Relating nutrient concentrations, fibre contents and isotopic signals of grassland biomass to biodiversity patterns, ecosystem processes and land-use intensity using multi-temporal data generated with near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS)

Goals

The working group Ecosystem Research (Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster) participates as the contributing project BioComp in the Biodiversity Exploratories. BioComp investigates the temporal and spatial variation in compositional features of grassland community biomass and relates the observed patterns to land use, diversity patterns and ecosystem processes.

Hypotheses

H1.    Biomass delta-15N is positively related to current and former land-use intensity, whereas there is no such relationship in delta-13C.
H2.    Biomass delta-15N is negatively related to plant species richness and becomes increasingly depleted as foliar P levels decrease; biomass delta-13C is not related to plant species richness.
H3.    Nutrient concentrations as well as delta-15N and delta-13C in community biomass reflect current year weather conditions.
H4.    Interannual variation in the isotopic signal and tissue nutrient concentrations is lower in species-rich than in species-poor grasslands.

Methods

The assessment of biomass production and the chemical composition of grassland canopies is of crucial importance for the disentangling of biodiversity patterns. Generally, such essential data are rarely available for a high number of spatial and temporal replications. In the previous phase (2009-2011), we established the near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) technique to provide such data in a very efficient and cost effective way. Existing calibration models include the carbon concentration and the main plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) as well as various fractions of fibre such as neutral detergent fibre (NDF), acid detergent fibre (ADF) and lignin (ADL). In the current phase we will make use of these calibrations and will add prediction models of biomass delta-15N and delta-13C. As all these calibrations can be applied to existing spectra as well as to spectra newly recorded, BioComp will generate a unique five year data set of various compositional features of aboveground biomass of the 150 experimental grassland plots. Besides our own research questions, the elaborated calibration models can be used by other projects for the quick and cheap assessment of the chemical composition of biomass as well as the nitrogen and carbon isotopic signal, which will offer multiple possibilities for synergetic data analyses.

Picture: The photo shows a long table in a large laboratory room, on which containers for a series of measurements for the photometric determination of phosphorus concentration are arranged in two rows. In the first row are wide-necked plastic bottles, in the second row are glass volumetric flasks. Behind the flasks are two stands with long, thin, tubular glass containers.

Lab

Picture: The photo shows a sample area in an unmown meadow, which is surrounded by a square biomass frame. The frame is made of grey metal and has an edge length of about forty centimetres and a height of about fifteen centimetres. You can see the two hands of a person taking grass from the sample area.

Harvest of biomass

Publications

Evidence from the real world: 15N natural abundances reveal enhanced nitrogen use at high plant diversity in Central European grasslands

Stickstoffisotopie offenbart vollständigere Stickstoffausnutzung unter hoher Pflanzendiversität im Mitteleuropäischen Grünland

Kleinebecker T., Hölzel N., Prati D., Schmitt B., Fischer M., Klaus V. H. (2014): Evidence from the real world: 15N natural abundances reveal enhanced nitrogen use at high plant diversity in Central European grasslands. Journal of Ecology 102 (2), 456–465. doi: 10.1111/1365-2745.12202

Organic vs. Conventional Grassland Management: Do 15N and 13C Isotopic Signatures of Hay and Soil Samples Differ?

Lassen sich Heu- und Bodenproben von ökologisch bzw. konventionell bewirtschafteten Grünlandfl ächen anhand ihrer Stickstoff- und Kohlenstoff-Isotopie (15N und 13 C) unterscheiden?

Klaus V. H., Hölzel N., Prati D., Schmitt B., Schöning I., Schrumpf M., Fischer M., Kleinebecker T. (2013): Organic vs. Conventional Grassland Management: Do 15N and 13C Isotopic Signatures of Hay and Soil Samples Differ? PLoS ONE 8 (10): e78134. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0078134

Small‐scale variability and seasonal dynamics of chemical biomass composition of grassland in the Swabian Alb

Kleinräumige Variabilität und saisonale Dynamik der chemischen Biomassezusammensetzung eines Graslandes in der Schwäbischen Alb

Lüling J. (2013): Kleinräumige Variabilität und saisonale Dynamik der chemischen Biomassezusammensetzung eines Graslandes in der Schwäbischen Alb. Thesis, University Muenster

Effects of land-use intensity on leaf traits of Taraxacum sect. ruderalia

Feldmann S. (2013): Effects of land-use intensity on leaf traits of Taraxacum sect. ruderalia. Bachelor thesis, University Muenster

Does organic grassland farming benefit plant and arthropod diversityat the expense of yield and soil fertility?

