Above- and below-ground biomass distribution and morphological characteristics respond to nitrogen addition in Pinus tabuliformis

Abstract Aims Global change factors (e.g. warming and nitrogen deposition) may influence biological invasions, but how these factors may influence the performance of invasive species and further mediate the interactions with native competitors remain still unknown. Methods Here, we conducted a 5-month greenhouse experiment to examine the effects of warming (using open-top chambers, +0.62°C) and N addition (adding NH4NO3 at a rate of 4.2 g m−2) on the performance of the native and invasive populations of an invasive species Plantago virginica in competition with a native Plantago asiatica. Important Findings Under warming treatment and its interaction with nitrogen addition treatment (W × N), invasive and native populations of P. virginica had different biomass allocation strategies to compete with native competitor P. asiatica. Native population of P. virginica (PV-Na) increased more below-ground biomass, whereas those from the invasive population (PV-In) increased more above-ground biomass. We also found that invasive species P. virginica had stronger responses to warming and N addition than the native species P. asiatica. The competitive ability of the invasive plants was significantly reduced by warming which indicated that the invasive plant were much stronger sensitivity to elevated temperature than native plant. Similarly, N addition and W × N reduced the competitive response of PV-In in below-ground biomass, but increased the competitive response of PV-Na in above-ground and total biomass when they grew with the P. asiatica. The results show that P. virginica have occurred differential biomass allocation strategies during its invasions and invasive population exhibit flexible competition ability to adapt to environmental changes (especially warming). These findings may potentially help to predict plant invasions and make management strategies in a world with changing climate.

Download Full-text

Effect of thinning intensity on understory herbaceous diversity and biomass in mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests of Changbai Mountain

Forest Ecosystems ◽

10.1186/s40663-021-00331-x ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Gerong Wang ◽

Yue Sun ◽

Mo Zhou ◽

Naiqian Guan ◽

Yuwen Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Seasonal Changes ◽

Mixed Forest ◽

Growing Season ◽

Total Biomass ◽

Herb Layer ◽

Simpson Index ◽

Thinning Intensity ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Below Ground ◽

Understory Herb

Abstract Background Herbs are an important part of the forest ecosystem, and their diversity and biomass can reflect the restoration of vegetation after forest thinning disturbances. Based on the near-mature secondary coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest in Jilin Province Forestry Experimental Zone, this study analyzed seasonal changes of species diversity and biomass of the understory herb layer after different intensities of thinning. Results The results showed that although the composition of herbaceous species and the ranking of importance values were affected by thinning intensity, they were mainly determined by seasonal changes. Across the entire growing season, the species with the highest importance values in thinning treatments included Carex pilosa, Aegopodium alpestre, Meehania urticifolia, and Filipendula palmata, which dominated the herb layer of the coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forest. The number of species, Margalef index, Shannon-Wiener index and Simpson index all had their highest values in May, and gradually decreased with months. Pielou index was roughly inverted “N” throughout the growing season. Thinning did not increase the species diversity. Thinning can promote the total biomass, above- and below-ground biomass. The number of plants per unit area and coverage were related to the total biomass, above- and below-ground biomass. The average height had a significantly positive correlation with herb biomass in May but not in July. However, it exerted a significantly negative correlation with herb biomass in September. The biomass in the same month increased with increasing thinning intensity. Total herb biomass, above- and below-ground biomass showed positive correlations with Shannon-Winner index, Simpson index and Pielou evenness index in May. Conclusions Thinning mainly changed the light environment in the forest, which would improve the plant diversity and biomass of herb layer in a short time. And different thinning intensity had different effects on the diversity of understory herb layer. The findings provide theoretical basis and reference for reasonable thinning and tending in coniferous and broad-leaved mixed forests.

Download Full-text

Eucalypt Clonal Hybrid Influences the Carbon Amount of Below-Ground Biomass in Oxisol, Brazil

Environmental Sciences Proceedings ◽

10.3390/iecf2020-07868 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 3 (1) ◽

pp. 53

Author(s):

Grasiele Dick ◽

Humberto J. Eufrade-Junior ◽

Mauro V. Schumacher ◽

Gileno B. Azevedo ◽

Saulo P. S. Guerra

Keyword(s):

Carbon Concentration ◽

Eucalyptus Grandis ◽

Eucalyptus Camaldulensis ◽

Eucalyptus Urophylla ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Homogeneity Of Variances ◽

Below Ground ◽

Hybrid Eucalyptus ◽

Carbon Determination ◽

Hybrid Clones

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether there is an influence of different clonal hybrids of Eucalyptus urophylla on the carbon concentration and amount in below-ground biomass in trees cultivated in Oxisol, Brazil. Stumps and roots of three different eucalypt hybrid clones, AEC 0144, AEC 0223, and VM01, were selected, weighed immediately after being removed from the ground, and sampled for carbon determination and moisture content at the laboratory. The Shapiro-Wilk and Bartlett tests were used to evaluate data distribution and the homogeneity of variances, respectively. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) complemented by the Scott-Knott test was used to evaluate the effects of specie/hybrid on the below-ground biomass (dry matter) and carbon amount per stump. The hybrid type of Eucalyptus urophylla does not influence the carbon concentration; however, there is a difference in below-ground biomass production and carbon amount with it being higher for Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus camaldulensis when compared to the species Eucalyptus urophylla and hybrid Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis.

