Plant functional diversity enhances associations of soil fungal diversity with vegetation and soil in the restoration of semiarid sandy grassland

The trait‐based approach shows that plant functional diversity strongly affects ecosystem properties. However, few empirical studies show the relationship between soil fungal diversity and plant functional diversity in natural ecosystems. We investigated soil fungal diversity along a restoration gradient of sandy grassland (mobile dune, semifixed dune, fixed dune, and grassland) in Horqin Sand Land, northern China, using the denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis of 18S rRNA and gene sequencing. We also examined associations of soil fungal diversity with plant functional diversity reflected by the dominant species' traits in community (community‐weighted mean, CWM) and the dispersion of functional trait values (FD_is). We further used the structure equation model (SEM) to evaluate how plant richness, biomass, functional diversity, and soil properties affect soil fungal diversity in sandy grassland restoration. Soil fungal richness in mobile dune and semifixed dune was markedly lower than those of fixed dune and grassland (P < 0.05). Soil fungal richness was positively associated with plant richness, biomass, CWM plant height, and soil gradient aggregated from the principal component analysis, but SEM results showed that plant richness and CWM plant height determined by soil properties were the main factors exerting direct effects. Soil gradient increased fungal richness through indirect effect on vegetation rather than direct effect. The negative indirect effect of FDis on soil fungal richness was through its effect on plant biomass. Our final SEM model based on plant functional diversity explained nearly 70% variances of soil fungal richness. Strong association of soil fungal richness with the dominant species in the community supported the mass ratio hypothesis. Our results clearly highlight the role of plant functional diversity in enhancing associations of soil fungal diversity with community structure and soil properties in sandy grassland ecosystems.     

The effects of different vegetation restoration patterns on soil bacterial diversity for sandy land in Hulunbeier

Grassland desertification seriously threatens sustainable economic and social development. Much attention has been paid to the control of grassland desertification, and even to the restoration and reconstruction of the grassland. Vegetation restoration is considered to be a very effective solution. Soil sustains an immense diversity of microbes, and the characteristics of soil microbial communities are sensitive indicators of soil. It is important to understand the relationship between vegetation and soil microbial diversity during the restoration process. Soil microbial, which is the main index to evaluate soil quality, plays a significant role in ecosystem and soil microbial diversity is the important one of global diversity. Exploring the effects of different vegetation patterns on soil microbial diversity can provide scientific bases and technical support for systemic and impersonal assessment of the best vegetation restoration patterns, as well as the vegetation restoration and reconstruction of Hulunbeier sandy land. Based on PCR–DGGE technology, a case study was carried out to investigate the effects of five different vegetation restoration patterns on soil microbial functional diversity after 4 years in sandy land in Hulunbeier, China. The five vegetation restoration patterns included mono-cultivar planting of Agropyron cristatum (UA), mono-cultivar planting of Hedysarum fruticosum (UH), mono-cultivar planting of Caragana korshinskii (UC), mixed-cultivar planting of Agropyron cristatum and Hedysarum fruticosum (AC) and mixed-cultivar planting of Agropyron cristatum, Hedysarum fruticosum, Caragana korshinskii and Elymus nutans (ACHE). Completely degraded sandy land was used as control.The results indicated that the vegetation restoration increased the genetic diversity of soil bacterial community obviously, and the structure of soil bacterial community was changed. The results of phylogenetic analysis suggested that the bacterial community in Hulunbeier sandy land mainly attributed to Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, and Acidobacteria. The dominant groups were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. The effects of different vegetation type on soil bacterial community structures were different.     

