Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology >
Ecophysiological responses of Leymus chinensis to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in a typical steppe
Received date: 2013-05-07
Accepted date: 2013-12-11
Online published: 2014-02-12
Aims The accelerated atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition due to human activity and climate change greatly increases the availability of reactive N in terrestrial ecosystems, leading to limitations of other nutrient elements such as phosphorus (P). The effects of N and P additions on grassland ecosystems across different organizational levels, however, have rarely been studied; particularly the underpinning mechanisms remain unclear. Our objective is to examine the effects of N and P additions on aboveground net primary productivity and functional traits of Leymus chinensis, which is a dominant species in the typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, and to study nutrient limitations at different organizational levels in a L. chinensis steppe induced by N and P additions.
Methods We conducted a field manipulation experiment with additions of N (10.5 g N·m-2·a-1) and P (32 g P2O5·m-2·a-1) in a L. chinensis steppe ecosystem in Inner Mongolia in 2011 and 2012. The aboveground primary productivity, population biomass and density, whole-plant traits (e.g., individual biomass and stem-leaf biomass ratio), leaf physiological (e.g., photosynthetic rate, water use efficiency, and leaf N content) and morphological traits (e.g., leaf area and specific leaf area) of L. chinensis were investigated.
Important findings Our results showed that N and P additions had different effects on the aboveground biomass at different organizational levels. The aboveground net primary productivity was greatly enhanced by the combined N and P additions in 2011 (normal precipitation) and 2012 (above average precipitation), indicating the co-limitation of N and P at the community level. At the species level, N and P additions had no significant effects on population biomass, density, and relative biomass of L. chinensis in both years, indicating that this species could maintain population stability. The individual biomass of L. chinensis was increased by N addition in 2011; whereas it was not affected by either N or P addition in 2012. It is suggested that the growth of L. chinensis may be subjected to N limitation in the dry year, but not to any nutrient limitation in the wet year due to water mediation. Leymus chinensis exhibited high specific leaf area, leaf size and leaf N content, and high photosynthetic yield in response to N enrichment. In conclusion, our results indicate that the primary productivity of typical steppe in Inner Mongolia is co-limited by N and P availability. The functional traits of L. chinensis in response to N and P additions are dependent on the organizational level and mediated by interannual precipitation fluctuations.
BAI Xue, CHENG Jun-Hui, ZHENG Shu-Xia, ZHAN Shu-Xia, BAI Yong-Fei . Ecophysiological responses of Leymus chinensis to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in a typical steppe[J]. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 2014 , 38(2) : 103 -115 . DOI: 10.3724/SP.J.1258.2014.00010
| [1] | Aber JD, Nadelhoffer KJ, Steudler P, Melillo JM (1989). Nitrogen saturation in northern forest ecosystems. Bioscience, 39, 378-386. |
| [2] | Aerts R, Chapin FS III (2000). The mineral nutrition of wild plants revisited: a re-evaluation of processes and patterns. Advances in Ecological Research, 30, 1-67. |
| [3] | Aerts R, Wallen B, Malmer N (1992). Growth-limiting nutrients in Sphagnum dominated bogs subject to low and high atmospheric nitrogen supply. Journal of Ecology, 80, 131-140. |
| [4] | ?gren GI (2004). The C:N:P stoichiometry of autotrophs-theory and observations. Ecology Letters, 7, 185-191. |
| [5] | ?gren GI, Wetterstedt J?M, Billberger MFK (2012). Nutrient limitation on terrestrial plant growth—modeling the interaction between nitrogen and phosphorus. New Phytologist, 194, 953-960. |
| [6] | Bai YF, Han XG, Wu JG, Chen ZZ, Li LH (2004). Ecosystem stability and compensatory effects in the Inner Mongolia grassland. Nature, 431, 181-184. |
