践踏干扰对碧塔海高寒草甸植被茎叶性状、物种多样性和功能多样性的影响

高寒草甸具有重要的生态服务功能,然而固有脆弱性使其极易遭受气候变化和人为干扰等多重因素的影响。作为滇西北旅游资源中重要的组分之一,高寒草甸吸引了大批游客前往开展徒步旅行活动,但伴随着的践踏干扰作用会不可避免地对高寒草甸生态系统带来负面影响。然而,目前关注践踏干扰对滇西北高寒草甸植被的影响,特别是植被功能性状和功能多样性如何发生变化方面的研究还十分欠缺。以云南省香格里拉市碧塔海自然保护区内的典型高寒草甸生态系统为研究对象,采用实验践踏的方式(一共5种不同强度的践踏处理)来模拟旅游活动对草甸植被的干扰作用,并以草甸植被的茎叶性状特征为切入点,重点探讨践踏干扰对茎叶性状的平均大小和变异程度的影响,以及物种丰富度(以物种形态分类为基础)和功能丰富度(以功能性状为基础)之间的关系。研究结果显示,随着践踏强度的增加,植株高度和叶片大小的平均值,而不是茎叶性状的变异程度,出现明显下降趋势。此外,物种丰富度和功能丰富度均随践踏强度的增强而减小,且两者之间呈现显著正相关关系。然而,较之轻度践踏实验组,重度践踏实验组中的功能均匀度和功能分离度水平均有所增加,表明践踏干扰可能会在短期内打破优势种对资源的绝对占有格局和减少物种间的生态位重叠程度。尽管高寒草甸对人类践踏活动有一定的承受能力,但气候变化和人为干扰等多重因素势必会改变和影响高寒草甸群落的结构和功能可持续性,这也对高寒草甸的保护与管理工作提出了更加紧迫的要求。     

高寒草甸植物物种丧失对草原毛虫的影响

植物多样性是调控食物网结构和生态系统功能最重要的生物因素, 植物多样性丧失深刻影响食草动物, 但由于小型食草动物种群数量波动明显、统计随机性较大等困难, 我们对植物多样性丧失如何影响小型食草动物依然知之甚少。基于在青藏高原高寒草甸设置的长期植物物种剔除试验, 本研究于2016-2020年7-8月连续调查了植物物种剔除各处理中草原毛虫(Gynaephora alpherakiif)的数量, 分析了植物物种及功能群丧失对草原毛虫的影响。结果表明, 虽然时空差异及统计随机性是影响草原毛虫数量变化的主要因素, 但植物物种剔除介导的群落差异对草原毛虫数量的影响依然显著: (1)在各观测时段, 优势种线叶嵩草(Kobresia capillifolia)的丧失导致群落中草原毛虫数量显著减少; 禾草类物种丧失也会减少草原毛虫数量, 但其影响仅在8月显著; (2)杂类草物种丧失通过增加群落中禾草物种多度, 可增加草原毛虫数量; 豆科物种丧失使莎草增多, 也会增加草原毛虫数量; (3)各植物功能群部分物种剔除并未显著影响草原毛虫数量。本研究证实了高寒草甸中草原毛虫数量会因优势植物嵩草和禾草的多度减少或禾草物种丧失而显著减少, 但群落总生物量、个体数和物种丰富度、豆科多度以及各功能群植物同比减少, 都对草原毛虫数量没有明显影响。这些结果说明在随机作用主导下, 植物群落中的特定功能群相对多度(而非物种多样性)变化深刻影响草原毛虫适合度, 进而影响生态系功能及服务; 未来生物多样性研究及草地虫害生物防控中应更多考虑统计随机性及植物功能多样性对小型食草动物的影响。     

