Elevational patterns of warming effects on plant community and topsoil properties: focus on subalpine meadows ecosystem

Climate warming profoundly affects plant biodiversity, community productivity, and soil properties in alpine and subalpine grassland ecosystems. However, these effects are poorly understood across elevational gradients in subalpine meadow ecosystems. To reveal the elevational patterns of warming effects on plant biodiversity, community structure, productivity, and soil properties, we conducted a warming experiment using open-top chambers from August 2019 to August 2022 at high(2764 m a. s. l.), medium(2631 m a. s. l.), and low(2544 m a. s. l.) elevational gradients on a subalpine meadow slope of Mount Wutai, Northern China. Our results showed that three years of warming significantly increased topsoil temperature but significantly decreased topsoil moisture at all elevations(P<0.05), and the percentage of increasing temperature and decreasing moisture both gradually raised with elevation lifting. Warming-induced decreasing proportions of soil organic carbon(SOC, by 19.24%), and total nitrogen(TN, by 24.56%) were the greatest at high elevational gradients. Experimental warming did not affect topsoil C: N, p H, NO_(3)^(-)-N, or NH_(4)^(+)-N at the three elevational gradients. Warming significantly increased species richness(P<0.01) and Shannon-Weiner index(P<0.05) at low elevational gradients but significantly decreased belowground biomass(P<0.05) at a depth of 0–10 cm at three elevational gradients. Warming caused significant increases in the aboveground biomass in the three elevational plots. Warming significantly increased the aboveground biomass of graminoids in medium(by 92.47%) and low(by 98.25%) elevational gradients, that of sedges in high(by 72.44%) and medium(by 57.16%) elevational plots, and that of forbs in high(by 75.88%), medium(by 34.38%), and low(by 74.95%) elevational plots. Species richness had significant linear correlations with SOC, TN, and C: N(P<0.05), but significant nonlinear responses to soil temperature and soil moisture in the warmed treatment(P<0.05). The warmed aboveground biomass had a significant nonlinear response to soil temperature and significant linear responses to soil moisture(P<0.05). This study provided evidence that altitude is a factor in sensitivity to climate warming, and these different parameters(e.g., plant species richness, Shannon-Weiner index, soil temperature, soil moisture, SOC, and TN) can be used to measure this sensitivity.

The Impact of Cattle Grazing in High Elevation Sierra Nevada Mountain Meadows over Widely Variable Annual Climatic Conditions

The impact of summer cattle grazing on water quality during three very different climatic years in the Sierra Nevada was investigated. Water year 2009 had near normal precipitation;2010 had late precipitation and snowmelt;and 2011 had 150% above normal precipitation. Surface waters were tested for pathogenic bacteria indicators fecal coliform, E. coli, and total coliform before and after cattle were released onto summer grazing allotments. Water samples were collected from meadow stream sites up to 6 weeks before and up to 6 weeks after cattle grazing began. Streams passing through ungrazed meadow served as controls. Eight sample sites were between 1694 m and 2273 m in elevation;one site was lower at 1145 m in elevation. Samples were transported within 6 hours to a water analysis laboratory, where samples were analyzed following standardized laboratory methods. Results showed that individual site and total mean concentrations of E. coli in surface waters were within regulatory standards before cattle arrived during each of the 3 study years. After the beginning of grazing, mean E. coli counts increased as follows: 2009 from 8 to 240 CFU/100mL, 2010 from 7 to 561 CFU/10mL;2011 from 7 to 657 CFU/100mL (p < 0.05 all years). Total coliform bacteria and fecal coliform concentrations showed the same pattern. This study shows that cattle grazing in the high elevation Sierra Nevada results in a significant increase in indicator bacteria. This impact on the watersheds occurs despite widely variable annual climatic conditions.

Potential Distribution of Seagrass Meadows Based on the MaxEnt Model in Chinese Coastal Waters

Seagrass meadows are generally diverse in China and have become important ecosystem with essential functions.However,the seagrass distribution across the seawaters of China has not been evaluated,and the magnitude and direction of changes in seagrass meadows remain unclear.This study aimed to provide a nationwide seagrass distribution map and explore the dynamic changes in seagrass population under global climate change.Simulation studies were performed using the modeling software MaxEnt with 58961 occurrence records and 27 marine environmental variables to predict the potential distribution of seagrasses and calculate the area.Seven environmental variables were excluded from the modeling processes based on a correlation analysis to ensure predicted suitability.The predicted area was 790.09 km^(2),which is much larger than the known seagrass distribution in China(87.65 km^(2)).By 2100,the suitable habitat of seagrass will shift northwest and increase to 923.62 km2.Models of the sum of the individual family under-pre-dicted the national distribution of seagrasses and consistently showed a downward trend in the future.Out of all environmental vari-ables,physical parameters(e.g.,depth,land distance,and sea surface temperature)contributed the most in predicting seagrass distri-butions,and nutrients(e.g.,nitrate,phosphate)ranked among the key influential predictors for habitat suitability in our study area.This study is the first effort to fill a gap in understanding the distribution of seagrasses in China.Further studies using modeling and biological/ecological approaches are warranted.

