Phenological responses to nitrogen and water addition are linked to plant growth patterns in a desert herbaceous community.

ABSTRACT: Increases in nitrogen (N) deposition and variation in precipitation have been occurring in temperate deserts; however, little information is available regarding plant phenological responses to environmental cues and their relationships with plant growth pattern in desert ecosystems. In this study, plant phenology and growth of six annuals in response to N and water addition were monitored throughout two consecutive growing seasons in 2011 and 2012 in a temperate desert in northwestern China. The effects of N and water addition on reproductive phenology differed among plant species. N and water addition consistently advanced the flowering onset time and fruiting time of four spring ephemerals; however, their effects on two spring-summer annuals were inconsistent, with advances being noted i

SUBMITTER: Huang G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5980538 | biostudies-literature | 2018 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature