Effects of Rosmarinus officinalis neighbors on resprouting of Erica multiflora individuals

To study the effects of competition in Mediterranean shrubland regeneration following disturbance, we used a neighborhood approach to assess the influence of mature Rosmarinus officinalis neighbors on the resprouting of Erica multiflora individuals after clipping. Sprout biomass of target plants 2 years after clipping was regressed against various measures of neighbor abundance within a 2 m radius around target E. multiflora individuals in which all vegetation except R. officinalis had been removed. The largest single influence on the biomass of sprouts produced was the previous biomass of the resprouting plant. The abundance of R. officinalis neighbors had a weak but detectable effect on resprouting of E. multiflora. Abundance of neighbors within 60 cm from target plants was the best predictor of regrowth. At this distance, two simple measures of neighbor abundance within the neighborhood, the number of neighbors and the sum of their heights, were significant in accounting for variation in resprouted biomass. None of the combinations of neighbor variables performed significantly better than single variables. The best models accounted for around 24 percent of the variation in resprout biomass. As in other studies, angular dispersion of neighbors never had a significant effect on performance of target plants. The weak but significant response of resprouting to variation in R. officinalis abundance suggests that the intensity of competition in the experiment was low because of the removal of other species.     

植物功能群去除对高寒草甸群落结构、多样性及生产力的影响

群落中物种的丧失在干扰下普遍存在,但对生态系统过程和功能的影响仍存在较大不确定性。选取青藏高原东缘典型高寒草甸为对象,开展优势植物功能群的梯度去除试验,以模拟长期过牧干扰下物种的损失。经过连续两个生长季的功能群去除,我们对群落的物种组成、结构、多样性和生物量等特征进行了分析,探讨了上述指标的响应过程和机制。研究结果表明：（1）功能群的去除降低了群落高度,增加了物种均匀度,并显著影响了禾草、杂草优势比以及功能群多样性和优势度;（2）同时,去除操作显著减小了凋落物量与禾草生物量,并显著影响了群落地上生物量;（3）进一步分析还发现,禾草、莎草和杂草功能群之间存在显著的竞争关系,群落生产力主要取决于禾草功能群并随物种均匀度的增大而显著减小。上述结果表明,禾草在高寒草甸群落中占据竞争优势地位,植物功能群的损失主要通过改变种间竞争关系、引起有机物质丢失影响群落过程和功能。     

Investigating the relationship between neighbor root biomass and belowground competition: field evidence for symmetric competition belowground

Little is known about how small-scale variation in neighbor biomass can influence the strength of root competition experienced by an individual plant. In this study, modified root exclusion tubes were used to vary the accessibility of the soil space surrounding Amaranthus retroflexus target plants to the neighboring plants. A gradient of root accessibility was created by drilling varying numbers of holes into standard root exclusion tubes, made of 15 cm diameter PVC pipe. Belowground competitive intensity, defined as biomass reduction due to root interactions alone, relative to growth in the absence of neighbors, was then measured along the resulting gradient of neighbor root densities. At low neighbor root abundances the strength of belowground competition was proportional to neighbor root biomass, consistent with prior evidence that belowground competition is symmetric. If belowground competition were asymmetric, neighbor roots should have had little effect on target plants when they are rare relative to those of the target plant. At higher neighbor root abundances, belowground competitive intensity should increase rapidly. The strong relationship found between neighbor root biomass and belowground competitive intensity suggests relatively small variations in root biomass could lead to large variations in belowground competition. Reduced belowground competition in areas with low root biomass could have important implications for the establishment and growth of poor belowground competitors, suggesting a mechanism by which species coexistence may occur despite extremely intense root competition.     

Linear relationships between aboveground biomass and plant cover in low open herbaceous vegetation

Abstract. Four herbaceous plant species of a sand dune area and several herb species of an open early‐successional patch were investigated for the occurrence of a simple relationship between aboveground biomass and plant cover. Without exception linear regressions of aboveground biomass on plant cover were found with slope factors depending on the growth form of the species. These results suggest that (early) growth of herbaceous plants in low and (temporarily) open vegetation is not affected by possible constraints caused by a decreasing ratio of plant cover to aboveground biomass. The obtained linear relationships could be used for rapid non‐destructive determination of aboveground biomass by image‐analysis of cover data.     

