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| Titel |
Indirect drivers of plant diversity-productivity relationship in semiarid sandy grasslands |
| VerfasserIn |
X. A. Zuo, J. M. H. Knops, X. Y. Zhao, H. L. Zhao, T. H. Zhang, Y. Q. Li, Y. R. Guo |
| Medientyp |
Artikel
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| Sprache |
Englisch
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| ISSN |
1726-4170
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| Digitales Dokument |
URL |
| Erschienen |
In: Biogeosciences ; 9, no. 4 ; Nr. 9, no. 4 (2012-04-02), S.1277-1289 |
| Datensatznummer |
250006942
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| Publikation (Nr.) |
 copernicus.org/bg-9-1277-2012.pdf |
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| Zusammenfassung |
| Although patterns between plant diversity and ecosystem productivity have
been much studied, a consistent relationship has not yet emerged. Differing
patterns between plant diversity and productivity have been observed in
response to spatial variability of environmental factors and vegetation
composition. In this study, we measured vegetation cover, plant diversity,
productivity, soil properties and site characteristics along an environmental
gradient (mobile dune, semi-fixed dune, fixed dune, dry meadow, wet meadow
and flood plain grasslands) of natural sandy grasslands in semiarid areas of
northern China. We used multivariate analysis to examine the relationships
between environmental factors, vegetation composition, plant diversity and
productivity. We found a positive correlation between plant diversity and
productivity. Vegetation composition aggregated by the ordination technique
of non-metric multidimensional scaling had also a significantly positive
correlation with plant diversity and productivity. Environmental gradients in
relation to soil and topography affected the distribution patterns of
vegetation composition, species diversity and productivity. However,
environmental gradients were a better determinant of vegetation composition
and productivity than of plant diversity. Structural equation modeling
suggested that environmental factors determine vegetation composition, which
in turn independently drives both plant diversity and productivity. Thus, the
positive correlation between plant diversity and productivity is indirectly
driven by vegetation composition, which is determined by environmental
gradients in soil and topography. |
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