Long-term warming results in species-specific shifts in seed mass in alpine communities.

摘要: Background Global warming can cause variation in plant functional traits due to phenotypic plasticity or rapid microevolutionary change. Seed mass represents a fundamental axis of trait plants, from an individual community scale. Here, we hypothesize that long-term shift the mean seed species. Methods We tested our hypothesis plots had been warmed over 18 years alpine meadow communities with history light grazing (LG) and heavy (HG) on Qinghai-Tibet plateau. In this study, seeds were collected during growing season 2015. Results found increased 4 (n = 19) species LG 6 20) HG meadow, while decreasing meadows, respectively. For 7 species, modified effect mass. Therefore, concluded at level. However, direction is species-specific. Our study suggests appears decrease warmer (less stressful) habitats based life-history theory, but it also there may be underlying trade-off which increase greater thermal energy inputs into development. Furthermore, physical biotic environment modulating result complex patterns facing global warming.