长期封育演替下典型草原植物群落生产力与多样性关系

封育是退化草地的重要恢复措施, 理解长期封育过程中草地群落生产力和植物多样性变化特征及两者间关系, 有助于草地植被的恢复管理与利用。该研究依托宁夏云雾山国家级自然保护区典型草原长期封育演替梯度, 选择持续放牧、封育9年、26年和34年的草地群落作为研究对象, 分析其地上生产力、物种多样性和功能多样性的变化特征及内在联系。结果表明, 封育显著提高典型草原植物群落的地上生产力、凋落物生物量、功能丰富度和功能离散度, 未改变草地群落的物种丰富度、Shannon-Wiener指数和功能均匀度, 但Simpson优势度指数和Pielou均匀度指数在长期封育(34年)后显著下降。此外, 封育对不同植物群落加权平均功能性状的影响存在差异。随机森林模型和方差分解结果显示, 群落加权平均功能性状对封育草地群落地上生产力变异的解释度高达70.70%, 其中植株高度是最主要的解释因子; 功能多样性的解释度为36.86%, 主要由功能丰富度贡献; 而物种多样性的解释度仅为14.72%。由此可见, 植物功能性状和功能多样性对草地群落地上生产力的贡献远高于物种多样性, 建议将其纳入植物群落恢复演替动态研究, 以便全面了解植物多样性与生态系统功能的关系, 为更好地实现生态恢复目标奠定基础。     

Restoration of brook valley meadows in the Netherlands

Until recently, restoration measures in Dutch brook valley meadows consisted of re-introducing traditional management techniques, such as mowing without fertilisation and low-intensity grazing. In the Netherlands, additional measures, such as rewetting and sod cutting, are now carried out on a large scale to combat negative influences of drainage and acidifying influences by atmospheric deposition. An analysis of successful and unsuccessful projects shows that restoration of brook valley meadows is most successful if traditional management techniques are applied in recently abandoned fields that had not been drained or fertilised. Large-scale topsoil removal in former agricultural fields that had been used intensively for several decades is often unsuccessful since seed banks are depleted, while hydrological conditions and seed dispersal mechanisms are sub-optimal. In areas with an organic topsoil, long-term drainage had often led to irreversible changes in chemical and physical properties of the soil. Successful sites were all characterised by a regular discharge of calcareous groundwater provided by local or regional hydrological systems, and, where not very long ago, populations of target species existed. On mineral soils, in particular, sod removal in established nature reserves was a successful measure to increase the number of endangered fen meadow species. It is argued that attempts to restore species-rich meadows should be avoided on former agricultural fields, where pedological processes have led to almost irreversible changes in the soil profile and where soil seed banks have been completely depleted. From a soil conservation point of view, such areas should be exploited as eutrophic wetlands that are regularly flooded.     

物种多样性和功能性状驱动高寒草原地上生物量对长期禁牧的响应

围封对草地生物多样性和初级生产力的影响是草地生态学研究的热点问题之一。基于2013—2021年在青藏高原东北部紫花针茅(Stipa purpurea)高寒草原围栏内外植物群落长期调查数据,从物种多样性、功能性状的角度解析了高寒草原地上生物量对长期围封的生态响应过程。结果表明：(1)围封处理对高寒草原物种多样性的负效应具有强烈的时间依赖性。围封处理显著提高地上生物量,但也显著降低了生物量稳定性和异步性,意味着高寒草原稳定的、可持续的生态系统服务功能被长期围封处理削弱。(2)植物功能性状对长期围封处理表现出差异性响应模式;与叶绿素性状相比,叶形态性状对长期围封处理表现出更强的敏感性。(3)物种多样性和功能性状与地上生物量之间均存在显著相关关系,并且物种多样性的影响被功能性状调控进而对地上生物量发挥间接效应,群落加权性状和功能分异度共同对草地生物量发挥直接的主导效应。研究结果证明了植物功能性状通过介导物种多样性与其共同驱动高寒草原地上生物量对长期围封的响应。因此,在未来草地管理过程中,同步研究植物物种和功能属性对于全面揭示生态系统的响应机制至关重要。     

