Responses and sensitivity of N, P and mobile carbohydrates of dominant species to increased water, N and P availability in semi- arid grasslands in northern China

Aims We aimed to improve the understanding of the carbon and nutri-ent physiological responses and adaptation of semi-arid grassland plants to environmental changes.Methods We investigated plant leaf non-structural carbohydrate(NSC=solu-ble sugars+starch),nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)levels in an Inner Mongolian semi-arid grassland community treated with water,N and P additions for 8 years.Two dominant grasses(Agropyron cris-tatum(L.)Gaertn.,Stipa krylovii Roshev.)and two forbs(Artemisia frigida Willd.,Potentilla bifurca L.)were analyzed.Important Findings Water addition decreased plant leaf N and P concentrations,whereas N and P addition increased them,indicating that the semi-arid grassland studied suffers from a shortage of N and P sup-ply.Both N and P addition decreased the levels of soluble sugars,starch and thus also NSC in plant leaves,which may be attributed to(i)increased carbohydrate consumption associated with a higher growth rate,and(ii)a dilution effect of greater plant size under N and P addition.Water addition tended to increase the leaf NSC levels both in the grasses(+9.2%)and forbs(+0.6%only),which may be a result of increased photosynthesis of plants with increased water availability.Under conditions of ambient and increased water supply in the present study,N addition resulted in an N/P ratio of>16 in the grasses but a significantly lower N/P ratio of<11 in the forb species.This finding implies that growth of the two grass spe-cies will be limited mainly by P availability but the forbs will still be mainly limited by N supply if N deposition,alone or in combination with summer precipitation,continues to increase as predicted in Inner Mongolia.

Greater bud outgrowth of Bromus inermis than Pascopyrum smithii under multiple environmental conditions

Aims Tiller recruitment of perennial grasses in mixed-grass prairie primar-ily occurs from belowground buds.Environmental conditions,such as temperature,soil moisture and grazing can affect bud outgrowth of both invasive and native perennial grasses.Differential bud out-growth responses of native and invasive species to climate change and grazing could alter competitive interactions that have impli-cations for future land management.The aims of this work were to(i)compare how spring temperature altered bud outgrowth of native Pascopyrum smithii(Rydb.)Á.Löve(western wheatgrass)and introduced Bromus inermis Leyss.(smooth brome),(ii)compare how watering frequency altered bud outgrowth of these two species and(iii)evaluate how clipping interacts with spring temperature or watering frequency to affect P.smithii bud outgrowth.Methods Individual plants of B.inermis and P.smithii were harvested from North American mixed-grass prairie.Bud outgrowth from tillers of both species were evaluated under three spring temperature regimes(Average:12,18 and 24°C)and two watering frequen-cies(frequent and intermittent)in a growth chamber experiment.The response of P.smithii bud outgrowth to clipping was also examined.Important Findings Bromus inermis had more buds per tiller and initiated a greater pro-portion of these buds than P.smithii under all temperature and mois-ture conditions.Pascopyrum smithii bud development was reduced at 24°C.Intermittent watering did not significantly impact bud out-growth of either species.Clipping increased P.smithii bud mortality and reduced its bud development for the 2-week period of the study.The robust vegetative reproductive capacity of B.inermis under a range of environmental conditions is a key mechanism enabling the expansion of B.inermis into P.smithii-dominated mixed-grass prai-rie in North America.Mixed-grass prairie dominated by P.smithii experiencing repeated defoliation may require longer recovery times and be more susceptible to B.inermis invasion due to the negative impact of grazing on P.smithii bud outgrowth.Successful tiller recruitment and establishment of native perennial grasses via the bud bank will be necessary for mixed-grass prairie to be resilient to climate change,plant invasions and grazing.