CO_2,CH_4 and N_2O flux changes in degraded grassland soil of Inner Mongolia,China

The main purpose of this study was to explore the dynamic changes of greenhouse gas(GHG)from grasslands under different degradation levels during the growing seasons of Inner Mongolia, China.Grassland degradation is associated with the dynamics of GHG fluxes, e.g., CO_2, CH_4 and N_2O fluxes. As one of the global ecological environmental problems, grassland degradation has changed the vegetation productivity as well as the accumulation and decomposition rates of soil organic matter and thus will influence the carbon and nitrogen cycles of ecosystems, which will affect the GHG fluxes between grassland ecosystems and the atmosphere. Therefore, it is necessary to explore how the exchanges of CO_2,CH_4 and N_2O fluxes between soil and atmosphere are influenced by the grassland degradation. We measured the fluxes of CO_2, CH_4 and N_2O in lightly degraded, moderately degraded and severely degraded grasslands in Inner Mongolia of China during the growing seasons from July to September in 2013 and 2014. The typical semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia plays a role as the source of atmospheric CO_2 and N_2O and the sink for CH_4. Compared with CO_2 fluxes, N_2O and CH_4 fluxes were relatively low. The exchange of CO_2, N_2O and CH_4 fluxes between the grassland soil and the atmosphere may exclusively depend on the net exchange rate of CO_2 in semi-arid grasslands. The greenhouse gases showed a clear seasonal pattern, with the CO_2 fluxes of –33.63–386.36 mg/(m·h), CH_4 uptake fluxes of 0.113–0.023 mg/(m·h) and N_2O fluxes of –1.68–19.90 μg/(m·h). Grassland degradation significantly influenced CH_4 uptake but had no significant influence on CO_2 and N_2O emissions. Soil moisture and temperature were positively correlated with CO_2 emissions but had no significant effect on N_2O fluxes.Soil moisture may be the primary driving factor for CH_4 uptake. The research results can be in help to better understand the impact of grassland degradation on the ecological environment.     

Non-growing season soil CO2 efflux and its changes in an alpine meadow ecosystem of the Qilian Mountains,Northwest China

Most soil respiration measurements are conducted during the growing season.In tundra and boreal forest ecosystems,cumulative,non-growing season soil CO2 fluxes are reported to be a significant component of these systems' annual carbon budgets.However,little information exists on soil CO2 efflux during the non-growing season from alpine ecosystems.Therefore,comparing measurements of soil respiration taken annually versus during the growing season will improve the accuracy of estimating ecosystem carbon budgets,as well as predicting the response of soil CO2 efflux to climate changes.In this study,we measured soil CO2 efflux and its spatial and temporal changes for different altitudes during the non-growing season in an alpine meadow located in the Qilian Mountains,Northwest ChinaField experiments on the soil CO2 efflux of alpine meadow from the Qilian Mountains were conducted along an elevation gradient from October 2010 to April 2011.We measured the soil CO2 efflux,and analyzed the effects of soil water content and soil temperature on this measure.The results show that soil CO2 efflux gradually decreased along the elevation gradient during the non-growing season.The daily variation of soil CO2 efflux appeared as a single-peak curve.The soil CO2 efflux was low at night,with the lowest value occurring between 02:00-06:00.Then,values started to rise rapidly between 07:00-08:30,and then descend again between 16:00-18:30.The peak soil CO2 efflux appeared from 11:00 to 16:00.The soil CO2 efflux values gradually decreased from October to February of the next year and started to increase in March.Non-growing season Q10(the multiplier to the respiration rate for a 10℃ increase in temperature) was increased with raising altitude and average Q10 of the Qilian Mountains was generally higher than the average growing season Q10 of the Heihe River Basin.Seasonally,non-growing season soil CO2 efflux was relatively high in October and early spring and low in the winter.The soil CO2 efflux was positively correlated with soil temperature and soil water content.Our results indicate that in alpine ecosystems,soil CO2 efflux continues throughout the non-growing season,and soil respiration is an important component of annual soil CO2 efflux.     

