川西高寒生态系统不同海拔土壤动物对冬季凋落叶腐殖化过程的影响

Effects of soil fauna on winter litter humification along an altitudinal gradient in cold ecosystems in western Sichuan

凋落叶在冬季的腐殖化过程是高寒生态系统土壤有机质形成和碳固定的重要阶段,并可能受到严酷冻结环境下仍具有一定活性的土壤动物的影响,但缺乏必要的关注。因此,以川西高山峡谷区海拔3000、3600、4000m的高寒森林和草甸典型凋落叶为研究对象,采用不同孔径大小的凋落物网袋去除土壤动物的方法,根据凋落叶的自然腐解过程,于2013年11月—2014年4月研究了不同冻融时期(冻结前期、深冻期、融化期)土壤动物对凋落叶腐殖化过程的作用。结果表明:通过对色调系数(Δlog K)和光密度值(E_4/E_6)值的分析,在高寒生态系统中,冬季随着温度的降低土壤动物促进了凋落叶的腐殖化,而随着温度的升高土壤动物抑制了凋落叶的腐殖化。深冻期土壤动物对海拔3000m的森林凋落叶腐殖化过程具有显著促进作用;在冻结前期土壤动物对海拔3600m森林凋落叶腐殖化过程具有显著促进作用;而融化期土壤动物对海拔4000m的草甸凋落叶腐殖化过程具有显著的抑制作用;其他海拔和时期没有显著影响。冻结初期土壤动物对凋落叶的腐殖化速率的作用高于深冻期和融化期,腐殖化度在深冻期达到最大值。这些结果表明气候变化情景下冬季变暖可能导致土壤动物抑制凋落物腐殖化,减少凋落物向土壤有机质的转化。

Foliar litter humification is one of the main mechanisms of carbon sequestration, and is essential in forming soil organic matter from foliar litter. Soil fauna is a type of decomposer that can influence litter humification. It was previously believed that soil fauna were dormant during the winter in cold biomes, and thus their activities were not considered to affect litter humification. However, recent studies have documented that some cold tolerant soil fauna remain active during the winter. However, little is known about the effects of soil fauna on litter humification during the winter in cold biomes. Therefore, a field experiment with different sizes of litterbags was conducted on three cold biomes along different altitudinal gradients in the eastern Tibet Plateau. Two species were selected to study litter decomposition at each of the three biomes：Betula albo-sinensis and Abies faxoniana in the subalpine forest at 3000 m, Sabina saltuaria and Salix paraplesia in the alpine forest at 3600m, and Ajania nubigena and Carex atrofusca in the alpine meadow at 4000 m. Litterbags were placed before the soil completely froze in November, 2013. Litterbags were sampled at the onset of three stages-freezing, deep freezing, and thawing-from 2013 to 2014. Tone coefficient （ΔlogK） and optical density value （E4/E6） were analyzed to determine the litter humification levels. The results showed that soil fauna promoted leaf litter humification as the temperature decreased, and suppressed leaf litter humification as the temperature increased during the winter in cold ecosystems. The effects of soil fauna on the process of leaf litter were regulated by altitude and litter species. The effect of soil fauna on leaf litter humification decreased as the altitude increased. Soil fauna increased litter humification at 3000m during the deep freezing stage and at 3600m at the onset of the freezing stage. However, soil fauna inhibited litter humification at 4000m during the thawing stage. Furthermore, soil fauna did not affect litter humification at other altitudes and sampling stages. The effects of soil fauna on litter humification rate at the onset of freezing stage were higher than those of the deep freezing stage and thawing stage, and humification rate peaked during the deep freezing stage. These results suggest that the activities of soil animals could promote humus formation from litter as the temperature decreases, indicating a possible increase in soil carbon sequestration. Together, these data provide a new understanding of soil organic matter formation and the carbon budget in cold ecosystems.