual precipitation and annual temperature and July temperature. The Artemisia/Chenopodiaceae ratio and the Artemisia/Cyperaceae ratio are useful tools for qualitative and semi-quantitative palaeoenvironmental reconstruction on the north-eastern Tibetan Plateau. Surface lake sediments are found to have different palynomorph spectra from moss cushion and soil samples, reflecting the larger pollen source area in the contemporary vegetation for lakes.     

Leaf life span as a simple predictor of evergreen forest zonation in China

Aim Our aim was to investigate how the average life span of canopy leaves might be used to predict the geographical distribution of natural forests at large geographical scales, and to explore the link between leaf characteristics and ecosystem functioning. We examine whether there is a general relationship between canopy mean leaf life span and climate (i.e. temperature and precipitation) that can be used to predict evergreen forest zonation in China. Location Forest areas in China. Methods During July and August of 2002–2004, we conducted a latitudinal forest transect spanning about 30° of latitude in eastern China. The canopy mean leaf life span was calculated to include all tree species (groups) in each forest plot through weighted averages scaled up from branch‐level measurements. Data from our previous work conducted in the Tibetan Alpine Vegetation Transects (TAVT) and from other investigators were compiled to supplement our results. Based on regression equations developed on the pooled data, and using gridded temperature and precipitation datasets, we simulated the distribution of canopy mean leaf life span for forests in China. The predicted leaf life span zonation was compared with a map of Chinese forest vegetation divisions published in 1980. Results Canopy mean leaf life span across 10 evergreen forest plots in eastern China showed a decreasing trend as mean annual temperature increased, following a common logistic pattern consistent with the data from the TAVT and other investigators. In pooled data for 40 evergreen forest plots across tropical and boreal regions, canopy mean leaf life span generally showed a negative relationship with mean annual temperature (r² = 0.72, P < 0.001), and a positive correlation with mean annual precipitation where mean annual temperature was > 8°C (r² = 0.45, P < 0.01). The climate‐based simulations of leaf life span zonation compared well with the previously published boundaries of forest vegetation divisions in eastern China. Main conclusions Our results reveal that mean leaf life span in evergreen forests follows a common logistic pattern associated with mean annual temperature and precipitation, which can in turn be used to predict evergreen forest zonation in eastern China.     

A regional impact assessment of climate and land-use change on alpine vegetation

Aim Assessing potential response of alpine plant species distribution to different future climatic and land‐use scenarios. Location Four mountain ranges totalling 150 km² in the north‐eastern Calcareous Alps of Austria. Methods Ordinal regression models of eighty‐five alpine plant species based on environmental constraints and land use determining their abundance. Site conditions are simulated spatially using a GIS, a Digital Terrain Model, meteorological station data and existing maps. Additionally, historical records were investigated to derive data on time spans since pastures were abandoned. This was then used to assess land‐use impacts on vegetation patterns in combination with climatic changes. Results A regionalized GCM scenario for 2050 (+ 0.65 °C, ?30 mm August precipitation) will only lead to local loss of potential habitat for alpine plant species. More profound changes (+ 2 °C, ?30 mm August precipitation; + 2 °C, ?60 mm August precipitation) however, will bring about a severe contraction of the alpine, non‐forest zone, because of range expansion of the treeline conifer Pinus mugo Turra and many alpine species will loose major parts of their habitat. Precipitation change significantly influences predicted future habitat patterns, mostly by enhancing the general trend. Maintenance of summer pastures facilitates the persistence of alpine plant species by providing refuges, but existing pastures are too small in the area to effectively prevent the regional extinction risk of alpine plant species. Main conclusions The results support earlier hypotheses that alpine plant species on mountain ranges with restricted habitat availability above the treeline will experience severe fragmentation and habitat loss, but only if the mean annual temperature increases by 2 °C or more. Even in temperate alpine regions it is important to consider precipitation in addition to temperature when climate impacts are to be assessed. The maintenance of large summer farms may contribute to preventing the expected loss of non‐forest habitats for alpine plant species. Conceptual and technical shortcomings of static equilibrium modelling limit the mechanistic understanding of the processes involved.