Theme 1: Grassland Ecology
Description
Plant functional traits are closely related to ecosystem functions, and can indicate changes in ecosystem functions. Plant functional diversity is an important component of biodiversity, which can more accurately predict the changes of ecosystem functions or processes than species diversity, and is the main determinant of ecosystem functions or processes. In order to study the impact of global climate change factors (i.e., warming and nitrogen deposition) on the plant functional diversity in a desert steppe, we conducted a long-term warming and nitrogen addition experiment in northern China for 15 years (2006 - 2020). In 2020, we measured the plant height, specific leaf area (SLA), chlorophyll SPAD value of 4 dominant plants in experimental plots: Stipa breviflora, Cleistogenes songorica, Convolvulus ammannii and Kochia prostrata. The results showed that the functional richness index (FRic), functional evenness index (FEve) and functional divergence index (FDiv) had no significant difference under warming and nitrogen addition. Nitrogen addition significantly decreased Rao’s quadratic entropy index (FDQ) by 27.6%. This suggests that nitrogen addition increased niche overlap effect and strengthened resource competition in the community. Our study will help intensify the understanding of biodiversity loss under global climate change, and provide theoretical bases for grassland ecological restoration.
Included in
Agricultural Science Commons, Agronomy and Crop Sciences Commons, Plant Biology Commons, Plant Pathology Commons, Soil Science Commons, Weed Science Commons
Responses of Plant Functional Diversity to Long-Term Warming and Nitrogen Addition in a Desert Steppe
Plant functional traits are closely related to ecosystem functions, and can indicate changes in ecosystem functions. Plant functional diversity is an important component of biodiversity, which can more accurately predict the changes of ecosystem functions or processes than species diversity, and is the main determinant of ecosystem functions or processes. In order to study the impact of global climate change factors (i.e., warming and nitrogen deposition) on the plant functional diversity in a desert steppe, we conducted a long-term warming and nitrogen addition experiment in northern China for 15 years (2006 - 2020). In 2020, we measured the plant height, specific leaf area (SLA), chlorophyll SPAD value of 4 dominant plants in experimental plots: Stipa breviflora, Cleistogenes songorica, Convolvulus ammannii and Kochia prostrata. The results showed that the functional richness index (FRic), functional evenness index (FEve) and functional divergence index (FDiv) had no significant difference under warming and nitrogen addition. Nitrogen addition significantly decreased Rao’s quadratic entropy index (FDQ) by 27.6%. This suggests that nitrogen addition increased niche overlap effect and strengthened resource competition in the community. Our study will help intensify the understanding of biodiversity loss under global climate change, and provide theoretical bases for grassland ecological restoration.
