Responses of plant phenology to warming and nitrogen addition under different precipitation conditions in a desert steppe of Nei Mongol, China

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2021.0277

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Plant phenology is an important indicator of ecosystem response to climate change, and it is also a central parameter for modelling plant productivity and vegetation dynamics. However, it remains unclear whether inner-annual, intra-annual, inter-species or inter-habitat variabilities exist in the response of plant phenology to environmental changes.
Methods Here we investigated the effects of long-term (>10 years) warming and nitrogen (N) addition on plant phenology in a temperate desert steppe. We used the phenological scoring observation method and Richards growth curve fitting method to monitor phenological shifts of three dominant species, Stipa breviflora, Artemisia frigida and Kochia prostrata, in the 11th, 12th and 13th treatment year.
Important findings We found that the flowering time ranged from the 129th to the 145th days of a year for S. breviflora, from the 230th to the 248th days for A. frigida, and from the 194th to the 222th days for K. prostrata. Warming and N addition tended to advance the flowering time of S. breviflora and K. prostrata, but tended to delay the flowering time of A. frigida. The fruiting time ranged from the 134th to the 148th days for S. breviflora, from the 241th to the 260th days for A. frigida, and from the 207th to the 231th days for K. prostrata. Warming and N addition tended to advance the fruiting time of S. breviflora and K. prostrata, but tended to delay that of A. frigida. The reproductive growth period lasted for 12 to 25 days for S. breviflora, 48 to 55 days for A. frigida, and 45 to 77 days for K. prostrata. Warming and N addition shortened the reproductive growth period for S. breviflora, but prolonged that period for A. frigida and K. prostrata.

Key words: desert steppe, plant phenology, warming, nitrogen deposition, precipitation

TIAN Lei, ZHU Yi, LI Xin, HAN Guo-Dong, REN Hai-Yan. Responses of plant phenology to warming and nitrogen addition under different precipitation conditions in a desert steppe of Nei Mongol, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2022, 46(3): 290-299.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2021.0277

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2022/V46/I3/290

Figures/Tables 10

Fig. 1 Precipitation in the study area in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol from 2016 to 2018. A, Monthly precipitation of 2016 to 2018. B, Annual precipitation of 2016 to 2018.

Table 1 Specific phenological scoring of grass and forb in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol

分值 Score	禾草类 Grass	非禾草类 Forb
0	小穗尚在苞叶内 Spikelets in boot	尚未开花 Not blooming
1	小穗伸出苞叶内 Spikelets out of boot	花芽可见 Flower bud present
2	花粉囊、花柱已伸出 Exserted anthers & styles	开花 Blooming
3	种子正在发育形成 Seed developing	花开始衰老 Decaying
3.5	种子开始脱落、散布 Seed dropping	-
4	种子全部脱落 All seed dropped	-
4.5	-	果实可见 Fruit present
5.5	-	果实开始开裂 Fruit dehiscing
6	-	所有果实开裂 All fruits dehisced

Fig. 2 Fitting diagram of Richards growth equation for different species in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol. B, blooming time; F, fruiting time; R, reproductive growth time.

Fig. 3 Effects of warming and nitrogen addition on plants flowering time (mean ± SE) under different precipitation conditions in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol. CK, control; N, nitrogen addition; W, warming; WN, warming + nitrogen addition. Different lowercase letters indicated significant differences among different treatments (p < 0.05).

Table 2 Mixed effects modeling analysis for the effects of warming (W), nitrogen addition (N) and different precipitation (P) on plant flowering time in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol

处理 Treatment	短花针茅 Stipa breviflora			冷蒿 Artemisia frigida			木地肤 Kochia prostrata
处理 Treatment	Num df	Den df	F	Num df	Den df	F	Num df	Den df	F
W	1	15	554.20^***	1	12	15.40^**	1	15	274.30^***
N	1	15	23.70^***	1	12	0.10	1	15	4.00
P	1	44	2176.20^***	1	31	1540.70^***	1	43	2750.40^***
W × N	1	15	1.60	1	12	46.30^***	1	15	5.10^*
W × P	1	44	27.90^***	1	31	10.00^**	1	43	12.80^***
N × P	1	44	3.80	1	31	12.70^**	1	43	16.00^***
W × N × P	1	44	5.90^*	1	31	6.50^*	1	43	2.30

Fig. 4 Effects of warming and nitrogen addition on plants fruiting time (mean ± SE) under different precipitation conditions in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol. CK, control; N, nitrogen addition; W, warming; WN, warming + nitrogen addition. Different lowercase letters indicated significant differences among different treatments (p < 0.05).

Table 3 Mixed effects modeling analysis for the effects of warming (W), nitrogen addition (N) and different precipitation (P) on plant fruiting time in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol

处理 Treatment	短花针茅 Stipa breviflora			冷蒿 Artemisia frigida			木地肤 Kochia prostrata
处理 Treatment	Num df	Den df	F	Num df	Den df	F	Num df	Den df	F
W	1	15	1710.10^***	1	12	7.70^*	1	15	82.80^***
N	1	15	41.00^***	1	12	0.70	1	15	0.50
P	1	44	4947.80^***	1	31	1 448.70^***	1	44	922.00^***
W × N	1	15	2.10	1	12	6.00^*	1	15	0.00
W × P	1	44	32.90^***	1	31	8.20^**	1	44	18.90^***
N × P	1	44	6.60^*	1	31	12.10^**	1	44	23.90^***
W × N × P	1	44	19.00^***	1	31	0.00	1	44	10.60^**

Fig. 5 Effects of warming and nitrogen addition on plants reproductive growth time (mean ± SE) under different precipitation conditions in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol. CK, control; N, nitrogen addition; W, warming; WN, warming + nitrogen addition. Different lowercase letters indicated significant differences among different treatments (p < 0.05).

Table 4 Mixed effects modeling analysis for the effects of warming (W), nitrogen addition (N) and different precipitation (P) on plant reproductive growth time in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol

处理 Treatment	短花针茅 Stipa breviflora			冷蒿 Artemisia frigida			木地肤 Kochia prostrata
处理 Treatment	Num df	Den df	F	Num df	Den df	F	Num df	Den df	F
W	1	15	4.09	1	12	1.28	1	15	108.99^***
N	1	15	1.74	1	12	0.82	1	15	7.49^*
P	1	44	49.44^***	1	31	19.83^***	1	44	69.33^***
W × N	1	15	0.50	1	12	1.19	1	15	1.00
W × P	1	44	0.01	1	31	4.20^*	1	44	5.80^*
N × P	1	44	0.20	1	31	0.16	1	44	0.08
W × N × P	1	44	0.28	1	31	0.38	1	44	2.71

Fig. 6 Effects of different precipitation conditions on flowering, fruiting and reproductive growth time of Stipa breviflora, Artemisia frigida and Kochia prostrata in the Stipa breviflora desert grassland of Nei Mongol. CK, control; N, nitrogen addition; W, warming; WN, warming + nitrogen addition.

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