Litter decomposition and C and N dynamics as affected by N additions in a semi-arid temperate steppe,Inner Mongolia of China

Litter decomposition is the fundamental process in nutrient cycling and soil carbon（C） sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. The global-wide increase in nitrogen（N） inputs is expected to alter litter decomposition and,ultimately, affect ecosystem C storage and nutrient status. Temperate grassland ecosystems in China are usually N-deficient and particularly sensitive to the changes in exogenous N additions. In this paper, we conducted a 1,200-day in situ experiment in a typical semi-arid temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia to investigate the litter decomposition as well as the dynamics of litter C and N concentrations under three N addition levels（low N with 50 kg N/（hm2？a）（LN）, medium N with 100 kg N/（hm2？a）（MN）, and high N with 200 kg N/（hm2？a）（HN）） and three N addition forms（ammonium-N-based with 100 kg N/（hm2？a） as ammonium sulfate（AS）, nitrate-N-based with 100 kg N/（hm2？a） as sodium nitrate（SN）, and mixed-N-based with 100 kg N/（hm2？a） as calcium ammonium nitrate（CAN）） compared to control with no N addition（CK）. The results indicated that the litter mass remaining in all N treatments exhibited a similar decomposition pattern： fast decomposition within the initial 120 days, followed by a relatively slow decomposition in the remaining observation period（120–1,200 days）. The decomposition pattern in each treatment was fitted well in two split-phase models, namely, a single exponential decay model in phase I（〈398 days） and a linear decay function in phase II（≥398 days）. The three N addition levels exerted insignificant effects on litter decomposition in the early stages（〈398 days, phase I; P〉0.05）. However, MN and HN treatments inhibited litter mass loss after 398 and 746 days, respectively（P〈0.05）. AS and SN treatments exerted similar effects on litter mass remaining during the entire decomposition period（P〉0.05）. The effects of these two N addition forms differed greatly from those of CAN aft     

Ecological stoichiometry and biomass response of Agropyron michnoi Roshev. under simulated N deposition in a sandy grassland,China

Sandy grassland in northern China is a fragile ecosystem with poor soil fertility. Exploring how plant species regulate growth and nutrient absorption under the background of nitrogen (N) deposition is crucial for the management of the sandy grassland ecosystem. We carried out a field experiment with six N levels in the Hulunbuir Sandy Land of China from 2014 to 2016 and explored the Agropyron michnoi Roshev. responses of both aboveground and belowground biomasses and carbon (C), N and phosphorus (P) concentrations in the plant tissues and soil. With increasing N addition, both aboveground and belowground biomasses and C, N and P concentrations in the plant tissues increased and exhibited a single-peak curve. C:N and C:P ratios of the plant tissues first decreased but then increased, while the trend for N:P ratio was opposite. The peak values of aboveground biomass, belowground biomass and C concentration in the plant tissues occurred at the level of 20 g N/(m²·a), while those of N and P concentrations in the plant tissues occurred at the level of 15 g N/(m²·a). The maximum growth percentages of aboveground and belowground biomasses were 324.2% and 75.9%, respectively, and the root to shoot ratio (RSR) decreased with the addition of N. N and P concentrations in the plant tissues were ranked in the order of leaves>roots>stems, while C concentration was ranked as roots>leaves>stems. The increase in N concentration in the plant tissues was the largest (from 34% to 162%), followed by the increase in P (from 10% to 33%) and C (from 8% to 24%) concentrations. The aboveground biomass was positively and linearly correlated with leaf C, N and P, and soil C and N concentrations, while the belowground biomass was positively and linearly correlated with leaf N and soil C concentrations. These results showed that the accumulation of N and P in the leaves caused the increase in the aboveground biomass, while the accumulation of leaf N resulted in the increase in the belowground biomass. N deposition can alter the allocation of C, N and P stoichiometry in the plant tissues and has a high potential for increasing plant biomass, which is conducive to the restoration of sandy grassland.     

