Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern China
Abstract Functional traits reflect plants' adaptability to their environment, and environmental gradients influence their distribution. But few studies have investigated the link between these traits and species substitution patterns or the relevant ecological factors. We measured the abovegrou...
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Wiley
2024-08-01
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| Series: | Ecology and Evolution |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70164 |
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| author | Jun Yang Xiaowei Li Junlong Yang Shuang Yu Hongmei Zhang Bo Yang |
| author_facet | Jun Yang Xiaowei Li Junlong Yang Shuang Yu Hongmei Zhang Bo Yang |
| author_sort | Jun Yang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Functional traits reflect plants' adaptability to their environment, and environmental gradients influence their distribution. But few studies have investigated the link between these traits and species substitution patterns or the relevant ecological factors. We measured the aboveground (leaf) and belowground (root) functional traits of Stipa species in 17 plots across natural grasslands in Ningxia in Northern China. Redundancy analysis was used to explore the relationships between Stipa's functional traits and its species substitution distribution. Then, on the species substitution gradient, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to verify and quantify the leaf economic spectrum (LES), root economic spectrum (RES), and whole‐plant economic spectrum (WPES), with the relation between these spectra investigated by fitting standardized major axis regressions. The effects of aboveground, belowground, and whole‐plant ecological factors were quantified and ranked by variance decomposition and hierarchical partitioning. Our results showed that functional traits drive the substitution distribution of Stipa species, in being variously coupled with its desert, typical, and meadow steppe habitat types. The leaf, root, and whole‐plant economic spectra of Stipa species in desert steppe exhibit a “quick investment‐acquisition” strategy. In typical steppe, the leaf and whole‐plant economic spectra of Stipa species correspond to a “fast investment‐acquisition” strategy, whereas the root economic spectrum adopts a “slow investment‐acquisition” strategy. On meadow steppe, the leaf, root, and whole‐plant economic spectra of Stipa species similarly adopt a “slow investment‐acquisition” strategy. Finally, when considering the environmental factors involved, we find that the substitution distribution of Stipa spp. is chiefly a response to shifting soil patterns, these mainly driven by soil total nitrogen and nitrogen/phosphorus ratio. Collectively, these findings provide an important reference for the ecological restoration and reconstruction of grassland ecosystems, to better understand the relationship between plant functional traits and ecological niche attributes, and thus guide the reasonable restoration of grassland vegetation. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-eb8e902a7a86497d9098b41fa2c487a8 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 2045-7758 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-08-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Ecology and Evolution |
| spelling | doaj-art-eb8e902a7a86497d9098b41fa2c487a82025-08-20T01:55:49ZengWileyEcology and Evolution2045-77582024-08-01148n/an/a10.1002/ece3.70164Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern ChinaJun Yang0Xiaowei Li1Junlong Yang2Shuang Yu3Hongmei Zhang4Bo Yang5College of Forestry and Pratacuture Ningxia University Yinchuan ChinaCollege of Forestry and Pratacuture Ningxia University Yinchuan ChinaCollege of Forestry and Pratacuture Ningxia University Yinchuan ChinaCollege of Forestry and Pratacuture Ningxia University Yinchuan ChinaCollege of Forestry and Pratacuture Ningxia University Yinchuan ChinaCollege of Forestry and Pratacuture Ningxia University Yinchuan ChinaAbstract Functional traits reflect plants' adaptability to their environment, and environmental gradients influence their distribution. But few studies have investigated the link between these traits and species substitution patterns or the relevant ecological factors. We measured the aboveground (leaf) and belowground (root) functional traits of Stipa species in 17 plots across natural grasslands in Ningxia in Northern China. Redundancy analysis was used to explore the relationships between Stipa's functional traits and its species substitution distribution. Then, on the species substitution gradient, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to verify and quantify the leaf economic spectrum (LES), root economic spectrum (RES), and whole‐plant economic spectrum (WPES), with the relation between these spectra investigated by fitting standardized major axis regressions. The effects of aboveground, belowground, and whole‐plant ecological factors were quantified and ranked by variance decomposition and hierarchical partitioning. Our results showed that functional traits drive the substitution distribution of Stipa species, in being variously coupled with its desert, typical, and meadow steppe habitat types. The leaf, root, and whole‐plant economic spectra of Stipa species in desert steppe exhibit a “quick investment‐acquisition” strategy. In typical steppe, the leaf and whole‐plant economic spectra of Stipa species correspond to a “fast investment‐acquisition” strategy, whereas the root economic spectrum adopts a “slow investment‐acquisition” strategy. On meadow steppe, the leaf, root, and whole‐plant economic spectra of Stipa species similarly adopt a “slow investment‐acquisition” strategy. Finally, when considering the environmental factors involved, we find that the substitution distribution of Stipa spp. is chiefly a response to shifting soil patterns, these mainly driven by soil total nitrogen and nitrogen/phosphorus ratio. Collectively, these findings provide an important reference for the ecological restoration and reconstruction of grassland ecosystems, to better understand the relationship between plant functional traits and ecological niche attributes, and thus guide the reasonable restoration of grassland vegetation.https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70164plant economic spectrumplant functional traitsStipasubstitution distribution |
| spellingShingle | Jun Yang Xiaowei Li Junlong Yang Shuang Yu Hongmei Zhang Bo Yang Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern China Ecology and Evolution plant economic spectrum plant functional traits Stipa substitution distribution |
| title | Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern China |
| title_full | Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern China |
| title_fullStr | Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern China |
| title_full_unstemmed | Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern China |
| title_short | Variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of Stipa species across natural grasslands of Ningxia, Northern China |
| title_sort | variation in plant functional traits explains the substitution distribution and allocation strategy of stipa species across natural grasslands of ningxia northern china |
| topic | plant economic spectrum plant functional traits Stipa substitution distribution |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70164 |
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