Abstract
Alpine Kobresia meadows are major vegetation types on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. There is growing concern over their relationships among biodiversity, productivity and environments. Despite the importance of species composition, species richness, the type of different growth forms, and plant biomass structure for Kobresia meadow ecosystems, few studies have been focused on the relationship between biomass and environmental gradient in the Kobresia meadow plant communities, particularly in relation to soil moisture and edaphic gradients. We measured the plant species composition, herbaceous litter, aboveground and belowground biomass in three Kobresia meadow plant communities in Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station from 2001 to 2004. Community differences in plant species composition were reflected in biomass distribution. The total biomass showed a decrease from 13196.96±719.69 g/m2 in the sedge-dominated K. tibetica swamp to 2869.58±147.52 g/m2 in the forb and sedge dominated K. pygmaea meadow, and to 2153.08±141.95 g/m2 in the forbs and grasses dominated K. humilis along with the increase of altitude. The vertical distribution of belowground biomass is distinct in the three meadow communities, and the belowground biomass at the depth of 0–10 cm in K. tibetica swamp meadow was significantly higher than that in K. humilis and K. pygmaea meadows (P<0.01). The herbaceous litter in K. tibetica swamp was significantly higher than those in K. pygnaeca and K. humilis meadows. The effects of plant litter are enhanced when ground water and soil moisture levels are raised. The relative importance of litter and vegetation may vary with soil water availability. In the K. tibetica swamp, total biomass was negatively correlated to species richness (P<0.05); aboveground biomass was positively correlated to soil organic matter, soil moisture, and plant cover (P<0.05); belowground biomass was positively correlated with soil moisture (P<0.05). However, in the K. pygnaeca and K. humilis meadow communities, aboveground biomass was positively correlated to soil organic matter and soil total nitrogen (P<0.05). This suggests that the distribution of biomass coincided with soil moisture and edaphic gradient in alpine meadows.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Dwire K A, Kauffman J B, Brookshire E N J, et al. Plant biomass and species composition along an environmental gradient in montane riparian meadows. Oecologia, 2004, 139: 309–317
Brinson M M, Lugo A E, Brown S. Primary production, decomposition and consumer activity in freshwater wetlands. Ann Rev Ecol Syst, 1981, 12: 123–161
Schipper L A, Cooper A B, Harfoot C G, et al. Regulators of denitrification in an organic soil. Soil Biol Biochem, 1993, 25: 925–933
China Vegetation Edits Commission. China Vegetations. Beijing: Science Press, 1980
Zhou X M. China Kobresia Meadow (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 2001
Wang Q J, Wang W Y, Deng Z F. The dynamics of biomass and the allocation of energy in Alpine Kobresia meadow communities, Haibei region of Qinghai Province. Acta Phytoecol Sin (in Chinese), 1998, 22(3): 222–230
Billings W D, Mooney H A. The ecology of arctic and alpine plants. Biol Rev, 1968, 43: 481–529
Parsons A N, Welker J M, Wookey P A, et al. Growth responses of four sub-Arctic dwarf shrubs to simulated environmental change. J Ecol, 1994, 82: 307–318
Press M C, Potter J A, Burke M J V, et al. Responses of a subarctic dwarf shrub heath community to simulated environmental change. J Ecol, 1998, 86: 315–327
Fisk M C, Schmidt S K, Seastedt T R. Topographic patterns of above-and belowground production and nitrogen cycling in alpine tundra. Ecology, 1998, 79: 2253–2266
Wang Q J, Zhou L, Wang F G. Effect analysis of stocking intensity on the structure and function of plant community in winter-spring grassland. In: Alpine Meadow Ecosystem, Vol 4 (in Chinese). Beijing: Science Press, 1995. 353–364
Wang Q J, Zhou X M, Zhang Y Q, et al. Structure characteristics and biomass of Potentilla Fruticosa shrub in Qinghai-Xizang plateau. Acta Bot Boreal-Occident Sin, 1991, 11(4): 333–340
Li Y N, Wang Q X, Gu S, et al. Integrated monitoring of alpine vegetation type and its primary production. Acta Geogr Sin (in Chinese), 2004, 59: 40–48
Li Y N, Zhao X Q, Wang Q X, et al. The comparison of community biomass and environmental condition of five vegetation type in alpine meadow of Haibei, Qinghai Province. J Mountain Sci, 2003, 21: 257–264
Wang D, Sun R, Wang Z, et al. Effects of temperature and photoperiod on thermogenesis in plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) and root voles (Microtus oeconomum). J Comp Physiol B, 1999, 169: 77–83
Food and Agriculture Organization. The Euphrates Pilot Irrogation Project. Methods of soil analysis,Gadeb Soil laboratory (A laboratory manual). Rome, Italy, 1974