Site-Floristic Variability of Foxteil Meadows in Poland

On the basis of multifaceted investigations of approximately 600 phytosociological surveys of foxtail meadows taken in years 2002-2012 in river valleys with the assistance of the Braun-Blanquet method, the authors carried out evaluation of the floristic composition with respect to phytosociological structure, floristic variability, degree of synanthropisation and life form structures. In addition, they ascertained the dependence of floristic variability of Alopecuretum pratensis phytocenoses on site conditions determined using： the phytoindication method and the laboratory analyses assessed the soil content of available forms of P and K and of Mg. The greatest areas among the recognised syntaxons are taken up by patches of a typical sub-association developed in fresh sites on soils of lightly acid reaction and moderate nitrogen availability. Floristic variability of Alopecuretum pratensis is characterised by： presence in the phytosociological structure of species characteristic for other syntaxons, floristic abundance and botanical structure, domination of species of the 1 st and 2nd degree of stability, high proportion of synanthropic species, values of the floristic diversity index （H＇）, natural and fodder score values. Geobotanical variability of foxtail meadows confirms difficulties with unequivocal determination of the systematic position of the Alopecuretum pratensis association.

Effects of Grazing Exclusion on Plant Productivity and Soil Carbon, Nitrogen Storage in Alpine Meadows in Northern Tibet, China

Grazing exclusion is widely adopted in restoring degraded alpine grasslands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. However, its effectiveness remains poorly understood. In this study, we investigated the effects of grazing exclusion on plant productivity, species diversity and soil organic carbon （SOC） and soil total nitrogen （STN） storage along a transect spanning from east to west of alpine meadows in northern Tibet, China. After six years of grazing exclusion, plant cover, aboveground biomass （AGB）, belowground biomass （BGB）, SOC and STN were increased, but species diversity indices declined. The enhancement of AGB and SOC caused by grazing exclusion was correlated positively with mean annual precipitation （MAP）. Grazing exclusion led to remarkable biomass increase of sedge species, especially Kobresia pygmaea, whereas decrease of biomass in forbs and no obvious change in grass, leguminous and noxious species. Root biomass was concentrated in the near surface layer （10 cm） after grazing exclusion. The effects of grazing exclusion on SOC storage were confined to shallow soil layer in sites with lower MAP. It is indicated that grazing exclusion is an effective measure to increase forage production and enhance soil carbon sequestration in the studied region. The effect is more efficient in sites with higher precipitation. However, the results revealed a tradeoff between vegetation restoration and ecological biodiversity. Therefore, carbon pools recover more quickly than plant biodiversity in the alpine meadows. We suggest that grazing exclusion should be combined with other measures to reconcile grassland restoration and biodiversitv conservation.

Comparative study on CO_2 emissions from different types of alpine meadows during grass exuberance period

Potentilla fruticosascrub, Kobresia humilismeadow and Kobresia tibeticameadow are widely distributed on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. During the grass exuberance period from 3 July to 4 September, based on close chamber-GC method, a study on CO 2 emissions from different treatments was conducted in these meadows at Haibei research station, CAS. Results indicated that mean CO 2 emission rates from various treatments were 672.09±152.37 mgm -2 h -1 for FC (grass treatment); 425.41±191.99 mgm -2 h -1 for FJ (grass exclusion treatment); 280.36±174.83 mgm -2 h -1 for FL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); 838.95±237.02 mgm -2 h -1 for GG (scrub+grass treatment); 528.48±205.67 mgm -2 h -1 for GC (grass treatment); 268.97±99.72 mgm -2 h -1 for GL (grass and roots exclusion treatment); and 659.20±94.83 mgm -2 h -1 for LC (grass treatment), respectively (FC, FJ, FL, GG, GC, GL, LC were the Chinese abbreviation for various treatments). Furthermore, Kobresia humilismeadow, Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow and Kobresia tibeticameadow differed greatly in average CO 2 emission rate of soil-plant system, in the order of GG>FC>LC>GC. Moreover, in Kobresia humilismeadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 42% and 58% of the total respiration of soil-plant system respectively, whereas, in Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow, heterotrophic and autotrophic respiration accounted for 32% and 68% of total system respiration from GG; 49% and 51% from GC. In addition, root respiration from Kobresia humilismeadow approximated 145 mgCO 2 m -2 h -1 , contributed 34% to soil respiration. During the experiment period, Kobresia humilismeadow and Potentilla fruticosascrub meadow had a net carbon fixation of 111.11 gm -2 and 243.89 gm -2 , respectively. Results also showed that soil temperature was the main factor which influenced CO 2 emission from alpine meadow ecosystem, significant correlations were found between soil temperature at 5 cm depth and CO 2 emission from GG, GC, FC and FJ treatments. In addition, soil moisture may be the inhibitory factor of CO 2 emission from Kobresia tibeticameadow, and more detailed analyses should be done in further research.

