Response of herbaceous plant community characteristics to short-term precipitation change in semi-arid sandy land

doi:10.11686/cyxb2019155

Abstract

Abstract: Precipitation is a critically important ecological factor impacting on plant community characteristics and driving the species composition in semi-arid sandy land. However, there is still much that is not known about the response of plant community characteristics to precipitation changes. This study conducted controlled experiments in the 2018 during the growing season using field rain-generation and rain-reduction devices in the Horqin Sandy Land. In order to explore the relationship between community characteristics and precipitation changes. Treatments comprised: the drought commence in May or in June and lasted for 45 days, 30% or 60% reduction in natural precipitation, and 30% or 60% increase in natural precipitation. It was found that: 1) The rainfall reduction of 60% caused sandy land herb communities to move towards a less complex structure, with species richness index and diversity index showing a significant decline of 8.57% and 4.80%, respectively, and advantage index showing a non-significant decline trend of 1.36%, and an associated reduction in plant productivity. 2) Drought of 45 consecutive days from May had no significant effect on the composition, species diversity or community productivity of sandy land herb species. 3) Drought of 45 consecutive days from June affected multiple sandy land herb species, resulting in a decrease in species density. However, the effect on plant species diversity and community productivity was not significant. In summary, the plant communities in semi-arid sandy land have some resistance to short-term extreme drought events, but show a greater response to long-term drought events. 4) The increase of 30% and 60% precipitation treatments tended to increase community height, community coverage, and above ground biomass, but not significantly so relative to CK. These results help to build a theoretical basis for the understanding of mechanisms of plant community response to precipitation changes.

Key words: community characteristics, precipitation change, plant productivity, species diversity, species composition

Chelmeg, LIU Xin-ping, HE Yu-hui, SUN Shan-shan, WANG Ming-ming. Response of herbaceous plant community characteristics to short-term precipitation change in semi-arid sandy land[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2020, 29(4): 19-28.

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