Alward RD, Detling JK, Milchunas DG
R. D. Alward, Graduate Degree Program in Ecology and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA. J. K. Detling, Department of Biology and Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State Un.
Science. 1999 Jan 8;283(5399):229-31. doi: 10.1126/science.283.5399.229.
Global minimum temperatures (TMIN) are increasing faster than maximum temperatures, but the ecological consequences of this are largely unexplored. Long-term data sets from the shortgrass steppe were used to identify correlations between TMIN and several vegetation variables. This ecosystem is potentially sensitive to increases in TMIN. Most notably, increased spring TMIN was correlated with decreased net primary production by the dominant C4 grass (Bouteloua gracilis) and with increased abundance and production by exotic and native C3 forbs. Reductions in B. gracilis may make this system more vulnerable to invasion by exotic species and less tolerant of drought and grazing.
全球最低气温（TMIN）的上升速度快于最高气温，但其生态后果在很大程度上尚未得到探索。利用来自短草草原的长期数据集来确定TMIN与几个植被变量之间的相关性。这个生态系统可能对TMIN的增加敏感。最显著的是，春季TMIN的增加与优势C4草（细茎针茅）的净初级生产力下降以及外来和本地C3杂草的丰度和生产力增加相关。细茎针茅的减少可能使这个系统更容易受到外来物种的入侵，并且对干旱和放牧的耐受性降低。
