Abstract: Modular biomass allocation is a resource allocation strategy for plants in response to heterogeneous environment. Combined with field investigation and indoor measurement, we analyzed the difference of modular biomass of Bromus inermis in five sites on the northern slope of Tianshan Mountain to explore the variation of modular biomass. The results showed that the biomass and allocation of modules varied across different sites, with stem biomass and its allocation having the highest variation. Biomass allocation of vegetative modules was larger than that of reproductive modules, while biomass of aboveground modules was higher than that of underground modules (P<0.05). Modular biomass allocation was closely related to environmental factors. Aboveground biomass was more suitable to reflect the accumulation of stem biomass. In conclusion, biomass allocation of B. inermis was not stable across different grasslands, indicating its strong adaptability to environment.

Key words: modular biomass allocation, habitat factor, modular correlation, biomass fitting.