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Synergistic effects of nitrogen and CO 2 enrichment on alpine grassland biomass and community structure
Author(s) -
Zhu Juntao,
Zhang Yangjian,
Yang Xian,
Chen Ning,
Jiang Lin
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
new phytologist
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.742
H-Index - 244
eISSN - 1469-8137
pISSN - 0028-646X
DOI - 10.1111/nph.16767
Subject(s) - biomass (ecology) , grassland , ecosystem , environmental science , plant community , ecology , altitude (triangle) , grassland degradation , community structure , biodiversity , agronomy , biology , ecological succession , geometry , mathematics
Summary Global environmental change is altering the Earth's ecosystems. However, much research has focused on ecosystem‐level responses, and we know substantially less about community‐level responses to global change stressors. Here we conducted a 6‐yr field experiment in a high‐altitude (4600 m asl) alpine grassland on the Tibetan Plateau to explore the effects of nitrogen (N) addition and rising atmospheric CO 2 concentration on plant communities. Our results showed that N and CO 2 enrichment had synergistic effects on alpine grassland communities. Adding nitrogen or CO 2 alone did not alter total community biomass, species diversity or community composition, whereas adding both resources together increased community biomass, reduced species diversity and altered community composition. The observed decline in species diversity under simultaneous N and CO 2 enrichment was associated with greater community biomass and lower soil water content, and driven by the loss of species characterised simultaneously by tall stature and small specific leaf area. Our findings point to the co‐limitation of alpine plant community biomass and structure by nitrogen and CO 2 , emphasising the need for future studies to consider multiple aspects of global environmental change together to gain a more complete understanding of their ecological consequences.