Response of species homeostasis and biomass on a sub-alpine grassland

Plant stoichiometric homoeostasis is correlated with dominance and stability in natural community. However, there is considerable limited work dealing with this relationship at species-level or function group-level. Study was made on the response of 10 dominant speicies from four function groups to N, P addition and N-P co-addition on a sub-alpine meadow in Tibetan Plateau. Results showed N and N-P addition promoted community biomass while P addition inhibited, indicating the N-limited type for grassland. Graminoid biomass increased, while legume and forb biomass decreased after either addition, and sedge biomass increased after N addition. The strong leaf P homeostasis of graminoid species may play a role in competition in the community. However, a regular rule on the leaf N homeostasis needs to be found out, and further study should be conducted to test the role of species homeostasis in the construction of community.