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Related Concept Videos

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 30, 2025

JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning
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JenaTron - An Experimental Approach to Study the Effects of Plant History and Soil History on Grassland Ecosystem Functioning

Published on: March 21, 2025

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Biodiversity drives ecosystem multifunctionality in sandy grasslands?

Wenda Huang1, Yuanzhong Zhu2, Hailun Yu3

  • 1Naiman Desertification Research Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Donggang West Road 320, Lanzhou City, Gansu Province 730000, China; Key Laboratory of Stress Physiology and Ecology in Cold and Arid Regions, Gansu Province, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, Gansu, China.

The Science of the Total Environment
|March 18, 2024
PubMed
Summary

Plant diversity significantly drives ecosystem multifunctionality in sandy grasslands, more so than soil microbial diversity. Environmental factors like soil pH and water content also play key roles in maintaining grassland health and function.

Keywords:
Aboveground biodiversityBelowground biodiversityClimate gradientsDriving factorsEcosystem multifunctionalitySandy grasslands

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Area of Science:

  • Ecology
  • Environmental Science
  • Soil Science

Background:

  • Ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) is crucial for ecosystem health, regulated by plant communities and soil microbiomes.
  • Understanding how plant diversity, soil microbial diversity, and environmental factors influence EMF in sandy grasslands under climate change is vital.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effects of plant diversity (PD) and soil microbial diversity (SD) on EMF in sandy grasslands.
  • To assess the roles of abiotic factors (temperature, precipitation, pH, soil water) in regulating EMF.
  • To determine the relative importance of plant and soil microbial diversity in driving EMF.

Main Methods:

  • Selected 15 grassland communities in Horqin sandy grassland along climate gradients.
  • Measured plant diversity (PD) and soil microbial diversity (SD) indicators.
  • Assessed abiotic factors including mean annual temperature (AMT), mean annual precipitation (AP), soil temperature (ST), soil water content (SW), and pH.
  • Analyzed the impacts of biodiversity and abiotic factors on individual ecosystem functions and EMF.

Main Results:

  • Plant diversity (PD) significantly influenced aboveground biomass (AGB) and nitrogen cycling (PLN, STN).
  • Soil fungal diversity (FR) had a greater impact on soil carbon and nitrogen accumulation (MBC, MBN, STC, STN) than bacterial (BR) and archaeal (ABR) diversity.
  • PD and specific soil microbial diversities (FR, ABR) significantly regulated EMF. Soil pH and SW also regulated EMF, with SW and ST directly driving it.
  • PD indirectly and positively drove EMF through soil pH and ST, while SD had a weaker, indirect negative effect through AP and PD.

Conclusions:

  • Plant diversity is a stronger driver of ecosystem multifunctionality in sandy grasslands than soil microbial diversity.
  • Environmental factors, particularly soil water content and pH, significantly influence EMF.
  • Findings enhance understanding of the drivers of multifunctionality in vulnerable sandy grassland ecosystems.