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.