Effects of permafrost thawing on vegetation and soil carbon pool losses on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau,China

Bearing a total organic carbon (TOC) content of 9.3–10.7 kg C/m², alpine grassland soils of the Qinghai–Tibet plateau's permafrost region bear a greater organic carbon pool than do grassland soils in other regions of China or than tropical savannah soils. The easily released light fraction organic carbon (LFOC) accounts for 34–54% of the TOC and is particularly enriched in the topsoil (0–0.10 m). The LFOC in the organic carbon pool of alpine cold meadow and alpine cold steppe soils decreased at exponential and quadratic rates, respectively, as the vegetative cover decreased. When the vegetative cover of alpine cold meadows decreased from > 80 dm²/m² to 60 dm²/m², the topsoil TOC and LFOC dropped by 20.4% and 38.4%, respectively. Similarly, when the vegetative cover of alpine cold meadow decreased from 50 dm²/m² to 30 dm²/m² and < 15 dm²/m², the topsoil LFOC content dropped by 60% and 86.7%, respectively. Under climatic warming, the degradation of permafrost and vegetation have resulted in serious soil organic carbon (SOC) loss from the carbon pool. Land cover changes that occurred between 1986 and 2000 are estimated to have resulted in a 1.8 Gg C (120 Mg C/yr) loss in SOC, and a concomitant 65% decrease in the LFOC, in the 0–0.30 m soil layer in the Qinghai–Tibet plateau's permafrost regions. Since the region's ecosystems are quite sensitive to global climate changes, if global warming persists, alpine cold grassland ecosystems are expected to further degrade. Hence, the influence of global climatic change on soil carbon emissions from alpine grasslands should receive more attention.     

土壤冻融作用对植物生理生态影响研究进展

土壤冻融作用是季节性冻土区和多年冻土区常见的自然现象,主要是指由于土壤温度变化而出现的反复冻结解冻过程。冻融作用不仅影响土壤的理化和生物学性质,而且还会改变植物的生理生态过程,从而可能对冻土广泛分布的高纬度和高海拔地区植被生态系统生产力产生重要影响。本文重点论述了土壤冻融对植物地上和地下部分生理生态过程的影响效应以及全球变化背景下高寒植被生态系统对不同冻融格局的响应特征,总结了不同气候环境条件及生境胁迫下植物光合作用、生物量和生产力、根系生长及其对水分和温度胁迫响应等的生理生态表现,同时对当前土壤冻融与植物生理生态领域研究存在的不足进行了阐释,提出全球变化背景下频繁的土壤冻融作用将强烈改变植被生态格局和功能,并指出这种改变在高寒生态系统中表现将更为显著。     

Temperature sensitivity of gross N transformation rates in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Purpose

Alpine ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau are sensitive to global climatic changes. However, the effects of temperature change resulting from global warming or seasonal variation on soil N availability in those ecosystems are largely unknown.

Materials and methods

We therefore conducted a ¹⁵N tracing study to investigate the effects of various temperatures (5–35 °C) on soil gross N transformation rates in an alpine meadow (AM) soil on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. A natural secondary coniferous forest (CF) soil from the subtropical region was chosen as a reference to compare the temperature sensitivity of soil gross N transformation rates between alpine meadow and coniferous forest.

Results and discussion

Our results showed that increasing temperature increased gross N mineralization and NH₄ ⁺ immobilization rates and overall enhanced N availability for plants in both soils. However, both rates in the CF soil were less sensitive to a temperature change from 5 to 15 °C compared to the AM soil. In both soils, different N retention mechanisms could have been operating with respect to changing temperatures in the different climatic regions. In the CF soil, the absence of NO₃ ^? production at all incubation temperatures suggests that in the subtropical soil which is characterized by high rainfall, an increase in N availability due to increasing temperature could be completely retained in soils. In contrast, the AM soil may be vulnerable to N losses with respect to temperature changes, in particular at 35 °C, in which higher nitrification rates were coupled with lower NH₄ ⁺ and NO₃ ^? immobilization rates.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that increased soil temperature arising from global warming and seasonal variations will most likely enhance soil N availability for plants and probably increase the risk of N losses in the alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

     