旱作燕麦不同耕作方式对土壤温室气体排放的影响

采用静态箱法测定了常规耕作、免耕留低茬低覆盖、免耕留高茬低覆盖、免耕留低茬高覆盖和免耕留高茬高覆盖5个处理条件下燕麦播种前、生育过程中和收割后土壤CO2、CH4和N2O的排放通量.结果表明:CO2排放通量呈单峰曲线变化,峰值出现在苗期;CH4排放通量多为负值,表现为"吸收",季节性变化不明显;N2O排放规律性不明显.处...     

Effects of grazing on net primary productivity,evapotranspiration and water use efficiency in the grasslands of Xinjiang,China

Grazing is a main human activity in the grasslands of Xinjiang, China. It is vital to identify the effects of grazing on the sustainable utilization of local grasslands. However, the effects of grazing on net primary productivity(NPP), evapotranspiration(ET) and water use efficiency(WUE) in this region remain unclear. Using the spatial Biome-BGC grazing model, we explored the effects of grazing on NPP, ET and WUE across the different regions and grassland types in Xinjiang during 1979–2012. NPP, ET and WUE under the grazed scenario were generally lower than those under the ungrazed scenario, and the differences showed increasing trends over time. The decreases in NPP, ET and WUE varied significantly among the regions and grassland types. NPP decreased as follows: among the regions, Northern Xinjiang(16.60 g C/(m~2·a)), Tianshan Mountains(15.94 g C/(m~2·a)) and Southern Xinjiang(-3.54 g C/(m~2·a)); and among the grassland types, typical grasslands(25.70 g C/(m~2·a)), swamp meadows(25.26 g C/(m~2·a)), mid-mountain meadows(23.39 g C/(m~2·a)), alpine meadows(6.33 g C/(m~2·a)), desert grasslands(5.82 g C/(m~2·a)) and saline meadows(2.90 g C/(m~2·a)). ET decreased as follows: among the regions, Tianshan Mountains(28.95 mm/a), Northern Xinjiang(8.11 mm/a) and Southern Xinjiang(7.57 mm/a); and among the grassland types, mid-mountain meadows(29.30 mm/a), swamp meadows(25.07 mm/a), typical grasslands(24.56 mm/a), alpine meadows(20.69 mm/a), desert grasslands(11.06 mm/a) and saline meadows(3.44 mm/a). WUE decreased as follows: among the regions, Northern Xinjiang(0.053 g C/kg H_2O), Tianshan Mountains(0.034 g C/kg H_2O) and Southern Xinjiang(0.012 g C/kg H_2O); and among the grassland types, typical grasslands(0.0609 g C/kg H_2O), swamp meadows(0.0548 g C/kg H_2O), mid-mountain meadows(0.0501 g C/kg H_2O), desert grasslands(0.0172 g C/kg H_2O), alpine meadows(0.0121 g C/kg H_2O) and saline meadows(0.0067 g C/kg H_2O). In general, the decreases in NPP and WUE were more significant in the regions with relatively high levels of vegetation growth because of the high grazing intensity in these regions. The decreases in ET were significant in mountainous areas due to the terrain and high grazing intensity.     

不同生物质炭输入水平下黄绵土N_2O日排放特性

在陇中黄土高原干旱半干旱区,采用小区定位试验与室内盆栽模拟试验相结合的方法,对不同生物质炭输入水平下旱作黄绵土N_2O的日排放通量及其影响因子进行连续观测,并确定1天中不同生物质炭处理水平下的最佳观测时间。结果表明:6个生物质炭输入水平处理下(0、10、20、30、40、50 t·hm~(-2)),旱作黄绵土全天表现为N_2O的排放源;无生物质炭添加处理的N_2O排放通量均显著高于其他各处理,随输入水平增加呈U型变化规律,当生物质炭输入水平为30 t·hm~(-2)时,更有利于N_2O气体的增汇减排;各处理N_2O日总排放通量均在白天所占比例最高;温度是环境因子相对稳定条件下N_2O气体排放的主要影响因子,N_2O的排放与地表温度及10 cm土层地温呈不同程度的正相关关系;10 cm土层地温与生物质炭输入量呈显著正相关关系;N_2O气体的最佳同期观测时间为8∶00—9∶00。     

