Response of Soil Respiration and Its Components to Warming and Dominant Species Removal along an Elevation Gradient in Alpine Meadow of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Alpine meadows are one major type of pastureland on the Tibetan Plateau. However, few studies have evaluated the response of soil respiration (Rs) to grazing along an elevation gradient in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. Here three fenced enclosures were established in an alpine meadow at three elevations (i.e., 4313 m, 4513 m, and 4693 m) in July 2008. We measuredRsinside and outside the three fenced enclosures in July–September, 2010-2011. Topsoil (0–20 cm) samples were gathered in July, August, and September, 2011. There were no significant differences forRs, dissolved organic C (DOC), and belowground root biomass (BGB) between the grazed and ungrazed soils. Soil respiration was positively correlated with soil organic C (SOC), microbial biomass (MBC), DOC, and BGB. In addition, bothRsand BGB increased with total N (TN), the ratio of SOC to TN, ammonium N (NH4+-N), and the ratio ofNH4+-N to nitrate N. Our findings suggested that the negligible response ofRsto grazing could be directly attributed to that of respiration substrate and that soil N may indirectly affectRsby its effect on BGB.

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Effects of experimental warming and increased precipitation on soil respiration in an alpine meadow in the Northern Tibetan Plateau

The Science of The Total Environment ◽

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.111 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 647 ◽

pp. 1490-1497 ◽

Cited By ~ 14

Author(s):

Cheng-Qun Yu ◽

Jiang-Wei Wang ◽

Zhen-Xi Shen ◽

Gang Fu

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Soil Respiration ◽

Alpine Meadow ◽

Experimental Warming ◽

Northern Tibetan Plateau

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The alpine meadow around the mining areas on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau will degenerate as a result of the change of dominant species under the disturbance of open-pit mining

Environmental Pollution ◽

10.1016/j.envpol.2019.113111 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 254 ◽

pp. 113111 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Xiaoyun Hou ◽

Shiliang Liu ◽

Shuang Zhao ◽

Shikui Dong ◽

Yongxiu Sun ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Dominant Species ◽

Alpine Meadow ◽

Open Pit ◽

Open Pit Mining ◽

Mining Areas

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Nitrogen fertilizer regulates soil respiration by altering the organic carbon storage in root and topsoil in alpine meadow of the north-eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-50142-y ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Wen Li ◽

Jinlan Wang ◽

Xiaolong Li ◽

Shilin Wang ◽

Wenhui Liu ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Tibetan Plateau ◽

Soil Respiration ◽

Alpine Meadow ◽

Growing Season ◽

N Storage ◽

The North ◽

C Storage ◽

North Eastern ◽

C And N

Abstract Soil respiration (Rs) plays a critical role in the global carbon (C) balance, especially in the context of globally increasing nitrogen (N) deposition. However, how N-addition influences C cycle remains unclear. Here, we applied seven levels of N application (0 (N0), 54 (N1), 90 (N2), 126 (N3), 144 (N4), 180 (N5) and 216 kg N ha−1 yr−1 (N6)) to quantify their impacts on Rs and its components (autotrophic respiration (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh)) and C and N storage in vegetation and soil in alpine meadow on the northeast margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. We used a structural equation model (SEM) to explore the relative contributions of C and N storage, soil temperature and soil moisture and their direct and indirect pathways in regulating soil respiration. Our results revealed that the Rs, Ra and Rh, C and N storage in plant, root and soil (0–10 cm and 10–20 cm) all showed initial increases and then tended to decrease at the threshold level of 180 kg N ha−1 yr−1. The SEM results indicated that soil temperature had a greater impact on Rs than did volumetric soil moisture. Moreover, SEM also showed that C storage (in root, 0–10 and 10–20 cm soil layers) was the most important factor driving Rs. Furthermore, multiple linear regression model showed that the combined root C storage, 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm soil layer C storage explained 97.4–97.6% variations in Rs; explained 94.5–96% variations in Ra; and explained 96.3–98.1% in Rh. Therefore, the growing season soil respiration and its components can be well predicted by the organic C storage in root and topsoil in alpine meadow of the north-eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Our study reveals the importance of topsoil and root C storage in driving growing season Rs in alpine meadow on the northeast margin of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

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