藏北高寒草甸植物群落对土壤线虫群落的影响

2011年5月—11月,对西藏北部高寒草甸3种典型植物群落下0～30 cm范围内不同深度土层的土壤线虫群落进行调查,浅盆法收集土壤线虫,应用个体密度、多样性指数等特征值来分析高寒环境下土壤线虫群落的组成、分布特征与多样性。调查共分离得到33 038条土壤线虫,隶属于2纲6目51科93属;线虫个体密度平均为847条100 g-1干土;表聚性明显。研究结果表明,不同植物群落间的土壤线虫群落组成存在一定差异,土壤线虫数量的大小顺序为委陵菜植物群落<藏北嵩草植物群落<高山嵩草植物群落,土壤线虫数量差异显著(p<0.05);土壤线虫数量随生长季变化发生明显波动,返青期最多,盛长期次之,枯草期最低;不同植物群落的优势属种类不同。生物多样性为委陵菜植物群落>高山嵩草植物群落>藏北嵩草植物群落,这可能是放牧干扰强度不同,以及植物群落影响下的土壤性质分异所导致的结果。总之,不同植物群落下土壤线虫群落特征的分异初步显示出线虫指示环境因子影响土壤生态系统的潜力。     

土壤冻融交替生态效应研究进展

土壤冻融作用是高纬度和高海拔地带性土壤热量动态的一种表现形式.国际上关于冻融的研究多集中在北方高纬度地带,特别是苔原、泰加林和北极生态系统,越来越集中在全球变化对冻融生态系统土壤过程的效应方面.已有研究表明冻融作用会引起土壤团聚结构破坏并导致冻融侵蚀、土壤溶液中养分浓度升高而导致土壤养分流失、土壤解冻后还可能导致土壤呼吸和N素矿化以及一些痕量气体短时间释放增加等,这些研究表明了冻融过程对土壤物理、化学、生物等各方面的效应.我国有大面积北方季节性地带冻土和青藏高原高海拔冻土,而在土壤冻融作用及生态效应方面的工作较少,值得关注和深入研究.     

不同放牧方式下高寒草甸土壤碳组分的对比研究

高寒草甸具有重要的碳汇功能。在冷湿环境下,土壤有机质分解缓慢,碳库积累对区域碳平衡发挥着重要的作用。然而,高寒草甸土壤退化对人类活动异常敏感,研究土壤碳库变化对放牧干扰的响应,可以为深入揭示高寒草甸的退化机理提供科学依据。藏猪放牧是目前存在于我国海拔3 000~4 000 m地区的主要放牧形式之一,本文以滇西北高原湿地——纳帕海作为研究对象,对比分析了纳帕海高寒草甸上的牛羊与猪拱放牧对土壤碳库特征的差异化影响。研究表明,猪拱放牧较牛羊放牧降低了土壤总有机碳以及活性有机碳(高活性碳、中活性碳以及低活性碳)的含量。与其他碳库相比,中活性碳库对猪拱放牧的响应最为敏感,可以作为重要的干扰指示因子。猪拱放牧影响下,土壤微生物生物量碳含量小于牛羊践踏下的土壤微生物生物量碳含量。随着土层深度的增加,土壤碳存储量呈下降趋势,对放牧干扰的响应也逐渐减弱,表层土壤(0~10 cm)受放牧干扰的影响最大。在不同研究区域上,由于土壤理化性质的差异,与沼泽化草甸相比,陆生草甸对猪拱放牧的响应较大。冗余分析(RDA)进一步表明,土壤碳库与土壤含水率、容重与孔隙度等理化因子的变化密切相关。综上,土壤碳库改变与放牧方式、放牧区域以及土壤剖面深度有关,猪拱放牧导致土壤表层裸露并引起土壤结构发生变化,进而导致土壤有机碳含量显著下降。其生态破坏程度较牛羊放牧更为严重。     

Wind tunnel test and Cs tracing study on wind erosion of several soils in Tibet

The soils of alpine meadows and alpine grassland steppes, aeolian soils, coarse-grained soils, and farm soils cultivated from alpine grasslands in Tibet are typical soils that are suffering from different degrees of soil erosion by wind. Based on field investigations, wind tunnel experiments, and a ¹³⁷Cs trace study, this work tested the erodibility of these soils by wind, simulated the protective functions of natural vegetation and the accelerative effects of damage by livestock, woodcutting, and cultivation on erosion, and estimated erosion rates from 1963 to 2001. The results indicated that alpine meadows have the strongest resistance to wind erosion, and that undamaged alpine meadow soils generally sustain only weak or no wind erosion. Alpine grassland steppes with good vegetation cover and little damage by humans exhibit good resistance to wind erosion and suffered from only slight erosion. However, soil erodibility increased remarkably in response to serious disturbance by livestock and woodcutting; wind erosion reached 33.03 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹. The erodibility of semi-stabilized aeolian soil and mobile aeolian soil was highest, at 52.17 and 56.4 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively. The mean erosion rates of coarse-grained soil with various levels of vegetation coverage and of farm soil were intermediate, at 45.85 and 51.33 t ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, respectively. Restricting livestock, woodcutting, and excessive grassland cultivation are the keys to controlling wind erosion in Tibet. In agricultural regions, taking protective cultivation and management to enhance surface roughness is a useful way to control wind erosion.     

