Summary: Plant functional ecology requires the quantification of trait variation and its controls. Field measurements on 483 species at 48 sites across China were used to analyse variation in leaf traits, and assess their predictability. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used to characterize trait variation, redundancy analysis (RDA) to reveal climate effects, and RDA with variance partitioning to estimate separate and overlapping effects of site, climate, life‐form and family membership. Four orthogonal dimensions of total trait variation were identified: leaf area (LA), internal‐to‐ambient CO₂ ratio (χ), leaf economics spectrum traits (specific leaf area (SLA) versus leaf dry matter content (LDMC) and nitrogen per area (N_area)), and photosynthetic capacities (V_cmax, J_max at 25°C). LA and χ covaried with moisture index. Site, climate, life form and family together explained 70% of trait variance. Families accounted for 17%, and climate and families together 29%. LDMC and SLA showed the largest family effects. Independent life‐form effects were small. Climate influences trait variation in part by selection for different life forms and families. Trait values derived from climate data via RDA showed substantial predictive power for trait values in the available global data sets. Systematic trait data collection across all climates and biomes is still necessary.

The method of forest biomass estimation based on a relationship between the volume and biomass has been applied conventionally for estimating stand above- and below-ground biomass (SABB, t ha⁻¹) from mean growing stock volume (m³ ha⁻¹). However, few studies have reported on the diagnosis of the volume-SABB equations fitted using field data. This paper addresses how to (i) check parameters of the volume-SABB equations, and (ii) reduce the bias while building these equations. In our analysis, all equations were applied based on the measurements of plots (biomass or volume per hectare) rather than individual trees. The volume-SABB equation is re-expressed by two Parametric Equations (PEs) for separating regressions. Stem biomass is an intermediate variable (parametric variable) in the PEs, of which one is established by regressing the relationship between stem biomass and volume, and the other is created by regressing the allometric relationship of stem biomass and SABB. A graphical analysis of the PEs proposes a concept of “restricted zone,” which helps to diagnose parameters of the volume-SABB equations in regression analyses of field data. The sampling simulations were performed using pseudo data (artificially generated in order to test a model) for the model test. Both analyses of the regression and simulation demonstrate that the wood density impacts the parameters more than the allometric relationship does. This paper presents an applicable method for testing the field data using reasonable wood densities, restricting the error in field data processing based on limited field plots, and achieving a better understanding of the uncertainty in building those equations.

The alpine meadow of Zoige Plateau plays a key role in local livestock production of cattle and sheep. However, it remains unclear how animal grazing or its intensity affect nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions, and the main driving factors. A grazing experiment including four grazing intensities (G0, G0.7, G1.2, G1.6 yak ha⁻¹) was conducted between January 2013 and December 2014 to evaluate the soil nitrous oxide (N₂O) fluxes under different grazing intensities in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau of China. The N₂O fluxes were examined with gas collected by the static chamber method and by chromatographic concentration analysis. N₂O emissions in the growing seasons (from May to September) were lower than that in non-growing seasons (from October to April) in 2013, 1.94 ± 0.30 to 3.37 ± 0.56 kg N₂O ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Annual mean N₂O emission rates were calculated as 1.17 ± 0.50 kg N₂O ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in non-grazing land (G0) and 1.94 ± 0.23 kg N₂O ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹ in the grazing land (G0.7, G1.2, and G1.6). The annual mean N₂O flux showed no significant differences between grazing treatments in 2013. However, there were significantly greater fluxes from the G0.7 treatment than from the G1.6 treatment in 2014, especially in the growing season. Over the two years, the soil N₂O emission rate was significantly negatively correlated with soil water-filled pore space (WFPS) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content as well as positively correlated with soil available phosphorus (P). No relationship was observed between soil N₂O emission rate and temperature or rainfall. Our results showed that the meadow soils acted as a source of N₂O for most periods and turned into a weak sink of N₂O later during the sampling period. Our results highlight the importance of proper grazing intensity in reducing N₂O emissions from alpine meadow. The interaction between grazing intensity and N₂O emissions should be of more concern during future management of pastures in Zoige Plateau.