毛乌素沙地植被不同恢复阶段植物群落物种多样性、功能多样性和系统发育多样性

进入21世纪以来, 中国荒漠化恢复取得显著成效, 荒漠化、沙化土地面积持续减少, 植被覆盖度大幅提升, 但关于植被恢复过程中生物多样性如何变化的研究不足, 这制约着对荒漠化恢复成效的全面评估。本文基于群落调查和叶功能性状(叶片厚度、叶片干物质含量、比叶面积和叶片密度)的测定, 分析了毛乌素沙地不同恢复阶段(半固定沙地、固定沙地、结皮覆盖沙地和草本植物覆盖沙地)的植物群落物种多样性、功能多样性和系统发育多样性特征。结果表明: (1)多数叶功能性状的系统发育信号不显著, 表明环境因子对研究区植物功能性状的塑造作用很强。(2)对于α多样性, 结皮覆盖沙地的物种多样性(Shannon-Wiener多样性, H)、物种丰富度(S)、功能丰富度(FRic)及系统发育多样性(PD)指数均显著低于其他恢复阶段, 而其他3个阶段间无显著差异; 这些指数间均显著正相关, 表明物种多样性、功能多样性和系统发育多样性在植被恢复过程中协同变化。(3) β多样性指数随恢复阶段间隔增加而逐渐增大, 表明物种组成、功能属性及系统发育关系随植被恢复持续变化, 且半固定沙地到固定沙地的群落物种组成、功能属性及系统发育关系更替最快, 导致群落间差异最大。(4)固定沙地、结皮覆盖沙地和草本植物覆盖沙地群落系统发育结构均趋向于发散, 表明竞争排斥是群落构建的主要驱动力; 而半固定沙地群落系统发育结构无一致规律, 表明群落构建可能受到生境过滤和竞争排斥的综合作用。研究结果可为植被建设与管理提供参考, 为毛乌素沙地生态保育和生物多样性的保护提供科学依据。     

Contrasting effects of plant inter‐ and intraspecific variation on community trait responses to restoration of a sandy grassland ecosystem

Changes in plant community traits along an environmental gradient are caused by interspecific and intraspecific trait variation. However, little is known about the role of interspecific and intraspecific trait variation in plant community responses to the restoration of a sandy grassland ecosystem. We measured five functional traits of 34 species along a restoration gradient of sandy grassland (mobile dune, semi‐fixed dune, fixed dune, and grassland) in Horqin Sand Land, northern China. We examined how community‐level traits varied with habitat changes and soil gradients using both abundance‐weighted and non‐weighted averages of trait values. We quantified the relative contribution of inter‐ and intraspecific trait variation in specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), leaf carbon content (LCC), leaf nitrogen content (LNC), and plant height to the community response to habitat changes in the restoration of sandy grassland. We found that five weighted community‐average traits varied significantly with habitat changes. Along the soil gradient in the restoration of sandy grassland, plant height, SLA, LDMC, and LCC increased, while LNC decreased. For all traits, there was a greater contribution of interspecific variation to community response in regard to habitat changes relative to that of intraspecific variation. The relative contribution of the interspecific variation effect of an abundance‐weighted trait was greater than that of a non‐weighted trait with regard to all traits except LDMC. A community‐level trait response to habitat changes was due largely to species turnover. Though the intraspecific shift plays a small role in community trait response to habitat changes, it has an effect on plant coexistence and the maintenance of herbaceous plants in sandy grassland habitats. The context dependency of positive and negative covariation between inter‐ and intraspecific variation further suggests that both effects of inter‐ and intraspecific variation on a community trait should be considered when understanding a plant community response to environmental changes in sandy grassland ecosystems.     