Modeling grassland net primary productivity and water-use efficiency along an elevational gradient of the Northern Tianshan Mountains

Mountainous ecosystems are considered highly sensitive and vulnerable to natural disasters and climatic changes.Therefore,quantifying the effects of elevation on grassland productivity to understand ecosystem-climate interactions is vital for mountainous ecosystems.Water-use efficiency(WUE)provides a useful index for understanding the metabolism of terrestrial ecosystems as well as for evaluating the degradation of grasslands.This paper explored net primary productivity(NPP)and WUE in grasslands along an elevational gradient ranging from 400 to 3,400 m asl in the northern Tianshan Mountains-southern Junggar Basin(TMJB),Xinjiang of China,using the Biome-BGC model.The results showed that:1)the NPP increased by 0.05 g C/(m2·a)with every increase of 1-m elevation,reached the maximum at the mid-high elevation(1,600 m asl),and then decreased by 0.06 g C/(m2·a)per 1-m increase in elevation;2)the grassland NPP was positively correlated with temperature in alpine meadow(AM,2,700-3,500 m asl),mid-mountain forest meadow(MMFM,1,650-2,700 m asl)and low-mountain dry grassland(LMDG,650-1,650 m asl),while positive correlations were found between NPP and annual precipitation in plain desert grassland(PDG,lower than 650 m asl);3)an increase(from 0.08 to 1.09 g C/(m2·a))in mean NPP for the grassland in TMJB under a real climate change scenario was observed from 1959 to 2009;and 4)remarkable differences in WUE were found among different elevations.In general,WUE increased with decreasing elevation,because water availability is lower at lower elevations;however,at elevations lower than 540 m asl,we did observe a decreasing trend of WUE with decreasing elevation,which may be due to the sharp changes in canopy cover over this gradient.Our research suggests that the NPP simulated by Biome-BGC is consistent with field data,and the modeling provides an opportunity to further evaluate interactions between environmental factors and ecosystem productivity.     

Carbon fixation and influencing factors of biological soil crusts in a revegetated area of the Tengger Desert,northern China

Biological soil crusts （BSCs） are an important type of land cover in arid desert landscapes and play an important role in the carbon source-sink exchange within a desert system. In this study, two typical BSCs, moss crusts and algae crusts, were selected from a revegetated sandy area of the Tengger Desert in northern China, and the experiment was carried out over a 3-year period from January 2010 to November 2012. We obtained the effec- tive active wetting time to maintain the physiological activity of BSCs basing on continuous field measurements and previous laboratory studies on BSCs photosynthesis and respiration rates. And then we developed a BSCs carbon fixation model that is driven by soil moisture. The results indicated that moss crusts and algae crusts had significant effects on soil moisture and temperature dynamics by decreasing rainfall infiltration. The mean carbon fixation rates of moss and algae crusts were 0.21 and 0.13 g C/（m2.d）, respectively. The annual carbon fixations of moss crusts and algae crusts were 64.9 and 38.6 g C/（m2.a）, respectively, and the carbon fixation of non-rainfall water reached 11.6 g C/（m2.a） （30.2% of the total） and 8.8 g C/（m2.a） （43.6% of the total）, respectively. Finally, the model was tested and verified with continuous field observations. The data of the modeled and measured CO2 fluxes matched notably well. In desert regions, the carbon fixation is higher with high-frequency rainfall even the total amount of seasonal rainfall was the same.     

