Contrasting plant trait strategies underpin ecosystem stability in temperate and alpine grasslands
Pu Yan · Nianpeng He · Changjin Cheng · Yonghui Wang · Enrique Valencia · Congcong Liu · Lawren Sack · Lin Jiang
期刊Nature Communications / Nat Commun
类型Article
发表2026-10-08 (online)
收录2026-10-14
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关键词plant functional traitsecosystem stabilitytemperate grasslandalpine meadowtrait-environment relationshipsecosystem productivity
植物功能特征确实是生态系统稳定性的关键驱动因素,然而不同生态系统中这些特征与稳定性之间的关系究竟如何,目前仍缺乏深入的了解。在这里,我们对温带和高山草原中的功能特征与稳定性之间的关系进行了比较分析。通过结合对植物功能特征的实地测量数据,以及基于卫星数据的生态系统时间稳定性指标,我们发现这两种草原的生态系统特性存在显著的生物群落依赖性。在生长迅速、以获取资源为特征的一年生植物较为常见的温带草原中,这种获取资源的策略能够提升生态系统的时间稳定性和抵抗力。相反,在一年生植物较少出现的高山草原中,同样的策略反而会降低生态系统的时间稳定性和抵抗力,而具有生长缓慢、注重保守性的多年生植物则起到了稳定生态系统的作用。至于生态系统的弹性方面……此外,这些植物对获取性特征表现出一致的积极反应,无论是在哪种类型的草原环境中。即使考虑到植物多样性、气候和土壤性质的影响后,这种现象仍然持续存在。我们的研究结果挑战了传统观点,即只有那些保守的植物生长策略才能提升生态系统的抗性和时间稳定性。相反,我们发现不同的生态系统之间存在不同的稳定途径——就像通往罗马的许多不同道路一样。
Plant functional traits are key drivers of ecosystem stability, yet the extent to which trait-stability relationships vary among different ecosystems remains poorly understood. Here, we provide a comparative analysis of trait-stability relationships across temperate and alpine grasslands. By integrating in situ measurements of plant functional traits to satellite-derived indices of ecosystem temporal stability, resistance, and resilience for the two types of grasslands in China, we find strikingly biome-dependent patterns. In temperate grasslands, where fast-growing, resource-acquisitive annuals are more prevalent, acquisitive strategies enhance ecosystem temporal stability and resistance. In contrast, in alpine grasslands where annuals are less common, these same strategies reduce ecosystem temporal stability and resistance, and perennial species with slow-growing, conservative traits play the stabilizing role. Ecosystem resilience, however, shows consistent positive responses to acquisitive traits in both grassland types. These patterns persist after accounting for the effects of plant diversity, climate and soil properties. Our findings challenge the conventional view that only conservative plant growth strategies promote ecosystem resistance and temporal stability, and instead highlight distinct pathways to stability across ecosystems—much like the many roads that once led to Rome.

@article{yan2026,
author = {Pu Yan and Nianpeng He and Changjin Cheng and Yonghui Wang and Enrique Valencia and Congcong Liu and Lawren Sack and Lin Jiang},
title = {Contrasting plant trait strategies underpin ecosystem stability in temperate and alpine grasslands},
journal = {Nature Communications},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1038/s41467-026-78537-2},
publisher = {Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
}· END ·