scholarly journals Abiotic factors and plant biomass, not plant diversity, strongly shape grassland arthropods under drought conditions

Ecology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rebecca M. Prather ◽  
Karen Castillioni ◽  
Ellen A.R. Welti ◽  
Michael Kaspari ◽  
Lara Souza
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Drought Conditions

Assessment of the Effects of Ornamental Wetland Polyculture Combinations on Urban Sewage Treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min Wang ◽  
Yujue Zhou ◽  
Lin Xiang ◽  
Xiaoyang Ke ◽  
Hui Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Municipal Wastewater ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Removal Rate ◽  
Sewage Treatment ◽  
Oxygen Demand ◽  
Wetland Plant ◽  
Urban Sewage ◽  
Thalia Dealbata ◽  
Cyperus Alternifolius

Abstract Previous studies have shown that wetland plants can treat wastewater in a cost-effective and sustainable way, however, the studies on the performance of ornamental wetland plant diversity in treating urban sewage were scarce. Therefore, this study was conducted to assess and select wetland polyculture combination that was effective in urban sewage treatment in subtropical areas. We formed five combinations out of six ornamental wetland plant species including Thalia dealbata, Cyperus alternifolius, Iris pseudacorus, Lythrum sastlicaria, Nymphaea tetragona, and Zantedeschia aethiopica. The growth state and removal effects of each plant combination were systematically measured and assessed. The results indicated all the combinations exhibited remarkable total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), ammonium nitrogen (NH­4+-N), and chemical oxygen demand chromium (CODcr) removal rate of 70.75%-77.67%, 63.86%-73.71%, 69.73%-76.85%, and 57.28%-75.69%, respectively. Additionally, pH was reduced to 7.54-8.00 in the sewage. The purification effect reached the best during 30-36th day. The comprehensive assessment showed the mixture of Thalia dealbata + Cyperus alternifolius, closely followed by Thalia dealbata + Cyperus alternifolius+ Lythrum sastlicaria, was highly effective at extracting various pollutants, and both of them could be used as favorable combinations to convert eutrophication and purify municipal wastewater. Linear regression showed that TP, TP, NH­4+-N, and CODcr. were significantly related to plant biomass, indicating that plant biomass essential indicator for screening purification plants. Our study highlighted the importance of plant diversity in biological wastewater treatment, however the competition between plants was suggested to take into consideration in future studies.

scholarly journals Climate mediates the biodiversity–ecosystem stability relationship globally

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (33) ◽  
pp. 8400-8405 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pablo García-Palacios ◽  
Nicolas Gross ◽  
Juan Gaitán ◽  
Fernando T. Maestre
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Leaf Traits ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Soil Conditions ◽  
Ecosystem Stability ◽  
Positive Role ◽  
Insurance Hypothesis ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Dryland Ecosystems

The insurance hypothesis, stating that biodiversity can increase ecosystem stability, has received wide research and political attention. Recent experiments suggest that climate change can impact how plant diversity influences ecosystem stability, but most evidence of the biodiversity–stability relationship obtained to date comes from local studies performed under a limited set of climatic conditions. Here, we investigate how climate mediates the relationships between plant (taxonomical and functional) diversity and ecosystem stability across the globe. To do so, we coupled 14 years of temporal remote sensing measurements of plant biomass with field surveys of diversity in 123 dryland ecosystems from all continents except Antarctica. Across a wide range of climatic and soil conditions, plant species pools, and locations, we were able to explain 73% of variation in ecosystem stability, measured as the ratio of the temporal mean biomass to the SD. The positive role of plant diversity on ecosystem stability was as important as that of climatic and soil factors. However, we also found a strong climate dependency of the biodiversity–ecosystem stability relationship across our global aridity gradient. Our findings suggest that the diversity of leaf traits may drive ecosystem stability at low aridity levels, whereas species richness may have a greater stabilizing role under the most arid conditions evaluated. Our study highlights that to minimize variations in the temporal delivery of ecosystem services related to plant biomass, functional and taxonomic plant diversity should be particularly promoted under low and high aridity conditions, respectively.

scholarly journals The Edge Effect on Plant Diversity and Soil Properties in Abandoned Fields Targeted for Ecological Restoration

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sheunesu Ruwanza
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Edge Effect ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Limpopo Province ◽  
Old Fields ◽  
Old Field ◽  
Total N ◽  
Soil Measurements

Changes in biotic and abiotic factors may create opportunities for biodiversity recovery in abandoned agricultural fields. This study examined the natural/old field edge effect on plant diversity and soil properties at Lapalala Wilderness in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Detailed vegetation surveys and soil measurements were conducted in three old fields that share a natural/old field road edge boundary. On each site, three transects, each with four plots (10 × 10 m), located 10 m into the natural area and 10, 30 and 50 m into the old field from the edge, were setup. Plant diversity and composition measurements were conducted on each plot. Soil moisture and total N, C and P were measured at the center of each plot. Results indicate that abundance of some woody species was significantly (P < 0.001) higher close to the edge than far into the old fields. However, this was not the case for herbs and grasses which did not increase with edge proximity. All measured soil properties were significantly (P < 0.001) higher close to the edge than far into the old fields. The study concludes that both vegetation and soil properties are influenced by proximity to the edge.

Effects of plant diversity on plant biomass production and soil macrofauna in Amazonian pastures

Pedobiologia ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 51 (5-6) ◽  
pp. 397-407 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kam-Rigne Laossi ◽  
Sébastien Barot ◽  
Deurival Carvalho ◽  
Thierry Desjardins ◽  
Patrick Lavelle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Biomass Production ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Soil Macrofauna ◽  
Plant Biomass Production

scholarly journals Diversity increases yield but reduces reproductive effort in crop mixtures

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianguo Chen ◽  
Nadine Engbersen ◽  
Laura Stefan ◽  
Bernhard Schmid ◽  
Hang Sun ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Yield ◽  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Species Interactions ◽  
Reproductive Effort ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Crop Species ◽  
Crop Varieties ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Facilitative Interactions

AbstractResource allocation to reproduction is a critical trait for plant fitness1,2. This trait, called harvest index in the agricultural context3–5, determines how plant biomass is converted to seed yield and consequently financial revenue of numerous major staple crops. While plant diversity has been demonstrated to increase plant biomass6–8, plant diversity effects on seed yield of crops are ambiguous9. This discrepancy could be explained through changes in the proportion of resources invested into reproduction in response to changes in plant diversity, namely through changes of species interactions and microenvironmental conditions10–13. Here we show that increasing crop plant diversity from monoculture over 2- to 4-species mixtures increased annual primary productivity, resulting in overall higher plant biomass and, to a lesser extent, higher seed yield in mixtures compared with monocultures. The difference between the two responses to diversity was due to a reduced reproductive effort of the eight tested crop species in mixtures, possibly because their common cultivars have been bred for maximum performance in monoculture. While crop diversification provides a sustainable measure of agricultural intensification14, the use of currently available cultivars may compromise larger gains in seed yield. We therefore advocate regional breeding programs for crop varieties to be used in mixtures that should exploit facilitative interactions15 among crop species.

scholarly journals Effect of SiO2 nanoparticles on drought resistance in hawthorn seedlings

2015 ◽  
Vol 76 (4) ◽  
pp. 350-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peyman Ashkavand ◽  
Masoud Tabari ◽  
Mehrdad Zarafshar ◽  
Ivana Tomášková ◽  
Daniel Struve
Keyword(s):  
Drought Stress ◽  
Drought Resistance ◽  
Crop Production ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Proline Content ◽  
Carotenoid Content ◽  
Biochemical Basis ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Drought Conditions ◽  
Physiological And Biochemical

Abstract Drought is a significant factor limiting crop production in arid regions while hawthorns (Crataegus sp.) are an important component of such region’s forests. Therefore, treatments that increase hawthorn drought resistance may also increase transplanting success. Thus, the physiological and biochemical responses of hawthorn seedlings to a factorial combination of different concentrations of silica nanoparticles (SNPs at 0, 10, 50 and 100 mg L−1) and three soil moisture treatments (without stress, moderate stress and severe stress) were investigated. Seedlings were irrigated with one of the four concentrations of SNPs for 45 days before exposing them to drought stress. Photosynthesis parameters, malondialdehyde (MDA), relative water content (RWC), membrane electrolyte leakage (ELI) as well as chlorophyll, carotenoid, carbohydrate and proline content were determined. At the end of the experiment, positive effects by SNP pre-treatment on physiological indexes were observed during drought stress. Under drought conditions, the effect of SNPs on photosynthetic rate and stomatal conductance was evident. Although the SNPs increased plant biomass, xylem water potential and MDA content, especially under drought conditions, RWC and ELI were not affected by the SNP pre-treatments. Seedlings pre-treated with SNPs had a decreased carbohydrate and proline content under all water regimes, but especially so under drought. Total chlorophyll content and carotenoid content did not change among the treatments. Generally, the findings imply that SNPs play a positive role in maintaining critical physiological and biochemical functions in hawthorn seedlings under drought stress conditions. However, more studies are needed before the physiological and biochemical basis of induced drought resistance can be determined.

EFFECTS OF PLANT DIVERSITY ON PLANT BIOMASS AND EFFLUENT NITROGEN REMOVAL IN A CONSTRUCTED WETLAND

2015 ◽  
Vol 14 (8) ◽  
pp. 1987-1994
Author(s):  
Jie Chang ◽  
Hai Wang ◽  
Zhengxin Chen ◽  
Ying Ge ◽  
Chengcai Huang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Plant Diversity ◽  
Nitrogen Removal ◽  
Constructed Wetland ◽  
Plant Biomass
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