Effects of changing precipitation patterns on seedlings of Stipa grandis, a dominant plant of typical grassland of Inner Mongolia, China

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.10.004

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Stipa grandis is a dominant species of Inner Mongolia typical grassland. Our objective is to explore the responses of S. grandis seedlings to changed precipitation patterns to provide insight into responses of Inner Mongolia grassland to future global climate change.

Methods A simulated experiment was conducted in 2009 to examine the effects of precipitation quantity and interval on S. grandis seedlings in open-top chambers at the Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Important findings At final harvest, aboveground biomass of S. grandis seedlings was significantly increased by an average of 23% (p < 0.05) by increased precipitation quantity (+50%) and by an average of 48.8% (p < 0.001) by extending the precipitation interval from 5 to 15 days. Precipitation quantity had no significant effect on belowground biomass. When compared with that under regular precipitation interval with same precipitation quantity, belowground biomass was significantly increased 56.2% (p < 0.001) with extended precipitation interval under low precipitation quantity, but was not significantly affected by extended precipitation interval under high precipitation quantity. The effect of precipitation quantity and interval on root/shoot ratio depended greatly on each other. Root/shoot ratio was significantly decreased by 28.4% (p < 0.05) by increased precipitation quantity only under the extended precipitation interval level and significantly decreased by 28.8% (p < 0.05) by extended precipitation interval only under increased precipitation quantity. During the whole treatment period, differences in aboveground, belowground and total biomass of seedlings between treatments for seedlings treated for 30 days and 45 days were determined by total precipitation quantity, and biomass differences for seedlings treated for 75 days were determined by precipitation interval. Therefore, precipitation interval could be as important as precipitation quantity on growth of S. grandis seedlings. Effects of precipitation patterns could be complex since the effects of precipitation quantity and precipitation interval interacted greatly and changed with seedling growth period.

Key words: biomass, precipitation interval, precipitation quantity, root/shoot ratio, temperate grassland

ZHOU Shuang-Xi, WU Dong-Xiu, ZHANG Lin, SHI Hui-Qiu. Effects of changing precipitation patterns on seedlings of Stipa grandis, a dominant plant of typical grassland of Inner Mongolia, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(10): 1155-1164.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.10.004

https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2010/V34/I10/1155

Figures/Tables 6

Table 1 Monthly mean air and ground temperature, and evaporation of July, August, and September of 2009 at Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station of Chinese Academy of Sciences

月 Month	月平均气温 Monthly mean air temperature (℃)	月平均地温 Monthly mean ground temperature (℃)	蒸发量 Evaporation (mm)
7	19.8	25.4	283.2
8	18.5	22.6	295.2
9	11.3	13.5	202.9

Fig. 1 Dynamics of aboveground biomass (A), belowground biomass (B), total biomass (C) of Stipa grandis seedlings in different precipitation patterns (mean ± SE, n = 5). Differences between each group were tested using One-way ANOVA with a Tukey post hoc test of significance; significant differences at p < 0.05 are indicated by different letters. I1, precipitation interval of 5 days; I2, precipitation interval of 15 days; Q1, precipitation quantity of 150 mm; Q2, precipitation quantity of 225 mm.

Table 2 Results (F-values) based on Two-way ANOVA of the effects of total precipitation quantity and precipitation interval on aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, total biomass, root/shoot ratio, and root proliferation biomass to the unplanted half bucket area of Stipa grandis seedlings

变量 Source of variation	地上生物量Aboveground biomass	地下生物量 Belowground biomass	总生物量 Total biomass	根冠比自然对数 ln (root / shoot ratio)	根拓展生物量 Root proliferation biomass to unplanted half bucket area
9.30
Q	5.56^*	0.72	3.53	3.86	0.43
I	20.48^***	14.70^***	23.45^***	3.46	6.46^*
Q × I	0.13	10.60^***	0.88	6.42^*	8.54^**
8.30
Q	10.56^**	11.04^**	12.21^**	0.65	2.36
I	8.52^**	3.54	7.61^*	4.16	0.06
Q × I	0.04	1.74	0.36	1.02	2.08
8.15
Q	4.72^*	5.85^*	5.75^*	3.26	3.35
I	0.49	2.02	1.19	2.66	0.95
Q × I	0.34	0.01	0.13	1.05	0.09
7.31
Q	0.40	0.51	0.50	0.31	0.02
I	1.40	4.18	2.88	5.85*	0.01
Q × I	0.32	0.00	0.09	0.10	0.47

Table 3 Results (F-values) based on repeated measures ANOVA of the effects of sampling time, total precipitation quantity and precipitation interval on aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, total biomass, root/shoot ratio, and root proliferation biomass to the unplanted half bucket area of Stipa grandis seedlings

变量 Source of variation	地上生物量Aboveground biomass	地下生物量 Belowground biomass	总生物量 Total biomass	根冠比自然对数 ln (root / shoot ratio)	根拓展生物量 Root proliferation biomass to the unplanted half bucket area
Q	14.92^***	12.48**	17.19***	0.02	0.87
I	11.50^**	0.77	7.74*	11.33***	1.11
Q × I	0.00	4.61*	0.68	0.35	3.55
T	124.10***	135.16***	150.13***	9.54***	92.26***
T × Q	3.83*	2.81*	3.30*	1.55	2.09
T × I	10.08***	6.40***	9.83***	0.94	4.81**
T × Q × I	0.20	2.04	0.32	1.51	5.34**

Fig. 2 Dynamics of root/shoot ratio of Stipa grandis seedlings in different precipitation patterns (mean ± SE, n = 5). Notes see Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 Dynamics of root proliferation biomass of Stipa grandis seedlings to the unplanted half bucket area in different precipitation patterns (mean ± SE, n = 5). Notes see Fig. 1.

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