Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2018, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 20-27.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2017.0133

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Experimental warming changed plants’ phenological sequences of two dominant species in an alpine meadow, western of Sichuan

ZHANG Li1,2,WANG Gen-Xu1,RAN Fei1,PENG A-Hui1,2,XIAO Yao1,2,YANG Yang1,YANG Yan1,*()   

  1. 1 Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China

    2 University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
  • Online:2018-01-20 Published:2018-01-18
  • Contact: Yan YANG
  • Supported by:
    Supported by the Key Research Program of Frontier Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences(QYZDJ-SSW-DQC006);the National Key Research and Development Project of China(2017YFC0504900);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31100323);the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31300416)

Abstract:

Aims We studied phenological sequences of two dominant plants (Polygonum viviparum and Potentilla leuconota) in an alpine meadow of the Hengduan Mt., western of Sichuan to explore the alpine plants responses on climate change.

Methods Open-top chambers (OTCs) chosen by ITEX were used to monitor the warming in the field. After a four-year experimental warming, in the 5th growing season we recorded the phenological sequences of two dominant species, focusing on plant responses on warming. The sequence was divided into four stages: budding, flowering, withering and ripe seeds. Each stage had three events: first, peak, and last.

Important findings Our results showed that: 1) For P. viviparum, experimental warming elicited a shortening of the duration of each stage, advanced all of the phenological events but the first of withering and ripe seeds, shortened the period of each stage and reduced the duration of entire reproduction. 2) For P. leuconota, experimental warming extended the duration of every stage. All phenological events before the end of withering occurred earlier on experimental warming but the peak of flowering. The period of each stage had inconsistent responses on warming and warming prolonged the duration of entire reproduction. The present results indicated that not all phenological events were equally responsive to experimental warming and an entire sequence could be a more accurate way to evaluate the responses on environmental variation. Therefore, the plastic responses to warming of different species would have effects on community composition and structure.

http://jtp.cnki.net/bilingual/detail/html/ZWSB201801003

Key words: alpine meadow, climate change, open-top chamber, Polygonum viviparum, Potentilla leuconota, reproductive phenology