| [7] | Bai YF, Wu JG, Clark CM, Naeem S, Pan QM, Huang JH, Zhang LX, Han XG (2010). Tradeoffs and thresholds in the effects of nitrogen addition on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning: evidence from Inner Mongolia Grasslands. Global Change Biology, 16, 358-372. |
| [8] | Bennett LT, Adams MA (2001). Response of a perennial grassland to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in sub-tropical, semi-arid Australia. Journal of Arid Environments, 48, 289-308. |
| [9] | Bobbink R, Hicks K, Galloway J, Spranger T, Alkemade R, Ashmore M, Bustamante M, Cinderby S, Davidson E, Dentener F, Emmett B, Erisman JW, Fenn M, Gilliam F, Nordin A, Pardo L, de Vries W (2010). Global assessment of nitrogen deposition effects on terrestrial plant diversity: a synthesis. Ecological Applications, 20, 30-59. |
| [10] | Chen SH (1986). Root Types of Plants in Inner Mongolia Grassland. Inner Mongolia People’s Press, Hohhot. 30. (in Chinese) |
| [10] | [ 陈世鐄 (1986). 内蒙古草原植物根系类型. 内蒙古人民出版社, 呼和浩特. 30.] |
| [11] | Chen SP, Bai YF, Zhang LX, Han XG (2005). Comparing physiological responses of two dominant grass species to nitrogen addition in Xilin River Basin of China. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 53, 65-75. |
| [12] | Clark CM, Tilman D (2008). Loss of plant species after chronic low-level nitrogen deposition to prairie grasslands. Nature, 451, 712-715. |
| [13] | Craine JM, Morrow C, Stock WD (2008). Nutrient concentration ratios and co-limitation in South African grasslands. New Phytologist, 179, 829-836. |
| [14] | Ding XH, Luo SZ, Liu JW, Li K, Liu GH (2012). Longitude gradient changes on plant community and soil stoichiometry characteristics of grassland in Hulunbeir. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 32, 3467-3476. (in Chinese with English abstract) |
| [14] | [ 丁小慧, 罗淑政, 刘金巍, 李魁, 刘国华 (2012). 呼伦贝尔草地植物群落与土壤化学计量学特征沿经度梯度变化. 生态学报, 32, 3467-3476.] |
| [15] | Elser JJ, Bracken MES, Cleland EE, Gruner DS, Harpole WS, Hillebrand H, Ngai JT, Seabloom EW, Shurin JB, Smith JE (2007). Global analysis of nitrogen and phosphorus limitation of primary producers in freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Ecology Letters, 10, 1135-1142. |
| [16] | Foster BL, Gross KL (1998). Species richness in a successional grassland: effects of nitrogen enrichment and plant litter. Ecology, 79, 2593-2602. |
| [17] | Geng Y, Wu Y, He JS (2011). Relationship between leaf phosphorus concentration and soil phosphorus availability across Inner Mongolia grassland. Chinese Journal of Plant Ecology, 35, 1-8. (in Chinese with English abstract) |
| [17] | [ 耿燕, 吴漪, 贺金生 (2011). 内蒙古草地叶片磷含量与土壤有效磷的关系. 植物生态学报, 35, 1-8.] |
| [18] | Harpole WS, Ngai JT, Cleland EE, Seabloom EW, Borer ET, Bracken MES, Elser JJ, Gruner DS, Hillebrand H, Shurin JB, Smith JE (2011). Nutrient co-limitation of primary producer communities. Ecology Letters, 14, 852-862. |
| [19] | He JS, Wang L, Flynn DFB, Wang XP, Ma WH, Fang JY (2008). Leaf nitrogen: phosphorus stoichiometry across Chinese grassland biomes. Oecologia, 155, 301-310. |
| [20] | Hill JO, Simpson RJ, Moore AD, Chapman DF (2006). Morphology and response of roots of pasture species to phosphorus and nitrogen nutrition. Plant and Soil, 286, 7-19. |
| [21] | Hooper DU, Johnson L (1999). Nitrogen limitation in dryland ecosystems: responses to geographical and temporal variation in precipitation. Biogeochemistry, 46, 247-293. |
| [22] | Huang JY, Yu HL, Yuan ZY, Li LH (2012). Effects of long-term increased soil N on leaf traits of several species in typical Inner Mongolian grassland. Acta Ecologica Sinica, 32, 1419-1427. (in Chinese with English abstract) |
| [22] | [ 黄菊莹, 余海龙, 袁志友, 李凌浩 (2012). 长期N添加对典型草原几个物种叶片性状的影响. 生态学报, 32, 1419-1427.] |
| [23] | Lan ZC, Bai YF (2012). Testing mechanisms of N-enrichment-induced species loss in a semiarid Inner Mongolia grassland: critical thresholds and implications for long-term ecosystem responses. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B-Biological Sciences, 367, 3125-3134. |
| [24] | LeBauer DS, Treseder KK (2008). Nitrogen limitation of net primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems is globally distributed. Ecology, 89, 371-379. |
