Abstract. Soil microbial activity occurs seasonally in frozen alpine soils during cold seasons and plays a crucial role in available N pool accumulation in soil. The intra- and interannual patterns of microbial and nutrient dynamics reflect the influences of changing weather factors, and thus provide important insights into the biogeochemical cycles and ecological functions of ecosystems. We documented seasonal and interannual dynamics of soil microbial and available N in an alpine meadow in the eastern part of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China between April 2011 and October 2013. Soil samples were collected in the middle of each month and were analyzed for water content, microbial biomass C (MBC) and N, dissolved organic C and N, and inorganic N; soil microbial community compositions were measured by the dilution-plate method. Fungi and actinomycetes dominated the microbial community during the non-growing seasons, and the number of bacteria increased considerably during the early growing seasons. Consistently increasing trends of MBC and available N pools were observed during the non-growing seasons. MBC sharply declined during soil thaw and was accompanied by a peak of available N pool. Induced by soil temperatures, significant shifts in the structure and functions of microbial communities were found during the winter-spring transition and largely contributed to microbial reduction. Divergent seasonal dynamics of different N forms showed a complementary nutrient supply pattern during the growing season. Similar interannual dynamics were observed between microbial biomass and available N pools, and soil temperature and water condition were the primary environmental factors driving these year-to-year fluctuations. Under the background of changing climate, the seasonal soil microbial activity and nutrient supply patterns will be further changed, having important implications to the productivity and biodiversity of alpine ecosystems.
Stability and resilience of seagrass meadows to seasonal and interannual dynamics and environmental stress