内蒙古温带草原不同放牧强度和围栏封育对凋落物分解的影响

放牧和围封通过影响植物群落结构和土壤微环境来调控草地生态系统的碳循环。该研究在内蒙古温带草原设置轻度放牧后围封、轻度放牧、重度放牧后围封、重度放牧4种样地, 通过测定干旱年(2011年)和湿润年(2012年)地上、地下凋落物产量、质量及其分解速率和土壤养分含量, 分析不同放牧强度对凋落物形成和分解的影响, 以及围栏封育对生态系统恢复的作用。结果表明: 重度放牧地上凋落物产量和分解速率均高于轻度放牧。干旱年轻度放牧样地地下凋落物产量和分解速率高于重度放牧, 湿润年相反。短期围封显著提高了凋落物产量, 轻度放牧样地围封后地上凋落物分解速率和养分循环加快, 而重度放牧样地围封后地上凋落物分解减慢。因此, 与重度放牧相比, 轻度放牧草地的恢复更适合采用围栏封育措施; 而重度放牧草地的恢复可能还需辅以必要的人工措施。降水显著促进地上、地下凋落物形成和分解。地下凋落物的生产和分解受降水年际波动影响较大, 重度放牧草地对降水变化的敏感度比轻度放牧草地高。地上凋落物分解速率与凋落物N含量显著正相关, 与土壤全N显著负相关, 与地上凋落物C:N和木质素:N相关性不大; 地下凋落物分解速率与凋落物C、C:N和纤维素含量显著负相关。该研究结果将为不同放牧强度的草地生态系统恢复和碳循环研究提供理论依据。     

Changes in plant biomass and species composition of alpine Kobresia meadows along altitudinal gradient on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Alpine Kobresia meadows are major vegetation types on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. There is growing concern over their relationships among biodiversity, productivity and environments. Despite the im-portance of species composition, species richness, the type of different growth forms, and plant bio-mass structure for Kobresia meadow ecosystems, few studies have been focused on the relationship between biomass and environmental gradient in the Kobresia meadow plant communities, particularly in relation to soil moisture and edaphic gradients. We measured the plant species composition, her-baceous litter, aboveground and belowground biomass in three Kobresia meadow plant communities in Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station from 2001 to 2004. Community differences in plant species composition were reflected in biomass distribution. The total biomass showed a de-crease from 13196.96±719.69 g/m2 in the sedge-dominated K. tibetica swamp to 2869.58±147.52 g/m2 in the forb and sedge dominated K. pygmaea meadow, and to 2153.08±141.95 g/m2 in the forbs and grasses dominated K. humilis along with the increase of altitude. The vertical distribution of below-ground biomass is distinct in the three meadow communities, and the belowground biomass at the depth of 0-10 cm in K. tibetica swamp meadow was significantly higher than that in K. humilis and K. pygmaea meadows (P<0.01). The herbaceous litter in K. tibetica swamp was significantly higher than those in K. pygnaeca and K. humilis meadows. The effects of plant litter are enhanced when ground water and soil moisture levels are raised. The relative importance of litter and vegetation may vary with soil water availability. In the K. tibetica swamp, total biomass was negatively correlated to species richness (P<0.05); aboveground biomass was positively correlated to soil organic matter, soil moisture, and plant cover (P<0.05); belowground biomass was positively correlated with soil moisture (P<0.05). However, in the K. pygnaeca and K. humilis meadow communities, aboveground biomass was posi-tively correlated to soil organic matter and soil total nitrogen (P<0.05). This suggests that the distribu-tion of biomass coincided with soil moisture and edaphic gradient in alpine meadows.     

