氮添加下典型草原凋落物质量和土壤酶活性对凋落物分解速率的影响

近年来,全球大气N沉降量持续增加,影响了陆地生态系统碳循环的关键过程,而凋落物分解是碳循环的关键过程之一。本研究在内蒙古温带典型草原设置了不同水平的N添加试验,通过测定不同分解时期凋落物的分解速率、质量指标和土壤酶活性,探讨N添加对凋落物分解的影响。结果表明:凋落物累积干重损失率主要发生在生长季时期,占整个研究阶段的91.3%,且N添加处理显著增加了生长季的干重损失率,而降低了非生长季的干重损失率。第一年生长季,N添加通过提高β-葡萄糖苷酶活性,降低纤维素、单宁含量从而促进了凋落物分解。第一年非生长季,低N处理促进了脲酶活性,降低木质素/N,促进分解,高N抑制了多酚氧化酶的活性,进而降低了木质素的分解速率。第二年生长季,高N处理促进了亮氨酸氨肽酶活性,提高N/P,利于凋落物分解。整个分解过程中,N添加降低了凋落物单宁和纤维素含量,而木质素含量则呈现增加趋势。养分释放特征表现为C的连续释放,P的释放-固定趋势。此外,凋落物中Ca、Mn、N的含量随分解时间增高,表现出富集现象。因此,N添加通过改变凋落物质量和土壤酶活性而对凋落物分解过程产生影响,且不同时期主导因子不同。研究结果为不同水平N沉降对草原碳循环关键过程提供了理论依据。

不同刈割频次对旱作混播人工草地群落特征的影响

为了确定人工草地高效生产和稳定持续利用的最佳方案,于2002~2017年8月中旬(生物量高峰期)刈割前进行刈割频次对羊草(Leymus chinensis)+草原2号杂花苜蓿(Medicago varia Marein. cv. Caoyuan No.2)+无芒雀麦(Bromus inermis)混播旱作人工草地群落特征影响的研究。16年连续刈割划分为刈割前期(第1~5年)、中期(第6~11年)和后期(第12~16年)。结果表明:(1)随着刈割频次的增加,3种牧草的平均高度、总密度和总地上生物量均降低(不含一年刈割一次);其中,在刈割前期和中期对刈割响应不明显,且有所滞后,在刈割后期响应较为明显。(2)长期刈割使人工草地的地上生物量占比发生明显改变。在刈割前期,各刈割频次下3种牧草的总地上生物量占比差异不明显;从刈割中期开始,3种牧草的总地上生物量占比呈随刈割频次增加而降低的趋势(不含一年刈割一次)。(3)在内蒙古半干旱区羊草+草原2号杂花苜蓿+无芒雀麦混播旱作人工草地的长期刈割利用以一年刈割一次为宜。

Rapid loss of leguminous species in the semi-arid grasslands of northern China under climate change and mowing from 1982 to 2011

Effects of mowing on the composition and diversity of grasslands varied with climate change(e.g.,precipitation and temperature).However,the interactive effects of long-term mowing and climate change on the diversity and stability of leguminous and non-leguminous species in the semi-arid grasslands are largely unknown.Here,we used in situ monitoring data from 1982 to 2011 to examine the effects of continuous mowing and climate change on the plant biomass and diversity of leguminous and non-leguminous species,and soil total nitrogen in the typical semi-arid grasslands of northern China.Results showed that the biomass and diversity of leguminous species significantly decreased with the increasing in the biomass and diversity of non-leguminous species during the 30-a period.Variations in biomass were mainly affected by the long-term mowing,while variations in diversity were mainly explained by the climate change.Moreover,the normalized change rates of diversity in leguminous species were significantly higher than those in non-leguminous species.Mowing and temperature together contributed to the diversity changes of leguminous species,with mowing accounting for 50.0%and temperature 28.0%.Temporal stability of leguminous species was substantially lower than that of non-leguminous species.Consequently,soil total nitrogen decreased in the 2000s compared with the 1980s.These findings demonstrated that leguminous species were more sensitive to the long-term mowing and climate change than non-leguminous species in the semi-arid grasslands.Thus,reseeding appropriate leguminous plants when mowing in the semi-arid grasslands may be a better strategy to improve nitrogen levels of grassland ecosystems and maintain ecosystem biodiversity.

