Chin J Plant Ecol ›› 2022, Vol. 46 ›› Issue (3): 280-289.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2021.0437

Special Issue: 青藏高原植物生态学:群落生态学

• Research Articles • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Effects of nutrient addition on plant diversity and above-ground biomass in alpine grasslands of Tianshan Mountains, China

CHEN Li1, TIAN Xin-Min1, REN Zheng-Wei3, DONG Liu-Wen2, XIE Chen-Di2, ZHOU Xiao-Long2,*()   

  1. 1Xinjiang Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Genetic Engineering, College of Life Science and Technology, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi 830046, China
    2Key Laboratory of Oasis Ecology of Ministry of Education, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Xinjiang University, Ürümqi 830046, China
    3State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China
  • Received:2021-11-25 Accepted:2021-12-25 Online:2022-03-20 Published:2022-01-11
  • Contact: ZHOU Xiao-Long
  • Supported by:
    Natural Science Foundation of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2019D01C066);Tianshan Cedar Project in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region(2020XS26);National Natural Science Foundation of China(32060285)

Abstract:

Aims The objectives were to reveal the response patterns of plant species diversity and above-ground biomass to nutrients addition and to clarify their relationships in alpine grasslands of Tianshan Mountains.
Methods The nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) addition experiments were conducted in Tianshan alpine grasslands. The single factor effects and the interaction effects on plant species diversity and above-ground biomass were studied from 2019 to 2020.
Important findings 1) Nutrient addition reduced plant species diversity of local community. Especially, the addition of N + P, N + K and N + P + K showed significant effects, suggesting that the decrease of soil niche dimension caused by multiple-nutrient addition was an important reason for local species loss. 2) Nutrient addition significantly increased above-ground biomass of local plant communities, with the highest above-ground biomass being found under N + P + K treatment, indicating that N was the first limiting resource, P and K became the limiting resources after N limiting was alleviated. 3) There was a negative linear regression between species diversity and above-ground biomass following two years of nutrient addition, which indicated that the dominant species but not species diversity determined above-ground biomass at our study site.

Key words: nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, species diversity, above-ground biomass, Tianshan alpine grassland, Bayanbulak