农牧交错带不同植被群落对土壤微生物量碳氮磷的影响

为了解荒漠化土地植被恢复对土壤微生物量的影响,以地处毛乌素沙地南缘的榆林市沙生植物园植被恢复30年的乔木、灌木和草地3种植被群落下土壤为研究对象,分析了植被恢复对土壤微生物量碳、氮、磷含量及比值的影响及其与土壤理化性质的相关性。结果表明,农牧交错带荒漠化土地植被恢复可以明显提高表层土壤微生物碳、氮、磷的含量。土壤微生物量碳以灌木林地为最高,含量为288.35 mg·kg-1,显著高于草地和乔木,分别是乔木林地和草地的3.99和2.10倍;土壤微生物磷在三种植被群落间差异不明显;三种植被群落下土壤微生物碳氮比的高低为乔木林地草地灌木林地,土壤微生物碳磷比表现为草地略高于乔木林地和灌木林地。相关性分析结果显示微生物量碳、氮、磷与土壤理化性质相关性极为密切,其中与土壤养分各指标大多呈现极显著相关,与土壤容重多为极显著负相关。说明土壤微生物量可以作为评价土壤质量的生物学指标。     

Effects of long-term warming on the aboveground biomass and species diversity in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau of China

Ecosystems in high-altitude regions are more sensitive and respond more rapidly than other ecosystems to global climate warming.The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)of China is an ecologically fragile zone that is sensitive to global climate warming.It is of great importance to study the changes in aboveground biomass and species diversity of alpine meadows on the QTP under predicted future climate warming.In this study,we selected an alpine meadow on the QTP as the study object and used infrared radiators as the warming device for a simulation experiment over eight years(2011-2018).We then analyzed the dynamic changes in aboveground biomass and species diversity of the alpine meadow at different time scales,including an early stage of warming(2011-2013)and a late stage of warming(2016-2018),in order to explore the response of alpine meadows to short-term(three years)and long-term warming(eight years).The results showed that the short-term warming increased air temperature by 0.31℃and decreased relative humidity by 2.54%,resulting in the air being warmer and drier.The long-term warming increased air temperature and relative humidity by 0.19℃and 1.47%,respectively,and the air tended to be warmer and wetter.The short-term warming increased soil temperature by 2.44℃and decreased soil moisture by 12.47%,whereas the long-term warming increased soil temperature by 1.76℃and decreased soil moisture by 9.90%.This caused the shallow soil layer to become warmer and drier under both short-term and long-term warming.Furthermore,the degree of soil drought was alleviated with increased warming duration.Under the long-term warming,the importance value and aboveground biomass of plants in different families changed.The importance values of grasses and sedges decreased by 47.56%and 3.67%,respectively,while the importance value of weeds increased by 1.37%.Aboveground biomass of grasses decreased by 36.55%,while those of sedges and weeds increased by 8.09%and 15.24%,respectively.The increase in temperature had a non-significant effect on species diversity.The species diversity indices increased at the early stage of warming and decreased at the late stage of warming,but none of them reached significant levels(P>0.05).Species diversity had no significant correlation with soil temperature and soil moisture under both short-term and long-term warming.Soil temperature and aboveground biomass were positively correlated in the control plots(P=0.014),but negatively correlated under the long-term warming(P=0.013).Therefore,eight years of warming aggravated drought in the shallow soil layer,which is beneficial for the growth of weeds but not for the growth of grasses.Warming changed the structure of alpine meadow communities and had a certain impact on the community species diversity.Our studies have great significance for the protection and effective utilization of alpine vegetation,as well as for the prevention of grassland degradation or desertification in high-altitude regions.     