Unpalatable Weed Stellera chamaejasme L. Provides Biotic Refuge for Neighboring Species and Conserves Plant Diversity in Overgrazing Alpine Meadows on the Tibetan Plateau in China

Steller chamaejasme L. （S. chamaejasme for short） is one of the most noxious unpalatable weeds in China, which has been frequently reported its negative interaction （i.e. competition and allelopathy） with other herbaceous species in grasslands. This study compared species diversity, biomass and sexual reproduction of herbaceous plants in meadows with S. chamaejasme and in open meadows without S. ehamaejasme in overgrazing meadows on the Tibetan Plateau in China to determine whether positive facilitation exist between S. chamaejasme and other herbaceous species under livestock＇s overgrazing. The results showed that there are more herbaceous species in meadows with S. chamaejasme than those in open meadows （35s and30s, respectively）. Diversity index and above-ground biomass were also significantly higher in meadows with S. charnaejasme. There were 39% （11/28） of all species with sexual reproduction found in meadows with S. charnaejasme, which was 7 times more than those in open meadows. Our study showed that S. charnaejasme could provide biotic refuge for neighboring plants and preserve plant diversity from livestock＇s overgrazing in alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. It also suggested that inter-specific facilitation between S. charnaejasme and other herbaceous species may play a key role in overgrazing alpine meadows.

Characteristics of Plant Communities in Three Kinds of Typical Alpine Meadows in Haibei Region,Qinghai Province

[ Objective ] The paper was to understand the characteristics of plant communities in three kinds of typical alpine meadows in Haibei Region, Qinghai Province. [ Method] The characteristics and diversity of plant communities in typical alpine meadow, including Kobresia humilis, PotentiUafruticose and Kobresia menyuanica, were studied, with Menyuan studfarm in Haibei region of Qinghai Province as an example. [ Result] Results showed that the three kinds of plant communities in alpine meadows presented complex structure; the diversity index had close relationship with the evenness index; there were fewer common species and higher species replacement rate among different alpine meadow communities ; the aboveground biomass of K. humilis alpine meadow was 1.62 and 1.69 times of P. fruticose and K. menyuanica meadows, respectively; the underground biomass mainly distributed in the 0 - 10 cm soil layer, and the vertical spatial distribution structure was ＂T＂ type; the aboveground and underground biomass were negatively correlated. [ Conclusion] The paper will provide basis for protection and further use of different grassland plant communities in Haibei Region, Qinghai Province.

Effects of Grassland Caterpillars on Plant Community Structure of Alpine Kobresia Meadows and Soil Properties

[Objective] To investigate the relationship between the grassland caterpillar with different grades and the structure of alpine Kobresia meadow or soil feature. [Method] A total of 10 plots （20.00 m × 20.00 m） were chosen. In each plot, five smaller plots （5.00 m × 5.00 m） were randomly selected and six sample plots （0.25 m × 0.25 m） were then selected in each smaller plot. The biomass, vegetation height, grasslayer thickness, bare land area, soil moisture and total vegetation cover degree were determined. Data were analyzed statistically by Excel 2003 and SPSS 13.0 software. [ Result] There was a significant difference （P 〈 0.05） between the grassland caterpillars at different hazard grades and the structure of alpine Kobresia meadow or soil properties. [ Conclusion] With the increase of grassland caterpillar density, the plant community structure of alpine Kobresia meadows changes from sedge family-dominant community to the forbs-dominant community.

Variation of Soil CO_2 Flux and Carbon Density in Three Apline Meadows

Three alpine meadows were chosen from the eastern margin of the Qilian Mountain：Polygonum viviparum meadow（P）,Stipa capillata grassland（S）and Rhododendron simsii shrub meadow（R）;LI-8100 A soil CO2 flux auto-monitoring system and lab analysis were applied to analyze the soil organic carbon density,dynamics of carbon flux,and their relationship with environmental factors.The results showed that different vegetations varied greatly in soil organic carbon density：R 〉 S 〉 P,and the soil carbon density reduced with the increasing depth;soil CO2flux：S 〉 P 〉 R,and sample plot P and S showed unimodal changes.The peak values appeared at 14：00-15：00 p.m.;soil CO2 flux was negatively correlated with near-ground air humidity and carbon content,positively correlated with soil temperature and near-ground air temperature,and showed no obvious correlation with soil moisture.

The relative controls of temperature and soil moisture on the start of carbon flux phenology and net ecosystem production in two alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Aims Variations in vegetation spring phenology are widely attributed to temperature in temperate and cold regions.However,temperature effect on phenology remains elusive in cold and arid/semiarid ecosystems because soil water condition also plays an important role in mediating phenology.Methods We used growing degree day(GDD)model and growing season index(GSI)model,coupling minimum temperature(T_(min))with soil moisture(SM)to explore the influence of heat requirement and hydroclimatic interaction on the start of carbon uptake period(SCUP)and net ecosystem productivity(NEP)in two alpine meadows with different precipitation regimes on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP).One is the water-limited alpine steppe-meadow,and the other is the temperature-limited alpine shrub-meadow.Important Findings We observed two clear patterns linking GDD and GSI to SCUP:SCUP was similarly sensitive to variations in preseason GDD and GSI in the humid alpine shrub-meadow,while SCUP was more sensitive to the variability in preseason GSI than GDD in the semiarid alpine steppe-meadow.The divergent patterns indicated a balance of the limiting climatic factors between temperature and water availability.In the humid meadow,higher temperature sensitivity of SCUP could maximize thermal benefit without drought stress,as evidenced by the stronger linear correlation coefficient(R2)and Akaike’s information criterion(AIC)between observed SCUPs and those of simulated by GDD model.However,greater water sensitivity of SCUP could maximize the benefit of water in semiarid steppe-meadow,which is indicated by the stronger R2 and AIC between observed SCUPs and those of simulated by GSI model.Additionally,although SCUPs were determined by GDD in the alpine shrub-meadow ecosystem,NEP was both controlled by accumulative GSI in two alpine meadows.Our study highlights the impacts of hydroclimatic interaction on spring carbon flux phenology and vegetation productivity in the humid and semiarid alpine ecosystems.The results also suggest that water,together with temperature should be included in the models of phenology and carbon budget for alpine ecosystems in semiarid regions.These fi ndings have important implications for improving vegetation phenology models,thus advancing our understanding of the interplay between vegetation phenology,productivity and climate change in future.

Changes in plant biomass and species composition of alpine Kobresia meadows along altitudinal gradient on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Alpine Kobresia meadows are major vegetation types on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. There is growing concern over their relationships among biodiversity, productivity and environments. Despite the im-portance of species composition, species richness, the type of different growth forms, and plant bio-mass structure for Kobresia meadow ecosystems, few studies have been focused on the relationship between biomass and environmental gradient in the Kobresia meadow plant communities, particularly in relation to soil moisture and edaphic gradients. We measured the plant species composition, her-baceous litter, aboveground and belowground biomass in three Kobresia meadow plant communities in Haibei Alpine Meadow Ecosystem Research Station from 2001 to 2004. Community differences in plant species composition were reflected in biomass distribution. The total biomass showed a de-crease from 13196.96±719.69 g/m2 in the sedge-dominated K. tibetica swamp to 2869.58±147.52 g/m2 in the forb and sedge dominated K. pygmaea meadow, and to 2153.08±141.95 g/m2 in the forbs and grasses dominated K. humilis along with the increase of altitude. The vertical distribution of below-ground biomass is distinct in the three meadow communities, and the belowground biomass at the depth of 0-10 cm in K. tibetica swamp meadow was significantly higher than that in K. humilis and K. pygmaea meadows (P<0.01). The herbaceous litter in K. tibetica swamp was significantly higher than those in K. pygnaeca and K. humilis meadows. The effects of plant litter are enhanced when ground water and soil moisture levels are raised. The relative importance of litter and vegetation may vary with soil water availability. In the K. tibetica swamp, total biomass was negatively correlated to species richness (P<0.05); aboveground biomass was positively correlated to soil organic matter, soil moisture, and plant cover (P<0.05); belowground biomass was positively correlated with soil moisture (P<0.05). However, in the K. pygnaeca and K. humilis meadow communities, aboveground biomass was posi-tively correlated to soil organic matter and soil total nitrogen (P<0.05). This suggests that the distribu-tion of biomass coincided with soil moisture and edaphic gradient in alpine meadows.

