Effects of fertilization and clipping on species diversity, productivity and their relationship in subalpine meadow

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2014.00038

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The objective of this study was to determine whether fertilization and clipping would affect species diversity, productivity, and the relationship between species diversity and productivity in a subalpine meadow of China.
Methods The experiment was set up as a randomized block design consisting of three levels of fertilization and three intensities of clipping with eight replications, using quadrat size of 0.5 × 0.5 m². The aboveground biomass and species diversity were measured within each quadrat. The relationship between species diversity and productivity were tested by plotting aboveground biomass against species diversity based on linear and non-linear regressions by treatments.
Important findings Fertilization and clipping had significant effects on aboveground biomass; community biomass increased with the level of fertilization but decreased with the clipping intensity. Both fertilization and clipping had no apparent effects on species diversity. The relationships between aboveground biomass and species diversity occurred as monotonic, quadratic, or non-correlated depending on fertilization and clipping treatments, meaning that the relationship between species diversity and productivity is not always isotropic and changes with conditions of fertility and level of biomass removal in the community. Thus, productivity is unlikely related to species diversity under conditions of varying fertilization regimes and clipping treatments.

Key words: community productivity, clipping, fertilization, species diversity, subalpine meadow

GAO Ben-Qiang,YUAN Zi-Qiang,WANG Bin-Xian,GAO Hui,ZHANG Rong. Effects of fertilization and clipping on species diversity, productivity and their relationship in subalpine meadow[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2014, 38(5): 417-424.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2014.00038

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2014/V38/I5/417

Figures/Tables 4

Table 1 Summary of ANOVA on effects of fertilization, clipping and time on aboveground biomass and species number during 2008-2012

变异来源 Source of variation	自由度 df	地上生物量 Aboveground biomass	物种数 Number of species
变异来源 Source of variation	自由度 df	F	F
刈割 Clipping	2	144.403^***	3.040^*
施肥 Fertilization	2	31.521^***	8.548^***
年份 Year	4	216.930^***	121.041^***
刈割×施肥 Clipping × Fertilization	4	4.327^**	2.140^ns
刈割×年份 Clipping × Year	8	2.851^**	0.727^ns
施肥×年份 Fertilization × Year	8	0.879^ns	1.873^ns
刈割×施肥×年份 Clipping × Fertilization × Year	16	0.432^ns	0.473^ns

Fig. 1 Effects of fertilization and clipping on aboveground biomass during 2008-2012 (mean ± SD). Different letters indicate significant differences between treatments (p < 0.05).

Fig. 2 Effects of fertilization and clipping on species number during 2008-2012 (mean ± SD). Different letters indicate significant differences between treatments (p < 0.05).

Fig. 3 The linear and quadratic regression relationships between species number and aboveground biomass for different fertilization and clipping treatments during 2008-2012 (n = 8). The straight line or curve fitting is illustrated when the relationship between species diversity and productivity under the same treatment is significant (p < 0.05).

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