Liu JunShan ， Xu Xia ， Zhang Yong ， Tian YuQiang ， Gao Qiong
2010-06-01 SCIENCE CHINA-LIFE SCIENCES 2010 53(卷), 6(期), (729-737页)
The dynamics of biomass and soil moisture in semiarid land is driven by both the current rainfall and the ecosystem memory. Based on a meta-analysis of existing experiments, an ecosystem model was used to calculate the effect of the rainfall interannual variability on the pattern of biomass and soil moisture in a shrub community. It was found that rainfall interannual variability enabled shrubs to be more competitive than grasses, and to maintain the dominant role over a longer time. The rainfall interannual variability resulted in complex soil moisture dynamics. The soil water recharge in wet years alternated with discharge in drought years.