10.5061/DRYAD.9N859
Li, Wenhuai
Kiel University
Xu, Fengwei
Chinese Academy of Sciences
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Zheng, Shuxia
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Taube, Friedhelm
Kiel University
Bai, Yongfei
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Data from: Patterns and thresholds of grazing-induced changes in community
structure and ecosystem functioning: species-level responses and the
critical role of species traits
Dryad
dataset
2017
plant strategy
semi-arid regions
grassland management
topographic location
grazing intensity
Specific leaf area
leaf nitrogen content
ecological threshold
2017-09-27T00:00:00Z
2017-09-27T00:00:00Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2664.12806
700182 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
Overgrazing has resulted in widespread decline in biodiversity and
ecosystem functioning in grasslands worldwide in recent decades. However,
few studies have examined the patterns and thresholds of grazing-induced
changes in community structure and ecosystem functioning along a grazing
gradient and based on species-level responses and plant functional traits.
To identify the thresholds of grazing intensity at both species and
community levels, we conducted a grazing manipulation experiment with
seven levels of grazing intensity (0–9 sheep ha-1) and two topographies
(flat versus slope) in a typical steppe. Four plant functional traits were
measured, including specific leaf area (SLA), plant height, leaf nitrogen
content (LNC) and stem: leaf ratio (SLR). The threshold of grazing
intensity that significantly altered community composition was at 3.75
sheep ha-1 for the flat system and 3.0 sheep ha-1 for the slope system.
For both flat and slope systems, the threshold grazing intensity for
changes in primary productivity was at 3.0 sheep ha-1, beyond which the
productivity decreased substantially. At species level, the abundances of
common species, most of which are perennial grasses, declined at moderate
grazing intensities (3.0–4.5 sheep ha-1). The abundances of most rare
species, which are perennial forbs, declined at low grazing intensities
(1.5–3.0 sheep ha-1). Specific leaf area and leaf nitrogen content are
good predictors of species-level responses to grazing. Low SLA and high
LNC species are negatively affected by high grazing intensity, while high
SLA and low LNC species are little affected by grazing. The negative
effect of grazing intensity on species abundance was greater in the slope
system than in the flat system. Synthesis and applications. Our results
indicate that the structural and functioning thresholds of grazing
intensity depend on plant traits and species composition, which is
mediated by topographic location. These findings, integrating plant
functional traits and threshold approaches, have important implications
for determining sustainable grazing intensity in grassland management and
biodiversity conservation in semi-arid regions.
Data from: Patterns and thresholds of grazing-induced changes in community
structure and ecosystem functioning: species-level responses and the
critical role of species traitsSpecies abundance, aboveground net primary
production (ANPP) and plant functional traits data used in the analyses
are included in this file. Species abundance is the number of individuals
of each species in each 1m × 1m quadrat. Plant functional traits include
specific leaf area, plant height, stem to leaf biomass ratio, and leaf
nitrogen content. For each trait, the mean trait value was the average of
30 individuals of each species.Species abundance and functional
trait_2016-09-25.xlsx
Inner Mongolian grassland