Relationships between plant diversity and biomass production of alpine grasslands are dependent on the spatial scale and the dimension of biodiversity

Abstract To explore response of plant diversity of urban remnant mountains (URMs) in the built environment to the surrounding urban spatial morphological features during urban expansion, 9 typical URMs were selected as the research objects, the spots in each sample URM were set by the combination way of the slope direction and slope position, a total of 99 plots for plant diversity survey. Taking the edge line of the sample URMs as the datum, annular buffer zones were set successively outward at step lengths of 100 m, a total of 16 buffer zones with a total width of 1600 m.The spatial morphological characteristics within each buffer zone were analyzed by using spatial syntax, then the relationship between spatial morphological characteristics and plant diversity of URMs were analyzed. The results indicated that: ① There were significant differences in plant diversity among different URMs, and there were also significant differences in plant diversity in different slope positions or different directions of the same URM. ② The spatial morphology around the URMs was different, and the road density (Dn) around the URMs tended to be stable with the increase of spatial scale. The space syntactic indices were positively linearly correlated with the buffer width. ③ On the whole, there was a positive correlation between spatial morphology indices and URMs plant diversity indices. Connectivity (Ci), integration (Ii) and road density (Dn) were more comprehensive and specific, and the correlation increased with the increase of spatial scale. However, choice (C), connectivity (Ci) and mean depth (MDi) were not comprehensive and unstable in response to plant diversity indices. ④There were differences in the response of different slope positions or different directions of the same URM to the spatial morphology. The response intensity of plant diversity in different slope position of URMs to urban spatial morphology was the foot of mountain> mountainside > mountaintop; There was a weak and unstable relationship between road density (Dn) and plant diversity indices in different directions. The results of this study could provide important scientific basis for the conservation and management of urban plant diversity and urban planning and construction.

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A comparison of biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships in alpine grasslands across a degradation gradient on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

The Rangeland Journal ◽

10.1071/rj14081 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 45 ◽

Cited By ~ 20

Author(s):

Xuexia Wang ◽

Shikui Dong ◽

Ruth Sherman ◽

Quanru Liu ◽

Shiliang Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Ecosystem Function ◽

Aboveground Biomass ◽

Soil Loss ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Plant Functional Groups ◽

Alpine Grasslands ◽

C And N

To examine biodiversity–ecosystem function relationships in alpine grasslands of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, we compared differences in plant species and functional group diversity (sedges, grasses, legumes and non-leguminous forbs) to aboveground biomass, soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools and soil loss in five sites that ranged from healthy to severely degraded grasslands. Plant diversity decreased from 36 species in the healthy grassland to 15 species in the severely degraded grassland, and the plant functional groups changed from predominantly grasses and sedges to mostly forbs as the level of degradation increased. Plant biomass and soil pools of C and N decreased whereas soil loss and the amount of bare ground increased across the degradation gradient from healthy to severely degraded grasslands. Simple linear regressions showed strong positive relationships between species diversity and aboveground biomass of sedges, grasses and legumes and between soil C and N pools, but negative relationships between species diversity and non-leguminous forbs and soil loss. Our results provide strong evidence that plant diversity in grasslands on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau is positively related to primary productivity, C and N storage in soils and soil conservation, and that grassland degradation is impairing ecosystem function resulting in a loss in ecosystem services.

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Plant and soil biodiversity have non-substitutable stabilizing effects on biomass production

10.22541/au.161044551.17634951/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Gaowen Yang ◽

Masahiro Ryo ◽

Julien Roy ◽

Stefan Hempel ◽

Matthias Rillig

Keyword(s):

Biomass Production ◽

Plant Diversity ◽

Plant Biomass ◽

Temporal Stability ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystem ◽

Biodiversity Loss ◽

Trophic Levels ◽

Plant Functional Groups ◽

Soil Biodiversity ◽

Simulated Precipitation

The stability of plant biomass production in the face of environmental change is fundamental for maintaining terrestrial ecosystem functioning, as plant biomass is the ultimate source of energy for nearly all life forms. However, most studies have focused on the stabilizing effect of plant diversity, neglecting the effect of soil biodiversity, the largest reservoirs of biodiversity on Earth. Here we investigated the effects of plant and soil biodiversity on the temporal stability of biomass production under varying simulated precipitation in grassland microcosms. Soil biodiversity loss reduced temporal stability by suppressing asynchronous responses of plant functional groups. Greater plant diversity, especially in terms of functional diversity, promoted temporal stability, but this effect was independent of soil biodiversity loss. Moreover, multitrophic biodiversity, plant and soil biodiversity combined, was positively associated with temporal stability. Our study highlights the importance of maintaining the biodiversity of multiple trophic levels for sustainable biomass production.

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