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.     

Soil organic carbon temperature sensitivity of different soil types and land use systems in the Brazilian semi‐arid region

Quantifying the sensitivity of soil organic matter decomposition (SOM) to global warming is critical for predict future impacts of climate change on soil organic carbon stocks (SOC) and soil respiration, especially in semi‐arid regions such as north‐eastern Brazil, where SOC stocks are naturally small. In this study, the responses of the labile and recalcitrant carbon components and soil respiration dynamics were evaluated in three different soil types and land use systems (native vegetation, cropland and pasture) of the Brazilian semi‐arid region, when submitted to temperature increase. After 169 days of incubation, the results showed that an increase of 5°C generated an average increase in CO₂ emission of 12.0%, but which could reach 28.1%. Overall, the labile carbon (LC) in areas of native vegetation showed greater sensitivity to temperature than in cropland areas. It was also observed that recalcitrant carbon (RC) was more sensitive to warming than LC. Our results indicate that Brazil's semi‐arid region presents a substantial vulnerability to global warming, and that the sensitivity of RC and of LC in areas of native vegetation to warming can enhance SOC losses, contributing to positive feedback on climate change, and compromising the productive systems of the region. However, further studies evaluating other types of soil and texture and management systems should be carried out to consolidate the results obtained and to improve the understanding about SOM decomposition in the Brazilian semi‐arid region.     

Carbon quality and the temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon decomposition in a tallgrass prairie

The temperature sensitivity of soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition will influence the accuracy of the quantitative prediction of carbon (C) balance between ecosystem C fixation and decomposition in a warmer world. However, a consensus has not yet been reached on the temperature sensitivity of SOC decomposition with respect to SOC quality. The fundamental principles of enzyme kinetics suggest that temperature sensitivity of decomposition is inversely related to the C quality of the SOC. This “C quality-temperature” hypothesis was tested in a 170-day laboratory experiment by incubating soil samples with changing temperature (low-high-low) at a ±5 °C step every 24 h. Soil samples were collected from a long-term warming experiment in a tallgrass prairie. There were four treatments of soil samples before lab incubation: control (C), warmed (W), field incubation (FI, litter exclusion), and warmed plus field incubation (WFI). Results showed that SOC decomposition rates were influenced by labile organic C (LOC) content, which were low in the soils under field incubation and decreased with increasing lab incubation time. Field warming and field incubation increased the temperature sensitivity of SOC decomposition in the 1st two lab incubation cycles but the treatment effects diminished as decomposition proceeded, probably due to increased contribution of recalcitrant C. In line with the hypothesis, we found that the lower the SOC quality, the higher the Q₁₀ values. This relationship held across treatments and lab incubation cycles, regardless of whether the differences in SOC quality resulted from inherent differences in SOC chemistry or from differences in the extent of SOC decomposition. Treatment effects of field warming and field incubation on SOC quality and Q₁₀ values also negatively correlated with each other. Our results suggest that dynamics of low-quality SOC have the highest potential to impact long-term C stocks in soils. Potential decreases in SOC quality in response to warming and consequent shifting species composition may result in a positive feedback of SOC to climate change in the future.     

Labile, recalcitrant, and microbial carbon and nitrogen pools of a tallgrass prairie soil in the US Great Plains subjected to experimental warming and clipping

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) fluxes are largely controlled by the small but highly bio-reactive, labile pools of these elements in terrestrial soils, while long-term C and N storage is determined by the long-lived recalcitrant fractions. Changes in the size of these pools and redistribution among them in response to global warming may considerably affect the long-term terrestrial C and N storage. However, such changes have not been carefully examined in field warming experiments. This study used sulfuric acid hydrolysis to quantify changes in labile and recalcitrant C and N fractions of soil in a tallgrass prairie ecosystem that had been continuously warmed with or without clipping for about 2.5 years. Warming significantly increased labile C and N fractions in the unclipped plots, resulting in increments of 373 mg C kg⁻¹ dry soil and 15 mg N kg⁻¹ dry soil, over this period whilst clipping significantly decreased such concentrations in the warmed plots. Warming also significantly increased soil microbial biomass C and N in the unclipped plots, and increased ratios of soil microbial/labile C and N, indicating an increase in microbial C- and N-use efficiency. Recalcitrant and total C and N contents were not significantly affected by warming. For all measured pools, only labile and microbial biomass C fractions showed significant interactions between warming and clipping, indicating the dependence of the warming effects on clipping. Our results suggest that increased soil labile and microbial C and N fractions likely resulted indirectly from warming increases in plant biomass input, which may be larger than warming-enhanced decomposition of labile organic compounds.     