The importance of analyzing neighbor competitive response in the target–neighbor experimental design

The role of competition in community structure and species interactions is universal. However, how one quantifies the outcome of competitive interactions is frequently debated. Here, we review the strengths and weaknesses of the target–neighbor design, a type of additive design where one of the competing species is reduced to a single individual and where controls and analyses are used for the target, but not for the neighbors. We conducted a literature review to determine how the target–neighbor design has been typically used and analyzed. We found that historically, targets were often smaller than neighbors and introduced after neighbor establishment; thus, targets would have little effect on neighbors. However, as co‐establishment of targets and neighbors of similar size is now common, the target is more likely to affect the neighbors than in its earlier usage. This can be problematic, because if targets have a significant effect on neighbor performance, bias is introduced into the assessment of the target results. As target treatment controls are necessary to determine the absolute effect of neighbors on target growth, we advocate that analysis of the neighbor competitive response serves as a necessary control for unexpected target x neighbor interactions.     

Effects of Festuca paniculata on the compensatory growth response of Centaurea uniflora in the French Alps

The independent effects of herbivores and neighbors on plants are generally negative, and therefore the combined effects of these interactions are generally assumed to have additive or multiplicative negative effects on plant growth. However, because herbivores can stimulate the growth of plants (compensation). and neighbors can facilitate each other, the combined effects of herbivory and plant-plant interactions can be highly variable and poorly predicted by current competition and plant-herbivore theory. In some cases in North America, Festuca species appear to facilitate invasive Centaurea species and enhance their compensatory responses in controlled greenhouse conditions. We explored the interactions between herbivory and neighbor effects in the French Alps by testing the effect of the neighbor, Festuca paniculata L., on the compensatory growth response of defoliated Centaurea uniflora L. over two growing seasons. Seventy percent of aboveground C. uniflora biomass was clipped at each of seven times throughout two growing seasons in the presence or absence of F. paniculata. Centaurea uniflora compensated for severe damage in the first year, but was negatively affected by defoliation in the second year. Defoliating C. uniflora reduced final aboveground biomass by 44% and flower number by 64%, but did not affect survival. Unlike observations for other Centaurea and Festuca species, F. paniculata had significant competitive effects on C. uniflora. Festuca paniculata neither enhanced compensatory responses of C. uniflora nor increased the negative effects of defoliation. Our results show that compensatory responses can weaken over time, but that neighboring plants do not necessarily increase the negative effects of defoliation.     

Differential response to frequency-dependent interactions: an experimental test using genotypes of an invasive grass

Positive feedbacks have been suggested as a means for non-indigenous species to successfully invade novel environments. Frequency-dependent feedbacks refer to a species performance being dependent on its local abundance in the population; however, frequency dependence is often described as a monolithic trait of a species rather than examining the variation in response for individual genotypes and fitness traits. Here, we investigate frequency-dependent outcomes for individual genotypes and fitness-related traits for the invasive grass Phalaris arundinacea. We tested for competition-mediated frequency dependence by establishing hexagonal arrays with the center target plant surrounded by either same, different or no genotype neighbors to determine how changing the small-scale frequency neighborhood-influenced invasion success. We used a Bayesian ANOVA approach which allowed us to easily accommodate our non-normal dataset and found that same neighbor plots had greater biomass production than different neighbor plots. Target plants also had greater stem height and aboveground biomass when surrounded by same genotype neighbors. A greenhouse experiment did not support the hypothesis that increased mycorrhizal associations were the cause of positive frequency dependence. We devised a frequency-dependent metric to quantify the extent of fitness-related differences for individual genotypes and found that individual genotypes showed a range of both positive and negative responses to different frequency treatments; however, only positive responses were statistically significant. The small-scale genotypic neighborhood had no effect for the fitness-related traits of leaf number, belowground biomass and total biomass. We demonstrate that individual invasive genotypes respond differently to changing frequency neighborhoods and that growth responses do not respond with the same direction and magnitude. A range of frequency-dependent responses may allow genotypes to invade a wide range of environments.     