Atmospheric deposition of inorganic nitrogen in a semi-arid grassland of Inner Mongolia,China

Due to increasing global demand for crop production and energy use, more and more reactive nitrogen(Nr) has been generated and emitted to the environment. As a result, global atmospheric nitrogen(N) deposition has tripled since the industrial revolution and the ecological environment and human health have been harmed. In this study, we measured dry and wet/bulk N deposition from July 2013 to December 2015 in a semi-arid grassland of Duolun County, Inner Mongolia, China. The samples of dry and wet/bulk N deposition were collected monthly with a DELTA(DEnuder for Long Term Atmospheric sampling) system and with Gradko passive samplers and a precipitation gauge. The measured results show that the annual mean concentrations of NH_3, NO_2, HNO_3, particulate NH_4~+(pNH_4~+) and particulate NO_3~-(pNO_3~-) in atmosphere were 2.33, 1.90, 0.18, 1.42 and 0.42 μg N/m3, respectively, and that the annual mean volume-weighted concentrations of NH_4~+-N and NO_3~--N in precipitation were 2.71 and 1.99 mg N/L, respectively. The concentrations of Nr components(including NH_3, NO_2, HNO_3, p NH_4~+, pNO_3~-, NH_4~+-N and NO_3~--N) exhibited different seasonal variations. Specifically, NO_2 and HNO_3 exhibited higher concentrations in autumn than in summer, while the other Nr components(NH_3, pNH_4~+, pNO_3~-, NH_4~+-N and NO_3~--N) showed the highest values in summer. Based on measured concentrations of Nr components and their deposition velocities estimated using the GEOS-Chem global atmospheric chemical transport model, the calculated annual mean dry deposition fluxes were 3.17, 1.13, 0.63, 0.91 and 0.36 kg N/(hm~2·a) for NH_3, NO_2, HNO_3, p NH_4~+ and pNO_3~-, respectively, and the calculated annual mean wet/bulk deposition fluxes were 5.37 and 3.15 kg N/(hm~2·a) for NH_4~+-N and NO_3~--N, respectively. The estimated annual N deposition(including dry N deposition and wet/bulk N deposition) reached 14.7 kg N/(hm~2·a) in grassland of Duolun County, approaching to the upper limit of the N critical load(10–15 kg N/(hm~2·a)). Dry and wet/bulk deposition fluxes of all Nr components(with an exception of HNO_3) showed similar seasonal variations with the maximum deposition flux in summer and the minimum in winter. Reduced Nr components(e.g., gaseous NH_3 and p NH_4~+ in atmosphere and NH_4~+-N in precipitation) dominated the total N deposition at the sampling site(accounted for 64% of the total N deposition), suggesting that the deposited atmospheric Nr mainly originated from agricultural activities. Considering the projected future increases in crop and livestock production in Inner Mongolia, the ecological and human risks to the negative effects of increased N deposition could be increased if no mitigation measures are taken.     

藏北高寒植被群落物种多样性与土壤环境因子的关系

用样带法研究了藏北高寒植被群落物种多样件及其与土壤环境因子之间的关系,对3类高寒植被多样性指数和7个土壤指标进行相关性分析和回归分析.结果表明:从高寒草原到高寒荒漠植被,群落组成逐渐趋于简单化;土壤环境因子影响多样件指数,高寒植被土壤有机质、全氮、有效氮、全磷和多样性指数及丰富度指数有极显著(P＜0.01)正关系;均匀...     

