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Species‐specific Response of Photosynthesis to Burning and Nitrogen Fertilization
Author(s) -
Zhang Yanfang,
Niu Shuli,
Xu Wenhua,
Han Yi
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
journal of integrative plant biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.734
H-Index - 83
eISSN - 1744-7909
pISSN - 1672-9072
DOI - 10.1111/j.1744-7909.2008.00658.x
Subject(s) - agropyron cristatum , human fertilization , photosynthesis , biology , growing season , nitrogen , water use efficiency , leymus , agronomy , botany , stomatal conductance , horticulture , chemistry , grassland , organic chemistry
The present study was conducted to examine photosynthetic characteristics of three dominant grass species (Agropyron cristatum , Leymus chinensis , and Cleistogenes squarrosa ) and their responses to burning and nitrogen fertilization in a semiarid grassland in northern China. Photosynthetic rate ( P n ), stomatal conductance ( g s ), and water use efficiency (WUE) showed strong temporal variability over the growing season. C. squarrosa showed a significantly higher P n and WUE than A. cristatum and L. chinensis . Burning stimulated P n of A. cristatum and L. chinensis by 24–59% ( P < 0.05) in the early growing season, but not during other time periods. Light‐saturated photosynthetic rate ( P max ) in A. cristatum and the maximum apparent quantum yield (Φ max ) in A. cristatum and L. chinensis were significantly enhanced by burning (16–67%) in both the fertilized and unfertilized plots. The main effect of burning on P n , P max and Φ max was not significant in C. squarrosa . The burning‐induced changes in soil moisture could explain 51% ( P = 0.01) of the burning‐induced changes in P n of the three species. All three species showed positive responses to N fertilization in terms of P n , P max , and Φ max . The stimulation of P n under N fertilization was mainly observed in the early growing season when the soil extractable N content was significantly higher in the fertilized plots. The N fertilization‐induced changes in soil extractable N content could explain 66% ( P = 0.001) of the changes in P n under N fertilization. The photosynthetic responses of the three species indicate that burning and N fertilization will potentially change the community structure and ecosystem productivity in the semiarid grasslands of northern China.