Response of understory vegetation to variable tree mortality following a mountain pine beetle epidemic in lodgepole pine stands in northern Utah

We analyzed the long-term dynamics of aboveground biomass ofLeymus chinense steppe in relation to interannual variation of precipitation and temperature during 1980–1989 at levels of community, growth form and species in the Xilin river basin, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Annual aboveground net primary production (ANPP) varied from 154.00 g m^-2 yr^-1 in 1980 to 318.59 g m^-2 yr^-1 in 1988, with a mean of 248.63 g m^-2 yr^-1 and the coefficient of variation of 25%. ANPP was not significantly correlated to annual precipitation and total precipitation during April–September atp0.05 level, but precipitation in May and August accounted for 69% of interannual variation of ANPP. The means of rain use efficiency and water use efficiency ofL. chinense steppe were 8.1 kg DM ha^-1 mm^-1 yr^-1 and 0.89 mg DM g^-1 H₂O respectively. Aboveground biomass of various growth forms and species had different response patterns to interannual variation of precipitation and temperature. Monthly and seasonal distribution of precipitation and temperature were the key controls of aboveground biomass of species.