黄土丘陵区小流域土地利用和植被恢复对土壤质量的影响

土壤质量的维护和提高是全球生物圈可持续发展的重要因素之一．对黄土丘陵小流域持续利用25年后的荒草地、山杏林地、农地、油松林地、灌木林地和撂荒地土壤性状的研究结果表明,不同土地利用方式和植被恢复类型对土壤质量有很大影响;植被恢复重建和农地撂荒将增加土壤有机质含量,提高土壤质量;粗放的农业耕作措施将降低土壤质量并引起土壤退化;灌丛有明显的肥力岛屿作用;撂荒在一定程度上可以培肥土壤。随着“西部大开发”、“退耕还林还草”和生态重建工程的开展,在半干旱黄土丘陵沟壑区,建植灌木、种植牧草、农地撂荒和自然恢复是较好的生态重建和植被恢复方式。     

沙质草地植物功能性状对放牧、增水、氮添加及其耦合效应的响应机制

人类活动和气候变化对陆地生态系统结构和功能的影响日益明显。在中国半干旱草原区,植物功能性状对这些变化的响应机制仍不是很清楚。以科尔沁沙质草地植物群落功能性状（CWM_trait）、一年生和多年生植物平均功能性状为研究对象,开展非生长季放牧、增水、氮添加及其耦合效应的模拟控制试验,于2016年8月中旬在沙质草地开展了植物功能性状的调查及测定,主要包括植物高度、比叶面积（specific leaf area,SLA）、叶片干物质含量（leaf dry matter content,LDMC）、叶片氮含量（leaf nitrogen content,LNC）和叶片碳同位素（leaf carbon isotopes,δ¹³C）。结果表明：氮添加显著提高了CWM_height和CWM_LNC（P<0.05）,降低了CWM_LDMC（P<0.05）,同时放牧和增水的耦合效应对CWM_SLA具有显著影响（P<0.05）;放牧显著降低了一年生植物的平均高度（P<0.05）,氮添加显著提高了一年生植物的平均高度、LNC和δ¹³C （P<0.05）;氮添加显著提高了多年生植物的平均SLA、LNC和δ¹³C （P<0.05）,同时放牧和增水的耦合效应对多年生植物的平均SLA和LDMC具有显著影响（P<0.05）。主成分分析表明,放牧促进了植物群落和多年生植物SLA与LDMC、LNC和δ¹³C之间的负相关关系,增水促进了植物群落和多年生植物高度与SLA之间的正相关关系以及LDMC、LNC和δ¹³C之间的正相关关系,说明多年生植物在调控沙质草地植物群落响应外界干扰时具有较强的主导性作用。非生长季放牧、生长季禁牧有利于沙质草地的可持续发展和管理,增水能够减缓放牧压力对于草地植物的影响,氮添加有利于植物同化δ¹³C,并提高植物叶片的水分利用效率。     

高寒煤矿渣山植被恢复过程中土壤生物化学性质与真菌多样性变异特征研究

【目的】探究不同恢复年限煤矿渣山土壤真菌多样性的变化规律。【方法】选取江仓矿区渣山不同建植年限(2、4、6年)草地土壤为研究对象,测定土壤化学性质及酶活性,并利用高通量测序方法测定土壤真菌多样性。【结果】随着恢复年限的增长,土壤pH、土壤全钾和有机质含量呈现差异显著性,蔗糖酶、脲酶、过氧化氢酶以及磷酸酶含量逐渐上升,并提高了真菌群落的丰富度与多样性,其中复绿4年的效果最为明显。各样地主要以子囊菌门、担子菌门为主;腐生营养型真菌占43.2%-89.7%。氮素、土壤酶活性是影响江仓煤矿区草地土壤真菌多样性的主要因素。【结论】复绿能够改善土壤化学性质以及土壤真菌群落多样性。     