新垦淡灰钙土微生物生物量碳、氮、磷及玉米产量的研究

通过设置在宁夏红寺堡灌区开垦4 a的淡灰钙土上的定位试验,研究了不同施肥对新垦淡灰钙土微生物生物量碳、氮、磷及玉米产量的影响。结果表明:各施肥处理可以明显提高土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷含量,不同处理相比,化肥配合羊粪效果最好,单施羊粪次之,单施化肥最低;与对照相比各施肥处理对玉米的增产效果极显著,各处理作用效果的排序为:氮磷 羊粪>氮磷锌钾>氮磷锌>氮磷>氮>羊粪>不施肥,氮磷 羊粪处理与单施氮肥和单施羊粪之间差异达极显著水平。化肥与有机肥羊粪配合施用既能显著增加土壤微生物生物量碳、氮、磷含量又能使玉米产量显著提高,因此是新垦淡灰钙土施肥的最佳选择。土壤微生物量碳与有机碳呈极显著正相关,与全氮呈显著正相关,表明其与土壤肥力关系密切,可作为评价新垦地土壤质量变化的生物学指标。     

Effects of grassland management on the community structure,aboveground biomass and stability of a temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia,China

Plant community structure responds strongly to anthropogenic disturbances, which greatly influence community stability. The changes in community structure, aboveground biomass(AGB), biodiversity and community stability associated with different management practices were studied with a three-year field investigation in a temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. The species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, evenness, plant functional type abundance, AGB, temporal community stability, summed covariance, scaling coefficient and dominant species stability were compared among areas subjected to long-term reservation(R), long-term grazing(G), mowing since enclosure in 2008(M) and grazing enclosure since 2008(E). Site R had higher perennial grass abundance and lower species richness than sites G, M and E, although the AGB was not significantly different among the four sites. The species structure varied from a single dominant species at site R to multiple dominant species at sites G, M and E. The long-term reservation grassland had lower biodiversity but higher stability, whereas the enclosed grassland with/without mowing had higher biodiversity but lower stability. Different stability mechanisms, such as the compensatory dynamics, mean-variance scaling and dominant species stability were examined. Results showed that community stability was most closely related to the relative stability of the dominant species, which supports the biomass ratio hypothesis proposed by Grime.     

Interactive effects of soil temperature and moisture on soil N mineralization in a Stipa krylovii grassland in Inner Mongolia,China

Determining soil N mineralization response to soil temperature and moisture changes is challenging in the field due to complicated effects from other factors. In the laboratory, N mineralization is highly dependent on temperature, moisture and sample size. In this study, a laboratory incubation experiment was carefully designed and conducted under controlled conditions to examine the effects of soil temperature and moisture on soil N mineralization using soil samples obtained from the Stipa krylovii grassland in Inner Mongolia, China. Five temperature(i.e. 9°C, 14°C, 22°C, 30°C and 40°C) and five moisture levels(i.e. 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% WHC, where WHC is the soil water holding capacity) were included in a full-factorial design. During the 71-day incubation period, microbial biomass carbon(MBC), ammonium nitrogen(NH4 +-N) and nitrate nitrogen(NO3--N) were measured approximately every 18 days; soil basal respiration for qCO2 index was measured once every 2 days(once a week near the end of the incubation period). The results showed that the mineral N production and net N mineralization rates were positively correlated with temperature; the strongest correlation was observed for temperatures between 30°C and 40°C. The relationships between moisture levels and both the mineral N production and net N mineralization rates were quadratic. The interaction between soil temperature and moisture was significant on N mineralization, i.e. increasing temperatures(moisture) enhanced the sensitivity of N mineralization to moisture(temperature). Our results also showed a positive correlation between the net nitrification rate and temperature, while the correlation between the NH4 +-N content and temperature was insignificant. The net nitrification rate was negatively correlated with high NH4 +-N contents at 80%–100% WHC, suggesting an active denitrification in moist conditions. Moreover, qCO2 index was positively correlated with temperature, especially at 80% WHC. With a low net nitrification rate and high soil basal respiration rate, it was likely that the denitrification concealed the microbial gross mineralization activity; therefore, active soil N mineralization occurred in 60%–80% WHC conditions.     

