Exogenous N addition enhances the responses of gross primary productivity to individual precipitation events in a temperate grassland

Sci Rep. 2016 Jun 6:6:26901. doi: 10.1038/srep26901.

Abstract

Predicted future shifts in the magnitude and frequency (larger but fewer) of precipitation events and enhanced nitrogen (N) deposition may interact to affect grassland productivity, but the effects of N enrichment on the productivity response to individual precipitation events remain unclear. In this study, we quantified the effects of N addition on the response patterns of gross primary productivity (GPP) to individual precipitation events of different sizes (Psize) in a temperate grassland in China. The results showed that N enrichment significantly increased the time-integrated amount of GPP in response to an individual precipitation event (GPPtotal), and the N-induced stimulation of GPP increased with increasing Psize. N enrichment rarely affected the duration of the GPP response, but it significantly stimulated the maximum absolute GPP response. Higher foliar N content might play an important role in the N-induced stimulation of GPP. GPPtotal in both the N-addition and control treatments increased linearly with Psize with similar Psize intercepts (approximately 5 mm, indicating a similar lower Psize threshold to stimulate the GPP response) but had a steeper slope under N addition. Our work indicates that the projected larger precipitation events will stimulate grassland productivity, and this stimulation might be amplified by increasing N deposition.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • China
  • Grassland
  • Nitrogen / chemistry*
  • Nitrogen / metabolism
  • Plant Leaves / growth & development*
  • Plant Leaves / metabolism
  • Poaceae / growth & development*
  • Poaceae / metabolism
  • Rain*
  • Seasons

Substances

  • Nitrogen