Long-term grazing exclusion greatly improve carbon and nitrogen store in an alpine meadow on the northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Abstract. We hypothesized that the patterns of NO3− and NH4+ retention are different over short-term scales while they are similar over long-term scales in alpine meadows and that abiotic and biotic factors might be responsible for their different patterns over short-term scales. In order to test the hypotheses, a 15N-labeled experiment was conducted in an alpine meadow in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau over four years. Our results showed that 15NO3− and 15NH4+ retention was distinctly different within two months, and even one year after tracer additions. The long-term retention of 15N at the whole-plot level did not differ significantly between 15NH4+ and 15NO3− treatments, and averaged 50% after four years. Higher soil temperature or soil organic carbon concentration enhanced 15NH4+ retention, but significantly reduced 15NO3− retention in the soil within two months following tracer additions. Soil moisture significantly affected 15N recovered in soil organic matter and microbial biomass as well as aboveground parts, but had no significant effects on 15N recovered in roots. These findings have important ecological implications with regard to the consequences of deposited nitrogen because of the possible difference in the fate of NH4+ vs. NO3− in alpine meadow ecosystems.

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Relations between the underground biomass and soil organic carbon and nitrogen of the alpine meadow at the Eastern Margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Wuhan University Journal of Natural Sciences ◽

10.1007/s11859-008-0311-1 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 13 (3) ◽

pp. 324-330 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Hong Zhang ◽

Linan Gao

Keyword(s):

Organic Carbon ◽

Soil Organic Carbon ◽

Alpine Meadow ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Eastern Margin ◽

Underground Biomass ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau

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Recovery of plant species diversity during long-term experimental warming of a species-rich alpine meadow community on the Qinghai-Tibet plateau

Biological Conservation ◽

10.1016/j.biocon.2017.07.019 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 213 ◽

pp. 218-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Chunhui Zhang ◽

Charles G. Willis ◽

Julia A. Klein ◽

Zhen Ma ◽

Junyong Li ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Species Diversity ◽

Plant Species ◽

Alpine Meadow ◽

Plant Species Diversity ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Experimental Warming ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau

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Warming and grazing affect soil labile carbon and nitrogen pools differently in an alpine meadow of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau in China

Journal of Soils and Sediments ◽

10.1007/s11368-011-0388-6 ◽

2011 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 903-914 ◽

Cited By ~ 85

Author(s):

Yichao Rui ◽

Shiping Wang ◽

Zhihong Xu ◽

Yanfen Wang ◽

Chengrong Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Alpine Meadow ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Labile Carbon ◽

Carbon And Nitrogen ◽

Nitrogen Pools ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽

Soil Labile Carbon

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Spatial and Temporal Differences in Alpine Meadow, Alpine Steppe and All Vegetation of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Their Responses to Climate Change

Remote Sensing ◽

10.3390/rs13040669 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 13 (4) ◽

pp. 669

Author(s):

Hanchen Duan ◽

Xian Xue ◽

Tao Wang ◽

Wenping Kang ◽

Jie Liao ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Alpine Meadow ◽

Global Climate ◽

Growing Season ◽

Tibet Plateau ◽

Vegetation Types ◽

Analysis Method ◽

Alpine Steppe ◽

Qinghai Tibet Plateau ◽

Variation Trends

Alpine meadow and alpine steppe are the two most widely distributed nonzonal vegetation types in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In the context of global climate change, the differences in spatial-temporal variation trends and their responses to climate change are discussed. It is of great significance to reveal the response of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to global climate change and the construction of ecological security barriers. This study takes alpine meadow, alpine steppe and the overall vegetation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau as the research objects. The normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data and meteorological data were used as the data sources between 2000 and 2018. By using the mean value method, threshold method, trend analysis method and correlation analysis method, the spatial and temporal variation trends in the alpine meadow, alpine steppe and the overall vegetation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau were compared and analyzed, and their differences in the responses to climate change were discussed. The results showed the following: (1) The growing season length of alpine meadow was 145~289 d, while that of alpine steppe and the overall vegetation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was 161~273 d, and their growing season lengths were significantly shorter than that of alpine meadow. (2) The annual variation trends of the growing season NDVI for the alpine meadow, alpine steppe and the overall vegetation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau increased obviously, but their fluctuation range and change rate were significantly different. (3) The overall vegetation improvement in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was primarily dominated by alpine steppe and alpine meadow, while the degradation was primarily dominated by alpine meadow. (4) The responses between the growing season NDVI and climatic factors in the alpine meadow, alpine steppe and the overall vegetation of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau had great spatial heterogeneity in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. These findings provide evidence towards understanding the characteristics of the different vegetation types in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their spatial differences in response to climate change.

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