藏北高寒草甸土壤线虫群落对围封及自由放牧的响应

为了解放牧干扰对藏北高寒草甸的影响,以及连续围封措施对草地的恢复作用,2013—2015年连续3年对那曲县围封、自由放牧天然高寒草甸土壤线虫群落进行取样调查及数据分析。结果表明:围封、放牧样地的线虫个体数量在年际间的变化均较明显,植食性线虫是整个线虫群落个体数量变化的主要贡献者;围封样地的线虫个体密度、多样性指数H′、丰富度指数SR,以及优势度指数λ的年际变化幅度均大于放牧样地;食细菌性线虫个体数量及线虫通路比值(NCR)表明放牧样地的有机质转化效率高于围封样地;成熟度指数(MI)、植物寄生线虫指数(PPI)分析表明,所研究区域经5年围封,高寒草甸生态系统稳定性没有明显的提高,相反,现有放牧强度维持或者增加了线虫群落的物种多样性,利于物种共存和草地生态系统稳定性的维持。     

不同土地管理措施对高寒嵩草草甸植被及土壤理化特征的影响

在青海玛沁地区,选择 4 种处于不同退化阶段以及 2 种人工处理的高寒草甸为研究对象,探讨不同放牧强度和人工干预措施下,植被特征、土壤营养元素和土壤物理性状的变化过程,为合理利用和提高草地生产力提供依据.结果表明:随着退化的加剧,高寒草甸的盖度、高度、地上生物量和种类呈下降趋势,可食性牧草逐渐让位于杂草;土壤 N、C 含量以及含水量逐渐降低,体积质量逐渐增大.与重度退化草甸相比,经人工干预处理后草甸的生物量、盖度、高度以及土壤营养元素和物理性状都有所增加提高.这些结果表明随着植被的退化演替,土壤退化越来越严重,土壤越来越贫瘠化.人工干预能够在一定程度上改善土壤物理特征,提高草地的生物量.     

Plant production, and carbon and nitrogen source pools, are strongly intensified by experimental warming in alpine ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

The aim of this study was to assess initial effects of warming on the nutrient pools of carbon and nitrogen of two most widespread ecosystem types, swamp meadow and alpine meadow, in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. The temperature of the air and upper-soil layer was passively increased using open-top chambers (OTCs) with two different temperature elevations. We analyzed air and soil temperature, soil moisture, biomass, microbial biomass, and nutrient dynamics after 2 years of warming. The use of OTCs clearly raised temperature and decreased soil moisture. The aboveground plant and root biomass increased in all OTCs in two meadows. A small temperature increase in OTCs resulted in swamp meadow acting as a net carbon sink and alpine meadow as a net source, and further warming intensified this processes, at least in a short term. On balance, the alpine ecosystems in the Fenghuoshan region acted as a carbon source.     

A meta-analysis of the effects of experimental warming on soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics on the Tibetan Plateau

Alpine ecosystems at high altitudes and latitudes are notably sensitive to climatic warming and the Tibetan Plateau is a widely distributed alpine ecosystem. The magnitude of climatic warming on the Tibetan Plateau is expected to be considerably greater than the global average. However, a synthesis of the experimental warming soil carbon and nitrogen data is still lacking and whether forest soils are more sensitive to warming than grassland soils remains unclear. In this study, we used a meta-analysis approach to synthesise 196 observations from 25 published studies on the Tibetan Plateau. Warming significantly increased microbial biomass carbon (MBC) by 14.3% (95% CI: 2.9–24.6%), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) by 20.1% (95% CI: 2.0–45.1%), net nitrogen mineralization by 49.2% (95% CI: 38.1–62.3%) and net nitrification by 56.0% (95% CI: 51.4–66.1%), but did not significantly affect soil carbon (95% CI: −13.9 to 2.7%) or nitrogen (95% CI: −12.4 to 2.6%). The mean annual air temperature was negatively correlated with the warming effects on MBC and MBN. Grasslands exhibited significant MBC and MBN responses to warming. Specifically, soil microbial biomass was more responsive to warming in colder environments. Moreover, forest soils are not always more sensitive to warming than grassland soils as previous studies have suggested. These findings indicate that clarifying the effect of warming on alpine soils need consider ecosystem types and their local climate.     

