Plant functional β diversity is an important mediator of effects of aridity on soil multifunctionality
Plant functional β diversity is an important mediator of effects of aridity on soil multifunctionality
复制标题
植物功能β多样性是干旱对土壤多功能性影响的重要中介
DOI：
10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.138529
复制
发表时间：
2020
影响因子：
9.8
通讯作者：
Jianming Niu
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Yongzhi Yan;Qing Zhang;Alex;er Buyantuev;Qingfu Liu;Jianming Niu
Previous studies have demonstrated that plant diversity not only plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem functions but can also mediate the impact of climate change on ecosystem functions. However, the relative importance of multiple aspects of diversity at different scales remains unclear. In this study, we investigated species, functional, and phylogenetic aspects of diversity at α and β scales, and measured eight soil functions (aboveground productivity, soil organic carbon, total soil nitrogen, total soil phosphorus, soil available nitrogen, soil available phosphorus, soil carbon-nitrogen ratio, and soil nitrogen-phosphorus ratio) to comprehensively assess the relationship between multiple aspects and scales of plant diversity and soil multifunctionality along an aridity gradient across the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Diversity at α and β scales explained soil multifunctionality synergistically. Functional diversity explained most of the soil multifunctionality, while phylogenetic diversity explained the least. Aridity had both direct effects on soil multifunctionality, and indirect effects mediated mainly by functional α and β diversity. These findings indicate that in addition to α diversity, β diversity also played an important role in maintaining soil multifunctionality, and was an important mediator for the adverse impact of aridity on soil multifunctionality. Our study highlights the critical role of β diversity, especially regarding functional traits, in predicting the consequences of the increasingly arid conditions in the Inner Mongolian grasslands.
Previous studies have demonstrated that plant diversity not only plays an important role in maintaining ecosystem functions but can also mediate the impact of climate change on ecosystem functions. However, the relative importance of multiple aspects of diversity at different scales remains unclear. In this study, we investigated species, functional, and phylogenetic aspects of diversity at α and β scales, and measured eight soil functions (aboveground productivity, soil organic carbon, total soil nitrogen, total soil phosphorus, soil available nitrogen, soil available phosphorus, soil carbon-nitrogen ratio, and soil nitrogen-phosphorus ratio) to comprehensively assess the relationship between multiple aspects and scales of plant diversity and soil multifunctionality along an aridity gradient across the grasslands of Inner Mongolia. Diversity at α and β scales explained soil multifunctionality synergistically. Functional diversity explained most of the soil multifunctionality, while phylogenetic diversity explained the least. Aridity had both direct effects on soil multifunctionality, and indirect effects mediated mainly by functional α and β diversity. These findings indicate that in addition to α diversity, β diversity also played an important role in maintaining soil multifunctionality, and was an important mediator for the adverse impact of aridity on soil multifunctionality. Our study highlights the critical role of β diversity, especially regarding functional traits, in predicting the consequences of the increasingly arid conditions in the Inner Mongolian grasslands.