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dc.contributor.authorLi, Linfeng
dc.contributor.authorZheng, Zhenzhen
dc.contributor.authorBiederman, Joel A
dc.contributor.authorXu, Cong
dc.contributor.authorXu, Zhihong
dc.contributor.authorChe, Rongxiao
dc.contributor.authorWang, Yanfen
dc.contributor.authorCui, Xiaoyong
dc.contributor.authorHao, Yanbin
dc.date.accessioned2019-07-14T12:30:32Z
dc.date.available2019-07-14T12:30:32Z
dc.date.issued2019
dc.identifier.issn0028-646X
dc.identifier.doi10.1111/nph.15832
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10072/386000
dc.description.abstractHeavy rainfall events are expected to increase in frequency and severity in the future. However, their effects on natural ecosystems are largely unknown, in particular with different seasonal timing of the events and recurrence over multiple years. We conducted a 4 yr manipulative experiment to explore grassland response to heavy rainfall imposed in either the middle of, or late in, the growing season in Inner Mongolia, China. We measured hierarchical responses at individual, community and ecosystem levels. Surprisingly, above‐ground biomass remained stable in the face of heavy rainfall, regardless of seasonal timing, whereas heavy rainfall late in the growing season had consistent negative impacts on below‐ground and total biomass. However, such negative biomass effects were not significant for heavy rainfall in the middle of the growing season. By contrast, heavy rainfall in the middle of the growing season had greater positive effects on ecosystem CO2 exchanges, mainly reflected in the latter 2 yr of the 4 yr experiment. This two‐stage response of CO2 fluxes was regulated by increased community‐level leaf area and leaf‐level photosynthesis and interannual variability of natural precipitation. Overall, our study demonstrates that ecosystem impacts of heavy rainfall events crucially depend on the seasonal timing and multiannual recurrence. Plant physiological and morphological adjustment appeared to improve the capacity of the ecosystem to respond positively to heavy rainfall.
dc.description.peerreviewedYes
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherWiley
dc.relation.ispartofpagefrom647
dc.relation.ispartofpageto660
dc.relation.ispartofissue2
dc.relation.ispartofjournalNew Phytologist
dc.relation.ispartofvolume223
dc.subject.fieldofresearchBiological sciences
dc.subject.fieldofresearchEcology
dc.subject.fieldofresearchAgricultural, veterinary and food sciences
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode31
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode3103
dc.subject.fieldofresearchcode30
dc.titleEcological responses to heavy rainfall depend on seasonal timing and multi-year recurrence
dc.typeJournal article
dc.type.descriptionC1 - Articles
dc.type.codeC - Journal Articles
gro.hasfulltextNo Full Text
gro.griffith.authorXu, Zhihong


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