Global patterns of soil phosphatase responses to nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization

Hydrolysis of organic phosphorus(P) by soil phosphatases is an important process of P cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, significantly affected by nitrogen(N) and/or P fertilization. However, how soil acid phosphatase(ACP) and alkaline phosphatase(ALP) activities respond to N and/or P fertilization and how these responses vary with climatic regions, ecosystem types, and fertilization management remain unclear. This knowledge gap hinders our ability to assess P cycling and availability from a glo...     

灌丛化对高寒草甸土壤水力性质的影响

全球气候变化背景下,青藏高原高寒草甸灌丛化已经成为青藏高原植被景观的主要变化趋势。为了更好地认识和理解灌丛化与高寒草甸生态系统的关系,以青藏高原东缘川西锦鸡儿(Caragana Erinacea Kom)和金露梅(Potentilla Fruticosa)灌丛化高寒草甸为对象,采用环刀浸泡法和双环入渗法研究了其在未灌丛化、轻度灌丛化、中度灌丛化和重度灌丛化阶段土壤持水和入渗能力特征。结果表明:(1)2种灌丛化草甸土壤容重在中度灌丛化阶段最低,总孔隙度在中度灌丛化阶段最高。(2)随着灌丛化程度的增加,2种灌丛化草甸土壤含水量呈增加趋势,表现为在重度灌丛化阶段最高;土壤毛管持水量、田间持水量和最大持水量呈抛物线变化趋势,在中度灌丛化阶段最大。(3)2种灌丛化草甸土壤的初渗率、稳渗率和入渗速度随灌丛化程度的增加总体表现为增加趋势,其中在中度和重度灌丛化阶段显著高于未灌丛化阶段。(4)相关性分析表明,灌丛化草甸土壤的入渗指标与土壤含水量、非毛管孔隙度有显著相关关系。因此,高寒草甸灌丛化过程中,土壤水力性质的改变通常发生在中度和重度灌丛化阶段。     

Responses of soil microbial respiration to thermal stress in alpine steppe on the Tibetan plateau

Extensive research has focused on the temperature sensitivity of microbial respiration in tundra and alpine meadows. However, the response of microbial respiration to thermal stress in alpine steppe soils, which have less organic matter and greater aeration, has received less attention. We investigated spatial and temporal variations in microbial respiration using an incubation experiment under different temperature (0, 15 and 30°C) and different percentages of water‐holding capacity (WHC) (50 and 100%) conditions in the alpine steppe, and using a subsequent cooling experiment determined the ‘thermal stress' of soil microorganisms in response to increased temperature in the alpine steppe ecosystem. Microbial respiration rates decreased with increasing temperature at both 50 and 100% WHC for three sampling locations. Thermal stress of soil microorganisms under increased temperatures was found in the alpine steppe because subsequent cooling led to an increase in microbial respiration rates. Soil moisture did not affect microbial respiration, but the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of microbial respiration varied with the interactive effect between soil moisture and sampling location. Our findings suggest that the response of microbial respiration to high temperature may not be always positive as bacteria may experience thermal stress in the alpine steppe. Therefore, it is necessary to include thermal stress responses in alpine steppe models, as they may represent an important negative feedback effect on microbial respiration.     

Storage and controlling factors of soil organic carbon in alpine wetlands and meadow across the Tibetan Plateau

Alpine wetlands and meadows across the Three Rivers Source Region (TRSR) store high soil organic carbon (SOC). However, information on factors affecting SOC storage is scanty. Herein, we investigated SOC storage and explored factors affecting SOC storage, including climate, soil properties and above- and belowground biomass, using 50 soil profiles across the TRSR on the Tibetan Plateau. The SOC storage was 491.9 ± 158.5 Tg C and 545.2 ± 160.8 Tg C in the TRSR alpine wetlands and meadow, respectively. The SOC stock was positively correlated with the mean annual precipitation. However, no significant correlation between SOC stock and mean annual temperature was observed, as opposed to the global trend. In addition, SOC stock was positively correlated with both the aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB). Soil pH indirectly affected SOC stock, while SOC stock positively correlated with Al and Fe oxyhydroxides. Compared with vegetation biomass and climatic factors, soil properties, including soil pH and Al and Fe oxyhydroxides (Al_o and Fe_o), affected not only SOC stock variation but also affected the impact of vegetation and climatic factors on SOC stock. Climate factors, AGB, BGB, soil pH, Al_o and Fe_o jointly accounted for 59% of SOC stock variation in alpine wetlands and 64% of SOC stock variation in alpine meadow. This study suggests that soil properties are the dominant factors affecting SOC variation in alpine wetlands and meadow on the Tibetan Plateau.     