Begünstigt ökologische Landwirtschaft im Grünland die Diversität von Pflanzen und wirbellosen Tieren auf Kosten von Erträgen und Bodenfruchtbarkeit?

Klaus V. H., Kleinebecker T., Prati D., Gossner M. M., Alt F., Boch S., Gockel S., Hemp A., Lange M., Müller J., Oelmann Y., Pasalic E., Renner S. C., Socher S., Türke M., Weisser W. W., Fischer M., Hölzel N. (2013): Does organic grassland farming benefit plant and arthropod diversityat the expense of yield and soil fertility? Agriculture, Ecosystems and Environment 177, 1– 9. doi: 10.1016/j.agee.2013.05.019

Direct and indirect associations between plant species richness and productivity in grasslands: regional differences preclude simple generalization of productivity-biodiversity relationships

Direkte und indirekte Zusammenhänge von Pflanzenartenreichtum und Produktivität im Grünland: regionale Unterschiede verhindern einfache Verallgemeinerung von Produktivitäts-Diversitäts-Beziehungen

Klaus V. H., Hölzel N., Boch S., Müller J., Socher S. A., Prati D., Fischer M., Kleinebecker T. (2013): Direct and indirect associations between plant species richness and productivity in grasslands: regional differences preclude simple generalization of productivity-biodiversity relationships. Preslia 85, 97–112

Interannuelle Variabilität der Aufwuchsqualität von Wirtschaftsgrünland entlang eines Landnutzungsgradienten

Wittig S. (2012): Interannuelle Variabilität der Aufwuchsqualität von Wirtschaftsgrünland entlang eines Landnutzungsgradienten. Bachelor thesis, University Muenster

Räumliche Variabilität der chemischen Zusammensetzung oberirdischer Grünlandbiomasse entlang eines Landnutzungsgradienten

Bülter S. (2012): Räumliche Variabilität der chemischen Zusammensetzung oberirdischer Grünlandbiomasse entlang eines Landnutzungsgradienten. Bachelor thesis, University Muenster.

NIRS meets Ellenberg’s indicator values: Prediction of moisture and nitrogen values of agricultural grassland vegetation by means of near-infrared spectral characteristics

NIRS trifft auf Indikatorwerte nach Ellenberg: Vorhersage von Feuchte- und Stickstoff-Werten der Vegetation landwirtschaftlichen Grünlands mittels Nahinfrarot-Spektroskopie

Klaus V. H., Kleinbecker T., Boch S., Müller J., Socher S., Prati D., Fischer M., Hölzel N. (2012): NIRS meets Ellenberg's indicator values: Prediction of moisture and nitrogen values of agricultural grassland vegetation by means of near-infrared spectral characteristics. Ecological Indicators 14 (1), 82-86. doi:10.1016/j.ecolind.2011.07.016

Relationships between productivity, land-use intensity and plant species richness in agricultural grasslands

Klaus V. H.(2012): Relationships between productivity, land-use intensity and plant species richness in agricultural grasslands. Dissertation, University Muenster.

Reducing sample quantity and maintaining high-prediction quality of grassland biomass properties with near infrared reflectance spectroscopy

Reduzierung der Probenmenge und Aufrechterhaltung von präziser Vorhersagequalität der Eigenschaften von Grünland-Biomasse mittels Nahinfrarot-Spektroskopie

Kleinebecker T., Klaus V., Hölzel N. (2011): Reducing sample quantity and maintaining high-prediction quality of grassland biomass properties with near infrared reflectance spectroscopy. Journal of Near Infrared Spectroscopy 19(6), 495–505. doi: 10.1255/jnirs.957

Nutrient concentrations and fibre contents of plant community biomass reflect species richness patterns along a broad range of land-use intensities among agricultural grasslands

Nährstoffkonzentrationen und Fasergehalte der Biomasse von pflanzlichen Gemeinschaften spiegeln Artenreichtumsmuster entlang einer großen Spanne von Landnutzungsintensitäten bei landwirtschaftlichen Grünlandflächen wider

Klaus V. H., Kleinebecker T., Hölzel N., Blüthgen N., Boch S., Müller J., Socher S.A., Prati D., Fischer M. (2011): Nutrient concentrations and fibre contents of plant community biomass reflect species richness patterns along a broad range of land-use intensities among agricultural grasslands. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 13(4), 287–295. doi: 10.1016/j.ppees.2011.07.001

Vorhersage kompositorischer Merkmale von Grünland mittels Nahinfrarotspektroskopie (NIRS)

Schwarz C.(2010): Vorhersage kompositorischer Merkmale von Grünland mittels Nahinfrarotspektroskopie (NIRS). Bachelor thesis, University Muenster