呼伦贝尔天然草地地貌部位对土层厚度和土壤水分的影响

草原开垦破坏草地植被,并且破坏了整个草原的生态环境,这已取得共识。然而,目前还有人想开垦呼伦贝尔天然草地来追求短期的利益。通过调查一个天然草地坡面的土层厚度和土壤水分,分析天然草地地貌部位对土层厚度和土壤水分的影响,以此为根据来阐述开垦天然草地的利害。结果表明:上部样点含水量低,坡脚和坡底样点含水量依次增加;黑土层保水性好,黄粘土层透水性差,砂土层保水性很差;坡面80%的面积黑土层小于或等于30cm,开垦压实以后厚度只能满足暂时耕作的需要。呼伦贝尔草原地形起伏较大,干旱且多大风,易发生土壤侵蚀。开垦以后将会失去保水性好的黑土层,那时,呼伦贝尔草原前景甚忧。因此,建议不应开垦呼伦贝尔草原,并给与适当保护。     

Crop yields and soil organic carbon dynamics in a long-term fertilization experiment in an extremely arid region of northern Xinjiang,China

A long-term fertilization experiment was set up in northern Xinjiang, China to evaluate the dynamics of crop production and soil organic carbon(SOC) from 1990 to 2012 with seven fertilization treatments. The seven treatments included an unfertilized control(CK) and six different combinations of phosphorus(P), potassium(K), nitrogen(N), straw(S) and animal manure(M). The balanced fertilization treatments had significantly(P0.05) higher average yields than the unbalanced ones. The treatment with 2/3 N from potassium sulfate(NPK) and 1/3 N from farmyard manure(NPKM) had a higher average yield than the other treatments. The average yields(over the 23 years) in the treatments of NPK, and urea, calcium superphosphate(NP) did not differ significantly(P0.05) but were higher than that in the treatment with urea and potassium sulfate(NK; P0.05). The results also show that the highest increases in SOC(P0.05) occurred in NPKM with a potential increase of 1.2 t C/(hm~2·a). The increase in SOC was only 0.31, 0.30 and 0.12 t C/(hm~2·a) for NPKS(9/10 N from NPK and 1/10 N from straw), NPK and NP, respectively; and the SOC in the NP, NK and CK treatments were approaching equilibrium and so did not rise or fall significantly over the 23-year experiment. A complete NPK plus manure fertilization program is recommended for this extremely arid region to maximize both yields and carbon sequestration.     

围栏禁牧对毛乌素沙地土壤理化特征的影响

过度放牧导致干旱半干旱区毛乌素沙地草地严重退化。通过禁牧措施排除放牧干扰,使草地自然恢复,作为一种低投入的措施在世界各国退化草地生态系统恢复中得到广泛采用。文中对毛乌素沙地三种不同管理类型(持续放牧、围栏5年和围栏16年)土壤理化性状进行了研究,研究结果显示:围栏禁牧5年对0～30cm土壤颗粒组成和容重没有显著影响;围栏禁牧16年0～10cm土壤容重显著小于持续放牧区,而极细沙、粉粒和粘粒含量显著高于持续放牧区;围栏5年显著增加了0～5cm土壤有机碳,而0～30cm的全氮均没有显著增加。围栏16年土壤有机碳较放牧区在0～5cm、5～10cm、10～30cm分别显著增加了231%、81%、55%;全氮含量的变化趋势与之相同。结果表明,围栏5年对土壤粘粉粒、全氮含量的恢复基本没有效果;围栏16年能显著增加表层土壤粘粉粒含量和有机碳、全氮,但土壤碳、氮水平还是在比较低的水平(有机碳:4.30g.kg-1;全氮:0.74g.kg-1),即长期禁牧可以逐渐改善土壤质地和提高土壤肥力。研究结果为半干旱退化沙质草地生态系统的恢复、重建及管理提供科学依据。     

Characteristics of soil organic carbon and total nitrogen under various grassland types along a transect in a mountain-basin system in Xinjiang,China

