Dataset Information

Effects of Stellera chamaejasme removal on the nutrient stoichiometry of S. chamaejasme-dominated grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

ABSTRACT: Background:Stoichiometric relations drive powerful constraints in several fundamental ecosystem processes. However, limited studies have been conducted on the ecological stoichiometry of plants after the change of community composition induced by Stellera chamaejasme removal in alpine grassland in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Methods:We investigated the effects of S. chamaejasme removal on ecological stoichiometry by estimating the C:N:P stoichiometry in species, functional group and community levels of the ecosystem. The interactions between different species, functional groups and correlation with soil nutrient, responding to S. chamaejasme removal were also analyzed. Results:For the plants that became dominant after S. chamaejasme removal (SR), N content decreased and their C:N increased. S. chamaejasme removal significantly affected the nutrient stoichiometry of different functional groups. Specifically, Gramineae in the SR sites had decreased N content and N:P, and increased C:N; however, forbs had increased N content, C:P and N:P and decreased P content and C:N. At the community level, N content was lower and C:N higher in SR communities compared to CK. The N content of the plant community was positively correlated with soil total N content. S. chamaejasme removal could change the nutrient balance from species level, to functional group level, and to community level. Thus, supplementary measures might be cooperated with S. chamaejasme removal for the recovery of S. chamaejasme-dominated degraded grassland. These results provide insight into the role of S. chamaejasme in ecological protection and conservation, and the conclusions from this study could be used to develop effective and sustainable measures for S. chamaejasme control in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

SUBMITTER: Song M

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7319027 | biostudies-literature | 2020

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Effects of <i>Stellera chamaejasme</i> removal on the nutrient stoichiometry of <i>S. chamaejasme</i>-dominated grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

Song Meiling M Wang Yuqin Y Bao Gensheng G Wang Hongsheng H Yin Yali Y Li Xiuzhang X Zhang Chunping C

PeerJ 20200623

<h4>Background</h4>Stoichiometric relations drive powerful constraints in several fundamental ecosystem processes. However, limited studies have been conducted on the ecological stoichiometry of plants after the change of community composition induced by <i>Stellera chamaejasme</i> removal in alpine grassland in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.<h4>Methods</h4>We investigated the effects of <i>S. chamaejasme</i> removal on ecological stoichiometry by estimating the C:N:P stoichiometry in species, fun ...[more]

PMID: 32612880

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Project description:Assessing ecosystem vulnerability to climate change is critical for sustainable and adaptive ecosystem management. Alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are considered to be vulnerable to climate change, yet the ecosystem tends to maintain stability by increasing resilience and decreasing sensitivity. To date, the spatial pattern of grassland vulnerability to climate change and the mechanisms that vegetation applies to mitigate the impacts of climate change on grasslands by altering relevant ecosystem characteristics, especially sensitivity and resilience, remain unknown. In this study, we first assessed the spatial pattern of grassland vulnerability to climate change by integrating exposure, sensitivity, and resilience simultaneously, and then identified its driving forces. The results show that grasslands with high vulnerability were mainly located on the edges of the plateau, whereas alpine grasslands in the hinterlands of the plateau showed a low vulnerability. This spatial pattern of alpine grassland vulnerability was controlled by climatic exposure, and grassland sensitivity and resilience to climate change might also exacerbate or alleviate the degree of vulnerability. Climate change had variable impacts on different grassland types. Desert steppes were more vulnerable to climate change than alpine meadows and alpine steppes because of the high variability in environmental factors and their low ability to recover from perturbations. Our findings also confirm that grazing intensity, a quantitative index of the most important human disturbance on alpine grasslands in this plateau, was significantly correlated with ecosystem vulnerability. Moderate grazing intensity was of benefit for increasing grassland resilience and then subsequently reducing grassland vulnerability. Thus, this study suggests that future assessments of ecosystem vulnerability should not ignore anthropogenic disturbances, which might benefit environmental protection and sustainable management of grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Dataset Information

Effects of Stellera chamaejasme removal on the nutrient stoichiometry of S. chamaejasme-dominated grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

Publications

Effects of <i>Stellera chamaejasme</i> removal on the nutrient stoichiometry of <i>S. chamaejasme</i>-dominated grasslands in the Qinghai-Tibetan plateau.

Similar Datasets

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