Grazing alters species relative abundance by affecting plant functional traits in a Tibetan subalpine meadow

Domestic livestock grazing has caused dramatic changes in plant community composition across the globe. However, the response of plant species abundance in communities subject to grazing has not often been investigated through a functional lens, especially for belowground traits. Grazing directly impacts aboveground plant tissues, but the relationships between above‐ and belowground traits, and their influence on species abundance are also not well known. We collected plant trait and species relative abundance data in the grazed and nongrazed meadow plant communities in a species‐rich subalpine ecosystem of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. We measured three aboveground traits (leaf photosynthesis rate, specific leaf area, and maximum height) and five belowground traits (root average diameter, root biomass, specific root length, root tissue density, and specific root area). We tested for shifts in the relationship between species relative abundance and among all measured traits under grazing compared with the nongrazed meadow. We also compared the power of above‐ and belowground traits to predict species relative abundance. We observed a significant shift from a resource conservation strategy to a resource acquisition strategy. Moreover, this resource conservation versus resource acquisition trade‐off can also determine species relative abundance in the grazed and nongrazed plant communities. Specifically, abundant species in the nongrazed meadow had aboveground and belowground traits that are associated with high resource conservation, whereas aboveground and belowground traits that are correlated with high resource acquisition determined species relative abundance in the grazed meadow. However, belowground traits were found to explain more variances in species relative abundance than aboveground traits in the nongrazed meadow, while aboveground and belowground traits had comparable predictive power in the grazed meadow. We show that species relative abundance in both the grazed and the nongrazed meadows can be predicted by both aboveground traits and belowground traits associated with a resource acquisition versus conservation trade‐off. More importantly, we show that belowground traits have higher predictive power of species relative abundance than aboveground traits in the nongrazed meadow, whereas in the grazed meadows, above‐ and belowground traits had comparable high predictive power.     

Long‐term livestock exclusion facilitates native woody plant encroachment in a sandy semiarid rangeland

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Abandonment of traditionally managed mesic mountain meadows affects plant species composition and diversity

In recent years abandonment of traditional management of mountain grasslands has been observed throughout Central Europe. However, the impact of abandonment on vegetation of mountain grasslands is still unclear. In this study it was hypothesized that the cessation of traditional management of mesic mountain meadows causes changes in their species composition and a decrease in the biodiversity. In total, 260 plots were established in the Sudetes (SW Poland) on meadows with regular annual mowing, meadows with irregular mowing management, and abandoned meadows. Relevés (5 × 5 m) were performed, and the habitat properties were determined using Ellenberg indicator values. The study confirmed the hypothesis that the various ways of extensive management have an influence on species richness. The lowest species richness was observed on the irregularly managed meadows, while higher species numbers were found on the abandoned and regular managed meadows. The majority of patches on abandoned meadows exhibited degradation through the expansion of Solidago gigantea, Solidago canadensis, Lupinus polyphyllus, Heracleum sosnovsky, Calamagrostis epigejos, Deschampsia flexuosa, Festuca rubra and Hypericum maculatum. Meadows subjected to different management practices differed significantly in Ellenberg indicator values. The abandoned meadows had the highest values of the light index (L) and nitrogen availability (N), whereas the highest values of soil moisture (F) were noted on the irregularly managed meadows. The degradation of mountain mesic meadows requires regular mowing management, which stops ecological succession and preserves their high biodiversity.     

A plant traits approach to managing legacy species during restoration transitions in temperate eucalypt woodlands

Degraded communities often contain a subset of the species that comprised the predisturbance community. These represent an important legacy of the predisturbance state, yet restoration treatments may be detrimental to them. This study examined the potential of leaf traits and life form to predict whether restoration treatments can maintain legacy swards of Austrostipa bigeniculata (hereafter Austrostipa) while controlling exotic annuals in temperate eucalypt woodlands. Treatments included carbon addition to reduce soil nitrate, both with and without burning or pulse grazing to deplete exotic seed pools. We compared leaf traits of Austrostipa with a native grass (Themeda triandra) known to be advantaged, and 8 exotic annual species known to be disadvantaged by these treatments. Leaf traits indicated potentially greater negative impacts of carbon addition on exotic annuals compared to Austrostipa, and on Austrostipa compared to Themeda, suggesting a net restoration benefit. Similarly, burning or pulse grazing is expected to have little negative impact on perennial resprouting grasses (hemicryptophytes; Austrostipa and Themeda) compared with annual exotics (therophytes) with short‐lived seed banks. Treatment responses were largely consistent with predictions: treatments that significantly reduced exotic annuals had no net disadvantage to Austrostipa swards despite significant reductions in Austrostipa seedling growth with carbon addition. Indeed by Year 3, Austrostipa mortality in untreated plots led to 46% lower Austrostipa abundance than in treated plots at one site, potentially due to litter build‐up or other mechanisms. We conclude that plant traits provide a useful framework for designing restoration transitions that retain native legacy species while controlling exotics.     