Livestock induces strong spatial heterogeneity of soil CO_2, N_2O and CH_4 emissions within a semi-arid sylvo-pastoral landscape in West Africa

Greenhouse gas(GHG) emissions from the surface soils and surface water receiving animal excreta may be important components of the GHG balance of terrestrial ecosystems, but the associated processes are poorly documented in tropical environments, especially in tropical arid and semi-arid areas. A typical sylvo-pastoral landscape in the semi-arid zone of Senegal, West Africa, was investigated in this study. The study area(706 km2 of managed pastoral land) was a circular zone with a radius of 15 km centered on a borehole used to water livestock. The landscape supports a stocking rate ranging from 0.11 to 0.39 tropical livestock units per hectare depending on the seasonal movements of the livestock. Six landscape units were investigated(land in the vicinity of the borehole, natural ponds, natural rangelands, forest plantations, settlements, and enclosed plots). Carbon dioxide(CO_2), nitrous oxide(N_2O) and methane(CH_4) fluxes were measured with static chambers set up at 13 sites covering the six landscape units, and the 13 sites are assumed to be representative of the spatial heterogeneity of the emissions. A total of 216 fluxes were measured during the one-year study period(May 2014 to April 2015). At the landscape level, soils and surface water emitted an average 19.8 t C-CO_2 eq/(hm2·a)(CO_2: 82%, N_2O: 15%, and CH_4: 3%), but detailed results revealed notable spatial heterogeneity of GHG emissions. CO_2 fluxes ranged from 1148.2(±91.6) mg/(m2·d) in rangelands to 97,980.2(±14,861.7) mg/(m2·d) in surface water in the vicinity of the borehole. N_2O fluxes ranged from 0.6(±0.1) mg/(m2·d) in forest plantations to 22.6(±10.8) mg/(m2·d) in the vicinity of the borehole. CH_4 fluxes ranged from –3.2(±0.3) mg/(m2·d) in forest plantations to 8788.5(±2295.9) mg/(m2·d) from surface water in the vicinity of the borehole. This study identified GHG emission "hot spots" in the landscape. Emissions from the surface soils were significantly higher in the landscape units most frequently used by the animals, i.e., in the vicinity of the borehole and settlements; and emissions measured from surface water in the vicinity of the borehole and from natural ponds were on average about 10 times higher than soil emissions.     

Volume fractal dimension of soil particles and relationships with soil physical-chemical properties and plant species diversity in an alpine grassland under different disturbance degrees

Fractal geometry is an important method in soil science,and many studies have used fractal theory to examine soil properties and the relationships with other eco-environmental factors.However,there have been few studies examining soil particle volume fractal dimension in alpine grasslands.To study the volume fractal dimension of soil particles(D) and its relationships with soil salt,soil nutrient and plant species diversity,we conducted an experiment on an alpine grassland under different disturbance degrees:non-disturbance(N 0),light disturbance(L),moderate disturbance(M) and heavy disturbance(H).The results showed that(1) Ds varied from 2.573 to 2.635 among the different disturbance degrees and increased with increasing degrees of disturbance.(2) Shannon-Wiener diversity index,Pielou's evenness index and Margalef richness index reached their highest values at the M degree,indicating that moderate disturbance is beneficial to the increase of plant species diversity.(3) In the L and M degrees,there was a significant positive correlation between D and clay content and a significant negative correlation between D and soil organic matter(SOM).In the H degree,D was significantly and positively correlated with total salt(TS).The results suggested that to a certain extent,D can be used to characterize the uniformity of soil texture in addition to soil fertility characteristics.(4) For the L degree,there was a significant negative correlation between D and the Shannon-Wiener diversity index;while for the M degree,there was a significant negative correlation between D and Pielou's evenness index.     

氮添加对天山高寒草原土壤酶活性和酶化学计量特征的影响

为探究氮添加对高寒草原生态系统土壤酶活性的影响,于2018年在中国科学院巴音布鲁克草原生态系统研究站,选择4个氮添加水平(对照,N0,0 kg·hm^-2·a^-1;低氮,N1,10 kg·hm^-2·a^-1;中氮,N3,30 kg·hm^-2·a^-1;高氮,N9,90 kg·hm^-2·a^-1),开展土壤酶活性对氮添加响应的研究,分析土壤酶活性对氮添加的响应特点,土壤酶化学计量比以及土壤酶活性与土壤环境因子的关系。结果表明:与对照相比,氮添加在N3水平显著增加β-1,4葡萄糖苷酶(βG)、β-D-纤维二糖水解酶(CBH)和β-1,4木糖苷酶(βX)酶活性(P<0.05),N1和N3水平显著增加碱性磷酸酶(AKP)活性(P<0.05),N3水平显著降低多酚氧化酶(PPO)活性(P<0.05),氮添加对亮氨酸氨基肽酶(LAP)活性影响不显著,N3水平下显著增加N-乙酰-β-D氨基葡萄糖苷酶(NAG)活性(P<0.05)。相关分析表明,8种土壤酶活性均与土壤有机碳(SOC、NAG除外)和总磷(TP)显著相关,与土壤总氮(TN)不相关。研究区土壤酶活性C∶N∶P化学计量比为1∶1∶1.2,与全球生态系统的土壤酶活性C∶N∶P的比值1∶1∶1相偏离,表明该研究区土壤微生物生长受磷素限制。冗余分析(RDA)进一步揭示出土壤有机碳和土壤全磷含量是影响土壤酶活性的主要因子。     

Grazing alters sandy soil greenhouse gas emissions in a sand-binding area of the Hobq Desert,China

Deserts are sensitive to environmental changes caused by human interference and are prone to degradation. Revegetation can promote the reversal of desertification and the subsequent formation of fixed sand. However, the effects of grazing, which can cause the ground-surface conditions of fixed sand to further deteriorate and result in re-desertification, on the greenhouse gas (GHG) fluxes from soils remain unknown. Herein, we investigated GHG fluxes in the Hobq Desert, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, at the mobile (desertified), fixed (vegetated), and grazed (re-desertified) sites from January 2018 to December 2019. We analyzed the response mechanism of GHG fluxes to micrometeorological factors and the variation in global warming potential (GWP). CO₂ was emitted at an average rate of 4.2, 3.7, and 1.1 mmol/(m²•h) and N₂O was emitted at an average rate of 0.19, 0.15, and 0.09 µmol/(m²•h) at the grazed, fixed, and mobile sites, respectively. Mean CH₄ consumption was as follows: fixed site (2.9 µmol/(m²•h))>grazed site (2.7 µmol/(m²•h))>mobile site (1.1 µmol/(m²•h)). GHG fluxes varied seasonally, and soil temperature (10 cm) and soil water content (30 cm) were the key micrometeorological factors affecting the fluxes. The changes in the plant and soil characteristics caused by grazing resulted in increased soil CO₂ and N₂O emissions and decreased CH₄ absorption. Grazing also significantly increased the GWP of the soil (P<0.05). This study demonstrates that grazing on revegetated sandy soil can cause re-desertification and significantly increase soil carbon and nitrogen leakage. These findings could be used to formulate informed policies on the management and utilization of desert ecosystems.     

Effects of warming and clipping on plant and soil properties of an alpine meadow in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau,China

Climate warming and livestock grazing are known to have great influences on alpine ecosystems like those of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau(QTP) in China. However, it is lacking of studies on the effects of warming and grazing on plant and soil properties in these alpine ecosystems. In this study, we reported the related research from manipulative experiment in 2010–2012 in the QTP. The aim of this study was to investigate the individual and combined effects of warming and clipping on plant and soil properties in the alpine meadow ecosystem. Infrared radiators were used to simulate climate warming starting in July 2010, while clipping was performed once in October 2011 to simulate the local livestock grazing. The experiment was designed as a randomized block consisting of five replications and four treatments: control(CK), warming(W), clipping(C) and warming+clipping combination(WC). The plant and soil properties were investigated in the growing season of the alpine meadow in 2012. The results showed that W and WC treatments significantly decreased relative humidity at 20-cm height above ground as well as significantly increases air temperature at the same height, surface temperature, and soil temperature at the depth of 0–30 cm. However, the C treatment did not significantly decrease soil moisture and soil temperature at the depth of 0–60 cm. Relative to CK, vegetation height and species number increased significantly in W and WC treatment, respectively, while vegetation aboveground biomass decreased significantly in C treatment in the early growing season. However, vegetation cover, species diversity, belowground biomass and soil properties at the depth of 0–30 cm did not differ significantly in W, C and WC treatments. Soil moisture increased at the depth of 40–100 cm in W and WC treatments, while belowground biomass, soil activated carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen increased in the 30–50 cm soil layer in W, C and WC treatments. Although the initial responses of plant and soil properties to experimental warming and clipping were slow and weak, the drought induced by the downward shift of soil moisture in the upper soil layers may induce plant belowground biomass to transfer to the deeper soil layers. This movement would modify the distributions of soil activated carbon, organic carbon and total nitrogen. However, long-term data collection is needed to further explain this interesting phenomenon.     

宁夏CO2、CH4、N2O温室气体排放量估算及减排措施

宁夏2003年排放CO2、CH4、N2O总量1048.4047万吨,较1985年增加了1.91倍。1985年和2003年CO2排放量分别占总排放量97%、98.25%;CO2排放量中煤炭燃烧排放量分别占39.52%、61.17%。农田排放量分别占49.89%、25.69%,秸秆燃烧分别占10.59%、13.14%。大力发展洁净煤技术是主要减排措施,同时要充分利用当地风能、太阳能、生物质能再利用。科学施肥,大力植树造林,增强对CO2的吸收量。     

Degradation leads to dramatic decrease in topsoil but not subsoil root biomass in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau,China

Understanding the effects of degradation on belowground biomass (BGB) is essential for assessment of carbon budget of the alpine meadow ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau, China. This ecosystem has been undergoing serious degradation owing to climate change and anthropogenic activities. This study examined the response of the vertical distribution of plant BGB to degradation and explored the underlying mechanisms in an alpine meadow on the Tibetan Plateau. A field survey was conducted in an alpine meadow with seven sequential degrees of degradation in the Zoige Plateau on the Tibetan Plateau during the peak growing season of 2018. We measured aboveground biomass (AGB), BGB, soil water content (SWC), soil bulk density (SBD), soil compaction (SCOM), soil organic carbon (SOC), soil total nitrogen (STN), soil total phosphorus (STP), soil available nitrogen (SAN), and soil available phosphorus (STP) in the 0-30 cm soil layers. Our results show that degradation dramatically decreased the BGB in the 0-10 cm soil layer (BGB_0-10) but slightly increased the subsoil BGB. The main reason may be that the physical-chemical properties of surface soil were more sensitive to degradation than those of subsoil, as indicated by the remarked positive associations of the trade-off value of BGB_0-10 with SWC, SCOM, SOC, STN, SAN, and STP, as well as the negative correlation between the trade-off value of BGB_0-10 and SBD in the soil layer of 0-10 cm. In addition, an increase in the proportion of forbs with increasing degradation degree directly affected the BGB vertical distribution. The findings suggest that the decrease in the trade-off value of BGB_0-10 in response to degradation might be an adaptive strategy for the degradation-induced drought and infertile soil conditions. This study can provide theoretical support for assessing the effects of degradation on the carbon budget and sustainable development in the alpine meadow ecosystem on the Tibetan Plateau as well as other similar ecosystems in the world.     

