Soil exchangeable base cations along a chronosequence of Caragana microphylla plantation in a semi-arid sandy land,China

As a pioneer leguminous shrub species for vegetation re-establishment, Caragana microphylla is widely distributed in the semi-fixed and fixed sandy lands of the Horqin region, North China. C. microphylla planta- tions modify organic carbon （SOC）, nitrogen （N） and phosphorus dynamics, bulk density and water-holding capacity and biological activities in soils, but little is known with regard to soil exchange properties. Variation in soil ex- changeable base cations was examined under C. microphylla plantations with an age sequence of 0, 5, 10, and 22 years in the Horqin Sandy Land, and at the depth of 0-10, 10-20, and 20-30 cm, respectively. C. microphylla has been planted on the non-vegetated sand dunes with similar physical-chemical soil properties. The results showed that exchangeable calcium （Ca）, magnesium （Mg）, and potassium （K）, and cation exchange capacity （CEC） were significantly increased, and Ca saturation tended to decrease, while Mg and K saturations were increased with the plantation years. No difference was observed for exchangeable sodium （Na） neither with plantation years nor at soil depths. Of all the base cations and soil layers, exchangeable K at the depth of 0-10 cm accumulated most quickly, and it increased by 1.76, 3.16, and 4.25 times, respectively after C. microphylla was planted for 5, 10, and 22 years. Exchangeable Ca, Mg, and K, and CEC were significantly （P〈0.001） and positively correlated with SOC, total N, pH and electrical conductivity （EC）. Soil pH and SOC are regarded as the main factors influencing the variation in ex- changeable cations, and the preferential absorption of cations by plants and different leaching rates of base cations that modify cation saturations under C. microphylla plantation. It is concluded that as a nitrogen-fixation species, C. microphylla plantation is beneficial to increasing exchangeable base cations and CEC in soils, and therefore can improve soil fertility and create favorable microenvironments for plants and creatures in the semi-arid sandy land ecosystems.

Sheep manure application increases soil exchangeable base cations in a semi-arid steppe of Inner Mongolia

The long-term productivity of a soil is greatly influenced by cation exchange capacity（CEC）.Moreover,interactions between dominant base cations and other nutrients are important for the health and stability of grassland ecosystems.Soil exchangeable base cations and cation ratios were examined in a 11-year experiment with sheep manure application rates 0–1,500 g/（m2？a） in a semi-arid steppe in Inner Mongolia of China,aiming to clarify the relationships of base cations with soil p H,buffer capacity and fertility.Results showed that CEC and contents of exchangeable calcium（Ca2＋）,magnesium（Mg2＋）,potassium（K＋） and sodium（Na＋） were significantly increased,and Ca2＋ saturation tended to decrease,while K＋ saturation tended to increase with the increases of sheep manure application rates.The Ca2＋/Mg2＋ and Ca2＋/K＋ ratios decreased,while Mg2＋,K＋ and Na＋ saturations increased with increasing manure application rates.Both base cations and CEC were significantly and positively correlated with soil organic carbon（SOC） and soil p H.The increases of SOC and soil p H would be the dominant factors that contribute to the increase of cations in soil.On a comparison with the initial soil p H before the experiment,we deduced that sheep manure application could partly buffer soil p H decrease potentially induced by atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur.Our results indicate that sheep manure application is beneficial to the maintenance of base cations and the buffering of soil acidification,and therefore can improve soil fertility in the semi-arid steppes of northeastern China.

Nitrogen addition and mowing alter drought resistance and recovery of grassland communities

Nitrogen enrichment and land use are known to influence various ecosystems,but how these anthropogenic changes influence community and ecosystem responses to disturbance remains poorly understood.Here we investigated the effects of increased nitrogen input and mowing on the resistance and recovery of temperate semiarid grassland experiencing a three-year drought.Nitrogen addition increased grassland biomass recovery but decreased structural recovery after drought,whereas annual mowing increased grassland biomass recovery and structural recovery but reduced structural resistance to drought.The treatment effects on community biomass/structural resistance and recovery were largely modulated by the stability of the dominant species and asynchronous dynamics among species,and the community biomass resistance and recovery were also greatly driven by the stability of grasses.Community biomass resistance/recovery in response to drought was positively associated with its corresponding structural stability.Our study provides important experimental evidence that both nitrogen addition and mowing could substantially change grassland stability in both functional and structural aspects.Our findings emphasize the need to study changes across levels of ecological organization for a more complete understanding of ecosystem responses to disturbances under widespread environmental changes.

氮水添加改变内蒙古典型草原两种优势植物的氮吸收偏好

植物对不同形态氮的吸收直接影响输入到生态系统中氮的去向和氮动态的变化,但是资源添加如何影响植物氮吸收偏好仍不明确.本研究依托内蒙古典型草原连续开展了10年氮、水添加实验平台,选择克氏针茅(Stipa krylovii)和冰草(Agropyron cristatum)两个优势物种为研究对象,使用15N自然丰度法测定植物叶片和土壤各形态氮含量及其同位素特征,利用同位素混合模型量化不同氮源对植物氮的贡献,探究植物氮吸收偏好及其对资源添加的响应.结果表明,(1)自然状态下硝态氮和铵态氮对植物氮的贡献分别约为80%和20%;(2)氮添加减小了两种植物对硝态氮的利用,水分添加降低了克氏针茅而提高了冰草对硝态氮的利用,氮、水处理对植物氮吸收偏好的影响具有显著的交互作用.结果揭示,内蒙古典型草原优势植物在自然状态下主要利用较丰富的硝态氮,对较贫瘠的铵态氮利用较少;并且氮吸收特征随着资源添加而改变,水分对氮吸收的影响受到了氮素供给的调节.未来氮沉降加剧和硝态氮比例增加并非总是产生负效应,很可能促进温带草原优势植物的生长,减缓全球环境变化的生态后果.

Responses and sensitivity of N, P and mobile carbohydrates of dominant species to increased water, N and P availability in semi- arid grasslands in northern China

Aims We aimed to improve the understanding of the carbon and nutri-ent physiological responses and adaptation of semi-arid grassland plants to environmental changes.Methods We investigated plant leaf non-structural carbohydrate(NSC=solu-ble sugars+starch),nitrogen(N)and phosphorus(P)levels in an Inner Mongolian semi-arid grassland community treated with water,N and P additions for 8 years.Two dominant grasses(Agropyron cris-tatum(L.)Gaertn.,Stipa krylovii Roshev.)and two forbs(Artemisia frigida Willd.,Potentilla bifurca L.)were analyzed.Important Findings Water addition decreased plant leaf N and P concentrations,whereas N and P addition increased them,indicating that the semi-arid grassland studied suffers from a shortage of N and P sup-ply.Both N and P addition decreased the levels of soluble sugars,starch and thus also NSC in plant leaves,which may be attributed to(i)increased carbohydrate consumption associated with a higher growth rate,and(ii)a dilution effect of greater plant size under N and P addition.Water addition tended to increase the leaf NSC levels both in the grasses(+9.2%)and forbs(+0.6%only),which may be a result of increased photosynthesis of plants with increased water availability.Under conditions of ambient and increased water supply in the present study,N addition resulted in an N/P ratio of>16 in the grasses but a significantly lower N/P ratio of<11 in the forb species.This finding implies that growth of the two grass spe-cies will be limited mainly by P availability but the forbs will still be mainly limited by N supply if N deposition,alone or in combination with summer precipitation,continues to increase as predicted in Inner Mongolia.