Community species diversity mediates the trade‐off between aboveground and belowground biomass for grasses and forbs in degraded alpine meadow, Tibetan Plateau

Zhou, Tiancai; Sun, Jian; Zong, Nan; Hou, Guichen; Shi, Peili

doi:10.1002/ece3.8048

Cited by 8 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…Longer grazing (RG2 and CK) made below‐ground parts larger than above‐ground parts. Studies suggest that vegetation survives with a strategy of defense and conservation when it has a high BGB, whereas plants with a high AGB survive via above‐ground growth and an opportunistic strategy (Freschet et al, 2015; Zhou et al, 2021). Carex has a high BGB and is highly defensive and protective against early spring grazing (Cao & Long, 2009; Miehe et al, 2019).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rest–grazing before soil thawing alters the below‐ground distribution and extent of rooting in Carex subalpine meadows

Jing,

Xiao,

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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Livestock activities impact plant rhizomes and roots in the topsoil, particularly in the early stages of spring for a Carex subalpine meadow. Rest–grazing during critical periods can prevent harm to these roots and rhizomes caused by livestock, thereby enhancing the ecological performance of grasslands. In accordance with soil thawing and plant re‐greening, we designated five rest–grazing periods during the spring in a Carex subalpine meadows. The findings demonstrate that the topsoil of 0–10 cm, largely consisting of Carex roots, housed over 70% of root volume and root mass. After the plant had regained its greenery for a certain duration, rest–grazing resulted in higher vertical root length distribution index. With earlier rest–grazing, root growth in deeper soil was promoted, consequently transporting more organic material to the deeper soil. Deferred rest–grazing time has the potential to enhance lateral rooting extent, root resistance to vertical uprooting, and root accumulation in topsoil. It follows that increased root accumulation in the topsoil leads to greater loss of soil nutrients and carbon. Consequently, we recommend rest–grazing prior to soil thawing for Carex subalpine meadows, which encourages Carex root growth and fosters greater biomass accumulation in deeper soils. Avoiding “running for the green” and “trampling tillage” has a positive effect on both productivity and long‐term soil nutrients and carbon pool management in pastures.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rest–grazing before soil thawing alters the below‐ground distribution and extent of rooting in Carex subalpine meadows

Jing,

Xiao,

et al. 2023

Land Degrad Dev

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“…It is well known that LPUE corresponds to a relatively arid environment (Zhou et al, 2020), in contrast to a LRS ratio, which is connected to a HPUE pattern corresponding to a relatively humid environment (Figure 6b). Communities with HPUE showed higher plant coverage and soil nutrients (Zhou et al, 2021). Compared with a LRS ratio pattern, a LRS ratio pattern has relatively less precipitation (Table S1).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Communities with HPUE showed higher plant coverage and soil nutrients (Zhou et al, 2021). Compared with a LRS ratio pattern, a LRS ratio pattern has relatively less precipitation (Table S1).…”

Section: Impact Of Environmental Factors On the Root: Shoot Ratio In ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Plant biomass allocation is mediated by precipitation use efficiency in arid and semiarid ecosystems

et al. 2022

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The arid and semiarid grassland ecosystems are characterized by limited water resources and are generally vulnerable to climate change. Understanding how plants in arid and semiarid ecosystems respond to global climatic variation is crucial for ecological restoration under a changing climate. Although the effects of climate on aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB) have been widely explored, how AGB and BGB respond to climatic variation is seldom disentangled.There is still a need to understand how plant communities respond to global climate change. In this study, we conducted a transect survey across grasslands in Inner Mongolia to capture changes in AGB and BGB in plant communities. Then, we used structural equation modelling (SEM) to explore the relationship between environmental factors and the root:shoot ratio to understand how plant communities respond to ecological drought under global climate change. Our results showed that low precipitation use efficiency (LPUE) results in a high root:shoot (HRS) ratio, and BGB was more sensitive to environmental changes. By contrast, high precipitation use efficiency (HPUE) led to a low root:shoot (LRS) ratio, and environmental factors had a greater impact on AGB. For the LPUE pattern, soil water content (SWC), pH, and soil total nitrogen (STN) mainly affected the HRS ratio. Soil water content and STN influenced the HRS ratio through a positive effect on BGB . For the HPUE pattern, SWC, STN, and plant abundance (PA) predominantly regulate the LRS ratio, while biodiversity (plant abundance) affects the LRS ratio by positively affecting AGB. Our results highlight the differential impact of precipitation use efficiency on aboveground and belowground biomass allocation. This is important for monitoring the impact of drought events on plant biomass, improving productivity assessment models in arid and semi-arid regions, and assessing local carbon storage accurately.

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“…This could explain why the highest content of soil AP and lowest content of soil AK were recorded in SG. In addition, grazing reduced shoot biomass, but both below-ground biomass and ANPP were highest in MG. Grazing can drive plant biomass allocation to below-ground, and when subjected to external stresses, vegetation employs special defense mechanisms to allot more biomass to below-ground (Zhou et al, 2021). In MG, more of the plant species were subjected to foraging stress, as the Tibetan sheep and yak overlapped in many of the plant species consumed, but each also consumed some unique plant species so the biomass allocation to the below-ground was more pronounced.…”

Section: A B Figurementioning

confidence: 99%

Herbivore assemblages affect soil microbial communities by altering root biomass and available nutrients in an alpine meadow

et al. 2023

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Three different herbivore grazing assemblages, namely, yak grazing (YG), Tibetan sheep grazing (SG) and yak and Tibetan sheep co-grazing (MG), are practiced in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), but the effects of the different herbivore assemblages on soil microbes are relatively unknown. The microbial community plays an important role in the functional stability of alpine grassland ecosystems. Therefore, it is important to understand how the microbial community structure of grassland ecosystems changes under different herbivore grazing assemblages to ensure their sustainable development. To fill this gap, a field study was carried out to investigate the effects of YG, SG, and MG on plant communities, soil physico-chemical properties and microbial communities under moderate grazing intensity in alpine meadows. Grazing increased the β-diversity of the bacteria community and decreased the β-diversity of the fungal community. The herbivore assemblage affected the microbial community diversity, but not the plant community diversity. Total phosphorus, soil bulk density, root biomass, and plant α-diversity were correlated with both the bacterial and fungal community composition, available phosphorus and soil moisture were correlated only with the bacterial community composition, while available potassium and above-ground net primary production (ANPP) were correlated only with the fungal community composition. Soil available nitrogen, soil available phosphorus and soil bulk density were highest in SG, while ANPP was highest in MG. It was concluded that MG can improve ANPP and stabilize the soil microbial community, suggesting that MG is an effective method for sustainable use and conservation of alpine meadows on the QTP.

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Community species diversity mediates the trade‐off between aboveground and belowground biomass for grasses and forbs in degraded alpine meadow, Tibetan Plateau

Cited by 8 publications

References 56 publications

Rest–grazing before soil thawing alters the below‐ground distribution and extent of rooting in Carex subalpine meadows

Rest–grazing before soil thawing alters the below‐ground distribution and extent of rooting in Carex subalpine meadows

Plant biomass allocation is mediated by precipitation use efficiency in arid and semiarid ecosystems

Herbivore assemblages affect soil microbial communities by altering root biomass and available nutrients in an alpine meadow

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