Abstract
Morphological functional types and photosynthetic pathway types were identified for the forage species from steppe communities in Inner Mongolia, China, using the data of both field survey and published papers. Seven typical steppe communities were selected to investigate the morphological functional type and photosynthetic pathway type compositions and plant functional type (PFT) diversity in steppe communities at regional scale. Morphological functional types, based on plant height and leaf type combined with life span, were optimal for comparing the community differences in the region, while photosynthetic pathway types were fairly coarse for such studies. Of the seven morphological functional types in the steppe communities, perennial forbs (PEF) were the dominant type, and 60 % of species belonged to this type. Each of the high perennial grass (HPG), short perennial grass (SPG), and annual grass (ANG) types represented less than 10 % of the total, even though the grass species were dominant in the seven steppe communities. The differences of PFTs between the steppe communities were remarkable, and the PFT richness and diversity increased from the communities with moist conditions to the ones with dry environments.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Barbour, M.G., Burk, J.H., Pitts, W.D.: Terrestrial Plant Ecology. 2nd Ed.–Benjamin/Cummings, Menlo Park 1987.
Chapin, P.S.: Functional role of growth forms in ecosystem and global processes.–In: Ehleringer, J.R., Field, C.B. (ed.): Scaling Physiological Processes: Leaf to Globe. Pp. 287–312. Academic Press, San Diego 1993.
Collatz, G.J., Berry, J.A., Clark, J.S.: Effects of climate and atmospheric CO2 partial pressure on the global distribution of C4 grasses: present, past, and further.–Oecologia 114: 441–454, 1998.
Collins, R.P., Jones, M.B.: The influence of climatic factors on the distribution of C4 species in Europe.–Vegetatio 64: 121–129, 1985.
Cramer, W.: Using plant functional types in a global vegetation model.–In: Smith, T.M., Shugart, H.H., Woodward, F.I. (ed.): Plant Functional Types: Their Relevance to Ecosystem Properties and Global Change. Pp. 271–288. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1997.
Downton, W.J.S.: The occurrence of C4 photosynthesis among plants.–Photosynthetica 9: 96–105, 1975.
Duckworth, J.C., Kent, M., Ramsay, P.M.: Plant functional types: an alternative to taxonomic plant community description in biogeography?–Progr. phys. Geography 24: 515–542, 2000.
Jiang, S., Qi, Q.H., Kong, D.Z.: A comparative study on the biomass between Aneurolepidium chinese and Stipa grandis communities.–In: Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station, Academia Sinica (ed.): Research on Grassland Ecosystems. Vol. 1. Pp. 12–23. Science Press of China, Bei**g 1985.
Kitagawa, M. Neo-lineamenta Floreae Manshuricae.–J. Cramer, Vaduz 1979.
Leemans, R.: The use of plant functional type classifications to model the global land cover and simulate the interactions between the terrestrial biosphere and the atmosphere.–In: Smith, T.M., Shugart, H.H., Woodward, F.I. (ed.): Plant Functional Types: Their Relevance to Ecosystem Properties and Global Change. Pp. 271–288. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1997.
Li, B., Yong, S.P., Lui, Z.H.: The vegetation of the **lin river basin and its utilization.–In: Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station, Academia Sinica (ed.): Research on Grassland Ecosystems. Vol. 3. Pp. 84–183. Science Press, Bei**g 1988.
Li, M.: List of plants with C4 photosynthesis.–Plant Physiol. Commun. 29: 148–159, 221–240, 1993.
Liu, S.R.: Flora of **linguole River Region.–Inner Mongolian Press, Huhehaote 1993.
Margalef, R.: Information theory in ecology.–Genet. Systems 3: 36–71, 1958.
McIntyre, S., Diaz, S., Lavorel, S., Cramer, W.: Plant functional types and disturbance dynamics introduction.–J. Veg. Sci. 10: 603–608, 1999.
Paruelo, J.M., Lauenroth, W.K.: Relative abundance of plant functional types in grassland and shrublands of North America.–Ecol. Applic. 6: 1212–1224, 1996.
Pillar, V.D.: On the identification of optimal plant functional types.–J. Veget. Sci. 10: 631–640, 1999.
Pyankov, V.I., Gunin, P.D., Tsoog, S., Black, C.C.: C4 plants in the vegetation of Mongolia: their natural occurrence and geographical distribution in relation to climate.–Oecologia 123: 15–31, 2000.
Redmann, R.E., Yin, L., Wang, P.: Photosynthetic pathway types in grassland plant species from Northeast China.–Photosynthetica 31: 251–255, 1995.
Scholes, R.J., Pickett, G., Ellery, W.N., Blackmore, A.C.: Plant functional types in African savannas and grasslands.–In: Smith, T.M., Shugart, H.H., Woodward, F.I. (ed.): Plant Functional Types: Their Relevance to Ecosystem Properties and Global Change. Pp. 255–270. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge 1997.
Smith, T.M., Shugart, H.H., Woodward, F.I., Burton, P.J.: Plant functional types.–In: Solomon, A.M., Shugart, H.H. (ed.): Vegetation Dynamics and Global Change. Pp. 272–292. Chapman and Hall, New York 1993.
Takeda, T., Hakoyama, S.: Studies on the ecology and geographical distribution of C3 and C4 grasses. 2. Geographical distribution of C3 and C4 grasses in far east and south east Asia.–Jap. J. Crop Sci. 54: 65–71, 1985.
Teeri, J.A., Stowe, L.G.: Climatic patterns and the distribution of C4 grasses in North America.–Oecologia 23: 1–12, 1976.
Waller, S.S., Lewis, J.K.: Occurrence of C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathway in North American grasses.–J. Range Manage. 32: 12–28, 1979.
Wang, R.Z.: The C4 photosynthetic pathway and life forms in grassland species from North China.–Photosynthetica 40: 97–102, 2002a.
Wang, R.Z.: Photosynthetic pathways and life forms in different grassland types from North China.–Photosynthetica 40: 243–250, 2002b.
Wang, R.Z.: Photosynthetic pathways, life forms and reproductive types for forage species along the desertification gradient on Hunshandake desert, North China. – Photosynthetica 40: 321–329, 2002c.
Wang, R.Z.: Photosynthetic pathway and morphological functional types in the steppe vegetation from Inner Mongolia, North China.–Photosynthetica 41: 143–150, 2003.
Wang, R.Z.: C4 species and their response to large-scale longitudinal climate variables along the Northeast China Transect (NECT).–Photosynthetica 42: 71–79, 2004.
Williams, G.J., Markley, J.L.: The photosynthetic pathway type of North America shortgrass prairie species and some ecological implications.–Photosynthetica 7: 262–270, 1973.
Yin, L., Wang, P.: [Distribution of C3 and C4 photosynthetic pathways of plants on the steppe of northeastern China.]–Acta ecol. sin. 17: 113–122, 1997. [In Chin.]
Zhao, X.Y., Yao, Y.C., Yang, R.R.: Ecological geographic characteristics and outlook of natural grasslands resources in **lin river basin.–In: Inner Mongolia Grassland Ecosystem Research Station, Academia Sinica (ed.): Research On Grassland Ecosystems. Vol. 3. Pp. 182–226. Science Press, Bei**g 1988.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
This revised version was published online in March 2005 with corrections to the page numbers.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Wang, R.Z. Photosynthetic and morphological functional types from different steppe communities in Inner Mongolia, North China. Photosynthetica 42, 493–503 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/S11099-005-0003-4
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/S11099-005-0003-4