Figure 1 Heat map of the importance value and niche breadth of dominant
plants in different grassland types.
3.2 Relationship between species diversity and ecosystem functions
Most keystone species were significantly correlated with ecosystem
functions except for the belowground biomass and ratio of organic carbon
to total nitrogen (Figure S9). Species diversity indices were
significantly correlated with ecosystem functions. Specifically, total
nitrogen, organic carbon, alkali hydrolyzed nitrogen, and N: P were
positively correlated with plant diversity indices, bacterial Chao1, and
the number of rodent species, while available phosphorous was negatively
correlated with plant diversity indices, bacterial Chao1, and the number
of rodent species (Figure S10). For different trophic level, the plant
diversity, bacterial diversity, Fungal diversity and rodent diversity
yielded significantly positive and negative relationships with ecosystem
functions. When the multitrophic diversity were examined, the most
ecosystem functions increased along with increasing multitrophic
diversity except for available phosphorus (Figure 2).