Abstract. This paper describes patterns of below‐ground components in grassland ecosystems. It provides estimates of the contribution of below‐ground organs to the total phytomass of the community and of different species to the below‐ground phytomass; it describes the distribution of above‐ and below‐ ground organs of different species and the spatial and temporal correlation between above‐ground and below‐ground phyto‐mass – both total standing crop and net primary production. 10 Siberian grasslands (meadows and steppes) were investigated during 15 yr. Ca. 70 % of the living phytomass is located in the soil and no less than 70 % of the net primary production is allocated in below‐ground organs. Phytomass distribution in the soil layer is more homogeneous than above‐ground. For some species the spatial distribution within 1‐m2 plots of the green and below‐ground phytomass is similar, for others it is quantitatively or qualitatively different. According to the dominance‐diversity curve, the above‐ground size hierarchy is much stronger than the below‐ground one. The active growth of above‐ and below‐ground organs of a species may occur at different times of the season and it varies from year to year. Allocation of organic substances to rhizomes and roots occurs simultaneously and with proportional intensity.

Abstract. Grassland management type (grazed or mown) and intensity (intensive or extensive) play a crucial role in the greenhouse gas balance and surface energy budget of this biome, both at field scale and at large spatial scale. However, global gridded historical information on grassland management intensity is not available. Combining modelled grass-biomass productivity with statistics of the grassbiomass demand by livestock, we reconstruct gridded maps of grassland management intensity from 1901 to 2012. These maps include the minimum area of managed vs. maximum area of unmanaged grasslands and the fraction of mown vs. grazed area at a resolution of 0.5 • by 0.5 • . The grassbiomass demand is derived from a livestock dataset for 2000, extended to cover the period 1901-2012. The grassbiomass supply (i.e. forage grass from mown grassland and biomass grazed) is simulated by the process-based model ORCHIDEE-GM driven by historical climate change, rising CO 2 concentration, and changes in nitrogen fertilization. The global area of managed grassland obtained in this study increases from 6

We used available field survey and literature data to produce inventory maps of wetland biomass and net primary production (NPP) for western Siberia. Field survey data were obtained for major types of wetland microlandscapes within the boreal (taiga) region. We developed a multiscale approach based on using a regional wetland typology map (1:2,500,000 scale), further refined by satellite image classifications (LANDSAT‐7, SPOT, RESURS, 1:200,000 scale). Satellite images on test areas designated in the boreal region of western Siberia were classified by 30 landscape classes. We used aerial photography (1:25,000 scale) to evaluate the fraction of the area occupied by microlandscape elements within patterned wetlands. As a result, we were able to produce a GIS map‐based inventory of ecosystem phytomass and NPP in west Siberian wetlands. Using the GIS map, the average and total net primary production and biomass were estimated by ecosystem type, the number of vegetation layers, and climatic gradient. The annual NPP to live biomass ratio increases southward from 0.27 in the tundra to 0.65 in the steppe region. Live biomass of wetlands amounts to only 10–30% of the average biomass of upland forests in the same climatic region, although wetland NPP was found to be equal or higher then that of upland forests. Mosses and the belowground fraction of grasses are the major contributors to NPP. Average live biomass and NPP in wetlands were estimated to be 1600 g/m2 and 790 g/m2/yr, respectively. Total wetland NPP amounts to 530 Tg/yr, and live biomass amounts to 1070 Tg.