EFFECTS OF COMPETITION AND DISTURBANCE ON THE RESPROUTING PERFORMANCE OF THE MEDITERRANEAN SHRUB ERICA MULTIFLORA L. (ERICACEAE)

Two field experiments were designed to evaluate the importance of competition, fire, repeated disturbance, and their interactions on the vegetative and reproductive performance of the Mediterranean shrub Erica multiflora over a 2.5-yr period. In a burn experiment, fire was applied to the ground-level stumps of previously clipped 13-yr-old plants with a propane torch and competition was diminished by removal of neighboring plants. Fire resulted in a reduction of sprout vigor and biomass of flowers; mature neighbors also reduced E. multiflora sprout vigor and flowering. The interaction between fire and competition was nonsignificant. In a stand burned by a wildfire we studied the effects of regenerating neighbors on target plants by removing all neighbors or only Quercus coccifera, the most dominant species in the burned stand. In this stand we also simulated herbivory by repeatedly clipping the sprouts of E. multiflora. Regenerating neighbors did not affect target plant sprout vigor after the wildfire, but did cause a decrease in the biomass of flowers per plant. Survival decreased after repeated clipping but was not affected by neighborhood treatment. The results suggest that the importance of competition on resprouting vigor was temporally variable. Variables related to plant size rather than species determined competitive superiority: resprouting neighbors did not affect resprouting performance of target plants, but mature neighbors did. In nature, fire may directly reduce vegetative and reproductive biomass by the heating effect. But it may have an indirect positive effect on biomass, by reducing competition among plants. Frequent disturbances that removed aboveground biomass of E. multiflora had a detrimental effect on target plant survival independent of neighborhood effect.     

EQUIVALENCE OF COMPETITORS IN PLANT COMMUNITIES: A NULL HYPOTHESIS AND A FIELD EXPERIMENTAL APPROACH

One of the underlying assumptions of both theoretical and empirical community ecology is that the processes determining community composition and abundance of species are interactions specific to particular pairs of species. However, we argue that, in sessile plants at least, competitive interactions are not usually species-specific and that there exists a large degree of equivalence of the effect of species of similar growth form on the ability of any particular species to establish within a community. This null hypothesis of equivalence of competitive effects is based on three characteristics of plants: homogeneity of resource requirements among autotrophs; low encounter probabilities between individuals of any particular species pair; and the predominance of size asymmetries between competing individuals (e.g., seedling-adult interactions.) We present an experimental design to quantify competitive interactions among plant species under field conditions and therefore enable statistical comparisons of competitive abilities among species. The competitive effect of one “neighbor” species on one “target” species is measured as the slope of a regression of performance of target individuals on biomass (or other measure of amount) of its immediate neighbors. Use of the design to test for equivalence of competitive effects and other advantages are described.     

放牧干扰下高寒草甸物种和生活型丰富度与地上及地下生物量的关系

明晰放牧干扰下高寒草甸植物丰富度与生物量的相关关系,为草地植物不同生长时期生物量的预测提供依据。设置6个放牧强度样地,连续3a放牧,2014年进行3个季节(6月、8月、10月)的植物丰富度和地上、地下生物量调查,对比分析放牧干扰下物种和生活型丰富度(生活型的种类)分别与地上、地下生物量的相关关系。结果表明:(1)物种和生活型丰富度与地上生物量均受放牧强度的显著影响,物种丰富度仅在8月与放牧强度显著负相关,生活型丰富度在10月随放牧强度单峰变化,地上生物量在不同季节均与放牧强度显著负相关,而地下生物量与放牧强度无关。(2)物种丰富度与地上和地下生物量均受季节的显著影响,物种丰富度和地上生物量仅在低强度放牧区随季节呈单峰变化,地下生物量在中等强度放牧区随季节呈单峰变化;生活型丰富度与季节无关。(3)放牧干扰前物种和生活型丰富度与地上和地下生物量均显著正相关。3a放牧后仅在8月,物种丰富度只与地上生物量显著正相关,生活型丰富度与地上和地下生物量均显著正相关。(4)对于不同放牧强度,物种丰富度仅在低强度放牧区与地上生物量显著正相关,而生活型丰富度在所有放牧强度区均与地上生物量显著正相关。综上所述,放牧干扰扰乱了高寒草甸丰富度与生物量之间的关系,尤其影响了物种丰富度与地下生物量之间的相关关系。生活型丰富度与地上生物量之间的显著关系不受放牧强度干扰,使生活型丰富度在预测生物量方面表现出优势。     