Soil organic carbon(SOC) and soil total nitrogen(STN) in arid regions are important components of global C and the N cycles, and their response to climate change will have important implications for both ecosystem processes and global climate feedbacks. Grassland ecosystems of Funyun County in the southern foot of the Altay Mountains are characterized by complex topography, suggesting large variability in the spatial distribution of SOC and STN. However, there has been little investigation of SOC and STN on grasslands in arid regions with a mountain-basin structure. Therefore, we investigated the characteristics of SOC and STN in different grassland types in a mountain-basin system at the southern foot of the Altai Mountains, north of the Junggar Basin in China, and explored their potential influencing factors and relationships with meteorological factors and soil properties. We found that the concentrations and storages of SOC and STN varied significantly with grassland type, and showed a decreasing trend along a decreasing elevation gradient in alpine meadow, mountain meadow, temperate typical steppe, temperate steppe desert, and temperate steppe desert. In addition, the SOC and STN concentrations decreased with depth, except in the temperate desert steppe. According to Pearson's correlation values and redundancy analysis, the mean annual precipitation, soil moisture content and soil available N concentration were significantly positively correlated with the SOC and STN concentrations. In contrast, the mean annual temperature, p H, and soil bulk density were significantly and negatively correlated with the SOC and STN concentrations. The mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature were the primary factors related to the SOC and STN concentrations. The distributions of the SOC and STN concentrations were highly regulated by the elevation-induced differences in meteorological factors. Mean annual precipitation and mean annual temperature together explained 97.85% and 98.38% of the overall variations in the SOC and STN concentrations, respectively, at soil depth of 0–40 cm, with precipitation making the greatest contribution. Our results provide a basis for estimating and predicting SOC and STN concentrations in grasslands in arid regions with a mountain-basin structure.     

Effects of different mulching patterns on soil moisture,temperature, and maize yield in a semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau,China

A study was conducted in the semi-arid region of the Loess Plateau in China to identify an alternative material for use instead of plastic film under maize crops. Plastic film (PMW), straw (SMW), and biodegradable film (BMW) were used for mulching throughout the whole season (fallow and growth periods), in addition to straw for mulching (SMF) only during the fallow period. The results showed that PMW and BMW treatments retained 17 mm and 11 mm more water, respectively, than the mean value of both SMW and SMF treatments, and 53 mm and 38 mm more water than nonmulching (NM) treatment during the fallow period. PMW and BMW treatments increased the soil water and temperature during the early growth stage of maize and significantly improved the dry matter accumulation. Under PMW and BMW treatments, the yield improved by 4.6–6.4 Mg ha^?1 and 2.3–2.8 Mg ha^?1, and the net income increased by 1166 USD ha^?1 and 372 USD ha^?1 compared with NM treatment, respectively. SMW treatment led to poor growth and yield reductions of 3.7 Mg ha^?1 due to the lower temperature, whereas SMF treatment had no significant effects on the yield (P > 0.05). High water consumption with PMW treatment reduced the water supply capacity at the end of the season, and resulted in soil water deficit during 2015, indicating that high yields might not be sustained in the long-term. Therefore, BMW treatment is recommended as an effective method for increasing the maize yield and maintaining the balance of soil water in semi-arid areas.     

Manipulated precipitation regulated carbon and phosphorus limitations of microbial metabolisms in a temperate grassland on the Loess Plateau,China

Manipulated precipitation patterns can profoundly influence the metabolism of soil microorganisms. However, the responses of soil organic carbon(SOC) and nutrient turnover to microbial metabolic limitation under changing precipitation conditions remain unclear in semi-arid ecosystems. This study measured the potential activities of enzymes associated with carbon(C: β-1,4-glucosidase(BG) and β-D-cellobiosidase(CBH)), nitrogen(N: β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase(NAG) and L-leucine aminopeptidase(LAP)...     

