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Seasonal climate change drives the community intra-annual stability of a temperate grassland by altering species asynchrony in Inner Mongolia, China
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  • Ze Zhang,
  • Tiejun Bao,
  • Yann Hautier,
  • Jie Yang,
  • Zhongling Liu,
  • hua qing
Ze Zhang
Inner Mongolia University

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Tiejun Bao
Inner Mongolia University
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Yann Hautier
Utrecht University Department of Biology
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Jie Yang
Inner Mongolia University
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Zhongling Liu
Inner Mongolia University
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hua qing
Inner Mongolia University
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Abstract

Understanding the factors that regulate the functioning of our ecosystems in response to environmental changes can help to maintain the stable provisioning of ecosystem services to mankind. This is especially relevant given the increased variability of environmental conditions due to human activities. In particular, maintaining a stable production and plant biomass during the growing season (intra-annual stability) despite pervasive and directional changes in temperature and precipitation through time can help to secure food supply to wild animals, livestock, and humans. Here, we conducted a 29-year field observational study in a temperate grassland to explore how the intra-annual stability of primary productivity is influenced by biotic and abiotic variables through time. In particular, we analyzed the relationship of community biomass intra-annual stability with plant diversity and seasonal distribution patterns of temperature and precipitation. We found that lower accumulated precipitation between June and September during the 29-year investigated contributed to lower intra-annual community stability because of a decrease in compensatory mechanisms among species (species asynchrony). Additionally, higher precipitation in July contributed to higher intra-annual stability because higher species richness with higher precipitation led to higher average intra-annual stability of all species in the community (species stability). In contrast, we found no evidence that temperature influenced community intra-annual stability. Our results indicates that ongoing reduced seasonal precipitation leading to reduced intra-annual stability in the temperate grassland, which has important theoretical significance for us to take active measures to deal with climate change.
20 Apr 2022Submitted to Ecology and Evolution
22 Apr 2022Submission Checks Completed
22 Apr 2022Assigned to Editor
03 May 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
25 May 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
30 May 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
31 Jul 20221st Revision Received
31 Jul 2022Submission Checks Completed
31 Jul 2022Assigned to Editor
31 Jul 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
01 Aug 2022Reviewer(s) Assigned
29 Aug 2022Editorial Decision: Revise Minor
05 Sep 20222nd Revision Received
05 Sep 2022Submission Checks Completed
05 Sep 2022Assigned to Editor
05 Sep 2022Review(s) Completed, Editorial Evaluation Pending
19 Sep 2022Editorial Decision: Accept