Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan Plateau
Abstract Although belowground biomass (BGB) plays an important role in global cycling, the storage of BGB and climatic effects on it are remaining unclear. With data from 49 sites, we aimed to investigate BGB and its climatic controls in alpine shrublands in the Tibetan Plateau. Our study showed tha...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6275 |
| _version_ | 1818740741842665472 |
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| author | Nie Xiuqing Dong Wang Yang Lucun Fan Li Zhou Guoying |
| author_facet | Nie Xiuqing Dong Wang Yang Lucun Fan Li Zhou Guoying |
| author_sort | Nie Xiuqing |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Although belowground biomass (BGB) plays an important role in global cycling, the storage of BGB and climatic effects on it are remaining unclear. With data from 49 sites, we aimed to investigate BGB and its climatic controls in alpine shrublands in the Tibetan Plateau. Our study showed that the BGB (both grass‐layer and shrub‐layer biomass) storage in the alpine shrublands was 67.24 Tg, and the mean BGB density and shrublands area were 1,567.38 g/m2 and 4.29 × 104 km2, respectively. Shrub layer had a larger BGB stock and accounted for 66% of total BGB this area, while only 34% was accumulated in the grass layer. BGB of the grass layer in the Tibetan Plateau shrublands was larger than that of Tibetan alpine grasslands, indicating that shrubland ecosystem played a critical importance role in carbon cycle on the Tibetan Plateau. The BGB in the grass layer and shrub layer demonstrated different correlations with climatic factors. Specifically, the effects from mean annual temperature on shrub‐layer BGB were not significant, similarly to the relationship between mean annual precipitation and grass‐layer BGB. But shrub‐layer BGB had a significantly positive relationship with mean annual precipitation (p < .05), while grass‐layer BGB showed a trend of decrease with increasing mean annual temperature (p < .05). Consequently, the actual and potential increases of BGB varied due to different increases of mean annual precipitation and temperature among different areas of the Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, in the warmer and wetter scenario, due to contrary relationships from mean annual precipitation and temperature on shrub‐layer BGB and grass‐layer BGB, it is necessary to conduct a long‐term monitoring about dynamic changes to increase the precision of assessment of BGB carbon sequestration in the Tibetan Plateau alpine shrublands. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:45:33Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac5b73f0b7934686ab9e3118d434aa0e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-18T01:45:33Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac5b73f0b7934686ab9e3118d434aa0e2022-12-21T21:25:11ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582020-06-0110125315532210.1002/ece3.6275Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan PlateauNie Xiuqing0Dong Wang1Yang Lucun2Fan Li3Zhou Guoying4Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the State Forestry Administration Research Institute of Forestry Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing ChinaKey Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of the State Forestry Administration Research Institute of Forestry Chinese Academy of Forestry Beijing ChinaKey Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology Chinese Academy of Science Xining ChinaInstitute of Qinghai Meteorological Science Research Xining ChinaKey Laboratory of Tibetan Medicine Research Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology Chinese Academy of Science Xining ChinaAbstract Although belowground biomass (BGB) plays an important role in global cycling, the storage of BGB and climatic effects on it are remaining unclear. With data from 49 sites, we aimed to investigate BGB and its climatic controls in alpine shrublands in the Tibetan Plateau. Our study showed that the BGB (both grass‐layer and shrub‐layer biomass) storage in the alpine shrublands was 67.24 Tg, and the mean BGB density and shrublands area were 1,567.38 g/m2 and 4.29 × 104 km2, respectively. Shrub layer had a larger BGB stock and accounted for 66% of total BGB this area, while only 34% was accumulated in the grass layer. BGB of the grass layer in the Tibetan Plateau shrublands was larger than that of Tibetan alpine grasslands, indicating that shrubland ecosystem played a critical importance role in carbon cycle on the Tibetan Plateau. The BGB in the grass layer and shrub layer demonstrated different correlations with climatic factors. Specifically, the effects from mean annual temperature on shrub‐layer BGB were not significant, similarly to the relationship between mean annual precipitation and grass‐layer BGB. But shrub‐layer BGB had a significantly positive relationship with mean annual precipitation (p < .05), while grass‐layer BGB showed a trend of decrease with increasing mean annual temperature (p < .05). Consequently, the actual and potential increases of BGB varied due to different increases of mean annual precipitation and temperature among different areas of the Tibetan Plateau. Therefore, in the warmer and wetter scenario, due to contrary relationships from mean annual precipitation and temperature on shrub‐layer BGB and grass‐layer BGB, it is necessary to conduct a long‐term monitoring about dynamic changes to increase the precision of assessment of BGB carbon sequestration in the Tibetan Plateau alpine shrublands.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6275alpine shrublandsbelowground biomassmean annual precipitationmean annual temperatureTibetan Plateau |
| spellingShingle | Nie Xiuqing Dong Wang Yang Lucun Fan Li Zhou Guoying Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan Plateau Ecology and Evolution alpine shrublands belowground biomass mean annual precipitation mean annual temperature Tibetan Plateau |
| title | Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full | Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_fullStr | Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_full_unstemmed | Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_short | Belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast Tibetan Plateau |
| title_sort | belowground biomass of alpine shrublands across the northeast tibetan plateau |
| topic | alpine shrublands belowground biomass mean annual precipitation mean annual temperature Tibetan Plateau |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6275 |
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