Effect of sampling scale on the relationship between species diversity and productivity in subalpine meadows

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.01248

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims The relationship between species diversity and productivity has been a central issue in the face of increasing species extinctions; however, this issue has resulted in many disagreements. Our objectives were to determine (1) forms of the relationships between plant species diversity and productivity in natural communities in subalpine meadow and (2) effect of the sample area on the relationship between plant diversity and productivity. Methods We evaluated the relationships between species diversity and productivity by sampling three different study sites in subalpine meadow in the Hezuo region of Gansu Province, China in 2010. These three sites have different land use histories and altered vegetation traits. Sampling areas in each site were 0.01, 0.04, 0.16 and 0.64 m ². The number of samples was 30 for each site. Sampling at each site was conducted randomly. In August 2010, we determined the aboveground, oven-dried biomass and the number of plant species in each sample quadrat. The relationship between species diversity and productivity was constructed by linearly and quadratically regressing both number of species and aboveground biomass. Important findings We found no significant relationship between number of species and aboveground biomass in two of the three sites, even though sampling areas were varied, and the relationship changed with sampling area in another experimental site that had been overgrazed. Both sampling area and study site had significant effects on number of species, while number of species in each sample increased with sampling area and aboveground biomass per unit area was constant, i.e., sampling areas had no effect on productivity. Variation of experimental site had a significant effect on aboveground biomass, and productivity of each site was not closely dependent on number of species but the site. Results suggest that there may be no fixed relationship between species diversity and productivity in natural communities of subalpine meadow.

Key words: community productivity, ecosystem functioning, sampling scale, species diversity, subalpine meadow

YUAN Zi-Qiang, WEI Pan-Pan, GAO Ben-Qiang, ZHANG Rong. Effect of sampling scale on the relationship between species diversity and productivity in subalpine meadows[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2012, 36(12): 1248-1255.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3724/SP.J.1258.2012.01248

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Figures/Tables 4

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变异来源 Source of variation	自由度 df	物种数 Number of species			地上生物量 Aboveground biomass
变异来源 Source of variation	自由度 df	方差 Mean square	F	p	方差 Mean square	F	p
样地 Sampling site (SS)	2	766.386	116.170	0.000	25.535	209.714	0.000
取样面积 Sampling area (SA)	3	3 126.796	473.963	0.000	0.113	0.926	0.428
样地×取样面积 (SS × SA)	6	100.749	15.272	0.000	0.123	1.014	0.416
误差 Error	348	6.597			0.122

变异来源 Source of variation	自由度 df	物种数 Number of species			地上生物量 Aboveground biomass
变异来源 Source of variation	自由度 df	方差 Mean square	F	p	方差 Mean square	F	p
样地 Sampling site (SS)	2	766.386	116.170	0.000	25.535	209.714	0.000
取样面积 Sampling area (SA)	3	3 126.796	473.963	0.000	0.113	0.926	0.428
样地×取样面积 (SS × SA)	6	100.749	15.272	0.000	0.123	1.014	0.416
误差 Error	348	6.597			0.122

样地 Sampling site	取样面积 Sampling area	N	线性模型 Linear model		二次模型 Quadratic model		模式 Pattern
样地 Sampling site	取样面积 Sampling area	N	R²	p	R²	p	模式 Pattern
I	10 cm × 10 cm	30	0.003	0.780	0.043	0.551	ns (Fig. 2A)
	20 cm × 20 cm	30	0.039	0.294	0.046	0.527	ns (Fig. 2B)
	40 cm × 40 cm	30	0.023	0.419	0.046	0.532	ns (Fig. 2C)
	80 cm × 80 cm	30	0.013	0.556	0.078	0.328	ns (Fig. 2D)
II	10 cm × 10 cm	30	0.014	0.532	0.020	0.762	ns (Fig. 2E)
	20 cm × 20 cm	30	0.043	0.271	0.043	0.551	ns (Fig. 2F)
	40 cm × 40 cm	30	0.002	0.800	0.019	0.772	ns (Fig. 2G)
	80 cm × 80 cm	30	0.043	0.272	0.074	0.355	ns (Fig. 2H)
III	10 cm × 10 cm	30	0.172	0.023	0.241	0.024	正线性和二次 Positive linear and quadratic (Fig.2I)
	20 cm × 20 cm	30	0.064	0.177	0.091	0.246	ns (Fig. 2J)
	40 cm × 40 cm	30	0.096	0.096	0.228	0.030	二次 (Fig. 2K) Quadratic
	80 cm × 80 cm	30	0.003	0.785	0.003	0.959	ns (Fig. 2L)
IV	10 cm × 10 cm	120	0.012	0.306	0.015	0.359	ns (Fig. 2M)
	20 cm × 20 cm	120	0.097	0.026	0.097	0.012	正线性和二次 Positive linear and quadratic (Fig. 2N)
	40 cm × 40 cm	120	0.132	0.000	0.159	0.001	正线性和二次 Positive linear and quadratic (Fig. 2O)
	80 cm × 80 cm	120	0.048	0.038	0.048	0.116	正线性 Positive linear (Fig. 2P)

样地 Sampling site	取样面积 Sampling area	N	线性模型 Linear model		二次模型 Quadratic model		模式 Pattern
样地 Sampling site	取样面积 Sampling area	N	R²	p	R²	p	模式 Pattern
I	10 cm × 10 cm	30	0.003	0.780	0.043	0.551	ns (Fig. 2A)
	20 cm × 20 cm	30	0.039	0.294	0.046	0.527	ns (Fig. 2B)
	40 cm × 40 cm	30	0.023	0.419	0.046	0.532	ns (Fig. 2C)
	80 cm × 80 cm	30	0.013	0.556	0.078	0.328	ns (Fig. 2D)
II	10 cm × 10 cm	30	0.014	0.532	0.020	0.762	ns (Fig. 2E)
	20 cm × 20 cm	30	0.043	0.271	0.043	0.551	ns (Fig. 2F)
	40 cm × 40 cm	30	0.002	0.800	0.019	0.772	ns (Fig. 2G)
	80 cm × 80 cm	30	0.043	0.272	0.074	0.355	ns (Fig. 2H)
III	10 cm × 10 cm	30	0.172	0.023	0.241	0.024	正线性和二次 Positive linear and quadratic (Fig.2I)
	20 cm × 20 cm	30	0.064	0.177	0.091	0.246	ns (Fig. 2J)
	40 cm × 40 cm	30	0.096	0.096	0.228	0.030	二次 (Fig. 2K) Quadratic
	80 cm × 80 cm	30	0.003	0.785	0.003	0.959	ns (Fig. 2L)
IV	10 cm × 10 cm	120	0.012	0.306	0.015	0.359	ns (Fig. 2M)
	20 cm × 20 cm	120	0.097	0.026	0.097	0.012	正线性和二次 Positive linear and quadratic (Fig. 2N)
	40 cm × 40 cm	120	0.132	0.000	0.159	0.001	正线性和二次 Positive linear and quadratic (Fig. 2O)
	80 cm × 80 cm	120	0.048	0.038	0.048	0.116	正线性 Positive linear (Fig. 2P)

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