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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2022, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (2): 569-576.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202202.023

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Research advances on the effects of grazing on plant functional traits in grassland

WANG Xiao-fang1,2,3, MA Hong-bin4,5*, LIU Jie1,2,3, MIAO Hai-tao1,2,3, SHEN Yan4,5, ZHOU Yao4,5, MA Jing-li4,5   

  1. 1College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou 730020, China;
    2State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-ecosystems Center for Grassland Microbiome, Lanzhou 730020, China;
    3Collaborative Innovation Center for Western Ecological Safety, Lanzhou 730020, China;
    4College of Agriculture, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China;
    5Breeding Base of Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Restoration and Reconstruction, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
  • Received:2021-08-09 Revised:2021-11-10 Online:2022-02-15 Published:2022-08-15

Abstract: Plant functional traits is connected with vegetation adaptability to the environment. The trade-off between plant functional traits reflects resource reintegration and acquisition under grazing pressures. We summarized the differences of plant functional traits under grazing disturbance, focused on the linkages between grazing disturbance and plant functional traits. We introduced that the variation of plant functional traits resulted from the coordination between plant genetic characteristics and environmental filtration, summarized the effects of grazing on nutritional and reproductive traits, and noted that plants could use survival and reproductive strategies to adapt to the grazing disturbance. We mainly focused on the effects of grazing on plant population, community and ecosystem. The expression of plant functional traits was different under grazing disturbance. Therefore, plant functional traits could be used as indicators to explain population growth and reproduction, community assembly, and ecosystem function. In order to better serve the ecological environment of grassland with plant functional traits, reasonable grazing resis-tant species could be screened according to plant functional traits. Based on life history characteristics of grassland plant population, the scientific grazing mechanism should be formulated, and the responses of plant functional traits and resource allocation to grazing disturbance should be conducted from the perspective of individual-based level in the future.

Key words: grazing, grassland plant, functional trait