Soil aggregation and aggregate-associated organic carbon under typical natural halophyte communities in arid saline areas of Northwest China

Information on the effects of halophyte communities on soil organic carbon(SOC)is useful for sequestrating C in arid regions.In this study,we identified four typical natural halophyte communities in the Manasi River Basin in Xinjiang Province,Northeast China,namely,Karelinia caspia(Pall.)Less.,Bassia dasyphylla(Fisch.et C.A.Mey.)Kuntze,Haloxylon ammodendron(C.A.Mey.)Bunge,and Tamarix ramosissima Lour.We compared soil aggregation and aggregated-associated SOC under these communities.The aggregate fraction of 0.053–0.25 mm accounted for 47%–75%of the total soil mass,significantly more than the>0.25 and<0.053 mm fractions,under all the halophyte communities.Significant differences in soil aggregate size distribution were observed among the plant communities,with the H.ammodendron and B.dasyphylla communities showing the highest proportions of>0.25 mm aggregates(13.3%–43.8%)and T.ramosissima community having more<0.053 mm aggregates(14.1%–27.2%).Aggregate-associated SOC concentrations were generally the highest in the>0.25 mm fraction,followed by the<0.053 mm fraction,and were the lowest in the 0.053–0.25 mm fraction;however,because of their large mass,0.25–0.053 mm aggregates contributed significantly more to the total SOC.Total SOC concentrations(0–60 cm depth)decreased in the order of H.ammodendron(5.7 g kg^-1)>T.ramosissima(4.9 g kg^-1)>K.caspia(4.2 g kg^-1)>B.dasyphylla(3.4 g kg^-1).The H.ammodendron community had the highest total SOC and aggregate-associated SOC,which was primarily because aggregate-associated SOC content at the 0–10 and 10–20 cm depths under this community were higher than those under other plant communities.The H.ammodendron community could be beneficial for increasing SOC in saline soils in the arid region.     

Soil organic carbon quality in forested mineral wetlands at different mean annual temperature

Forested mineral soil wetlands (FMSW) store large stocks of soil organic carbon (SOC), but little is known on: (i) whether the quality of SOC stored in these soils (proportion of active versus more resistant SOC compounds) differs from SOC in upland soils; (ii) how the quality of SOC in FMSW varies with mean annual temperature (MAT); and (iii) whether SOC decomposition rates in these environments respond to warming and drying more strongly than those observed in upland soils. To address this substantial knowledge gap, we identified nine FMSW and fifteen paired upland forest sites across three bioregions in North America (sub-alpine in Colorado; north-temperate in Minnesota; and south-temperate in South Carolina) to test the following three hypotheses. First, FMSW store a higher proportion of active SOC compared with upland systems because long anaerobic periods favor the accumulation of labile substrates. Second, in FMSW, SOC quality decreases from cold to warm bioregions because high quality detritus accumulates preferentially at cool sites where decomposition is slow. Finally, decomposition of SOC in FMSW will respond more strongly to warming under aerobic conditions than SOC from upland forest soils because of higher accumulation of active SOC in FMSW. To test these hypotheses, we incubated FMSW and upland forest soils at two constant temperatures (10 and 30 °C) for 525-d under aerobic conditions and constant moisture. In contrast to our first hypothesis, we observed similarly rapid depletion of active SOC compounds at initial stages of incubation across FMSW and upland sites, and across the 525-d incubations we observed overall lower SOC decomposition rates in our FMSW soils. In line with our second hypothesis, and across FMWS and upland soils, we found greater SOC loss in the sub-alpine bioregion than both temperate regions. In contrast to our last hypothesis, we found no difference in the temperature sensitivity (Q₁₀) of SOC decomposition in FMSW and upland forest soils. Critically, total SOC loss (g SOC per g soil) was larger in FMSW because of the large amount of SOC stored in these ecosystems, indicating that despite a lack of difference between FMSW and upland responses, the total release of C from FMSW that could result from global warming may be large.     

