Effect of rainfall interannual variability on the biomass and soil water distribution in a semiarid shrub community.
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.
Liu
JunShan
J
State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science & Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, 100875, China.
Xu
Xia
X
Zhang
Yong
Y
Tian
YuQiang
Y
Gao
Qiong
Q
D018533:Biomass; D010944:Plants; D011891:Rain; D012987:Soil / Q000032:analysis*; D014867:Water / Q000032:analysis*
D012987:Soil; D014867:Water