种子萌发时间在一定程度上决定了萌发后植株所面临的环境条件，它既可以直接影响幼苗建植，也可以通过影响植物所面临的自然选择压力和方向来影响植物其他功能特征。因此种子萌发时间是一个对植物适合度及群落结构影响深远的核心功能特征。但是在目前基于功能特征的群落构建理论中鲜有涉及种子萌发时间对群落结构影响的报道，故该领域的研究亟需加强。本研究创新性地在群落水平上研究青藏高原高寒草甸群落种子萌发时间的种间分化与物种相对多度的关系，并通过进一步研究种子萌发时间在群落水平上对植物更新（出苗率、幼苗建植率）、生长（关键功能特征：植株高度、比叶面积以及根冠比）、繁殖（开花时间、结实数量、种子大小）的影响，来阐释种子萌发时间对群落结构影响的生态学机制。有望推进基于功能性状的群落构建理论，具有较大的理论意义。另外在退化现象普遍的青藏高原高寒草甸区进行该研究能为退化草甸的恢复提供理论依据与数据支持，具有很大的现实意义。

Germination timing can determine the conditions that plant experience after they germinate. It can affect seedling establishment directly, and can affect postgermination plant traits through its influence on nature selection. Thus,germination timing is a central functional trait that can deeply affect plant fitness and community structure. However, seed germination timing was seldom involved in research on trait-based community assembly theory, and therefore this field should be strengthened urgently. In this study, the variation of germination timing of species from an alpine meadow will be studied. Furthermore, to determine the mechanism of how seed germination timing influence community structure, the relationship between seed germination timing and species relative abundance will be studied, and the effect of seed germination timing on seedling emergence and establishment, other key functional traits (plant height, specific leaf area, root-shoot ratio), and reproduction (fllowering time，seed mass, seed number) also will be studied. This study will improve the trait-based community assembly theory, and will give some theory and data support for restoration of degraded meadow.