Effects of Precipitation Change and Nitrogen and Phosphorus Additions on Traits and Abundance of <i>Potentilla anserina</i> in an Alpine Meadow
Lin Wu,
Yanmei Ren,
Ji-Zhong Wan,
Mengyan Wang,
Zuoyi Wang,
Feiyan Fu,
Jianping Sun,
Yanjin Fu,
Zhen Ma,
Chunhui Zhang
Affiliations
Lin Wu
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Yanmei Ren
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Ji-Zhong Wan
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Mengyan Wang
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Zuoyi Wang
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Feiyan Fu
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Jianping Sun
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Yanjin Fu
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Zhen Ma
Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
Chunhui Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, College of Eco-Environmental Engineering, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Changes in precipitation patterns and eutrophication can cause changes in plant traits and abundance, potentially affecting plant community structure and functions. Here, we studied responses of traits and abundance of Potentilla anserina to precipitation change and nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) additions, and the effect of traits on its abundance in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We found that precipitation change and N and P additions significantly affected the mean value of traits such as specific leaf area (SLA), leaf dry matter content (LDMC), single leaf area, plant height and individual size, while only P addition significantly affected intraspecific variation of SLA and individual size. Increased precipitation and N and P additions shifted plant traits to more resource acquisitive, and increased plant abundance. Responses of plant traits to P addition were larger than that of N addition. Plant abundance was mainly affected by precipitation, and was limited by N or P dependent on precipitation conditions. In conclusions, our research shows that P. anserina can respond to environmental changes by changing its traits to improve its adaptability, potentially affecting community structure and ecosystem functions.