黄土丘陵区植被恢复对土壤可溶性氮组分的影响

为探究黄土丘陵地区人工植被恢复对土壤氮素养分累积与有效性的影响,研究分析了植被恢复15年刺槐、柠条、刺槐侧柏混交、刺槐山桃混交以及荒草地土壤可溶性氮组分含量及其垂直分布特征。结果表明,与耕地相比,植被恢复显著提高了0—30 cm土壤可溶性氮组分含量,这也使0—30 cm土壤可溶性氮组分密度显著增加,可溶性有机氮密度增幅表现为柠条(262.2%)刺槐(232.8%)刺槐山桃混交、刺槐侧柏混交(34.5%)荒草地(-21.5%),硝态氮密度整体表现为柠条刺槐刺槐山桃混交荒草地刺槐侧柏混交,增幅为7.9%—182.8%,铵态氮密度以刺槐山桃混交增幅最大(110.3%),荒草地最小为2.6%。可溶性有机氮、硝态氮占全氮的比例以刺槐最高,分别提升了2.4倍和0.6倍,铵态氮占全氮的比例以刺槐山桃混交最高,提升了1.0倍。可溶性氮组分受微生物量碳氮的影响大于有机质和全氮,微生物量氮与可溶性氮组分的相关性优于微生物量碳,硝态氮对土壤有机质、全氮和微生物量碳氮的变化最为敏感。综上,植被恢复能够提高土壤可溶性氮组分含量、密度及其占全氮比例,增加土壤氮的有效性,以刺槐、柠条提升效果最好。     

呼伦贝尔沙地不同植被恢复模式对土壤固氮微生物多样性的影响

利用聚合酶链式反应-变性梯度凝胶电泳(PCR-DGGE)技术及扩增产物序列分析方法,研究了经过4年不同植被恢复模式下呼伦贝尔沙地土壤固氮微生物的nifH基因多样性和群落结构的变化.结果表明:不同植被恢复模式间土壤固氮微生物群落组成差异显著.混播柠条+羊柴+冰草+披碱草模式(ACHE)下的土壤固氮微生物nifH基因多样性指数最高,其次为混播柠条+冰草(AC)、单播柠条(UC)、单播冰草(UA)和单播羊柴(UH)模式,对照(裸地)最低.除单播羊柴(UH)模式与对照的多样性指数差异不显著外,其余4种植被恢复模式均显著高于对照.单一恢复模式(UA、UH、UC)下,绝大多数土壤固氮微生物属于蓝藻门,结构比较单一;而混播模式(AC和ACHE)下,土壤固氮微生物组成发生明显变化,以变形菌门为主,还包含蓝藻门,其种类增加,多样性提高.不同植被恢复模式的速效磷(AP)、全磷(TP)、全氮(TN)和硝态氮(N03-N)对固氮微生物区系的影响均达到显著水平,且AP、TP、TN和NO3--N之间均具有显著相关性.不同植被恢复模式下土壤固氮微生物区系组成的变化是不同理化因子之间相互关联、共同影响的结果.     

Overyielding and the role of complementary use of nitrogen in wetland plant communities

Biodiversity and ecosystem functioning experiments have demonstrated that plant biomass of species grown in mixtures is often greater than plant biomass of monocultures (i.e., mixtures over yield). While we understand that plant species utilize resources differently, how a combination of species increases resource use and productivity is not well known, especially in wetland ecosystems. Here, we used a mesocosm experiment to explore diversity effects on plant biomass production and to examine the role of N partitioning as a mechanism for overyielding in wetland ecosystems. Plant functional groups (FGs) represented the unit of diversity, and we included five levels of diversity (0-4 FGs). To test for N partitioning, we used a stable isotope technique to determine niche breadth and proportion similarity of inorganic N use (NO₃⁻ and NH₄⁺) for individual FGs as well as mixtures containing 3 and 4 FGs. We found that total plant biomass increased in the first season from an average of 290 ± 60 SE g ash-free dry mass (AFDM) m⁻² at the 1 FG level to 490 ± 70 g AFDM m⁻² at the 4 FG level and in the second season from an average of 560 ± 80 g AFDM m⁻² at the 1 FG level to 1000 ± 90 g AFDM m⁻² at the 4 FG level indicating overyielding. Plant species comprising the majority of mesocosm biomass demonstrated preferential uptake of ¹⁵NO₃⁻, while species with relatively less biomass (e.g., Acorus calamus and Carex crinita) preferred ¹⁵NH₄⁺. Concentrations of ¹⁵N in biomass increased with FG richness, but only in the ¹⁵NO₃⁻ treatment. Niche breadth did not vary among levels of FG richness. We observed a greater niche overlap with an increase of FGs, with species taking up greater proportion of ¹⁵NO₃⁻ than ¹⁵NH₄⁺. Our results indicate that plant overyielding in wetland mesocosms is not the result of niche partitioning of N chemical forms, but is associated with greater uptake of NO₃.     

