Inter‐annual precipitation variability alters the effects of soil resource enrichment and mycorrhizal suppression on plant communities in desert steppe

Abstract Groundwater is a critical component of water resources and has become the primary water supply for agricultural and domestic uses in the Vietnamese Mekong Delta (VMD). Widespread groundwater level declines have occurred in the VMD over recent decades, reflecting that extraction rates exceed aquifer recharge in the region. However, the impacts of climate variability on groundwater system dynamics in the VMD remain poorly understood. Here, we explore recent changes in groundwater levels in shallow and deep aquifers from observed wells in the VMD and investigate their relations to the annual precipitation variability and El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO). We show that groundwater level responds to changes in annual precipitation at time scales of approximately 1 year. Moreover, shallow (deep) groundwater in the VMD appears to correlate with the ENSO over intra-annual (inter-annual) time scales. Our findings reveal a critical linkage between groundwater level changes and climate variability, suggesting the need to develop an understanding of the impacts of climate variability across time scales on water resources in the VMD.

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Response of plant traits of Stipa breviflora to grazing intensity and fluctuation in annual precipitation in a desert steppe, northern China

Global Ecology and Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.gecco.2020.e01237 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 24 ◽

pp. e01237

Author(s):

Ruhan Ye ◽

Guofang Liu ◽

Hong Chang ◽

Yumei Shan ◽

Lan Mu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Plant Traits ◽

Grazing Intensity ◽

Northern China ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

Desert Steppe

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Inter-Annual Precipitation Variability Decreases Switchgrass Productivity from Arid to Mesic Environments

BioEnergy Research ◽

10.1007/s12155-018-9922-3 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 11 (3) ◽

pp. 614-622 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Lara G. Reichmann ◽

Harold P. Collins ◽

Virginia L. Jin ◽

Mari-Vaughn V. Johnson ◽

Jim R. Kiniry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Precipitation Variability ◽

Annual Precipitation

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Relationships of Fire and Precipitation Regimes in Temperate Forests of the Eastern United States

Earth Interactions ◽

10.1175/2012ei000442.1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 16 (11) ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 18

Author(s):

Charles W. Lafon ◽

Steven M. Quiring

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Daily Precipitation ◽

Precipitation Variability ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

Moisture Regime ◽

Fire Occurrence ◽

Climate Variables ◽

Eastern United States ◽

Fire Activity ◽

The Relationship

Abstract Fire affects virtually all terrestrial ecosystems but occurs more commonly in some than in others. This paper investigates how climate, specifically the moisture regime, influences the flammability of different landscapes in the eastern United States. A previous study of spatial differences in fire regimes across the central Appalachian Mountains suggested that intra-annual precipitation variability influences fire occurrence more strongly than does total annual precipitation. The results presented here support that conclusion. The relationship of fire occurrence to moisture regime is also considered for the entire eastern United States. To do so, mean annual wildfire density and mean annual area burned were calculated for 34 national forests and parks representing the major vegetation and climatic conditions throughout the eastern forests. The relationship between fire activity and two climate variables was analyzed: mean annual moisture balance [precipitation P − potential evapotranspiration (PET)] and daily precipitation variability (coefficient of variability for daily precipitation). Fire activity is related to both climate variables but displays a stronger relationship with precipitation variability. The southeastern United States is particularly noteworthy for its high wildfire activity, which is associated with a warm, humid climate and a variable precipitation regime, which promote heavy fuel production and rapid drying of fuels.

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Annual precipitation variability inferred from tree-ring width chronologies in the Changling–Shoulu region, China, during AD 1853–2007

Dendrochronologia ◽

10.1016/j.dendro.2013.02.001 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 31 (4) ◽

pp. 290-296 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Yu Liu ◽

Ying Lei ◽

Bo Sun ◽

Huiming Song ◽

Qiang Li

Keyword(s):

Tree Ring ◽

Ring Width ◽

Precipitation Variability ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

Tree Ring Width

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The Precipitation Variations in the Qinghai-Xizang (Tibetan) Plateau during 1961-2015

10.20944/preprints201701.0128.v1 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

