N Addition Mitigates Water Stress via Different Photosynthesis and Water Traits for Three Native Plant Species in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Ningning Zhao, Xingrong Sun, Shuai Hou, Guohao Chen, He Zhang, Yuxin Han, Jie Zhou, Xiangtao Wang () and Zhixin Zhang ()
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Ningning Zhao: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
Xingrong Sun: Qiangtang Alpine Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (Jointly Built with Lanzhou University), Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
Shuai Hou: Qiangtang Alpine Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (Jointly Built with Lanzhou University), Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
Guohao Chen: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
He Zhang: College of Resources and Environment, Tibet Agriculture and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
Yuxin Han: Qiangtang Alpine Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (Jointly Built with Lanzhou University), Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
Jie Zhou: Qiangtang Alpine Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (Jointly Built with Lanzhou University), Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
Xiangtao Wang: Qiangtang Alpine Grassland Ecosystem Research Station (Jointly Built with Lanzhou University), Tibet Agricultural and Animal Husbandry University, Nyingchi 860000, China
Zhixin Zhang: College of Grassland Agriculture, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 11, 1-21

Abstract: Reseeding with native plants to rebuild alpine meadow has become a popular way of ecological restoration. However, the harsh environment poses a great challenge to the establishment of native plants due to poor management of water and nutrients. How water–fertilizer interaction influences dominant grass species is still unclear, and reasonable water and fertilizer conditions are still not determined. Our results showed that addition of nitrogen could mitigate the photosynthetic and water-use traits caused by water stress, i.e., a reduction in P n and water use results from fewer and thinner leaves, weak stomatal traits, etc. Compared to the control, the peak P n values of Poa crymophila , Festuca coelestis , and Stipa purpurea increased significantly (71.2%, 108.4%, and 25.4%, respectively). Under drought stress, P n tended to decrease due to reduced stomatal conductance (G s ). However, appropriate fertilization buffered against P n decreases by altering the stomatal size and regulating the G s . Based on reduced water consumption, the water-use efficiency of P. crymophila and F. coelestis decreased whereas that of S. purpurea increased. W H F H for P. crymophila and F. coelestis and W H F L for S. purpurea growth were suitable for the alpine region. W H F H for P. crymophila and F. coelestis and W H F L for S. purpurea were suitable for their establishment in the alpine region. A reasonable water–fertilizer combination could effectively reduce the risk of establishment failure in ecological restoration.

Keywords: Poa crymophila; Festuca coelestis; Stipa purpurea; stomatal characteristic; water-use efficiency; alpine meadow; ecological restoration (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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