不同邻体大头茶幼苗的适应特征

 在亚热带常绿阔叶林自然林窗下,以大头茶幼苗为基株,分别以马尾松、川灰木和大头茶幼苗为邻体。研究不同邻体如何改变可利用资源,影响大头茶幼苗基株生长动态和形态、树冠结构和生物量效应,并探讨影响基株生长的邻体的主导因素。结果表明,不同邻体的生长和截光效应差异明显;基株生长特征与邻体的树高、叶生物量、总生物量和树冠距地表10cm处截光量相关极小,却与邻体树冠距地表30cm处截光量相关极大,故影响基株生长的邻体主导因素是遮挡基株树冠的邻体的可利用光资源;基株生长动态,如树高、叶数、叶面积和叶大小,树冠结构和生物量显著受到不同邻体的影响,并且基株树高及增长量、叶面积、冠幅和生物量均为大头茶单株(GNO)>大头茶+川灰木(GNS)>大头茶+马尾松(GNP)>大头茶+大头茶(GNG)。大头茶幼苗种内竞争明显强于种间竞争。     

Salt tolerance and stress level affect plant biomass–density relationships and neighbor effects

It has been shown that plant biomass–density relationships are altered under extreme or stressed conditions. We do not know whether variation in biomass–density relationships is a direct result of stress tolerance or occurs via changes in plant–plant interactions. Here, we evaluated biomass–density relationships and neighbor effects in six plant species that differ in salt tolerance in a salt marsh, and conducted a literature review of biomass–density relationship under higher and lower stress levels. Our field study showed that both neighbor effects and the exponent of the biomass–density relationship (α) varied among plant species with different degrees of salt tolerance. There was a positive relationship between neighbor effects (measured as relative interaction index) and α-value among the tested species. The literature review showed that α and its variation increased under higher stress. Our results indicate that plant species with different salinity tolerance differ in the direction and strength of neighbor effects, resulting in variation in biomass–density relationships. Our results support the hypothesis that differences in biomass–density relationships among species are not due to differences in stress tolerance alone, they are mediated by changes in plant–plant interactions.     

Adult plants facilitate their conspecific seedlings by enhancing arbuscular mycorrhizae in a saline soil

Aims

We tested the hypothesis that adult plants can help their conspecific (i.e. an organism belonging to the same species as another organism) seedlings develop symbiosis with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF), thereby increasing seedling nutrient uptake and growth in a saline soil.

Methods

Using the halophytic shrub Tamarix chinensis as a model plant, we conducted two field experiments and a greenhouse experiment. Field experiment 1 assessed the importance of below-ground effects of adult neighbor. Field experiment 2 determined the involvement of AMF in neighbor effects by applying fungicide benomyl to obtain AMF suppressed treatment. The greenhouse experiment tested whether neighbor effects were influenced by AMF hyphal connection between adults and seedlings by using 25 μm and 0.45 μm nylon mesh to allow and prevent the AMF hyphae pass through respectively.

Results

Adult neighbor increased shoot biomass and nutrient of target seedlings and the below-ground effects mediated by AMF was facilitative under high soil salinity level. Field experiment 1 showed that adult neighbors reduced soil salinity, increased soil organic matter, and provided AMF spores for target seedlings via whole plant effects or below-ground effects alone. Field experiment 2 showed that shoot biomass and AMF colonization of target seedlings were greater with an adult neighbor when AMF were not suppressed treatment than in AMF were suppressed or there were no neighbors. In the greenhouse experiment, adult neighbors with AMF hyphal connection increased shoot biomass, AMF colonization, and ¹⁵N content of target seedlings under the high salinity level.

Conclusion

The results support our hypothesis that adult plants can promote the growth and nutrient uptake of their conspecific seedlings in a saline soil by helping them to develop AMF symbiosis. These findings highlight the roles of adult neighbor plants on seedlings regeneration through rhizospheric symbiosis in stressful environments.

     

Competition and facilitation structure plant communities under nurse tree canopies in extremely stressful environments

Nurse plant facilitation in stressful environments can produce an environment with relatively low stress under its canopy. These nurse plants may produce the conditions promoting intense competition between coexisting species under the canopy, and canopies may establish stress gradients, where stress increases toward the edge of the canopy. Competition and facilitation on these stress gradients may control species distributions in the communities under canopies. We tested the following predictions: (1) interactions between understory species shift from competition to facilitation in habitats experiencing increasing stress from the center to the edge of canopy of a nurse plant, and (2) species distributions in understory communities are controlled by competitive interactions at the center of canopy, and facilitation at the edge of the canopy. We tested these predictions using a neighbor removal experiment under nurse trees growing in arid environments. Established individuals of each of four of the most common herbaceous species in the understory were used in the experiment. Two species were more frequent in the center of the canopy, and two species were more frequent at the edge of the canopy. Established individuals of each species were subjected to neighbor removal or control treatments in both canopy center and edge habitats. We found a shift from competitive to facilitative interactions from the center to the edge of the canopy. The shift in the effect of neighbors on the target species can help to explain species distributions in these canopies. Canopy‐dominant species only perform well in the presence of neighbors in the edge microhabitat. Competition from canopy‐dominant species can also limit the performance of edge‐dominant species in the canopy microhabitat. The shift from competition to facilitation under nurse plant canopies can structure the understory communities in extremely stressful environments.     

