Elevated precipitation alters the community structure of spring ephemerals by changing dominant species density in Central Asia.

ABSTRACT: Global climate change is one of the most pressing conservation challenges; in particular, changes in precipitation regimes have already substantially influenced terrestrial ecosystems. However, the mechanisms influencing precipitation changes on individual plants and the plant communities in desert grasslands have yet to be fully elucidated. We therefore examine the influence of increased precipitation on plant community compositions in the Gurbantunggut Desert, Xinjiang, northwestern China, from 2005 to 2009. We found that growth of all plant species and the community productivities increased markedly with enhanced water input. Cover of ephemeral synusia also significantly increased due to increased precipitation, implying that the role of the ephemeral community for stabilization of sand

SUBMITTER: Jia Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7042772 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature