Herbivores and the Performance of Grassland Plants: A Comparison of Arthropod, Mollusc and Rodent Herbivory

1996 ◽  
Vol 84 (1) ◽  
pp. 43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philip E. Hulme
Keyword(s):  
Grassland Plants

scholarly journals Spatial variation and mechanisms of leaf water content in grassland plants at the biome scale: evidence from three comparative transects

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruomeng Wang ◽  
Nianpeng He ◽  
Shenggong Li ◽  
Li Xu ◽  
Mingxu Li
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Variation ◽  
Water Content ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Life Forms ◽  
Important Variable ◽  
Leaf Water ◽  
Leaf Water Content ◽  
Desert Grassland ◽  
Large Spatial Scale ◽  
Grassland Plants

AbstractLeaf water content (LWC) has important physiological and ecological significance for plant growth. However, it is still unclear how LWC varies over large spatial scale and with plant adaptation strategies. Here, we measured the LWC of 1365 grassland plants, along three comparative precipitation transects from meadow to desert on the Mongolia Plateau (MP), Loess Plateau, and Tibetan Plateau, respectively, to explore its spatial variation and the underlying mechanisms that determine this variation. The LWC data were normally distributed with an average value of 0.66 g g−1. LWC was not significantly different among the three plateaus, but it differed significantly among different plant life forms. Spatially, LWC in the three plateaus all decreased and then increased from meadow to desert grassland along a precipitation gradient. Unexpectedly, climate and genetic evolution only explained a small proportion of the spatial variation of LWC in all plateaus, and LWC was only weakly correlated with precipitation in the water-limited MP. Overall, the lasso variation in LWC with precipitation in all plateaus represented an underlying trade-off between structural investment and water income in plants, for better survival in various environments. In brief, plants should invest less to thrive in a humid environment (meadow), increase more investment to keep a relatively stable LWC in a drying environment, and have high investment to hold higher LWC in a dry environment (desert). Combined, these results indicate that LWC should be an important variable in future studies of large-scale trait variations.

Climate warming and extended droughts drive establishment and growth dynamics in temperate grassland plants

2022 ◽  
Vol 313 ◽  
pp. 108762
Author(s):  
Jiří Doležal ◽  
Jan Altman ◽  
Veronika Jandová ◽  
Milan Chytrý ◽  
Luisa Conti ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Climate Warming ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Temperate Grassland ◽  
Grassland Plants

scholarly journals Seasonal variation in nitrogen pools and <sup>15</sup>N/<sup>13</sup>C natural abundances in different tissues of grassland plants

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1583-1595 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Wang ◽  
J. K. Schjoerring
Keyword(s):  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Exchange Potential ◽  
Total N ◽  
Δ13c Values ◽  
Green Leaves ◽  
Nh3 Emission ◽  
N Concentration ◽  
Grassland Plants ◽  
N Assimilation ◽  
Different Tissues

Abstract. Seasonal changes in nitrogen (N) pools, carbon (C) content and natural abundance of 13C and 15N in different tissues of ryegrass plants were investigated in two intensively managed grassland fields in order to address their ammonia (NH3) exchange potential. Green leaves generally had the largest total N concentration followed by stems and inflorescences. Senescent leaves had the lowest N concentration, indicating N re-allocation. The seasonal pattern of the Γ value, i.e. the ratio between NH4+ and H+ concentrations, was similar for the various tissues of the ryegrass plants but the magnitude of Γ differed considerably among the different tissues. Green leaves and stems generally had substantially lower Γ values than senescent leaves and litter. Substantial peaks in Γ were observed during spring and summer in response to fertilization and grazing. These peaks were associated with high NH4+ rather than with low H+ concentrations. Peaks in Γ also appeared during the winter, coinciding with increasing δ15N values, indicating absorption of N derived from mineralization of soil organic matter. At the same time, δ13C values were declining, suggesting reduced photosynthesis and capacity for N assimilation. δ15N and δ13C values were more influenced by mean monthly temperature than by the accumulated monthly precipitation. In conclusion, ryegrass plants showed a clear seasonal pattern in N pools. Green leaves and stems of ryegrass plants generally seem to constitute a sink for NH3, while senescent leaves have a large potential for NH3 emission. However, management events such as fertilisation and grazing may create a high NH3 emission potential even in green plant parts. The obtained results provide input for future modelling of plant-atmosphere NH3 exchange.

Effect of Rotational Shepherding on Demographic and Genetic Connectivity of Calcareous Grassland Plants

2013 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 467-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
YESSICA RICO ◽  
HANS JUERGEN BOEHMER ◽  
HELENE H. WAGNER
Keyword(s):  
Calcareous Grassland ◽  
Genetic Connectivity ◽  
Grassland Plants

Low allelopathic potential of an invasive forage grass on native grassland plants: a cause for encouragement?

2004 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 261-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian J. Renne ◽  
Bianca G. Rios ◽  
Jeffrey S. Fehmi ◽  
Benjamin F. Tracy
Keyword(s):  
Forage Grass ◽  
Allelopathic Potential ◽  
Native Grassland ◽  
Grassland Plants
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