Bremner J M, Mulvaney C S. Nitrogen total. In: Page A L, ed. Methods of Soil Analysis. Agronomy. No. 9, Part 2: Chemical and microbiological properties, 2nd ed. Madison, WZ, USA: American Society Agronomy, 1982. 595–624
Olsen S R, Sommers L E. Phosohorus. In: Page A L, ed. Methods of Soil Analysis. Agronomy. No. 9, Part 2: Chemical and microbiological properties, 2nd ed. Madison, WZ, USA: American Society Agronomy, 1982. 403–430
SPSS Incorporated SPSS for Windows, Version 10.0. SPSS Incorporation, Chicago, Illinois. 2000
Johansson M E, Nilsson C. Responses of riparian plants to water-level variation in free-flowing and regulated boreal rivers: An experimental study. J Appl Ecol, 2002, 39: 971–986
Kellogg C H, Bridgham S D, Leicht S A. Effects of water level, shade and time on germination and growth of freshwater marsh plants along a simulated successional gradient. J Appl Ecol, 2003, 91: 274–282
Silvertown J, Dodd M E, Gowing D J G, et al. Hydrologically defined niches reveal a basis for species richness in plant communities. Nature, 1999, 400: 61–63
Fagerstedt K. Development of aerenchyma in roots and rhizomes of Carex rostrata (Cyperaceous). Nordic J Botany, 1992, 12: 115–120
Perata P, Alpi A. Plant responses to anaerobiosis. Plant Sci, 1993, 93: 1–17
Tilman D, Wedin D. Plant traits and resource reduction for five grasses growing on a nitrogen gradient. Ecology, 1991, 72: 685–700
Dwire K A. Relationship among hydrology, soils, and vegetation in riparian meadows: Influence in organic matter distribution and storage. PhD Thesis. Corvallis: Oregon State University, 2001
Mittelbach G G, Steiner C F, Scheiner S M, et al. What is the observed relationship between species richness and productivity? Ecology, 2001, 82: 2381–2396
Anderson T M, McNaughton S J, Ritchie M E. Scale-dependent relationships between the spatial distribution of a limiting resource and plant species diversity in an African grassland ecosystem. Oecologia, 2004, 139: 277–287
Casper B B, Jackson R B. Plant competition underground. Ann Rev Ecol Syst, 1997, 28: 545–570
Gough L, Grace J B, Taylor K L. The relationship between species richness and communities: The importance of environmental variables. Oikos, 1994, 70: 271–279
Grace J B. The factors controlling species density in herbaceous plant communities: An assessment. Perspect Plant Ecol Evol Syst, 1999, 2: 1–28
Vivian-Smith G. Microtopographic heterogeneity and floristic diversity in experimental wetland communities. J Ecol, 1997, 85: 71–82
Morse D R, Lawton J H, Dsdson M M, et al. Fractal dimension of vegetation and the distribution of arthropod body lengths. Nature, 1985, 314: 731–732
Schlesinger W H, Raikes J A, Hartley A E, et al. On the spatial pattern of soil nutrients in desert ecosystems. Ecology, 1996, 77: 364–374
Berendse F. Interspecific competition and niche differentiation between Plantago Lanceolata and Anthoxanthum odoratum in a natural hayfield. J Ecol, 1983, 71: 379–390
Fayley R A, Fitter A H. The responses of seven co-occurring woodland herbaceous perennials to localized nutrient-rich patches. J Ecol, 1999, 87: 849–859
Nordin A, HÖgberg P, Näsholm T. Soil N form availability and plant N uptake along a boreal forest productivity gradient. Oecologia, 2001, 129: 125–132
Wang Q J, Wang W Y, Deng Z F. The dynamics of biomass and the allocation of energy in alpine Kobresia meadow communities, Haibei region of Qinghai province. Acta Phytoecol Sin, 1998, 22(3): 222–230
Xiong S, Nilsson C. Dynamics of leaf litter accumulation and its effects on riparian vegetation: A review. Botan Rev, 1997, 63: 240–264
Xiong S, Nilsson C, Johansson M E, et al. Responses of riparian plants to accumulation of silt and plant litter: The importance of plant litter. J Vegetat Sci, 2001, 12: 481–490
Tilman D. Species richness of experimental productivity gradients: How important is colonization limitation? Ecology, 1993, 74: 2179–2191
Jutila H M, Grace J B. Effects of disturbance on germination and seedling establishment in a coastal prairie grassland: A test of the competitive release hypothesis. J Ecol, 2002, 90: 291–302
Tilman D. Secondary succession and pattern of plant dominance along experimental nitrogen gradients. Ecol Monographs, 1987, 57: 189–214
Walker B H. Biodiversity and ecological redundancy. Conserv Biol, 1992, 6: 18–23
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Supported by the Hundred Talents Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the National Natural Science Important Foundation of China (Grant No. 30730069)
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, C., Cao, G., Wang, Q. et al. Changes in plant biomass and species composition of alpine Kobresia meadows along altitudinal gradient on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Sci. China Ser. C-Life Sci. 51, 86–94 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-008-0011-2
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-008-0011-2