title: Effect of rainfall interannual variability on the biomass and soil water distribution in a semiarid shrub community.
abstract: The dynamics of biomass and soil moisture in semiarid land is driven by both the current rainfall and the ecosystem memory. Based on a meta-analysis of existing experiments, an ecosystem model was used to calculate the effect of the rainfall interannual variability on the pattern of biomass and soil moisture in a shrub community. It was found that rainfall interannual variability enabled shrubs to be more competitive than grasses, and to maintain the dominant role over a longer time. The rainfall interannual variability resulted in complex soil moisture dynamics. The soil water recharge in wet years alternated with discharge in drought years.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
authors.forename: JunShan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: YuQiang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Qiong
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D018533:Biomass; D010944:Plants; D011891:Rain; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water