Biofilter:a promising tool for mitigating methane emission from manure storage

Liquid manure storage may contribute to methane(CH4) emission and this emission can be greatly reduced if appropriate management practices are applied. Biofiltration has been used in other fields for mitigating greenhouse gas(GHG) emission(e.g.,landfill) and shown promise for mitigation CH4 emission from liquid manure storage. It has been reported that biofilter was capable of reducing 80% of CH4 emissions from manure storage. The CH4 removal efficiency is influenced by many factors,including CH4 and O2 concentrations,temperature,moisture,composition of the filter bed,nutrient,and empty bed residency time(EBRT) . Biological conversion of methane of a biofilter is a slow process due to the low water solubility of methane. The residence times(EBRT) between 5 min and 5 h have been used,whereas a typical EBRT of 25 s is used for common biofilter applications. Temperature at which methanotrophic bacteria are active ranges from 10oC to 45oC. The maximum activity is found at around 30oC. The optimal filter bed water content depends on both the gas flow rate and the type of filter bed(soil,compost,etc.) and ranges from 30%-70% of the water holding capacity. Compost is the best material for filter bed. The optimal pH for methanotrophic bacteria is neutral to slightly acidic. Copper and nitrogen compounds especially nitrate are important nutrients to methanotrophic bacteria but their optimal concentrations have not been founded. Phosphorus and other elements such as potassium and manganese are reported to affect the performance of methanotrophic bacteria but need further confirmation.     

高寒草地西北针茅生长发育特征及与气象因子的关系

利用1999～2009年连续11年的定位观测数据,研究了高寒草地西北针茅的生长发育特征与气象因子的关系。结果表明,在3月中旬,如果气温升高,返青日会推迟,这主要因为高温促使土壤水分蒸发,而土壤干旱阻碍返青;返青后,如果≥0℃的积温不足或累计日照时数不足,针茅的抽穗期会推迟;开花期的当日平均气温在10～20℃,如果抽穗-...     

西安南郊夏季土壤碳排放量的变化研究

根据NaOH溶液吸收CO2 的原理 ,对西安南郊土壤CO2 释放量进行观测 ,并探讨了土壤CO2 释放量的变化规律及其影响因素。资料表明 ,温度升高 ,土壤CO2 释放量增大 ;夏季早晚期土壤CO2 排放量较低 ,夏季中期的月份CO2 排放量较高 ;农田玉米地CO2 排放量较低 ,草地和林地CO2 排放量较大 ;与春秋季相比 ,夏季土壤CO2 排放量较大 ;CO2 排放量在一昼夜内具明显的变化规律性 ,这种规律主要是受温度变化控制的。CO2 排放量变化显示 ,深厚黄土层中土壤微生物夜间活动强度大于白天。     

Effect of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on leaf nutrient concentrations and nutrient resorption efficiency of two dominant alpine grass species

Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) are two essential nutrients that determine plant growth and many nutrient cycling processes. Increasing N and P deposition is an important driver of ecosystem changes. However, in contrast to numerous studies about the impacts of nutrient addition on forests and temperate grasslands, how plant foliar stoichiometry and nutrient resorption respond to N and P addition in alpine grasslands is poorly understood. Therefore, we conducted an N and P addition experiment (involving control, N addition, P addition, and N+P addition) in an alpine grassland on Kunlun Mountains (Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China) in 2016 and 2017 to investigate the changes in leaf nutrient concentrations (i.e., leaf N, Leaf P, and leaf N:P ratio) and nutrient resorption efficiency of Seriphidium rhodanthum and Stipa capillata, which are dominant species in this grassland. Results showed that N addition has significant effects on soil inorganic N (NO₃^--N and NH₄⁺-N) and leaf N of both species in the study periods. Compared with green leaves, leaf nutrient concentrations and nutrient resorption efficiency in senesced leaves of S. rhodanthum was more sensitive to N addition, whereas N addition influenced leaf N and leaf N:P ratio in green and senesced leaves of S. capillata. N addition did not influence N resorption efficiency of the two species. P addition and N+P addition significantly improved leaf P and had a negative effect on P resorption efficiency of the two species in the study period. These influences on plants can be explained by increasing P availability. The present results illustrated that the two species are more sensitive to P addition than N addition, which implies that P is the major limiting factor in the studied alpine grassland ecosystem. In addition, an interactive effect of N+P addition was only discernable with respect to soil availability, but did not affect plants. Therefore, exploring how nutrient characteristics and resorption response to N and P addition in the alpine grassland is important to understand nutrient use strategy of plants in terrestrial ecosystems.