The effects of extreme rainfall events on carbon release from biological soil crusts covered soil in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China

In May to August of 2011, we assessed the effects of extreme rainfall （quantity and intensity） events on the carbon release from soils covered by different types of biological soil crusts （BSCs） in fixed sand dunes in the Tengger Desert, northern China. A Li-6400-09 Soil Chamber was used to measure the respiration rates of the BSCs immediately after the rainfall stopped, and continued until the respiration rates of the BSCs returned to the pre-rainfall basal rate. Our results showed that almost immediately after extreme rainfall events the respiration rates of algae crust and mixed crust were significantly inhibited, but moss crust was not significantly affected. The respiration rates of algae crust, mixed crust, and moss crust in extreme rainfall quantity and intensity events were, respectively, 0.12 and 0.41 μmolCO2/（m2.s）, 0.10 and 0.45 gmolCO2/（m2·s）, 0.83 and 1.69 gmolCO2/（m2.s）. Our study indicated that moss crust in the advanced succession stage can well adaot to extreme rainfall events in the short term.

The weak effects of fencing on ecosystem respiration,CH4,and N2O fluxes in a Tibetan alpine meadow during the growing season

Fencing is the most common land-management practice to protect grassland degradation from livestock overgrazing on the Tibetan Plateau. However, it is unclear whether fencing reduces CO_2, CH_4, and N_2O emission. Here, we selected four vegetation types of alpine meadow(graminoid, shrub, forb, and sparse vegetation) to determine fencing effects on ecosystem respiration(Re), CH_4, and N_2O fluxes during the growing season. Despite increased average monthly ecosystem respiration(Re) for fenced graminoid vegetation at the end of the growing season, there was no significant difference between grazing and fencing across all vegetation types. Fencing significantly reduced average CH_4 uptake by about 50% in 2008 only for forb vegetation and increased average N_2O release for graminoid vegetation by 38% and 48% in 2008 and 2009,respectively. Temperature, moisture, total organic carbon, C/N, nitrate, ammonia, and/or bulk density of soil, as well as above-and belowground biomass, explained 19%~71% and 6%~33% of variation in daily and average Re and CH_4 fluxes across all vegetation types, while soil-bulk density explained 27% of variation in average N_2O fluxes. Stepwise regression showed that soil temperature and soil moisture controlled average Re, while soil moisture and bulk density controlled average CH_4 fluxes. These results indicate that abiotic factors control Re, CH_4, and N_2O fluxes; and grazing exclusion has little effect on reducing their emission—implying that climatic change rather than grazing may have a more important influence on the budgets of Re and CH_4 for the Tibetan alpine meadow during the growing season.

Effects of artificial vegetation arrangement and structure on the colonization and development of biological soil crusts

The colonization and development of biological soil crusts （BSCs） are rarely discussed when investigating vegetation restoration with difference arrangement and structure of anthropogenically damaged areas in semi-arid regions. The present study analyzes the relationships among coverage, height and density of woody vegetation and coverage and thickness of BSCs on the surface mine dumpsite in Heidaigou, China. Results showed that PR （Prunus sibirica L.）, PT （Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.） and PPr （P. tabulaeformis Carr., P. sibirica L.） types had the highest coverage of total BSCs, which were 76.8%, 75.9% and 78.9%, respectively and PR showed the thickest BSCs of 4.41 mm. There was a significant correlation between coverage and thickness of BSCs and coverage and height of woody vegetation as a unimodal curve. Our findings suggest that a single woody plant species and low level coverage and height （no more than 30% and 300 cm, respectively） of woody plants may be able to create suitable conditions for facilitating BSCs restoration on the surface of mine dumpsites. The effects of vegetation arrangement and structure on BSCs colonization and development should be considered in reconstructing and managing woody vegetation in disturbed environments, such as surface mine dumpsites in semi-arid areas.

开垦对阿拉尔绿洲盐渍化荒漠土壤微生物群落的影响

近年来,以对天然荒漠进行开垦和耕作为标志的人类活动加速了中国西北干旱荒漠区的绿洲化进程,但这种土地利用方式的改变对干旱荒漠土壤微生物群落特征的影响及其机理尚不清楚。本研究利用qPCR和Illumina Miseq高通量扩增子测序技术对新疆阿拉尔绿洲开垦5年的棉花田(FS)和毗邻的天然荒漠(ND)的土壤细菌、古菌和真菌群落的生物量、多样性和群落结构进行了对比研究,揭示了驱动荒漠土壤微生物群落结构演变的主要因子。结果表明:(1)荒漠开垦为农田后,土壤细菌和真菌群落的生物量显著增加,而古菌群落生物量显著降低;细菌群落多样性明显提高,古菌群落的Shannon多样性指数显著降低,而真菌群落多样性没有显著变化。(2)盐渍化荒漠具有不同于其他干旱荒漠的土壤微生物群落结构,开垦显著改变了其土壤细菌、古菌和真菌的群落结构。其中,放线菌门、绿弯菌门、酸杆菌门、螺旋体菌门和浮霉菌门细菌、乌斯古菌门和芽枝霉门真菌的相对丰度显著增加,而盐纳古菌门的相对丰度则显著降低。(3)土壤电导率(EC)、总有机碳(TOC)、全氮(TN)、全磷(TP)是影响细菌群落结构的关键因子;古菌群落结构的主要影响因子为植被盖度、地上生物量和丰富度、TP和AP;EC是影响真菌群落结构的关键因子。综上所述,盐渍化荒漠开垦后由于其原生植被群落、化学肥料的使用和土壤属性(EC、TP和AP)的改变不同程度地改变了荒漠土壤微生物群落特征。相对而言,细菌群落对土地利用方式的改变响应最为敏感,而古菌和真菌群落的多样性和结构则保持相对稳定。