C/N比对好氧堆肥中NH3挥发损失和含氮有机物转化的影响

利用牛粪和不同比例玉米秸秆的混合,设置5个不同C/N比处理(T1=15、T2=20、T3=25、T4=30、T5=35),研究其对条垛式好氧堆肥过程中的NH₃挥发损失和含氮有机物转化的影响。结果表明:在肥堆前24 d有11.1%～23.1%的总氮损失,堆体C/N比越低,总氮损失率越高。堆肥结束时,T1～T5处理的总氮损失率为10.1%～24.1%,其中由NH₃挥发造成的氮损失占总氮损失的30.9%～40.5%。堆肥过程的NH₃挥发主要发生在升温期和高温期,此期的NH₃挥发量占总挥发量的95%以上,是总氮损失的主要途径。堆肥前6 d各处理堆体铵态氮积累并达到最高值,导致pH值迅速升高,是造成堆肥NH₃挥发的直接原因。堆体C/N比越低,pH值越高,NH₃挥发量越大,由此造成的氮损失占总氮损失的比例越大。堆肥材料总氮的90%以上为有机氮,其降解主要发生在堆肥前24 d,堆体初始C/N比越低,有机氮矿化越快。不同有机氮组分的降解速率不同,以氨基酸态氮和酰胺态氮的降...     

Effects of vegetation near-soil-surface factors on runoff and sediment reduction in typical grasslands on the Loess Plateau,China

Vegetation near-soil-surface factors can protect topsoil from erosion, however, their contributions to the reduction of soil erosion, especially under natural rainfall events, have not been systematically recognized. This study was performed to quantify the effects of near-soil-surface factors on runoff and sediment under natural rainfall events on grasslands dominated by Bothriochloa ischaemum(Linn.)Keng(BI grassland) and Artemisia gmelinii Thunb.(AG grassland) in two typical watersheds on the ...     

Responses of plant community to the linkages in plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands,China

Succession is one of the central themes of ecology;however,the relationship between aboveground plant communities and underground soils during secondary succession remains unclear.In this study,we investigated the composition of plant community,plant-soil C:N:P stoichiometry and their relationships during secondary succession after the abandonment of farmlands for 0,10,20,30,40 and 50 a in China,2016.Results showed that the composition of plant communities was most diverse in the farmlands after secondary succession for 20 and 50 a.Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents slightly decreased after secondary succession for 30 a,but both were significantly higher than those of control farmland(31.21%-139.10%and 24.24%-121.21%,respectively).Moreover,C:N ratios of soil and microbe greatly contributed to the changes in plant community composition during secondary succession of abandoned farmlands,explaining 35.70%of the total variation.Particularly,soil C:N ratio was significantly and positively related with the Shannon-Wiener index.This study provides the evidence of synchronous evolution between plant community and soil during secondary succession and C:N ratio is an important linkage between them.     

有机无机配施对旱地春玉米产量及土壤水分利用的影响

通过田间试验,研究夏旱发生年份有机无机配施对旱地春玉米产量及水分利用状况的影响.结果表明,施肥处理显著提高旱地春玉米产量(1.49 ～ 2.63 t/hm2)和水分利用效率WUE(41.3％～72.3％)、降水利用效率PUE(45.7％～80.7％).以有机无机配施的处理产量(5.89 t/hm2)和WUE[13.15 kg/(hm2·mm)]、PUE[14.39 kg/(hm2·mm)]最高.增施有机肥极显著降低了表层(0 ～ 40 cm)土壤容重,增加了土壤总孔隙度,提高了土壤的蓄水保墒能力.在夏旱发生前期,由于降雨和土壤贮水稳定,施肥处理尤其是有机肥处理能够提高表层(0 ～ 60 cm)土壤含水量,60 ～ 200 cm土层土壤含水量变化不明显.随着夏旱发生程度的加剧,0～ 200 cm土层含水量持续降低,各处理的表层土壤含水量无明显差异.同时,施肥处理条件下由于作物生长耗水量持续增加,对深层土壤贮水消耗增加,导致40 cm以下的土壤含水量较无肥处理下降较快.     

