Differences in below-ground bud bank density and composition along a climatic gradient in the temperate steppe of northern China

Abstract

Belowground bud bank density decreases towards the dry, hot end of the climatic gradient. Based on the distribution of bud types along the climatic gradient, bulb buds and tiller buds of tussock grasses seem to be more resistant to environmental stress than rhizome buds. The dominance of annual species and smaller bud banks in arid region implies that plant reproductive strategies and vegetation composition will be shifted in scenarios of increased drought under future climate change.