ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Functional Plant Ecology
This article is part of the Research TopicResilience of Native Grass Species Under Climate Dynamics: Physio-Ecological InsightsView all 3 articles
Elevation-dependent productivity trade-offs in wild Elymus sibiricus populations across the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau Zone
Provisionally accepted
Yulin Niu1,2
Qin Yan1,2*- 1Qinghai University, Xining, China
- 2Qinghai University School of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Medicine, Xining, China
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Background: Elymus sibiricus is a significant native grass species on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, recognized for its ecological and forage value. Elevation serves as a critical environmental factor that affects its growth and development. Therefore, identifying optimal elevations for E. sibiricus is essential for its effective selection and utilization. Methods: In this study, a common garden experimental design was adopted. Six wild E. sibiricus accessions originating from different elevations were sown in 2022, and a two‑year field trial (2023–2024, i.e., the second and third growth years) was conducted in the eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. By observing agronomic traits and measuring forage and seed yields, we employed Mantel tests, K-means clustering, the Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) for comprehensive evaluation, and structural equation modeling to identify optimal elevations for E. sibiricus and to determine the key factors influencing yield. Results: Agronomic traits and yields were significantly improved with extended cultivation duration. Wild E. sibiricus accessions were categorized into two groups: one from elevations of 3000–4000 m and the other from above 4000 m. Conclusions: Forage yield was primarily influenced by population morphology, which was determined by plant height and leaf width, while seed yield was driven by the reproductive architecture, supported by leaf length and effective tillering. Accession 2019‑001 achieved the highest comprehensive evaluation score and demonstrated optimal performance, indicating that its elevation of 3147 m may represent a suitable altitudinal range for wild E. sibiricus. These findings provide a theoretical foundation and data support for the breeding of E. sibiricus in alpine regions.
Keywords: Comprehensive evaluation, Elymus sibiricus, Geographical factors, Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, SEM
Received: 05 Dec 2025; Accepted: 02 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Niu and Yan. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Qin Yan
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