根系隔离条件下的谷子亲缘识别

在根系隔离情况下, 通过研究邻株身份(亲缘株、非亲缘株、陌生株)及其与种植密度(高、低)和土壤养分水平(高、低)交互作用对谷子(Setaria italica)形态学特征和生物量分配的影响, 探索谷子地上部分是否能够识别亲缘邻株, 以及谷子的这种亲缘识别能力对环境因子如何响应。结果显示: 1)亲缘组谷子叶生物量分配显著降低, 茎秆显著增粗, 暗示着亲缘组谷子植株间减少竞争, 并增强对当地多风气候的适应。而非亲缘组谷子叶生物量分配显著增加, 表明非亲缘组谷子植株间竞争较强。2)与非亲缘组相比, 陌生组谷子种子生物量分配显著增加, 株高显著减少, 表明陌生组谷子植株通过不对称竞争(与邻株糜(Panicum miliaceum)植株相比, 株高显著增加), 进一步限制邻株(糜)生长, 从而增强竞争能力, 同时, 将更多的生物量投资于繁殖, 增加适合度。3)在高密度种植条件下, 谷子茎生物量和叶生物量分配在各邻株身份处理间无显著差异, 而在低密度种植条件下, 与非亲缘组相比, 亲缘组谷子茎生物量显著增加, 叶生物量分配显著减小; 随着种植间距的增大(种植密度减小), 亲缘组谷子叶生物量分配显著减少, 而非亲缘组和陌生组叶生物量分配在高、低种植密度条件下无显著差异。4)在低土壤养分条件下, 亲缘组和非亲缘组谷子叶生物量分配无显著差异, 前者穗长显著小于后者, 而在高土壤养分条件下, 亲缘组谷子叶生物量分配显著小于非亲缘组, 前者穗长显著大于后者。结果表明, 在根系隔离的情况下,谷子能够识别亲缘邻株, 且谷子地上部分竞争信号在亲缘识别过程中扮演重要角色。较低种植密度和较高土壤养分水平有利于谷子亲缘识别能力的表达。     

Seasonal changes in the relationship between plant species richness and community biomass in early succession

We analysed the relationship between plant species richness and productivity on first-year-old fields at two similar sites in central Europe. At both sites, a wide range of productivity levels was available resulting from different long-term fertilisation. In order to identify underlying mechanisms of the species richness–productivity relationship we included the seasonal dynamics and the number of individuals of each species in our analysis. We sampled 10 and 21 plots, respectively, at the two sites in May, June and July by harvesting all aboveground parts of vascular plants in 0.25 m² subplots. Species richness, number of individuals of each species and community biomass as a surrogate of productivity were recorded in each sample.At one site, the relationship between species richness and biomass was significantly positive in the May and June harvest. This relationship disappeared in the July harvest due to a reduction in species richness at high productivity levels. The relations between species richness and number of individuals and between number of individuals and biomass paralleled the species richness–productivity relation but the individual number–biomass relationship remained positive until the last harvest. Between-species differences in individual number–community biomass relationships and their seasonal dynamics revealed “interspecific competitive exclusion” even though the species richness–biomass relationships were not negative or hump-shaped. At the second site, species richness was not related to productivity or to number of individuals. Our study demonstrated the importance of temporal dynamics and regional processes in understanding species richness–productivity patterns.     