Download Full-text

Above- and Below-ground Biomass Relationships Across 1534 Forested Communities

Annals of Botany ◽

10.1093/aob/mcl206 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 99 (1) ◽

pp. 95-102 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

D.-L. Cheng ◽

K. J. Niklas

Keyword(s):

Ground Biomass ◽

Below Ground

Download Full-text

Testing the Growth Rate Hypothesis in Vascular Plants with Above- and Below-Ground Biomass

PLoS ONE ◽

10.1371/journal.pone.0032162 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 7 (3) ◽

pp. e32162 ◽

Cited By ~ 44

Author(s):

Qiang Yu ◽

Honghui Wu ◽

Nianpeng He ◽

Xiaotao Lü ◽

Zhiping Wang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Vascular Plants ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Growth Rate Hypothesis ◽

Below Ground

Download Full-text

Above and Below Ground Biomass and Carbon Stock in Permanent Grasslands of Slovakia

Agriculture (Pol nohospodárstvo) ◽

10.2478/agri-2019-0016 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 65 (4) ◽

pp. 155-163

Author(s):

Miriam Kizeková ◽

Radoslava Kanianska ◽

Ľubica Jančová ◽

Jozef Čunderlík ◽

Zuzana Dugátová ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dry Matter ◽

Carbon Sink ◽

Global Climate ◽

Carbon Stocks ◽

Botanical Composition ◽

Hay Meadows ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Grassland Type ◽

Below Ground ◽

Abandoned Grassland

Abstract This paper aimed to monitory the dry matter biomass production and carbon stocks of above-and below-ground biomass in five types of grasslands in Slovakia: i) lowland oversowed pasture ii) lowland hay meadows, iii) mesophilous pasture, iv) mountain hay meadows, v) abandoned grassland. Averaged over two cropping seasons the total above-and below-ground biomass differed significantly across the monitored grasslands. It ranged respectively from 2.18 to 7.86 t/ha and from 9.64 to 22.67 t/ha dry matter depending on the pedoclimatic condition and the botanical composition of each grassland type. Consequently, this resulted also in the carbon stocks in above-and below-ground biomass. Generally, the mean carbon stocks were 1.56 t/ha for above-ground biomass (24%) and 4.83 t/ha for below-ground biomass (76%). The botanical composition for all the grassland types was also described. The highest number of plant species (55) was observed in lowland hay meadow located in Slovak Karst, the lowest one (23) for the oversowed grassland located in Eastern Slovak Upland. This monitoring paper showed that semi-natural grassland habitats and improved grasslands as well are an important carbon sink, and they can play a key role in global climate change mitigation.

Download Full-text

Linking floral biodiversity with nitrogen and carbon translocations in semi-natural grasslands in Lithuani

Ekológia (Bratislava) ◽

10.1515/eko-2015-0014 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 34 (2) ◽

pp. 137-146

Author(s):

Saulius Marcinkonis ◽

Birutė Karpavičienė ◽

Michael A. Fullen

Keyword(s):

Plant Cover ◽

Chemical Properties ◽

Above Ground Biomass ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Specific System ◽

Ground Biomass ◽

Natural Grasslands ◽

Below Ground ◽

Grassland Communities

AbstractThe aim of the present study is to evaluate the long-term effects of long-term piggery effluent application on semi-natural grassland ecotop-phytotop changes (above- and below-ground phytomass production, and carbon and nitrogen allocation in grassland communities) in relation to changes (or variability) in topsoil properties. Analysis of phytomass distribution in piggery effluent irrigated grassland communities showed that dry biomass yield varied from 1.7−5.3 t ha-1. Variability in soil and plant cover created a unique and highly unpredictable site specific system, where long-term anthropogenic influences established successor communities with specific characteristics of above- and below-ground biomass distribution. These characteristics depend more on grassland communities than on soil chemical properties. Families of grasses (Poaceae) dominated the surveyed communities and accumulated most carbon and least nitrogen, while legumes accumulated most nitrogen and lignin and least carbon. Carbon concentrations in above-ground biomass had minor variations, while accumulation of nitrogen was strongly influenced by species diversity (r = 0.94, n = 10, p <0.001) and production of above-ground biomass

Download Full-text