地表覆盖对黄土高原土壤有机碳及其组分的影响

基于中国科学院长武黄土高原农业生态实验站2008年开始田间定位试验资料,分析研究秸秆覆盖与地膜覆盖对黄土高原土壤有机碳（SOC）及其组分的影响,试验包括5个处理：对照不覆盖（CK）、作物生育期9000 kg ·hm-2秸秆覆盖（M1）、作物生育期4500 kg·hm-2秸秆覆盖（M2）、夏闲秸秆覆盖（SF）、作物生育期地膜覆盖（PM）。2010（干旱年）、2012（丰水年）两次测定结果表明：0～30 cm土层平均,与CK相比,2012年土壤有机碳（SOC）含量M1处理提高了7．4％,潜在矿化碳（PCM）含量M1、M2、SF处理分别提高了37．8％、23．9％、7．2％,微生物量碳（MBC）含量M1和M2处理分别提高了59．9％和42．3％,碳库管理指数（CMI）M1、M2、SF 处理分别提高了53．1％、35．6％、13．9％;2010年M1处理CMI较CK提高了16．1％（P＜0．05）,其余处理土壤有机碳各指标与CK差异两年均不显著。不同覆盖方式对表层土壤有机碳及各项指标影响较大,随土层加深影响减弱,其中秸秆覆盖4年后碳库管理指数均有显著提高。两种活性有机碳的相对含量与其各自绝对含量的变化基本一致,且有机碳各指标间显著相关。综合来看,高量秸秆覆盖能够提高表层土壤有机碳及其组分含量,地膜覆盖对土壤有机碳及其组分积累影响不大。     

Effects of recovery time after fire and fire severity on stand structure and soil of larch forest in the Kanas National Nature Reserve,Northwest China

Forest recovery may be influenced by several factors, of which fire is the most critical. However, moderate- and long-term effects of fire on forest recovery are less researched in Northwest China. Thus, the effects of different forest recovery time after fire (1917 (served as the control), 1974, 1983 and 1995) and fire severities (low, moderate and high) on larch (Larix sibirica Ledeb.) forest were investigated in the Kanas National Nature Reserve (KNNR), Northwest China in 2017. This paper analyzed post-fire changes in stand density, total basal area (TBA), litter mass, soil organic carbon (SOC) and soil nutrients (total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium) with one-way analyses of variance. Results indicate that litter mass, TBA, SOC and soil nutrients increased with increasing recovery time after fire and decreasing fire severity, while the stand density showed an opposite response. The effects of fire disturbance on SOC and soil nutrients decreased with increasing soil depth. Moreover, we found that the time of more than 43 a is needed to recover the litter mass, TBA, SOC and soil nutrients to the pre-fire level. In conclusion, high-severity fire caused the greatest variations in stand structure and soil of larch forest, and low-severity fire was more advantageous for post-fire forest stand structure and soil recovery in the KNNR. Therefore, low-severity fire can be an efficient management mean through reducing the accumulation of forest floor fuel of post-fire forests in the KNNR, Northwest China.     

Changes in aggregate-associated organic carbon and nitrogen after 27 years of fertilization in a dryland alfalfa grassland on the Loess Plateau of China

Changes in the distribution of soil aggregate sizes and concentrations of aggregate-associated organic carbon(OC) and nitrogen(N) in response to the fertilization of grasslands are not well understood. Understanding these changes is essential to the sustainable development of artificial grasslands. For understanding these changes, we collected soil samples at 0–20 and 20–40 cm depths from a semi-arid artificial alfalfa grassland after 27 years of applications of phosphorus(P) and nitrogen+phosphorus+manure(NPM) fertilizers on the Loess Plateau of China. The distribution of aggregate sizes and the concentrations and stocks of OC and N in total soils were determined. The results showed that NPM treatment significantly increased the proportions of 2.0 mm and 2.0–0.25 mm size fractions, the mean geometric diameter(MGD) and the mean weight diameter(MWD) in the 0–20 cm layer. Phosphorous fertilizer significantly increased the proportion of 2.0 mm size fractions, the MGD and the MWD in the 0–20 cm layer. Long-term application of fertilization(P and NPM) resulted in the accumulation of OC and N in soil aggregates. The largest changes in aggregate-associated OC and N in the 0–20 cm layer were found at the NPM treatment, whereas the largest changes in the 20–40 cm layer were found at the P treatment. The results suggest that long-term fertilization in the grassland leads to the accumulation of OC and N in the coarse size fractions and the redistribution of OC and N from fine size fractions to coarse size fractions.