Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye Region
Grassland ecosystems, which are essential for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are increasingly vulnerable to degradation, primarily driven by climate change and soil variability. Understanding the influence of environmental factors on these indicators is critical for addressing grassland degrad...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2025-02-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/2/476 |
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| author | Yazhou Liu Meiling Zhang Youyi Zhao Jianzhou Wei Shengwei Zhou Xiaoyan Shi |
| author_facet | Yazhou Liu Meiling Zhang Youyi Zhao Jianzhou Wei Shengwei Zhou Xiaoyan Shi |
| author_sort | Yazhou Liu |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Grassland ecosystems, which are essential for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are increasingly vulnerable to degradation, primarily driven by climate change and soil variability. Understanding the influence of environmental factors on these indicators is critical for addressing grassland degradation and promoting sustainable land management practices. This study investigates the influence of environmental factors, particularly temperature, precipitation, and soil properties, on species diversity and biomass in the arid and semi-arid grasslands of the Zhangye region, China. Field sampling was performed at 63 sites to collect data on vegetation characteristics, biomass, and soil properties, complemented by climate data. This study investigates the mechanisms through which abiotic factors influence biomass and species diversity. The results indicate that soil moisture and relative humidity, as related factors, are significantly positively correlated with both species diversity and biomass, thereby highlighting the stress induced by temperature in arid ecosystems. Furthermore, soil bulk density and pH were identified as critical mediating factors that influence biomass indirectly through their impact on soil moisture. These findings underscore the complex role of climate–soil interactions in shaping grassland ecosystems and offer essential insights for developing adaptive strategies to manage and mitigate grassland degradation in response to climate change. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-be822cb5b26749219409425ba10e6cbb |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-02-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-be822cb5b26749219409425ba10e6cbb2025-08-20T02:44:55ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-02-0115247610.3390/agronomy15020476Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye RegionYazhou Liu0Meiling Zhang1Youyi Zhao2Jianzhou Wei3Shengwei Zhou4Xiaoyan Shi5Center for Quantitative Biology, College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCenter for Quantitative Biology, College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCenter for Quantitative Biology, College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCenter for Quantitative Biology, College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCenter for Quantitative Biology, College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaCenter for Quantitative Biology, College of Science, Gansu Agricultural University, Lanzhou 730070, ChinaGrassland ecosystems, which are essential for biodiversity and ecosystem services, are increasingly vulnerable to degradation, primarily driven by climate change and soil variability. Understanding the influence of environmental factors on these indicators is critical for addressing grassland degradation and promoting sustainable land management practices. This study investigates the influence of environmental factors, particularly temperature, precipitation, and soil properties, on species diversity and biomass in the arid and semi-arid grasslands of the Zhangye region, China. Field sampling was performed at 63 sites to collect data on vegetation characteristics, biomass, and soil properties, complemented by climate data. This study investigates the mechanisms through which abiotic factors influence biomass and species diversity. The results indicate that soil moisture and relative humidity, as related factors, are significantly positively correlated with both species diversity and biomass, thereby highlighting the stress induced by temperature in arid ecosystems. Furthermore, soil bulk density and pH were identified as critical mediating factors that influence biomass indirectly through their impact on soil moisture. These findings underscore the complex role of climate–soil interactions in shaping grassland ecosystems and offer essential insights for developing adaptive strategies to manage and mitigate grassland degradation in response to climate change.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/2/476ecological factorssoil characteristicsecosystem productivitymediating effectsustainable agriculture |
| spellingShingle | Yazhou Liu Meiling Zhang Youyi Zhao Jianzhou Wei Shengwei Zhou Xiaoyan Shi Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye Region Agronomy ecological factors soil characteristics ecosystem productivity mediating effect sustainable agriculture |
| title | Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye Region |
| title_full | Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye Region |
| title_fullStr | Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye Region |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye Region |
| title_short | Effect of Environmental Factors on Grassland Biodiversity and Biomass in the Zhangye Region |
| title_sort | effect of environmental factors on grassland biodiversity and biomass in the zhangye region |
| topic | ecological factors soil characteristics ecosystem productivity mediating effect sustainable agriculture |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/2/476 |
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