基于三江源高寒草甸群落结构变化评估围栏封育对草地恢复的影响

围栏封育是三江源生态保护与修复主要措施之一,目前缺少基于多样地长时间序列监测数据和从植物群落结构变化角度来评估草地生态保护与修复成效的相关研究。基于多样地各经济类型群2005—2017年的地上生物量及其占总生物量比例数据,对比分析三江源草原围栏封育与放牧区植物群落结构变化差异,评价围栏封育对草地恢复的影响。研究结果表明围栏封育显著提高了地上生物量,在围栏封育期间地上生物量稳定,但群落结构出现恶化趋势,研究时段内禾本科和莎草科优良牧草生物量占比分别减少48.2%和23.9%,毒草增加了230.2%。同期放牧区禾莎草生物量占比先减少后增加,毒草杂草生物量占比先增加后减少,群落的种群结构改善可能与草畜平衡措施的实施有关。现有的持续围栏封育措施不可能但降低了草地的经济价值,也带来了一定的生态风险。因此基于草地实际产草量以及生态保护要求,确定更为合理的载畜量,实施更为精准的草畜平衡管理,应该比切断牲畜与草地关系的长期禁牧封育更为有效。     

Functional diversity (FD), species richness and community composition

Functional diversity is an important component of biodiversity, yet in comparison to taxonomic diversity, methods of quantifying functional diversity are less well developed. Here, we propose a means for quantifying functional diversity that may be particularly useful for determining how functional diversity is related to ecosystem functioning. This measure of functional diversity “FD” is defined as the total branch length of a functional dendrogram. Various characteristics of FD make it preferable to other measures of functional diversity, such as the number of functional groups in a community. Simulating species' trait values illustrates how the relative importance of richness and composition for FD depends on the effective dimensionality of the trait space in which species separate. Fewer dimensions increase the importance of community composition and functional redundancy. More dimensions increase the importance of species richness and decreases functional redundancy. Clumping of species in trait space increases the relative importance of community composition. Five natural communities show remarkably similar relationships between FD and species richness.     

Functional traits but not environmental gradients explain seed weight in Mongolian plant species

• Seed weight varies by several orders of magnitude among vascular plant species. However, the importance of potential drivers such as environmental conditions and plant functional traits have rarely been assessed for a larger taxonomic sample.
• We collected seeds of 148 species from 237 sites spread across Mongolia and compared their weight among the major zonal vegetation types, taxonomic groups and a set of functional traits (growth form, dispersal mode, fruit type, storage organs and palatability).
• Seed weight strongly varied among all functional traits and taxonomic groups, but no differences among vegetation zones were detected.
• These results suggest a low impact of environmental conditions on the evolution of seed weight, contrasting the strong phylogenetic signal.

