Fewer new species colonize at low frequency N addition in a temperate grassland

Zhang, Yunhai; Lü, Xiao‐Tao; He, Nianpeng; Huang, Jianhui; Han, Xingguo

doi:10.1111/1365-2435.12585

Cited by 26 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 43 publications

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“…However, although all species can potentially colonise our experimental plots, not all species can successfully establish in these plots, especially at higher N levels, where the rate of loss of resident species is higher and the rate of successful colonisation of non‐resident species is lower (Zhang et al . ). Indeed, when considering all experimental plots together, we found that their species composition was significantly influenced by N treatment differences (Mantel test: r = 0.04, P = 0.0004), but not by their spatial differences (Mantel test: r = 0.01, P = 0.1854), indicating the small role of among‐plot dispersal in shaping the local communities.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

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Nitrogen addition does not reduce the role of spatial asynchrony in stabilising grassland communities

et al. 2019

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While nitrogen (N) amendment is known to affect the stability of ecological communities, whether this effect is scale-dependent remains an open question. By conducting a field experiment in a temperate grassland, we found that both plant richness and temporal stability of community biomass increased with spatial scale, but N enrichment reduced richness and stability at the two scales considered. Reduced local-scale stability under N enrichment arose from N-induced reduction in population stability, which was partly attributable to the decline in local species richness, as well as reduction in asynchronous local population dynamics across species. Importantly, N enrichment did not alter spatial asynchrony among local communities, which provided similar spatial insurance effects at the larger scale, regardless of N enrichment levels. These results suggest that spatial variability among local communities, in addition to local diversity, may help stabilise ecosystems at larger spatial scales even in the face of anthropogenic environmental changes.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…This experiment was initially designed to assess how the frequency and rate of N addition affect grassland community structure and ecosystem functioning (Zhang et al . , , ,b, ), and is used here to explore how increased N deposition influences ecosystem stability across spatial scales.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen addition does not reduce the role of spatial asynchrony in stabilising grassland communities

et al. 2019

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“…There were about 50 vascular plant species, averaging eight species per m 2 in the control plots across 2008–2013 (Zhang et al . , ). This ecosystem had received no fertilizer or mowing before this experiment.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Smirn., which together accounted for more than 60% of the total above-ground biomass . There were about 50 vascular plant species, averaging eight species per m 2 in the control plots across 2008-2013 (Zhang et al 2014(Zhang et al , 2016b. This ecosystem had received no fertilizer or mowing before this experiment.…”

Section: S T U D Y S I T Ementioning

confidence: 99%

Mowing exacerbates the loss of ecosystem stability under nitrogen enrichment in a temperate grassland

Zhang

Loreau

et al. 2017

Functional Ecology

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Summary Global reactive nitrogen (N) is projected to further increase in the coming years.Previous studies have demonstrated that N enrichment weakens the temporal stability of the ecosystem and the primary productivity through decreased biodiversity and species asynchrony. Mowing is a globally common practise in grasslands; and infrequent mowing can maintain or increase plant diversity under N enrichment conditions. However, it is unclear how infrequent mowing affects ecosystem stability in the face of N enrichment. 2.By independently manipulating the frequency (twice vs. monthly additions per year) and rate (i.e. 0, 1, 2, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 50 g N m −2 year −1 ) of NH 4 NO 3 inputs and mowing (unmown vs. mown) over 3 years (2011)(2012)(2013) in a temperate grassland of northern China, we aimed to examine the interactive effects of N enrichment and mowing on ecosystem stability. 3.The results show that mowing maintained a positive relationship between species richness and ecosystem stability despite N addition, but that it exacerbated the negative effects of N addition on ecosystem stability. Mowing increased mean primary productivity and plant species richness, but it also increased the synchrony of population fluctuations and the variability of primary productivity under N enrichment, thereby contributing to a decline in the ecosystem stability. Data accessibilityData deposited in the Dryad Digital Repository: https://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.sq15g (Zhang et al. 2017).The authors declare that they have no competing interests. 4. Thus, our study reveals that infrequent mowing can buffer the negative effects of N enrichment on biodiversity to some extent and further increase the primary productivity, but it exacerbates the loss of ecosystem stability with N enrichment, thereby threatening local and/or semiarid regional food security. Europe PMC Funders Group

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“…The species richness was defined as the number of plant species in the quadrat. Species frequency was defined as the occurrence proportion of one plant species in the quadrats, and calculated as described by Zhang et al (2016). If a species was present in the all eight plots (eight repetitions per treatment) at a treatment in a year, the average frequency of this species was taken as 1 (100%).…”

Section: Field Experiments Nomentioning

confidence: 99%

Below‐ground‐mediated and phase‐dependent processes drive nitrogen‐evoked community changes in grasslands

Tian

Yang

et al. 2020

Journal of Ecology

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Enhanced deposition of atmospheric nitrogen (N) leads to loss of plant diversity in grassland ecosystems. Numerous theories have provided potential explanations for the negative effects of N enrichment on plant diversity. However, the relative importance of each mechanism and the time‐scales of responses for the different functional groups remain unclear. We investigated the temporal responses of plant community in a temperate steppe to N enrichment by linking above‐ground to below‐ground processes using a series of field N‐addition and greenhouse experiments. The N enrichment‐induced declines in plant diversity of grasslands were phase‐based, functional group‐dependent and driven by three below‐ground processes. The rapid accumulation of NH4+-N by N addition inhibited photosynthetic rates of broad‐leaf non‐rhizomatous forbs, contributing to loss of these N‐sensitive species during early phase of N enrichment (≤3 years). The N‐induced changes in this phase were independent of soil pH as evidenced by results from application of lime to mitigate N‐evoked soil acidification. With progression of N addition, manganese (Mn) toxicity to narrow‐leaf non‐rhizomatous forbs due to soil acidification‐induced Mn2+ mobilization in soil accounted for their loss in the second phase of N enrichment (~4–9 years). When N addition proceeded longer than ~10 years, N enrichment stimulated below‐ground meristem differentiation and rhizome growth of the rhizomatous species, leading to the dominance by rhizomatous sedges/grasses in the community at the later phase of N enrichment. Synthesis. The hierarchical mechanisms not only provide a comprehensive explanation for the N enrichment‐induced diversity decline in grasslands, but can also facilitate us to understand the differential sensitivities of ecosystems to chronic N enrichment, and predict future ecosystem dynamics.

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Fewer new species colonize at low frequency N addition in a temperate grassland

Cited by 26 publications

References 43 publications

Nitrogen addition does not reduce the role of spatial asynchrony in stabilising grassland communities

Nitrogen addition does not reduce the role of spatial asynchrony in stabilising grassland communities

Mowing exacerbates the loss of ecosystem stability under nitrogen enrichment in a temperate grassland

Below‐ground‐mediated and phase‐dependent processes drive nitrogen‐evoked community changes in grasslands

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