Effects of plant diversity on semiarid grassland stability depends on functional group composition and dynamics under N and P addition.

Exogenous fertilization could efficiently improve grassland productivity and promote grassland restoration. Increasing fertilization may profoundly affect community stability, whereas the underlying compensatory dynamics among functional groups in regulating grassland stability remain unclear. Three different grasslands, annuals forb (AF) community, perennial grass (PG) community and perennial forb (PF) community, on semiarid Loess Plateau were selected.

Small rainfall pulses affected leaf photosynthesis rather than biomass production of dominant species in semiarid grassland community on Loess Plateau of China.

In the semiarid region Loess Plateau of China, rainfall events, typically characterised as pulses, affect photosynthesis and plant community characteristics. The response of dominant species and grassland community to rainfall pulses was evaluated through a simulation experiment with five pulse sizes (0, 5, 10, 20 and 30mm) in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China in June and August of 2013. The study was conducted in a natural grassland community dominated by Bothrichloa ischaemum (L.

Eco-Physiological Responses of Dominant Species to Watering in a Natural Grassland Community on the Semi-Arid Loess Plateau of China.

Altered precipitation regimes significantly affect ecosystem structure and function in arid and semi-arid regions. In order to investigate effects of precipitation changes on natural grassland community in the semi-arid Loess Plateau, the current research examined eco-physiological characteristics of two co-dominant species (i.e.