Legacy effects of soil homogenization on tallgrass prairie restoration: toward resolved understanding of the relationship between soil heterogeneity and plant species diversity

Within plant communities, niche‐based species sorting can occur among distinct soil patches (microsites), increasing coexistence and diversity. Microsite edges (microedges) may also offer additional niche space. Therefore, in recently abandoned croplands, which often have uniform soils caused by a legacy of tillage (soil homogenization), the plant species diversity of future restoration efforts may be reduced. We conducted an experiment during the early establishment phase (3 years) of a tallgrass prairie restoration on former cropland to determine if soil homogenization decreases species diversity and alters community composition, and if microedges offer additional niche space. Heterogeneous plots with sand‐ or woodchip‐enriched patches were compared to plots made up of the same components, but distributed homogeneously, and pits and mounds were compared to flat topsoil. Homogenization decreased diversity in flat topsoil plots relative to pit plots and increased diversity in woodchip plots. In both cases, the treatments with the lowest canopy cover and greatest plant density had the greatest diversity. Sand and topographic homogenization decreased diversity, but when a drought occurred in year two, the effect was suppressed in the sand treatment and magnified in the pit plots. Microedges had properties unique from adjacent patches. Overall, variability in heterogeneity–diversity relationships was affected by interactions with plant growth patterns and environmental conditions. Our results indicate that while the addition of contrasting soil microsites has the potential to promote increased diversity in grassland restoration on former cropland, the patch components and design must be optimized to achieve this management goal.     

禁牧对半干旱草地土壤氮循环功能基因丰度和氮储量的影响

以黄土高原云雾山不同禁牧(0、7、18、27和35年)草地为对象,研究禁牧对不同土层(0～10、10～20、20～40和40～60 cm)土壤氮循环微生物功能基因(nifH、amoA-AOA、amoA-AOB、narG、nirK、nirS和nosZ)丰度的影响,并分析了土壤氮循环微生物功能基因与土壤氮储量之间的关系.结果表明: 与放牧相比,禁牧35年提高了nifH和amoA-AOB的基因丰度,分别增加了67.8%和17.6%;禁牧降低了nirK基因丰度.表层土壤(0～10 cm)nifH、narG和nirS基因丰度显著高于深层土壤(20～40和40～60 cm),表明nifH、narG和nirS基因具有表聚效应.禁牧提高了土壤氮储量,在27年时0～60 cm土层土壤氮储量最高(20.96 mg·hm^-2),说明27年可能为最适禁牧年限.nifH、amoA-AOA和amoA-AOB基因丰度与氮储量具有显著线性关系,表明含有这些基因的微生物对于提高土壤氮储量具有重要作用.土壤全氮、容重以及速效磷含量是影响土壤氮循环基因的主要因素.本研究结果为深入理解土壤氮循环过程及退化草地的恢复提供了科学参考.     

氮添加对宁夏荒漠草原植物初级生产力的影响机制

许多研究探索了与全球变化相关的生态系统功能的变化,但对生态系统功能变化的机制与途径了解较少。初级生产力是生态系统功能的重要组分,但关于氮(N)添加下荒漠草原植物群落初级生产力如何变化以及变化机制尚未明确,N是否通过影响生物多样性来影响荒漠草原初级生产力?为此,本研究在荒漠草原开展了为期4年的N添加控制实验(2018—2021年),试验处理包括对照和4个N添加水平(5、10、20和40 g m^-2 a^-1),研究了N添加对荒漠草原物种多样性、功能多样性、初级生产力及其关系的影响。结果表明：(1)N添加处理(2018—2021年)改变了植物物种多样性及功能多样性,但年际间变化趋势不同。N添加处理第四年(2021年)荒漠草原植物功能多样性(Rao指数)、群落加权平均值-株高、功能均匀度和功能离散度均显著增加,而荒漠草原植物物种丰富度和Shannon-Wiener指数均显著降低。(2)N添加可以通过影响物种丰富度和功能多样性进而间接地促进荒漠草原初级生产力,但群落加权性状值-株高对初级生产力的影响是正效应,而物种丰富度和功能离散度对初级生产力的影响是...     

植被恢复十年喀斯特坡地细根对土壤碳氮存留与可利用性的影响

土壤碳氮存留与可利用性对恢复生态系统的稳定性和可持续性产生重要影响,研究其细根控制过程对深入理解植被恢复的作用及其针对性应用具有重要意义。依托中国科学院环江喀斯特生态系统观测研究站10年植被恢复平台,通过分析8种植被恢复模式植物（细根生物量、δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N）、土壤（有机碳、总氮、δ¹³C、δ¹⁵N、团聚体、砂粒、交换性钙、可溶性有机碳和氮、铵态氮、无机氮、微生物生物量碳和氮）理化性质的变化和关系,阐明细根对土壤碳氮存留与可利用性的影响。研究结果表明：细根对土壤碳氮存留的影响可能主要基于对土壤团聚体结构的改善,加强了对土壤原有机碳、氮的保护和存留,而细根有机质输入的影响是较弱的;细根可能通过影响微生物调控土壤可利用性碳和氮;因高的细根生物量和固氮植物,封育林和刈割草地模式具有较高的土壤碳氮存留效应。综上所述,喀斯特植被恢复过程中细根对土壤碳氮存留与可利用性产生积极的影响。因此,石漠化生态工程治理可以考虑根系发达与固氮植物共同引种。     

Effect of invasion by Hyptis suaveolens on plant diversity and selected soil properties of a constructed tropical grassland

Aims Hyptis suaveolens(L.) Poit is an important invader of the tropical and sub-tropical regions of the world. In our study, it has been investigated that how does theH. suaveolensinvasion regulate plant species diversity across the seasons in the dry tropical grassland. We hypothesized that a shift in soil inorganic-N availability is caused by invasion, and this shift is integral to access the invasion effect on plant diversity.     

Effects of land use intensity on the restoration capacity of sandy land vegetation and soil moisture in fenced sandy land in desert area

Effects of different land use intensity (phytomass semi-cutting and all-cutting) on structure characteristics of plant community and soil moisture in a natural vegetation enclosure and an artificially-aided enclosure were investigated in a sandy grassland in Northern China. No-cutting (phytomass kept nomal) was taken as the control treatment (CK). Analyzes showed that: 1—Importance value of the dominant species of different cutting treatments was in the range of 0.47–0.75. The influence of different cutting intensities on species composition was not significant for the same fenced method; 2—Both the diversity indices and the evenness index of shrub layer for the two enclosures were in the order: CK > semi-cutting > all-cutting; the similar indices of the plots of same cutting intensity and different fenced methods were smaller than 0.3; 3—The above-ground biomass of all-cutting treatment was significantly less than that of semi-cutting treatment, and CK had no significant difference from semi-cutting treatment; 4—There were significant differences in soil moisture between all-cutting and semi-cutting. The soil moisture of different layers within 80 cm increased with the increase of cutting intensities. In 0–30 cm, the soil moisture in different cutting intensities was increased with depth; however, in 30–70 cm, it decreased quickly with the increase of soil depth. Soil moisture under different cutting intensities and CK was in the following order: all-cutting > semi-cutting > CK. It proved that land use has some regulation and improvement effects on soil moisture.