Abstract
Abstract Low‐input grassland biomass from marginal and other slightly more fertile sites can be used for energy production without competing with food or fodder production. The effect of grassland diversity on methane yield has received some attention, but we do not know how community assembly may affect methane yield from grassland biomass. However, methane yields determine the potential economic value of a bioenergy substrate. Hence, a better understanding of how plant community assembly affects methane yield would be important. We measured biomass production and methane yield in the second year of a grassland field experiment which manipulated the order of arrival of different plant functional groups (forbs, grasses or legumes sown first and all sown simultaneously) and sown diversity (9 vs. 21 species). The order of arrival of the plant functional groups significantly determined the relative dominance of each group which in turn mainly explained the variance in aboveground biomass production. Differences in area‐specific methane yields were driven by differences in biomass production and which plant functional groups dominated a plot. When grasses were sown first, legumes and grasses codominated a plot and the highest area‐specific methane yield was obtained. Overall, the results indicate that altering the order of arrival affected the community functional and species composition (and hence methane yields) much more than sown diversity. Our study shows that a combined use of positive biodiversity effects and guided plant community assembly may be able to optimize methane yields under field conditions. This may allow a guided, sustainable, and lucrative use of grassland biomass for biogas production in the future.
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Claims 9
Claim · model-written summary
Arrival order significantly determined relative dominance of plant functional groups.
- Taxon
- grasslandt0
- Treatment
- order of arrival of the plant functional groupse0
- Outcome
- relative dominance of each groupe0
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“The order of arrival of the plant functional groups significantly determined the relative dominance of each group”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Functional group dominance mainly explained variation in aboveground biomass.
- Taxon
- grasslandt0
- Treatment
- relative dominance of each groupe0
- Outcome
- variance in aboveground biomass productione0
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“The order of arrival of the plant functional groups significantly determined the relative dominance of each group which in turn mainly explained the variance in aboveground biomass production.”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Area-specific methane yield differences were driven by biomass production differences.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Differences in area‐specific methane yields were driven by differences in biomass production and which plant functional groups dominated a plot.”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Area-specific methane yield differences were driven by which plant groups dominated a plot.
Not reportedDirection
Verbatim
e0“Differences in area‐specific methane yields were driven by differences in biomass production and which plant functional groups dominated a plot.”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Grasses sown first led to codominance of legumes and grasses.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Verbatim
e0“When grasses were sown first, legumes and grasses codominated a plot”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Grasses sown first yielded the highest area-specific methane yield.
- Taxon
- grasslandt0
- Treatment
- grasses were sown firste0
- Outcome
- area‐specific methane yielde0
- Direction
- higheste0
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e0“When grasses were sown first, legumes and grasses codominated a plot and the highest area‐specific methane yield was obtained.”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Arrival order affected community composition more than sown diversity.
Verbatim
e0“altering the order of arrival affected the community functional and species composition (and hence methane yields) much more than sown diversity.”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Arrival order affected methane yields more than sown diversity.
Verbatim
e0“altering the order of arrival affected the community functional and species composition (and hence methane yields) much more than sown diversity.”
t0“grassland”
Claim · model-written summary
Authors propose combining positive biodiversity effects with guided assembly to optimize methane yield.
Verbatim
e0“a combined use of positive biodiversity effects and guided plant community assembly may be able to optimize methane yields under field conditions.”
t0“grassland”