Kin recognition in Setaria italica under the condition of root segregation

Aims Kin recognition may play an important part in the performance and productivity of crop plants. However, so far, little is known about whether crop plants can recognize their kin neighbors. The aim of this study was to explore kin recognition in Setaria italica, and its responses to changes in environmental and biological conditions.Methods A field experiment was conducted in the suburb of Shanghai. Setaria italica grew with different neighbors (kin, non-kin and strangers), under the condition of root segregation and different plant densities (high and low) and soil nutrient levels (high and low), respectively. We investigated how neighbor identity and its interactions with plant density and soil nutrient level affected the morphology and biomass allocation of S. italica.Important findings Under the condition of root segregation, 1) Leaf biomass allocation and stem diameter of plants in the kin groups significantly decreased and increased, respectively, suggesting that plants of S. italica in the kin groups reduced inter-individual competition, and adapted to the local windy climate. 2) Compared with the non-kin groups, plants in the stranger groups significantly increased the biomass allocation to seeds, while plant height decreased significantly, suggesting that the plants of S. italica in the stranger groups may reduce the growth of their neighbors due to asymmetric competition (S. italica significantly increased height compared with the neighboring plants, Panicum miliaceum). Therefore, the S. italic plants in the stranger groups allocated more biomass to reproduction and increased fitness than those in non-kin groups. 3) Under the condition of high plant density, no significant differences were found in stem biomass and leaf biomass allocation of plants among different neighbor identity treatments. While under the condition of low plant density, compared with the non-kin groups, biomass allocation to stem and leaf in the kin groups significantly increased and decreased, respectively. As the plant density decreased, plants in the kin groups decreased leaf biomass allocation significantly, while plants in the non-kin and stranger groups did not show such a response. 4) Under the condition of low soil nutrient level, no significant difference was found in leaf biomass allocation between the kin and non-kin groups, while the ear length of plants in the kin groups decreased significantly. Under the condition of high soil nutrient level, the biomass allocated to leaves in the kin groups decreased significantly, while ear length increased significantly compared with the non-kin groups. Therefore, under the condition of root segregation, plants of S. italica showed the ability to recognize their kin neighbors, and the aboveground competitive cues may play important roles in the course of kin recognition in S. italica. Lower plant density and higher soil nutrient level may facilitate the ability of kin recognition in S. italica.     

Positive relationships among aboveground biomass,tree species diversity,and urban greening management in tropical coastal city of Haikou

Within urban green spaces, tree species diversity is believed to correlate with aboveground biomass, though there is some disagreement within the literature on the strength and directionality of the relationship. Therefore, we assessed the relationship between the biodiversity of woody species and the aboveground biomass of woody plant species in the tropical, coastal city of Haikou in southern China. To accomplish this, we obtained comprehensive tree and site data through field sampling of 190 urban functional units (UFUs, or work units) corresponding to six types of land uses governmental‐institutional, industrial‐commercial, park‐recreational, residential, transport infrastructure, and undeveloped area. Based on our field data, we investigated the relationship between tree species diversity and aboveground biomass using multiple regression, which revealed significant relationships across all five types of land uses. Aboveground biomass in green spaces was also correlated with anthropogenic factors, especially time since urban development, or site age, annual maintenance frequency by human caretakers, and human population density. Among these factors, maintenance is the strongest predictor of aboveground biomass in urban green space. Therefore, this study highlights the critical role of maintenance of urban green space in promoting both aboveground biomass and woody biodiversity in urban ecosystems and, consequently, on urban ecosystem services. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of the ecosystem services provided by communities of woody plant species in urban areas.     

The role of plant species in biomass production and response to elevated CO2 and N

In an experiment that factorially manipulated plant diversity, CO₂, and N, we quantified the effects of the presence of species on assemblage biomass over 10 time points distributed over 5 years. Thirteen of the 16 species planted had statistically significant effects on aboveground and/or belowground biomass. Species differed dramatically in their effects on biomass without any relationship between aboveground and below‐ground effects. Temporal complementarity among species in their effects seasonally, successionally, and in response to a dry summer maintained the diversity–biomass relationships over time and may be the cause behind higher diversity plots having less variation in biomass over time. The response of plant biomass to elevated N, but not CO₂, was at times entirely dependent on the presence of a single species.     

高寒草甸植物群落中物种多样性与群落变异性的关系及其机制初探

通过对高寒草甸植物群落中采集的群落数据进行分析,探讨了物种构成的相似性、统计平均、种群变异性和净协方差等机制对形成高寒草甸植物群落中多样性与群落地上生物量变异性之间关系的影响。结果表明,地上生物量的年际变异性随着多样性的增加而减小。物种构成相似性是多样性一变异性负关系产生的原因之一,而相似性与多样性之间并无显著相关关系;统计平均效应是另一个多样性一变异性负关系的主要决定者;净协方差效应、种群变异性对多样性一变异性关系产生的影响不显著或非常有限。