Functional diversity rather than species diversity can explain community biomass variation following short-term nitrogen addition in an alpine grassland

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2022.0028

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims To further understand how community functional diversity drives biomass change following nitrogen (N) addition, a nitrogen addition experiment was conducted in an alpine grassland.

Methods Species composition of community and six functional traits of common species were measured in a short-term N addition experiment in Bayanbulak alpine grassland of Tianshan Mountains. We compared the response patterns of species diversity, functional diversity, and community level traits, and quantified the relative contribution of those factors to community biomass variation.

Important findings Both aboveground and belowground biomass increased following short-term N addition, with higher proportional enhancement of aboveground biomass. N addition reduced functional diversity, but did not affect species diversity. At the community level, height and leaf carbon content increased following N addition, whereas specific leaf area, seed mass, and leaf phosphorus content decreased. The variations of species diversity contributed less to the variations of community biomass change, whereas functional diversity and community level traits explained most of the variation of community biomass. Our results support the mass ratio hypothesis. In conclusion, community level functional traits and functional diversity were sensitive to short-term N addition, and played a key role in driving community biomass.

Key words: aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, functional traits, functional diversity, species diversity, nitrogen addition, Tianshan, alpine grassland

DONG Liu-Wen, REN Zheng-Wei, ZHANG Rui, XIE Chen-Di, ZHOU Xiao-Long. Functional diversity rather than species diversity can explain community biomass variation following short-term nitrogen addition in an alpine grassland[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2022, 46(8): 871-881.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.17521/cjpe.2022.0028

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2022/V46/I8/871

Figures/Tables 7

Table 1 Relative abundance of common species after two years nitrogen addition in Tianshan alpine grassland (mean ± SE)

种名 Species	PFG	RA_C	RA_N
冰草 Agropyron cristatum	G	15.28 ± 0.05	31.64 ± 0.01
草地早熟禾 Poa pratensis	G	13.51 ± 0.02	17.30 ± 0.03
苔草 Koeleria cristata	G	15.77 ± 0.02	2.02 ± 0.01
细果薹草 Carex stenocarpa	G	0.54 ± 0.01	0.01
羊茅 Festuca ovina	G	0.20	32.35 ± 0.01
紫花针茅 Stipa purpurea	G	7.45 ± 0.01	6.28 ± 0.02
二裂委陵菜 Potentilla bifurca	F	5.15 ± 0.01	3.27 ± 0.01
莓叶委陵菜 Potentilla fragarioides	F	4.23 ± 0.01	0.98
多裂委陵菜 Potentilla multifida	F	0.05	0.01
天山蒲公英 Taraxacum tianschanicum	F	0.04 ± 0.01	0.21 ± 0.01
防风 Saposhnikovia divaricata	F	0.48 ± 0.01	0.25 ± 0.01
斜茎黄耆 Astragalus adsurgens	L	29.05 ± 0.02	4.72 ± 0.01
小花棘豆 Oxytropis glabra	L	7.77 ± 0.02	0.46

Fig. 1 Effects of nitrogen addition on community biomass in Tianshan alpine grassland (mean ± SE). CK, control; N, nitrogen addition. **, p < 0.01; NS, p > 0.05.

Fig. 2 Effects of nitrogen addition on species diversity in Tianshan alpine grassland (mean ± SE). CK, control; N, nitrogen addition. NS, p > 0.05.

Fig. 3 Effects of nitrogen addition on functional diversity in Tianshan alpine grassland (mean ± SE). CK, control; N, nitrogen addition. *, p < 0.05; NS, p > 0.05.

Fig. 4 Effects of nitrogen addition on community level functional traits and community weighted mean in Tianshan alpine grassland (mean ± SE). CK, control; N, nitrogen addition. *, p < 0.05; **, p < 0.01; NS, p > 0.05。

Fig. 5 Linear regression relationships between total community biomass and functional diversity in Tianshan alpine grassland.

Fig. 6 Linear regression relationships between total community biomass and functional traits in Tianshan alpine grassland.

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