Distribution and controlling factors of soil organic carbon storage in the northeast Tibetan shrublands

Purpose

Although large amounts of soil organic carbon (SOC) stored in the shrublands, information about SOC storage was little on the Tibetan Plateau. This study aims to evaluate the spatial patterns and storage of SOC in the shrublands and the relationships of climatic variables and soil pH on the Tibetan Plateau.

Materials and methods

We used 177 profiles of soil samples obtained from 59 shrubland sites on the northeast Tibetan Plateau from 2011 to 2013. Ordinary least squares regressions, curve estimation, and multiple linear regressions were used to evaluate controlling factors on SOC stock. Kriging interpolation was used to upscale sit-level measurements to the whole study area.

Results and discussion

We found that SOC storage in the northeast Tibetan shrublands was 1.36 Pg C in the top 1 m with an average SOC stock of 12.38 kg m^?2. SOC stock decreased from east to west and south to north but generally increased significantly with the mean annual temperature (MAT) and the mean annual precipitation (MAP), and tended to decrease with soil pH. Although similar relationships were also observed in alpine shrublands, the trends among SOC stock, MAP, and MAT were not observed in desert shrublands. Our results indicate that a reduction in soil pH accelerates the C sequestration potential. Furthermore, global warming contributed to C sequestration in alpine shrublands, specifically, SOC stock increased 8.44 kg m^?2 with an increased unit of MAT in alpine shrublands just considering temperature effects. Meanwhile, the C sequestration was different among different regions due to the uneven increases in precipitation. However, in desert shrublands, MAP and MAT did not significantly affect SOC stock.

Conclusions

The results indicate that though a reduction in soil pH could contribute to C sequestration, MAT and MAP have different effects on SOC stock in different Tibetan Plateau shrublands. Increased MAT and MAP were 0.05 °C and 1.67 mm every year on the Tibetan Plateau, which will increase C sequestration in alpine shrublands, but might have limited impacts on desert shrublands, which help us comprehend soil C cycling in the global climate change scenario.

     

Comparison of forest soil carbon dynamics at five sites along a latitudinal gradient

The aim of this study was to compare the turnover time of labile soil carbon (C), in relation to temperature and soil texture, in several forest ecosystems that are representative of large areas of North America. Carbon and nitrogen (N) stocks, and C:N ratios, were measured in the forest floor, mineral soil, and two mineral soil fractions (particulate and mineral-associated organic matter, POM and MOM, respectively) at five AmeriFlux sites along a latitudinal gradient in the eastern United States. Sampling at four sites was replicated over two consecutive years. With one exception, forest floor and mineral soil C stocks increased from warm, southern sites (with fine-textured soils) to cool, northern sites (with more coarse-textured soils). The exception was a northern site, with less than 10% silt-clay content, that had a soil organic C stock similar to the southern sites. A two-compartment model was used to calculate the turnover time of labile soil organic C (MRT_U) and the annual transfer of labile C to stable C (k₂) at each site. Moving from south to north, MRT_U increased from approximately 5 to 14 years. Carbon-13 enrichment factors (ε), that described the rate of change in δ¹³C through the soil profile, were associated with soil C turnover times. Consistent with its role in stabilization of soil organic C, silt-clay content was positively correlated (r = 0.91; P ≤ 0.001) with parameter k₂. Latitudinal differences in the storage and turnover of soil C were related to mean annual temperature (MAT, °C), but soil texture superseded temperature when there was too little silt and clay to stabilize labile soil C and protect it from decomposition. Each site had a relatively high proportion of labile soil C (nearly 50% to a depth of 20 cm). Depending on unknown temperature sensitivities, large labile pools of forest soil C are at risk of decomposition in a warming climate, and losses could be disproportionately higher from coarse textured forest soils.     

