Surrounding species diversity improves subtropical seedlings' carbon dynamics.

ABSTRACT: Increasing biodiversity has been linked to higher primary productivity in terrestrial ecosystems. However, the underlying ecophysiological mechanisms remain poorly understood. We investigated the effects of surrounding species richness (monoculture, two- and four-species mixtures) on the ecophysiology of Lithocarpus glaber seedlings in experimental plots in subtropical China. A natural rain event isotopically labelled both the water uptaken by the L. glaber seedlings and the carbon in new photoassimilates through changes of photosynthetic discrimination. We followed the labelled carbon (C) and oxygen (O) in the plant-soil-atmosphere continuum. We measured gas-exchange variables (C assimilation, transpiration and above- and belowground respiration) and δ¹³C in leaf

SUBMITTER: Salmon Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6065279 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature