Data from: Grassland management regimes alter the coordination of plant functional traits and nutrient resorption in semiarid grasslands

Grazing and enclosure (grazing exclusion) are the main grassland
management regimes that affect nutrient cycling and ecosystem function by
altering plant traits.  However, the coordination among plant
functional traits and nutrient resorption under different grassland
management regimes remains unclear. We examined the coordination of eight
root and four leaf traits along with the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P)
resorption efficiencies under four grazing intensities and two enclosure
chronosequences in a semiarid steppe ecosystem in China. The
principal components analysis (PCA) of root traits and multiple factors
analysis of root and leaf traits showed two-dimensional economic spaces at
the individual level.  Increasing grazing intensity shifts
species and community trait composition from conservative to acquisitive
with increases in specific root length, specific root area, root alkaline
phosphatase activity, and specific leaf area, accelerating nutrient
cycling and coordination among traits.  Increasing grazing
intensity promoted nutrient resorption efficiency.  Such
adaptations optimize plant nutrient acquisition and nutrient conservation
under nutrient-poor conditions. Conversely, long-term enclosure increases
plant nutrient and light acquisition by promoting root tissue density,
mycorrhizal colonization, and specific leaf area.  The
conservative (e.g., Stipa grandis) and acquisitive species (e.g., Carex
korshinskyi) dominated under grazing, whereas the mid-acquisitive species,
including Leymus chinensis and Agropyron cristatum, dominated under
enclosure.  The observed N and P resorption efficiencies decrease
with increasing PC1 score (increase in nutrient acquisition by itself) in
root PCA, indicating the trade-off between nutrient-conservative and
nutrient-acquisitive strategies.  Community-weighted mean traits
were primarily driven by intraspecific trait variation, enhancing the
adaptability of plants and communities to environmental changes and
external stressors. Our study highlights the coordination among above- and
below-ground traits, as well as the trade-off between root nutrient
acquisition and leaf nutrient resorption under different grassland
management regimes in semi-arid grassland ecosystems.  From these
findings, we conclude that enhancing soil nutrient availability is the
most effective approach to the solution to grazing-induced grassland
degradation.  This knowledge is crucial for devising more
effective strategies for sustainable land use and biodiversity
conservation in grassland ecosystems.