生物炭施用下潮土团聚体微生物量碳氮和酶活性的分布特征

[目的]探究生物炭配施化肥对不同粒级团聚体中微生物量碳、氮(MBC、MBN)含量和胞外酶活性的影响,分析影响团聚体胞外酶活性变化的主控因素,为提升土壤质量提供科学依据.[方法]田间微区试验在河南现代农业研究基地进行,供试土壤为石灰性潮土.设置4个处理:不施肥(CK)、单施化肥(NPK)、单施生物炭(BC)和生物炭配施化...     

气候变化对土壤有机碳库分子结构特征与稳定性影响研究进展

气候变化与土壤碳库之间的相互作用及耦合机制一直是学术界研究的热点与难点。虽然目前在群落—生态系统、区域—全球等不同尺度上开展了大量研究,然而在分子尺度上探究气候因子波动对土壤有机碳库化学结构特征影响机制方面却鲜有研究。本文综述了近年来气候因子变化及其导致的环境、生态因子变化与土壤有机碳库分子结构特征的关系。气温升高不仅将改变土壤中源自植物部分的有机碳来源特征,同时也会将加速土壤木质素等碳组分分解,排水或者旱化引起有机质分解加速,土壤中C=O键增加。植被演替、土壤动物及微生物等与气候变化密的切相关的生态因子则会影响输入土壤植被残体性质,加速糖类、脂类及木质素分解、并改变有机碳结构的生物分子标志物;土壤中有机碳稳定性与分子结构特征密切相关,土壤中具有高的苯环结构(芳香族化合物)及O-烷基碳通常表明土壤碳库具有更高的稳定性,而之前认为较为稳定的木质素等结构在气候变暖背景下可能并不稳定。未来研究中应着重关注与土壤有机碳分子标志物的识别与生态意义判读、生物对土壤有机碳分子结构转换过程的调控作用及机制、大尺度环境/生态过程与碳库分子结构转变的耦合机制及新的土壤有机碳分子结构辨识技术及判读等方面的研究。     

Land‐use effects on the distribution of soil organic carbon within particle‐size fractions of volcanic soils in the Transmexican Volcanic Belt (Mexico)

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of land‐use and forest cover depletion on the distribution of soil organic carbon (SOC) within particle‐size fractions in a volcanic soil. Emphasis was given to the thermal properties of soils. Six representative sites in Mexico were selected in an area dominated by Andosols: a grassland site, four forested sites with different levels of degradation and an agricultural site. Soils were fractionated using ultrasonic energy until complete dispersion was achieved. The particle‐size fractions were coarse sand, fine sand, silt, clay and particulate organic matter from the coarse sand sized fraction (POM‐CS) and fine sand (POM‐FS). Soil organic carbon decreased by 70% after forest conversion to cropland and long‐term cultivation; forest cover loss resulted in a decrease in SOC of up to 60%. The grassland soil contained 45% more SOC than the cropland one. Soil organic carbon was mainly associated with the silt‐size fraction; the most sensitive fractions to land‐use change and forest cover depletion were POM followed by SOC associated with the silt and clay‐sized fractions. Particulate organic matter can be used as an early indicator of SOC loss. The C lost from the clay and silt‐sized fractions was thermally labile; therefore, the SOC stored in the more degraded forest soils was more recalcitrant (thermally resistant). Only the transformation of forest to agricultural land produced a similar loss of thermally stable C associated with the silt‐sized fraction.     

