Data from: No effect of seed source on multiple aspects of ecosystem functioning during ecological restoration: cultivars compared to local ecotypes of dominant grasses

Genetic principles underlie recommendations to use local seed, but a paucity of information exists on the genetic distinction and ecological consequences of using different seed sources in restorations. We established a field experiment to test whether cultivars and local ecotypes of dominant prairie grasses were genetically distinct and differentially influenced ecosystem functioning. Whole plots were assigned to cultivar and local ecotype grass sources. Three subplots within each whole plot were seeded to unique pools of subordinate species. The cultivar of the increasingly dominant grass, Sorghastrum nutans, was genetically different than the local ecotype, but genetic diversity was similar between the two sources. There were no differences in aboveground net primary production, soil carbon accrual, and net nitrogen mineralization rate in soil between the grass sources. Comparable productivity of the grass sources among the species pools for four years shows functional equivalence in terms of biomass production. Subordinate species comprised over half the aboveground productivity, which may have diluted the potential for documented trait differences between the grass sources to influence ecosystem processes. Regionally developed cultivars may be a suitable alternative to local ecotypes for restoration in fragmented landscapes with limited gene flow between natural and restored prairie and negligible recruitment by seed.遗传原理为选用本地种子的草原修复实践提供了理论支撑，但当前学界对修复工程中不同种子源的遗传分化及其生态效应的认知仍存在显著缺口。本研究构建了野外控制实验，以验证优势草原草种的栽培品种（cultivar）与本地生态型（ecotype）是否存在遗传分化，以及二者是否会对生态系统功能产生差异化影响。实验大区（whole plot）被随机划分至栽培品种种子源与本地生态型种子源两个处理组。每个实验大区下设三个副区（subplot），分别播种专属的伴生物种种库。渐成优势的草原草种Sorghastrum nutans的栽培品种，与本地生态型存在显著遗传分化，但二者的遗传多样性水平并无显著差异。两类种子源的草原草种，在地上净初级生产力、土壤碳固持速率以及土壤净氮矿化速率方面均无显著差异。四年间，不同伴生物种种库下的两类草种种群生产力均保持相当，表明二者在生物量生产层面具备功能等效性。伴生物种的地上生物量占比超过总地上生产力的一半，这可能抵消了两类草种种群间已被观测到的性状差异对生态系统过程的潜在影响。在天然草原与修复草原间基因流受限、且种子自然更新可忽略的破碎化景观中，区域培育的栽培品种或许可作为本地生态型的合适替代方案用于草原修复。