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Grass functional trait responses to experimental warming and fire in Afromontane grasslands
African Journal of Range & Forage Science ( IF 1.4 ) Pub Date : 2021-02-21 , DOI: 10.2989/10220119.2020.1843538
Mariska te Beest 1, 2, 3 , Anne Kleinjan 1 , Veerle Tuijnman 1 , Nicky Findlay 1, 4 , Thembeka Mvelase 5 , Elizabeth le Roux 6 , Michelle Tedder 5 , Paul Gordijn 3 , Susan Janse van Rensburg 3
Affiliation  

Climate change is one of the main challenges facing humanity in the coming century. To understand the impact of climate change on biodiversity and ecosystem functioning, we urgently require a better understanding of plant responses to climate change. To address this knowledge gap we established a full-factorial warming experiment using open-top chambers (OTCs) inside a long-term fire-manipulation experiment in Afromontane fire-climax grasslands. Fire is an essential ecosystem driver in these grasslands, but has rarely been included in experimental climate change research. To assess growth responses to elevated temperatures and fire frequency, we measured four functional traits: vegetative height, leaf area (LA), specific leaf area (SLA), and leaf dry matter content (LDMC). Grasses responded to fire exclusion with increased height, and lower LA, SLA, and LDMC. Grasses responded to warming with lower height and LA, and higher LDMC, suggesting that plant growth was negatively affected by warming. This response was mostly attributed to intra-specific trait variability, highlighting an important role for trait plasticity in community-level processes to mediate the response of montane grassland communities to elevated temperatures and associated drought effects. These results are a first step towards establishing a more mechanistic basis for understanding future climatic changes in Afromontane grasslands.



中文翻译:

Afromontane草原草的功能性状对实验性变暖和火灾的响应

气候变化是下个世纪人类面临的主要挑战之一。为了了解气候变化对生物多样性和生态系统功能的影响,我们迫切需要对植物对气候变化的反应有更好的了解。为了解决这一知识鸿沟,我们在Afromontane火灾高潮草原的长期火控实验中使用了敞篷式温室(OTC)建立了全要素变暖实验。在这些草原中,火灾是必不可少的生态系统驱动力,但很少被纳入实验性气候变化研究中。为了评估生长对升高的温度和火频率的响应,我们测量了四个功能性状:营养高度,叶面积(LA),比叶面积(SLA)和叶干物质含量(LDMC)。草对防火的反应是高度增加,LA降低,SLA和LDMC。草对高度,LA和LDMC较高的变暖有反应,表明植物生长受到变暖的不利影响。这种反应主要归因于种内性状的变异性,突显了性状可塑性在群落水平过程中的重要作用,以介导山地草原群落对高温和相关干旱影响的反应。这些结果是迈向建立更多机制基础以了解Afromontane草原未来气候变化的第一步。强调了可塑性在社区水平过程中的重要作用,以介导山地草原社区对高温和相关干旱影响的响应。这些结果是迈向建立更多机制基础以了解Afromontane草原未来气候变化的第一步。强调了可塑性在社区水平过程中的重要作用,以介导山地草原社区对高温和相关干旱影响的响应。这些结果是迈向建立更多机制基础以了解Afromontane草原未来气候变化的第一步。

更新日期:2021-03-03
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