Land-use impact on soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration in typical steppe ecosystems, Inner Mongolia

To explore the optimal land-use for soil carbon （C） sequestration in Inner Mongolian grasslands, we investigated C and nitrogen （N） storage in soil and soil fractions in 8 floristi- cally and topographically similar sites which subjected to different lancl-use types （free-grazing, grazing exclusion, mowing, winter grazing, and reclamation）. Compared with free-grazing grasslands, C and N storage in the 0-50 cm layer increased by 18.3% （15.5 Mg C ha-1） and 9.3% （0.8 Mg N ha-1） after 10-yr of grazing exclusion, respectively, and 21.9% （18.5 Mg C ha-1） and 11.5% （0.9 Mg N ha-1） after 30-yr grazing exclusion, respectively. Similarly, soil C and N storage increased by 15.3% （12.9 Mg C ha-1） and 10.2% （0.8 Mg N ha-1） after 10-yr mowing, respectively, and 19.2% （16.2 Mg C ha-1） and 7.1% （0.6 Mg N ha-1） after 26-yr mowing, respectively. In contrast, soil C and N storage declined by 10.6% （9.0 Mg C ha-1） and 11.4% （0.9 Mg N ha-1） after 49-yr reclamation, respectively. Moreover, increases in C and N storage mainly occurred in sand and silt fractions in the 0-10 cm soil layer with grazing exclusion and mowing. Our findings provided evidence that Inner Mongolian grassslands have the capacity to sequester C and N in soil with improved management practices, which were in the order： grazing exclusion 〉 mowing 〉 winter grazing 〉 reclamation.

适度放牧增加内蒙古典型草原甲烷氧化菌丰度和甲烷吸收

微生物氧化是大气甲烷唯一的生物汇.认识草原甲烷(CH4)通量对不同利用方式的响应是制定低碳高效草原管理体系的基础.本研究通过测定内蒙古中部典型草原在放牧、割草和围封管理下生态系统的CH4通量和土壤甲烷氧化菌丰度,旨在确定不同利用方式对内蒙古典型草原生态系统CH4吸收的影响,验证甲烷氧化菌功能基因(pmoA)丰度调控CH4通量.测定草原是连续5年实施4种不同利用处理的试验草原,4个处理为全植物生长季(5—9月)放牧(T1)、春夏5月和7月放牧(T2)、秋季割草(T3)和围封禁牧(T0).在测定植物生物量和土壤理化特征的基础上,采用静态箱置法测定草原植物生长季CH4通量,采用分子技术测定草原表层土壤甲烷氧化菌pmoA功能基因的丰度.结果表明:放牧显著促进CH4吸收,增加甲烷氧化菌丰度(即每克干土pmoA功能基因拷贝数),其在生长季的变化范围是6.9×104~3.9×105.T1处理下植物生长季的CH4平均吸收量为(68.21±3.01)μg·m-2·h-1,显著高于T2、T3和T0处理22.1%、37.5%和30.9%.草原CH4吸收与甲烷氧化菌丰度呈极显著正相关,与土壤砂粒占比呈显著正相关,而与土壤粉粒占比、土壤水分含量、土壤铵态氮和硝态氮含量,以及植物地上生物量呈显著负相关.表明不同利用方式下内蒙古典型草原都是CH4的汇,而适度放牧可增加草原土壤砂粒占比,降低土壤无机氮含量和植被生物量,提高土壤甲烷氧化菌丰度和CH4吸收.本结果对制定低排放草原管理体系具有重要意义.