Enhancing crop productivity for recarbonizing soil

Plants capture atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO₂) for carbon (C) assimilation through photosynthesis, with the photosynthates stored as plant biomass (above- and below-ground plant parts). The C stored as living biomass is a short-term C sequestration strategy, whereas soil organic carbon (SOC) is a long-term C sequestration strategy. In this regard, plant roots are the primary route of C entry into the SOC pool. Through establishing a recalcitrant SOC pool, long-term sequestration can potentially offset the C losses caused by soil degradation in industrial and pre-industrial eras. Over the next 50–100 years, implementing effective agricultural practices could sequester 80–130 GT (10⁹) C as SOC. Carbon, as the primary elemental component of soil organic matter, plays a significant role in shaping the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties, ultimately influencing soil biomass productivity. By enhancing crop productivity and biomass production, farmers can increase C sequestration, creating a positive feedback loop that contributes to overall C sequestration. Carbon sequestration has numerous co-benefits, including climate change mitigation, ecosystem health, food security, and farm profitability. Adopting conservation agriculture and site-specific practices and developing crop and pasture genotypes with high yields and C sequestration potential should significantly improve crop productivity and C sequestration simultaneously. This opinion article delves into the nexus between photosynthesis and soil C sequestration, highlighting its significance in enhancing farm productivity while mitigating climate change.     

不同肥力红壤水稻土根际团聚体组成和碳氮分布动态

研究水稻种植期间表层土壤团聚体数量及其有机碳、全氮含量的变化,对揭示人为耕作的影响、认知土壤肥力的演变规律具有重要意义。选择两种不同肥力的红壤性水稻土进行田间根袋试验,分别于水稻插秧前、分蘖期、孕穗期和成熟期采样,分析了水稻生长过程中根际和非根际土壤团聚体组成、稳定性以及有机碳、全氮分布的动态变化。结果表明,低肥力土壤团聚体以0.25 mm大团聚体为主(56.2%~64.0%),0.25~1 mm粒级团聚体含量最高;除1~2 mm粒级外,水稻生育期内根际土壤各粒级团聚体含量均有显著变化;取样时期、根际作用与取样时期的交互效应对0.25~1 mm和0.053~0.25 mm粒级含量有显著影响。高肥力土壤中以0.25 mm微团聚体为主(59.8%~72.0%),0.053~0.25 mm粒级团聚体比例最高,取样时期显著影响0.25 mm大团聚体含量,根际作用与取样时期的交互效应对2 mm粒级含量有极显著影响。与非根际相比,根际土壤大团聚体的破坏率较低,平均重量直径(MWD)较高,种植水稻有助于提高根际土壤的稳定性。两种肥力土壤团聚体中有机碳和全氮含量均表现为1~2 mm粒级最高,0.053~0.25 mm粒级最低,大团聚体中显著高于微团聚体。根际土壤中,水稻成熟期各粒级团聚体有机碳含量与插秧前无显著差异,而分蘖期和孕穗期有明显波动;水稻的生长降低了大团聚体中的全氮含量,对高肥力土壤的影响更为显著。总体而言,低肥力土壤中,根际作用主要影响团聚体组成和稳定性,取样时期影响团聚体碳氮含量;高肥力土壤中,团聚体组成和碳氮分布受根际作用和取样时期的共同影响。     

Effects of global change and human disturbance on soil carbon cycling in boreal forest: A review

Increasing human demands for Earth’s resources are hastening many environmental changes and creating a need to incorporate the routine monitoring of ecosystem functions into forest management.Under global change and anthropogenic disturbances,soil carbon (C) cycling in terrestrial ecosystems is undergoing substantial changes that result in the transformation between soil C sources and sinks.Therefore,the forest C budget requires an understanding of the underlying soil C dynamic under environment...     

秸秆还田对盐渍土团聚体稳定性及碳氮含量的影响

以黄河三角洲典型盐化潮土为研究对象,分析了3种盐渍化程度(轻度、中度、重度)和3 a连续秸秆还田下土壤水稳性团聚体组成、稳定性以及各级团聚体C、N含量的变化。研究结果表明:重度盐渍土0.25～2 mm和0.053～0.25 mm团聚体所占比例显著低于轻度和中度盐渍土;土壤盐分含量与0.25～2mm团聚体中有机碳和全氮的分配比例、0.053～0.25 mm团聚体中全氮的分配比例成显著负相关。秸秆还田使轻度盐渍土平均重量直径(MWD)、几何平均直径(GMD)和0.25 mm团聚体所占比例(R0.25)分别增加47.6%、39.7%和54.0%,使中度盐渍土MWD、GMD和R0.25分别增加31.0%、31.9%和31.4%;各粒级中秸秆还田使轻度盐渍土0.053～0.25 mm粒级有机碳和全氮含量增加最多,增加比例分别为29.1%和28.8%,该粒级中C、N分配比例也显著提高;秸秆还田使中度盐渍土0.25～2 mm团聚体有机碳及其分配比例提高最多,比例分别为56.1%和58.7%。秸秆还田对轻度和中度盐渍土团聚体的稳定性均起到了明显的改善作用,但不同盐渍土秸秆还田对土壤团聚体C、N分布的影响明显不同。     

镉在超富集植物滇苦菜叶子中细胞耐受性,镉的积累和分配研究

Climate change and elevated atmospheric CO2 should affect the dynamics of soil organic carbon (SOC). SOC dynamics under uncertain patterns of climate warming and elevated atmospheric CO2 as well as with different soil erosion extents at Nelson Farm during 1998-2100 were simulated using stochastic modelling. Results based on numerous simulations showed that SOC decreased with elevated atmospheric temperature but increased with atmospheric CO2 concentration. Therefore, there was a counteract effect on SOC dynamics between climate warming and elevated CO2 . For different soil erosion extents, warming 1 C and elevated atmospheric CO2 resulted in SOC increase at least 15%, while warming 5 C and elevated CO2 resulted in SOC decrease more than 29%. SOC predictions with uncertainty assessment were conducted for different scenarios of soil erosion, climate change, and elevated CO2 . Statistically, SOC decreased linearly with the probability. SOC also decreased with time and the degree of soil erosion. For example, in 2100 with a probability of 50%, SOC was 1 617, 1 167, and 892 g m 2 , respectively, for no, minimum, and maximum soil erosion. Under climate warming 5 C and elevated CO2 , the soil carbon pools became a carbon source to the atmosphere (P > 95%). The results suggested that stochastic modelling could be a useful tool to predict future SOC dynamics under uncertain climate change and elevated CO2 .     

Snow removal alters soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity in a Tibetan alpine forest

Projected future decreases in snow cover associated with global warming in alpine ecosystems could affect soil biochemical cycling. To address the objectives how an altered snow removal could affect soil microbial biomass and enzyme activity related to soil carbon and nitrogen cycling and pools, plastic film coverage and returning of melt snow water were applied to simulate the absence of snow cover in a Tibetan alpine forest of western China. Soil temperature and moisture, nutrient availability, microbial biomass and enzyme activity were measured at different periods (before snow cover, early snow cover, deep snow cover, snow cover melting and early growing season) over the entire 2009/2010 winter. Snow removal increased the daily variation of soil temperature, frequency of freeze–thaw cycle, soil frost depth, and advanced the dates of soil freezing and melting, and the peak release of inorganic N. Snow removal significantly decreased soil gravimetric water, ammonium and inorganic N, and activity of soil invertase and urease, but increased soil nitrate, dissolve organic C (DOC) and N (DON), and soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN). Our results suggest that a decreased snow cover associated with global warming may advance the timing of soil freezing and thawing as well as the peak of releases of nutrients, leading to an enhanced nutrient leaching before plant become active. These results demonstrate that an absence of snow cover under global warming scenarios will alter soil microbial activities and hence element biogeochemical cycling in alpine forest ecosystems.     

