Shortterm response of functional plant groups abundance to simulated climate change in alpine meadow ecosystems

Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2010, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (6): 72-78.

Shortterm response of functional plant groups abundance to simulated climate change in alpine meadow ecosystems

ZHANG Fawei1,2,3, LI Yueqing1, LI Yingnian2,3, LI Yikang2,3, LIN Li2,3, CAO Guangmin2,3,DU Mingyuan4, WANG Qinxue5

1.Institute of Plateau Meteorology, China Meteorological Administration, Chengdu 610071, China;
2.Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, CAS, Xining 810001, China;
3.Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, CAS, Xining 810001, China;
4.National Institute of Agroenvironmental Sciences, Tsukuba 3058604, Japan;
5.National Institute of Environmental Studies, Tsukuba 3050053, Japan

Received:2010-01-08 Online:2010-06-25 Published:2010-12-20

Abstract

Abstract: For further understanding the response of alpine plant communities to climate change, we manipulated a reciprocal translocation experiment along the elevation gradients on the south slope of the Qilian Mountains, in the northeast Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau in May 2007. The translocated vegetation comprised 3 200 m of Kobresia meadow, 3 400 m of shrub meadow, 3 600 m of forbs meadow, and 3 800 m of sparse vegetation. Four functional groups (FG) were classified as sedge, graminoid, legume and forbs. An ANOVA of FG abundance showed that alpine plant communities were sensitive to climate change. Sedge cover correlated negatively and linearly with soil water content. Graminoid and legume abundance were linearly related to soil water content and temperature, respectively. The Quadratic equations between forbs and elevation accounted for 61% of variation. NMDS (nonmetric multidimensional scaling) indicated that FG responded specially. There was a weak abundance compensation effect between legumes and forbs, sedges, and graminoids. The comparison between the plant community in Kobresia meadow under simulated cooling and historical survey, confirmed it was stable. 

CLC Number:

Q142
Q948

ZHANG Fawei1,2,3, LI Yueqing1, LI Yingnian2,3, LI Yikang2,3, LIN Li2,3, CAO Guangmin2,3,DU Mingyuan4, WANG Qinxue5. Shortterm response of functional plant groups abundance to simulated climate change in alpine meadow ecosystems[J]. Acta Prataculturae Sinica, 2010, 19(6): 72-78.

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