Restoration recovers plant diversity but changes species composition and biomass allocation in an alpine peatland

作者：Ning Liu, Yang Li, Quancheng Wang, Ronglei Zhou, Paul P.J. Gaffney, Mengjie Liu, Rongxi Shi, Zhangwei Gao, Houkun Chu, Shuli Niu, Lei Ma, Jinsong Wang · 发表于：Ecological Processes · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1186/s13717-025-00591-3 · 被引用次数：9 · 研究领域：Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology、Botany and Plant Ecology Studies、Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics

Abstract Background The Zoige Plateau hosts the largest alpine peatland in the world, playing a crucial role in carbon sequestration and biodiversity conservation. However, this valuable ecosystem has been significantly impacted by anthropogenic drainage for various purposes, prompting increased interests in ecological restoration efforts. This study evaluates changes in plant diversity, community composition, and biomass allocation across natural, drained, and rewetted peatlands, with a particular focus on variations in microtopography, including hollows and hummocks. Results Restoration showed significantly higher soil water content, which was 11.6% higher in hollows (to 88.5 ± 0.09%) and 14.4% higher in hummocks (to 81.1 ± 1.6%) of rewetted peatlands compared to natural peatlands ( p < 0.001). However, the water table depth did not differ significantly from that of natural peatlands ( p = 0.61). While peatland management did not significantly affect plant diversity, microtopography had a considerable impact on plant species richness, dominance, the Shannon–Wiener index, and evenness. Conversely, plant community composition exhibited significant differences among natural, drained, and rewetted peatlands at both hollow and hummock microsites. Aboveground biomass was significantly higher in drained and rewetted peatlands compared to natural peatlands at both microsites, whereas belowground biomass was significantly lower in drained and rewetted peatlands, particularly in h...