Labile,recalcitrant, microbial carbon and nitrogen and the microbial community composition at two Abies faxoniana forest elevations under elevated temperatures

We investigated the interactions of altitude and artificial warming on the soil microbial community structure in a subalpine Abies faxoniana forest in southwestern China after four years of warming. Open top chambers (OTCs) at two elevations (3000 m and 3500 m) were established, and their soil microbial characteristics, organic carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) were measured. The microbial community structure was quantified by phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis. A two-step sulfuric acid hydrolysis was used to quantify the labile and recalcitrant C fractions in the soil organic matter. The results showed that bacterial PLFAs and gram-negative bacterial PLFAs increased and the fungal PLFAs and the fungi/bacteria ratio decreased with warming at the high altitude. By contrast, the warming effects on those parameters at low altitude were small. The higher proportion of labile easily decomposable soil C may explain the different responses of the microbial community composition at the two altitudes. An RDA analysis confirmed that the variations in the soil community structure were significantly associated with soil organic matter properties such as the sizes of the soil labile N pool (LP-N), the recalcitrant N pool (RP-N), and the labile C pool as well as dissolved organic C (DOC) and dissolved organic N concentrations (DON). Our results also showed that labile C and N pools increased with the altitude, but the microbial biomass C as measured with chloroform fumigation techniques decreased. Warming increased only the recalcitrant C pools at the high altitude. Given the longer mean residence time for recalcitrant C and the much greater size of this soil organic carbon pool, the results indicated that a rise in temperature in our case increased soil C pools at higher altitudes, at least during the early stages of experimental soil warming. Warming could also cause changes in the composition of the microbial community and enzyme activities, consequently leading to functional changes in soil ecosystem processes at the high altitude.     

Decomposition temperature sensitivity of isolated soil organic matter fractions

The general consensus is that a warming climate will result in the acceleration of soil organic matter (SOM) decomposition, thus acting as a potential positive feedback mechanism. However, the debate over the relative temperature sensitivity of labile versus recalcitrant SOM has not been fully resolved. We isolated acid hydrolysis residues to represent a recalcitrant pool of SOM and particulate organic matter (POM) to represent a labile pool of SOM, and incubated each at different temperatures to determine temperature sensitivity of decomposition. Short-term incubations of POM generated results consistent with published experiments (i.e., greater proportion of C respired and lower Q₁₀ than whole soil), while incubations of acid hydrolysis residues did not. The contrasting results illustrate the difficulty in assessing temperature sensitivity of labile versus stable SOM decomposition, partly because of the inability to quantitatively isolate labile versus stable SOM pools and to be sufficiently certain that respiration responses to temperature are not masked by processes such as enhanced stabilization or microbial inhibition/adaptation. Further study on the temperature sensitivity of decomposition of isolated SOM fractions is necessary to better explain and predict temperature responses of bulk SOM decomposition.     

不同植被覆盖对养分在土壤水稳性团聚体中分布特征的影响

研究了重庆缙云山不同植被覆盖下土壤结构的稳定性,以及土壤有机碳和养分在水稳性团聚体中的分布特征.结果表明:不同植被覆盖对土壤水稳性团聚体的分布和土壤结构稳定性有显著影响.竹林土壤>0.25 mm水稳性团聚体含量以及土壤结构的稳定性显著低于马尾松林和草地土壤.植被覆盖对养分在土壤水稳性团聚体中的分布模式没有显著影响,在>2mm水稳性团聚体和<0.053 mm粒级的粉砂与粘粒组分中,有机碳、全氮、全磷以及交换性K~+、Na~+、Ca~(2+)、Mg~(2+)的浓度最高;地表植被覆盖的变化对有机碳、全氮、全磷和交换性盐基离子在各粒级水稳性团聚体中的含量产生显著影响,草地和竹林土壤有机碳和全氮显著高于马尾松林土壤,主要表现在0.25-0.053 mm粒级水稳性团聚体中有机碳和全氮含量,草地和竹林土壤显著高于马尾松林土壤;而草地土壤>2 mm水稳性团聚体和<0.053 mm粒级的粉砂与粘粒组分中的磷显著高于马尾松林和草地土壤.不同植被覆盖下土壤水稳性团聚体中交换性盐基离子均以Ca~(2+)、Mg~(2+)为主,占交换性盐基总量(Total exchangeable bases TEB)的91.8%～92.9%.草地土壤各个粒级的TEB都要大于其他两种植被覆盖下的土壤.