Effects of fertilization on population density and productivity of herbaceous plants in desert steppe

作     者：JieQiong Su XinRong Li HaoTian Yang 

作者机构：Shapotou Desert Experimental Research Station Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute Chinese Academy of Sciences University of Chinese Academy of Sciences 

出 版 物：《Research in Cold and Arid Regions》 (寒旱区科学（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2014年第6卷第3期

页      面：219-225页

核心收录：

学科分类：07[理学] 0713[理学-生态学] 

基　　金：supported by the Major State Basic Research Development Program of China (973 Program, Grant No. 2013CB429901-2) the Foundation for Excellent Youth Scholars of Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Y451121001) 

主　　题：desert steppe herbaceous vegetation nitrogen fertilizer phosphorus fertilizer biomass 

摘      要：In order to investigate the impacts of fertilization on population density and productivity on herbaceous plants in desert steppe, nitrogen （N）, phosphorus （P）, and N-P addition experiments were performed. Each fertilizer treatment included four addition levels, i.e., 0, 5, 10, and 20 g/m2. The results indicated that population density decreased as fertilization levels increased regardless of the sort of fertilizer. More specifically, total density as well as density ofArtemisia capillaris, Allium polyrhizum, and Enneapogon brachystachyus decreased significantly in 20 g/m2 treated plots, as compared with the control plots. Fertilization effects on aboveground and root biomasses were extremely similar to that found in population density; that is, both total aboveground biomass and aboveground biomasses for A. capillaris, A. polyrhizum, and E. brachystachyus were negatively correlated with increasing fertilization levels, with all determination coefficients （R2） greater than 0.80. Therefore, in the case of desert regions （annual precipitation 〈180 mm）, fertilization would inhibit population density and productivity of herbaceous plants.