人工管理措施改善了我国西部高寒沙化草甸土壤水分和碳、氮、磷含量

Regeneration of degraded grassland ecosystems is a significant issue in restoration ecology globally. To understand the effects of artificial management measures on alpine meadows, we surveyed topsoil properties including moisture, organic carbon (SOC), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) contents five years after fencing and fencing + reseeding management practices in a sandy meadow in the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, northwestern China. Both the fencing and fencing + reseeding management practices significantly increased soil moisture storage, SOC, total N, available N, total P, and available P, as compared to the unmanaged control. Fencing plus reseeding was more effective than fencing alone for improving soil C, N, and P contents. These suggested that rehabilitation by reseeding and fencing generally had favorable effects on the soil properties in degraded sandy alpine meadows, and was an effective approach for restoration of degraded meadow ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.     

Impacts of altitude and position on the rates of soil nitrogen mineralization and nitrification in alpine meadows on the eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau,China

Alpine and tundra grasslands constitute 7% world terrestrial land but 13% of the total global soil carbon (C) and 10% of the global soil nitrogen (N). Under the current climate change scenario of global warming, these grasslands will contribute significantly to the changing global C and N cycles. It is important to understand the controlling factors on soil N cycling in these ecosystems. To evaluate climate effects on N cycling, soil N mineralization and nitrification rates (0–15 cm) were measured using an in situ closed-top tube incubation across altitudes and positions from 2006 to 2008 in alpine meadows. The data indicated that soil N mineralization and nitrification rates decreased with increasing altitude, but only significantly (P < 0.05) between the lowest and the two higher altitudes. Soil N mineralization and nitrification rates of south-facing slopes were higher than north-facing slopes at each altitude. This suggests that soil temperature and soil water content (WC) were the controlling factors for soil N mineralization and nitrification rates across altitude with soil WC being the most important factors over positions. Soil nitrification rate depended on soil N mineralization rate, and both rates may increase in response to regional warming of the alpine meadow.     

放牧管理对青藏高原东缘高寒草甸土壤线虫的影响及作用机制

不同强度、季节的放牧是草地生态系统中主要的放牧管理措施,在生物多样性维持以及生态过程发挥中起着重要的作用,然而,关于青藏高原东缘高寒草甸地区放牧对土壤线虫群落的研究甚少。本文调查了放牧（轻度、中度和重度）对植物群落、土壤理化性质和线虫群落的影响。结果表明：植物群落、土壤理化性质和线虫群落受到放牧、时间以及放牧和时间共同作用的影响;食细菌线虫、植物凋落物生物量、根生物量、土壤含水量、土壤有机碳含量在轻度放牧草地内最高（p＜0.05）;杂类草生物量在中度放牧草地内最高;杂食线虫数量在重度放牧地内最低（p＜0.05）。植物群落和土壤特性与土壤线虫群落有明显的相关关系（p＜0.05）。结构方程模型显示食草动物主要通过植物群落影响植食和食细菌线虫,进一步的研究应针对植物群落多样性以及个体特征对线虫群落的影响。     

青藏高原高寒草地土壤pH值的大尺度格局及其与气候、土壤因子的关系

Soil acidity is an important parameter that can regulate ecosystem structure and function. However, a quantitative understanding of the relationships between soil pH and environmental factors remains unavailable. In this study, relationships of soil pH with both climatic and edaphic factors in alpine grasslands on the Tibetan Plateau, China were quantified using data obtained from a regional soil survey during 2001-2004. Our results showed that soil pH decreased along the gradient of both mean annual temperature and precipitation. Likewise, soil pH exhibited consistent negative correlations with soil moisture and silt content. However, soil organic and inorganic carbon contents played opposite roles in shaping patterns of soil pH： the accumulation of soil organic matter led to higher soil acidity, while the existence of soil inorganic matter was favorable for maintaining higher soil alkalinity. The variation partitioning analysis indicated that the combination of climatic and edaphic variables explained 74.3% of the variation in soil acidity. These results suggest that soil pH could be predicted from routinely-measured variables, allowing a robust pedotransfer function to be developed. The pedotransfer function may facilitate land surface models to generate more reliable predictions on ecosystem structure and function around the world.