Environmental factors and soil properties that drive the distribution and diversity patterns of weeds and ecosystem multifunctionality in alpine grassland

Tianyun Qi, Allan Degen, Wenyin Wang, Lingyan Qi, Mei Huang, Binyu Luo, Zhen Peng, Peipei Liu, Zhanhuan Shang

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Weed invasion, a prevalent consequence of global grassland degradation, necessitates an ecological understanding of the weed community to improve grassland ecosystem management and restoration. In this study we questioned which environmental factors are closely related to grassland weed distribution and what are the changes in grassland biodiversity and ecosystem function caused by grassland weed species? We selected a typical weed infested geographical unit of alpine grassland of 300,000 km2 to respond to these questions. Hierarchical cluster analysis delineated eight distinct weed community archetypes, each characterized by its unique species composition and community attributes. Climate, particularly precipitation, and soil properties, such as pH and moisture content, emerged as pivotal factors mediating the spatial distribution of weed communities. The α- and β-scale diversities revealed disparities in species composition, functional traits, and phylogenetic diversities among weed communities. Environmental factors influenced ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) through their effects on species, functional traits, and phylogenetic diversities. Environmental factors explained 48.5 % of the variance in EMF, but had an overall negative effect, while, biodiversity variables explained 51.5 % of the variance in EMF, and had an overall positive impact. Functional diversity exhibited a positive influence on EMF, whereas species and phylogenetic diversity exhibited mixed effects. The findings indicate that grassland weed communities alter species compositions and reduce EMF, with impacts from climatic and soil factors. These changes underscore the importance of understanding the complex interplay between environmental factors and biodiversity in managing degraded grasslands. In conclusion, our study provides important insights into the dynamics of weed communities that are essential for developing effective management strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of weed invasion in alpine grassland.

Original languageEnglish
Article number111103
JournalBiological Conservation
Volume305
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 May 2025

Keywords

  • Biodiversity
  • Ecosystem multifunctionality
  • Environmental factors
  • Grassland degradation
  • Weed communities

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
  • Nature and Landscape Conservation

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