     

山西吕梁山亚高山草甸物种多样性的时空变化格局

在山西吕梁山系按照纬度从北向南依次选取马伦草原、荷叶坪、云顶山作为研究区,于2015、2016、2017年7月下旬进行亚高山草甸植被群落多样性调查,研究吕梁山亚高山草甸物种多样性不同年份、不同纬度的时空变化格局。结果表明:(1)吕梁山亚高山草甸群落中矮嵩草(Kobresia humilis)和珠芽蓼(Polygonum viviparum)、线叶嵩草(Kobresia capillifolia)和珠芽蓼、车前草(Plantago asiatica)和披碱草(Elymus dahuricus)分别为马伦草原、荷叶坪、云顶山的优势种,不同山地植物优势种和次优势种均以菊科(Asteraceae)、蔷薇科(Rosaceae)、莎草科(Cyperaceae)、禾本科(Gramineae)植物为主。(2)吕梁山亚高山草甸物种多样性在不同年份分布较为稳定,Pielou指数在连续3年内均无较大变化; Shannon-Wiener指数、Simpson指数和Patrick指数在2016年最高,同时该年份的降水天数也是最多,表明吕梁山亚高山草甸物种多样性在时间上呈现出受降水条件影响较大的变化格局。(3)吕梁山偏南部的云顶山多样性指数高于偏北部的马伦草原和荷叶坪,表明吕梁山亚高山草甸物种多样性在空间上表现出由北向南逐渐升高的变化格局。因此,吕梁山亚高山草甸物种多样性在时空上呈现出受降水条件影响较大,且由北向南逐渐升高的变化格局,降水条件和纬度梯度对该山地亚高山草甸物种多样性的时空变化格局产生了重要影响。     

Effects of site and species characteristics on nested patterns of species composition in sedge meadows

Biotas of both geographical islands and habitat islands are often nested subsets of the biotas of successively more species-rich islands within the same system. The life history characteristics of a species may determine how that species contributes to the general pattern of species nestedness. Here, I investigate the floras of 56 sedge meadow wetlands in northern Illinois (USA) in order to characterize the degree of nestedness in these communities, determine which individual plant species contribute to the nested pattern, and investigate species characteristics that might be related to nonrandom patterns of distribution in individual plant species. The entire assemblage of species at all sedge meadows was significantly nested. Species richness and area were significantly correlated, and the nested pattern was closely related to site area, suggesting that species drop out of the assemblage in a predictable order as site area decreases. Some individual species exhibited nonrandom distributions across the sites, occurring more often in large, species-rich sites. Large sites were more likely than smaller sites to contain conservative species, i.e., those typical of pristine natural habitat, whereas nonconservative species were distributed more randomly among sites. Nested patterns of distribution of conservative species with respect to site area may result from their high probability of extinction on small sites or from a tendency for required habitats to co-occur on the same large sites. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Effects of livestock grazing on soil,plant functional diversity,and ecological traits vary between regions with different climates in northeastern Iran

Understanding the responses of vegetation characteristics and soil properties to grazing in different precipitation regimes is useful for the management of rangelands, especially in the arid regions. In northeastern Iran, we studied the responses of vegetation to livestock grazing in three regions with different climates: arid, semiarid, and subhumid. In each region, we selected 6–7 pairwise sampling areas of high versus low grazing intensity and six traits of the present species were recorded on 1 m² plots—five grazed and five ungrazed in each area. The overall fertility was compared using the dissimilarity analysis, and linear mixed‐effect models were used to compare the individual fertility parameters, functional diversity indices, and species traits between the plots with high and low grazing intensity and between the climatic regions. Both climate and grazing, as well as their interaction, affected fertility parameters, functional diversity indices, and the representation of species traits. Grazing reduced functional evenness, height of the community, the representation of annuals, but increased the community leaf area. In the subhumid region, grazing also reduced functional richness. Further, grazing decreased the share of annual species in the semiarid region and seed mass in the arid region. Larger leaf area and seed mass, smaller height and lower share of annuals were associated with intensive grazing. Species with large LA and seed mass, lower height and perennials can be therefore presumed to tolerate trampling and benefit from high nutrient levels, associated with intensive grazing. By providing a detailed view on the impacts of overgrazing, this study highlights the importance of protection from grazing as an effective management tool for maintaining the pastoral ecosystems. In general, the composition of plant traits across the pastures of northeastern Iran was more affected by intensive grazing than by the differences in climate.