| [25] | Liu XJ, Zhang Y, Han WX, Tang A, Shen JL, Cui ZL, Vitousek P, Erisman JW, Goulding K, Christie P, Fangmeier A, Zhang FS (2013). Enhanced nitrogen deposition over China. Nature, 494, 459-462. |
| [26] | Lü XT, Reed S, Yu Q, He NP, Wang ZW, Han XG (2013). Convergent responses of nitrogen and phosphorus resorption to nitrogen inputs in a semiarid grassland. Global Change Biology, 19, 2775-2784. |
| [27] | Marklein AR, Houlton BZ (2012). Nitrogen inputs accelerate phosphorus cycling rates across a wide variety of terrestrial ecosystems. New Phytologist, 193, 696-704. |
| [28] | Menge DNL, Field CB (2007). Simulated global changes alter phosphorus demand in annual grassland. Global Change Biology, 13, 2582-2591. |
| [29] | Niu SL, Liu WX, Wan SQ (2008). Different growth responses of C3 and C4 grasses to seasonal water and nitrogen regimes and competition in a pot experiment. Journal of Experimental Botany, 59, 1431-1439. |
| [30] | Pan QM, Bai YF, Wu JG, Han XG (2011). Hierarchical plant responses and diversity loss after nitrogen addition: testing three functionally-based hypotheses in the Inner Mongolia grassland. PLoS One, 6, e20078. |
| [31] | Pe?uelas J, Sardans J, Rivas-ubach A, Janssens IA (2012). The human-induced imbalance between C, N and P in Earth’s life system. Global Change Biology, 18, 3-6. |
| [32] | Phoenix GK, Booth RE, Leake JR, Read DJ, Grime JP, Lee JA (2003). Effects of enhanced nitrogen deposition and phosphorus limitation on nitrogen budgets of semi-natural grasslands. Global Change Biology, 9, 1309-1321. |
| [33] | Tilman D (1982). Resource Competition and Community Structure. Princeton University Press, New Jersey. 12-33. |
| [34] | Tilman D (1987). Secondary succession and the pattern of plant dominance along experimental nitrogen gradients. Ecological Monographs, 57, 189-214. |
| [35] | Verhoeven JTA, Koerselman W, Meuleman AFM (1996). Nitrogen- or phosphorus-limited growth in herbaceous, wet vegetation: relations with atmospheric inputs and management regimes. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 11, 494-497. |
| [36] | Vitousek PM, Mooney HA, Lubchenco J, Melillo J (1997). Human domination of Earth’s ecosystems. Science, 277, 494-499. |
| [37] | Walker JC, Syers JK (1976). The fate of phosphorus during pedogenesis. Geoderma, 15, 1-19. |
| [38] | Wan HW, Yang Y, Bai SQ, Xu YH, Bai YF (2008). Variations in leaf functional traits of six species along a nitrogen addition gradient in Leymus chinensis steppe in Inner Mongolia. Journal of Plant Ecology (Chinese Version), 32, 611-621. (in Chinese with English abstract) |
| [38] | [ 万宏伟, 杨阳, 白世勤, 徐云虎, 白永飞 (2008). 羊草草原群落6种植物叶片功能特性对氮素添加的响应. 植物生态学报, 32, 611-621.] |
| [39] | Yang HJ, Li Y, Wu MY, Zhang Z, Li LH, Wan SQ (2011). Plant community responses to nitrogen addition and increased precipitation: the importance of water availability and species traits. Global Change Biology, 17, 2936-2944. |
| [40] | Yang Y (2010). Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Belowground Bud, Aboveground Ramet Density and Biomass of Leymus chinensis in Songnen Plains. Master’s dissertation, Northeast Normal University, Changchun. 23-28. (in Chinese) |
| [40] | [ 杨宇 (2010). 氮肥对羊草地下芽和地上植株密度及生物量的影响. 硕士学位论文, 东北师范大学, 长春. 23-28.] |
| [41] | Yang YH, Ji CJ, Ma WH, Wang SF, Wang SP, Han WX, Mohammat A, Robinson D, Smith P (2012). Significant soil acidification across northern China’s grasslands during 1980s-2000s. Global Change Biology, 18, 2292-2300. |
| [42] | Yu ZY, Zeng DH, Jiang FQ, Zhao Q (2009). Responses of biomass to the addition of water, nitrogen and phosphorus in Keerqin sandy grassland, Inner Mongolia, China. Journal of Forestry Research, 20, 23-26. |
| [43] | Zhang LX, Bai YF, Han XG (2004). Differential responses of N:P stoichiometry of Leymus chinensis and Carex korshinskyi to N additions in a steppe ecosystem in Nei Mongol. Acta Botanica Sinica, 46, 259-270. (in Chinese with English abstract) |
| [43] | [ 张丽霞, 白永飞, 韩兴国 (2004). 内蒙古典型草原生态系统中N素添加对羊草和黄囊薹草N:P化学计量学特征的影响. 植物学报, 46, 259-270.] |
| [44] | Zhu TC (2004). Bio-Ecology of Leymus chinensis. Jilin Science & Technology Press, Changchun. (in Chinese) |
| [44] | [ 祝廷成 (2004). 羊草生物生态学. 吉林科学技术出版社, 长春. 181-188.] |
/
| 〈 |
|
〉 |
