Effects of nitrogen addition on species richness and relationship between species richness and aboveground productivity of alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

doi:10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.10.001

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Competition for different limiting resources among plant species is the main factor that influences plant community composition, diversity and productivity. Our objective was to investigate the effects of different levels of nitrogen addition on species richness and aboveground productivity of alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China.

Methods We added nitrogen in a completely randomized block design and measured plant aboveground biomass, species composition, vegetation light penetration and soil pH and NO₃^--N content in each plot. Regression and analysis of variance were used to analyze the responses of these measures to different levels of nitrogen addition.

Important findings Nitrogen addition changed the soil physical and chemical properties, enhancing the content of NO₃^--N available resources in the soil, increasing plant cover and reducing vegetation light penetration. With increasing N addition, species richness decreased sharply (p < 0.001). N addition changed aboveground productivity significantly (p < 0.05). With increasing N addition, aboveground productivity increased first then decreased, and grass biomass increased while forb and legume biomasses decreased. There was a significant linear positive relationship between species richness and vegetation light penetration (p < 0.05) and also between aboveground productivity and soil NO₃^--N content (p < 0.05). The relationship between aboveground productivity and species richness was negative. We suggested that the short term effects of nitrogen addition on community composition and aboveground productivity were determined by the changed soil NO₃^--N content.

Key words: aboveground productivity, nitrogen addition, soil NO₃^--N content, species richness, vegetation light penetration

ZHANG Jie-Qi, LI Qi, REN Zheng-Wei, YANG Xue, WANG Gang. Effects of nitrogen addition on species richness and relationship between species richness and aboveground productivity of alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2010, 34(10): 1125-1131.

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URL: https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/10.3773/j.issn.1005-264x.2010.10.001

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Figures/Tables 6

Fig. 1 Variation of soil pH and NO3--N content under different nitrogen levels (mean ± SE). N0, N1, N2 and N3 indicate nitrogen addition were 0, 11.67, 23.34 and 35.01 g·m-2, respectively. Different small letters indicate significant difference between treatments at 0.05 level.

Fig. 2 Variation of species richness under different nitrogen levels. N0, N1, N2 and N3 see Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 Variation of total individual density under different nitrogen levels (mean ± SE). N0, N1, N2 and N3 see Fig. 1. Different small letters indicate significant difference between treatments at 0.05 level.

Fig. 4 Variation of aboveground productivity and functional groups biomass percentage under different nitrogen levels (mean ± SE). A, B, C represent forbs, grasses and legumes biomass percentage, respectively. N0, N1, N2 and N3 see Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 Relationship between species richness and aboveground- productivity.

Fig. 6 Relationship between species richness and vegetation light penetration.

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