Guoning Wan ◽

Meixue Yang ◽

Zhaochen Liu ◽

Xuejia Wang ◽

Xiaowen Liang

Keyword(s):

Spatial Distribution ◽

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Precipitation Variability ◽

Annual Precipitation ◽

The Tibetan Plateau ◽

Four Seasons ◽

Winter Half ◽

Summer Half ◽

Surrounding Areas ◽

Autumn And Winter

The Tibetan Plateau(TP) is known as ‘the water tower of Asian’, its precipitation variation play an important role in the eco-hydrological processes and water resources regimes. based on the monthly mean precipitation data of 65 meteorological stations over the Tibetan Plateau and the surrounding areas from 1961-2015,variations, trends and temporal-spatial distribution were analyzed, furthermore, the possible reasons were also discussed preliminarily. The main results are summarized as follows: the annual mean precipitation in the TP is 465.54mm during 1961-2015, among four seasons, the precipitation in summer accounts for 60.1% of the annual precipitation, the precipitation in summer half year (May.- Oct.) accounts for 91.0% while that in winter half year (Nov.- Apr.) only accounts for 9.0%; During 1961-2015, the annual precipitation variability is 0.45mm/a and the seasonal precipitation variability is 0.31mm/a, 0.13mm/a, -0.04mm/a and 0.04mm/a in spring, summer, autumn and winter respectively on the TP; The spatial distribution of precipitation can be summarized as decreasing from southeast to northwest in the TP, the trend of precipitation is decreasing with the increase of altitude, but the correlation is not significant. The rising of air temperature and land cover changes may cause the precipitation by changing the hydrologic cycle and energy budget, furthermore, different pattern of atmospheric circulation can also influence on precipitation variability in different regions.

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Increased Precipitation Shapes Relationship between Biochemical and Functional Traits of Stipa glareosa in Grass-Dominated Rather than Shrub-Dominated Community in a Desert Steppe

Plants ◽

10.3390/plants9111463 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 9 (11) ◽

pp. 1463

Author(s):

Ya Hu ◽

Xiaoan Zuo ◽

Ping Yue ◽

Shenglong Zhao ◽

Xinxin Guo ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Superoxide Dismutase ◽

Water Content ◽

Soil Water ◽

Soil Water Content ◽

Functional Traits ◽

Plant Communities ◽

Dry Matter Content ◽

Desert Steppe ◽

Biochemical Traits ◽

Shrub Community

Understanding the effects of precipitation variations on plant biochemical and functional traits is crucial to predict plant adaptation to future climate changes. The dominant species, Stipa glareosa, plays an important role in maintaining the structure and function of plant communities in the desert steppe, Inner Mongolia. However, little is known about how altered precipitation affects biochemical and functional traits of S. glareosa in different communities in the desert steppe. Here, we examined the responses of biochemical and functional traits of S. glareosa in shrub- and grass-dominated communities to experimentally increased precipitation (control, +20%, +40%, and +60%). We found that +40% and +60% increased plant height and leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and decreased specific leaf area (SLA) of S. glareosa in grass community. For biochemical traits in grass community, +60% decreased the contents of protein and chlorophyll b (Cb), while +40% increased the relative electrical conductivity and superoxide dismutase. Additionally, +20% increased LDMC and malondialaenyde, and decreased SLA and protein in shrub community. Chlorophyll a, Cb, carotenoids, protein and superoxide dismutase in the grass community differed with shrub community, while +60% caused differences in SLA, LDMC, leaf carbon content, malondialaenyde and peroxidase between two communities. The positive or negative linear patterns were observed between different functional and biochemical traits in grass- rather than shrub-community. Soil water content explained changes in some biochemical traits in the grass community, but not for functional traits. These results suggest that increased precipitation can affect functional traits of S. glareosa in the grass community by altering biochemical traits caused by soil water content. The biochemical and functional traits of S. glareosa were more sensitive to extreme precipitation in grass- than shrub-community in the desert steppe. Our study highlights the important differences in adaptive strategies of S. glareosa in different plant communities at the same site to precipitation changes.

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