Fencing-Driven Soil Seed Bank Alterations: Reduced Precipitation Sensitivity and Management-Induced Retrogressive Succession in Alpine Grasslands

Fencing-Driven Soil Seed Bank Alterations: Reduced Precipitation Sensitivity and Management-Induced Retrogressive Succession in Alpine Grasslands | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Fencing-Driven Soil Seed Bank Alterations: Reduced Precipitation Sensitivity and Management-Induced Retrogressive Succession in Alpine Grasslands Xiangtao Wang, Wencheng Li, Ningning Zhao, Xin Pu, Lingfan Wan, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-5610070/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 May, 2025 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted 5 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Background and Aims The degradation of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been alleviated in some regions, while varying degrees of degradation persist in others. Soil seed banks (SSBs), reflecting the past, present, and future potential of plant communities, are critical for restoration. This study assessed fencing, a nature-based solution (NbS), addressing regional biases and limited cross-regional synthesis in prior research. Methods Paired plots of free grazing and fenced grazing were established through field sampling. Community and SSB characteristics were compared between fenced and grazed areas using vegetation and seed bank surveys, seed germination experiments, and statistical analyses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to identify regulatory pathways influencing seed density under both management regimes. Results Fencing increased seed density (346–20,961 seeds/m 2 ) compared to grazed areas (346–14,378 seeds/m 2 , p <0.05). The Sørensen similarity index indicated altered community structure and retrogressive succession (fenced: 0.803; grazed: 0.766). Fencing raised the importance value (IV) of Poaceae by 8.70% but reduced non-grass species richness and IV by 8.13%. SEM explained 95.04% (fenced) and 97.30% (grazed) of seed density variation, with fencing weakening seed density response to precipitation. Conclusions Fencing significantly affects SSBs by altering seed density, community structure, composition, and diversity. These changes reduce the sensitivity of SSBs to precipitation and may contribute to retrogressive succession in alpine grasslands. This study provides theoretical support for utilizing SSBs as a target for NbS to restore degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Soil seed bank fence graze alpine grassland northern Tibet Full Text Supplementary Files PLSOD2403245SupplementaryMaterial.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 18 May, 2025 Read the published version in Plant and Soil → Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 10 Apr, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 09 Apr, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 08 Apr, 2025 First submitted to journal 06 Apr, 2025 Editorial decision: Minor revisions 25 Feb, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-5610070","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":440754136,"identity":"ed1476fd-0714-4836-9fbb-34e28b1a33ba","order_by":0,"name":"Xiangtao Wang","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Xiangtao","middleName":"","lastName":"Wang","suffix":""},{"id":440754137,"identity":"b913a912-38f5-48ee-8a6c-4331751dd9b8","order_by":1,"name":"Wencheng 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Grasslands","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false},"keywords":"Soil seed bank, fence, graze, alpine grassland, northern Tibet","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5610070/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-5610070/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eBackground and Aims\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe degradation of alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau has been alleviated in some regions, while varying degrees of degradation persist in others. Soil seed banks (SSBs), reflecting the past, present, and future potential of plant communities, are critical for restoration. This study assessed fencing, a nature-based solution (NbS), addressing regional biases and limited cross-regional synthesis in prior research.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMethods\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePaired plots of free grazing and fenced grazing were established through field sampling. Community and SSB characteristics were compared between fenced and grazed areas using vegetation and seed bank surveys, seed germination experiments, and statistical analyses. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was employed to identify regulatory pathways influencing seed density under both management regimes.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eResults\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFencing increased seed density (346–20,961 seeds/m\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e) compared to grazed areas (346–14,378 seeds/m\u003csup\u003e2\u003c/sup\u003e, \u003cem\u003ep\u003c/em\u003e\u0026lt;0.05). The Sørensen similarity index indicated altered community structure and retrogressive succession (fenced: 0.803; grazed: 0.766). Fencing raised the importance value (IV) of Poaceae by 8.70% but reduced non-grass species richness and IV by 8.13%. SEM explained 95.04% (fenced) and 97.30% (grazed) of seed density variation, with fencing weakening seed density response to precipitation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConclusions\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFencing significantly affects SSBs by altering seed density, community structure, composition, and diversity. These changes reduce the sensitivity of SSBs to precipitation and may contribute to retrogressive succession in alpine grasslands. This study provides theoretical support for utilizing SSBs as a target for NbS to restore degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Fencing-Driven Soil Seed Bank Alterations: Reduced Precipitation Sensitivity and Management-Induced Retrogressive Succession in Alpine Grasslands","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-04-10 17:58:13","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-5610070/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"","date":"2025-04-10T20:28:39+00:00","index":0,"fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-04-09T16:39:19+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-04-08T10:45:50+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Plant and Soil","date":"2025-04-06T22:18:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"decision","content":"Minor revisions","date":"2025-02-26T03:39:27+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"plant-and-soil","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"plso","sideBox":"Learn more about [Plant and Soil](https://www.springer.com/journal/11104)","snPcode":"11104","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/11104/3","title":"Plant and Soil","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"em","reportingPortfolio":"Springer Hybrid","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":false}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"49e7499f-8da4-4b85-94d6-db84759a0b6a","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 10th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2025-05-19T15:58:35+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-5610070","link":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07507-2","journal":{"identity":"plant-and-soil","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Plant and Soil"},"publishedOn":"2025-05-18 15:56:57","publishedOnDateReadable":"May 18th, 2025"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-04-10 17:58:13","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1007/s11104-025-07507-2","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11104-025-07507-2","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-5610070","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-5610070","identity":"rs-5610070","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}