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<p>Steppes are specific terrestrial herbaceous ecosystems and play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle and climate regulation. The resilience of steppe ecosystems is measured by the key indicator of net primary productivity (NPP), which reflects the combined influence of climatic and anthropogenic factors. Assessing productivity in combination with climatic factors allows us to predict the ecosystem responses under global climate change and increasing human impact. The NPP components of steppes at the southeastern slope of Mount Aragats were quantified during 2019–2024 and the role of annual and climatic drivers were assessed. This study provides a novel, integrated analysis of biomass allocation within closely spaced grasslands of the South Caucasus, accounting for soil, vegetation, and climatic variability. Above and belowground biomass sampling was conducted randomly using 1 m<sup>2</sup> and 0.4 m<sup>2</sup> folding meters across six steppe sites each sized one hectare. Based on the collected data, total biomass and the ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass were calculated. The climatic conditions created contrasting growth environments, with high temperatures generally associated with low precipitation, and vice versa. Temperature fluctuations were more pronounced during the active growing season, while precipitations were distributed relatively evenly throughout the season. The results showed that the ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass varied widely (2.3–31.4), with high values observed in relatively dry grass-forbs steppes and low values for mix grass-legume-forbs ones. It was found that temperature during the growing season and precipitation during the non-growing season explained 75% and 40% of aboveground biomass variation. In contrast, belowground biomass did not show a clear dependence on either temperature or precipitation. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensive studies on the relationship between climate and steppe vegetation productivity, and emphasize the need for combining data from various regions to improve our understanding of general patterns and mechanisms regulating biomass allocation, as well as predicting the ecosystem functioning under changing climatic conditions.</p>

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Climatic control of above and belowground biomass in steppe ecosystems of mount aragats, Armenia

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年2月19日

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  • Tatevik Sargsyan,
  • Marine Navasardyan

摘要

Steppes are specific terrestrial herbaceous ecosystems and play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle and climate regulation. The resilience of steppe ecosystems is measured by the key indicator of net primary productivity (NPP), which reflects the combined influence of climatic and anthropogenic factors. Assessing productivity in combination with climatic factors allows us to predict the ecosystem responses under global climate change and increasing human impact. The NPP components of steppes at the southeastern slope of Mount Aragats were quantified during 2019–2024 and the role of annual and climatic drivers were assessed. This study provides a novel, integrated analysis of biomass allocation within closely spaced grasslands of the South Caucasus, accounting for soil, vegetation, and climatic variability. Above and belowground biomass sampling was conducted randomly using 1 m2 and 0.4 m2 folding meters across six steppe sites each sized one hectare. Based on the collected data, total biomass and the ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass were calculated. The climatic conditions created contrasting growth environments, with high temperatures generally associated with low precipitation, and vice versa. Temperature fluctuations were more pronounced during the active growing season, while precipitations were distributed relatively evenly throughout the season. The results showed that the ratio of belowground to aboveground biomass varied widely (2.3–31.4), with high values observed in relatively dry grass-forbs steppes and low values for mix grass-legume-forbs ones. It was found that temperature during the growing season and precipitation during the non-growing season explained 75% and 40% of aboveground biomass variation. In contrast, belowground biomass did not show a clear dependence on either temperature or precipitation. These findings highlight the importance of comprehensive studies on the relationship between climate and steppe vegetation productivity, and emphasize the need for combining data from various regions to improve our understanding of general patterns and mechanisms regulating biomass allocation, as well as predicting the ecosystem functioning under changing climatic conditions.