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Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology ›› 2020, Vol. 31 ›› Issue (3): 787-793.doi: 10.13287/j.1001-9332.202003.003

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Effects of community succession on plant reproductive allocation and ecological stoichiometry for two dominant species in the Hulunbuir Grassland, China

JIN Xiao-ming1*, YU Liang-bin1,2, ZHANG Ying-qi1,3, WANG Qiu-hong1   

  1. 1School of Life Science, Hulunbuir University, Hulunbuir 021008;
    2Grassland Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Hohhot 010010;
    3School of Environment, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024
  • Received:2019-12-02 Online:2020-03-15 Published:2020-03-15
  • Contact: E-mail: nmgjinxm@163.com
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31560657) and the National Natural Science Foundation of Inner Mongolia (2018MS03079)

Abstract: To explore the physiological and ecological adaptability of different dominant species during grassland community succession, we measured soil nutrients, plant biomass and C, N and P contents of two dominant species using the method of spatial sequences instead of chronosequences in the successive series of Agropyron michnoi community - A. michnoi + A. cristatam community - A. cristatam community in Hulunbuir Grassland. During the succession progress, the contents of soil total C, total C, available N and available P increased significantly. The N and P contents and N/P of leaves, stems and roots of A. michnoi and A. cristatam increased significantly, while the C/N showed opposite response. The leaf C content of A. michnoi and the C contents of leaves, stems and roots of A. cristatam significantly increased. The leaf C/P of A. michnoi and the C/P of leaves and roots of A. cristatem increased significantly, while the C/P of stems and roots of A. michnoi and the stem C/P of A. cristatem decreased significantly. In the community co-dominated by A. michnoi and A. cristatam, A. michnoi improved its interspecific competitiveness by reducing C content in stems and roots and increasing the C content in leaves, while A. cristatem adapted to environmental changes by reducing root to shoot ratio and reproductive ratio. A. michnoi was limited by N availability (N/P<14) in different communities, while A. cristatem was limited by P availability in single dominant community(N/P>16)and by both N and P in co-dominant community (14<N/P<16). The index of stoichiometric homoeostasis of foliar N of A. michnoi in the single dominant community and the co-dominant community were 5.92 and 2.94, respectively, indicating higher N stability, while the index of stoichiometric homoeostasis plant of foliar P of A. cristatem in the single dominant community and the co-dominant community were 4.12 and 3.37, respectively, which indicated higher P stability.