Growing Season Ecosystem Respirations and Associated Component Fluxes in Two Alpine Meadows on the Tibetan Plateau

From 30 June to 24 September in 2003 ecosystem respiration （Re） in two alpine meadows on the Tibetan Plateau were measured using static chamber- and gas chromatography- （GC） based techniques. Simultaneously, plant removal treatments were set to partition Re into plant autotrophic respiration （Ra） and microbial heterotrophic respiration （Rh）. Results indicated that Re had clear diurnal and seasonal variation patterns in both of the meadows. The seasonal variability of Re at both meadow sites was caused mainly by changes in Ra, rather than Rh. Moreover, atthe Kobresia humilis meadow site （K_site）, Ra and Rh accounted for 54% and 46% of Re, respectively. While at the Potentilla fruticosa scrub meadow （P_site）, the counterparts accounted for 61% and 39%, respectively. T test showed that there was significant difference in Re rates between the two meadows （t = 2.387, P = 0.022）. However, no significant difference was found in Rh rates, whereas a significant difference was observed in Ra rates between the two meadows. Thus, the difference in Re rate between the two meadows was mainly attributed to plant autotrophic respirations. During the growing season, the two meadows showed relatively low Q10 values, suggesting that Re, especially Rh was not sensitive to temperature variation in the growing season. Additionally, Re and Rh at the K_site, as well as Rh at the Psite was negatively correlated with soil moisture, indicating that soil moisture would also play an important role in respirations.

Characterization of CO_(2) flux in three Kobresia meadows differing in dominant species

Aims Kobresia meadows,the dominant species of which differ in different habitats,cover a large area of alpine grassland on the QinghaiTibetan Plateau and act as potential CO_(2) sinks.Kobresia meadows with different dominant species may differ in carbon sink strength.We aimed to test the hypothesis and to clarify the differences in CO_(2) sink strength among three major Kobresia meadows on the plateau and the mechanisms underlying these differences.Methods We measured the net ecosystem exchange flux(NEE),ecosystem respiration flux(ER),aboveground biomass(AGB)and environmental variables in three Kobresia meadows,dominated by K.pygmaea,K.humilis,or K.tibetica,respectively,in Haibei,Qinghai.NEE and ER were measured by a closed-chamber method.Environmental variables,including photosynthetic photon flux density(PPFD),air and soil temperature and air and soil moisture,were monitored during the above flux measurements.Important findings The measured peak AGB increased with soil water content and was 365,402 and 434 g dry weight m
2 for K.pygmaea,K.humilis and K.tibetica meadow,respectively.From the maximum ecosystem photosynthetic rate in relation to PPFD measured during the growing season,we estimated gross ecosystem photosynthetic potential(GEPmax)as 22.2,29.9 and 37.8 lmol CO_(2) m
2 s
1 for K.pygmaea,K.humilis and K.tibetica meadow,respectively.We estimated the respective gross primary production(GPP)values as 799,1063 and 1158 g C m^(-2) year^(-1) and ER as 722,914 and 1011 g C m^(-2) year^(-1).Average net ecosystem production(NEP)was estimated to be 76.9,149.4 and 147.6 g C m^(-2) year^(-1) in K.pygmaea,K.humilis and K.tibetica meadows,respectively.The results indicate that(i)the three meadows were CO_(2) sinks during the study period and(ii)Kobresia meadows dominated by different species can differ considerably in carbon sink strength even under the same climatic conditions,which suggests the importance of characterizing spatial heterogeneity of carbon dynamics in the future.

Precipitation and seasonality affect grazing impacts on herbage nutritive values in alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Aims Grasslands used for animal husbandry are chosen depending on the nutritive values of dominant herbage species.However,the influence of grazing in combination with precipitation and growing season on the nutritive values of dominant species has not been explicated.Methods To unveil the influence of the different grazing intensities on the nutritional values,an ecological study was formulated,namely fencing(G0),light grazing(G1),moderate grazing(G2)and high grazing(G3).This ambitious study was undertaken on the nutritive values of the four dominant species of herbage in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau(QTP)during growing season(June–September)for two successive years,namely 2015(rainy year)and 2016(droughty year).Important Findings We found that(i)the nutritive value of Kobresia capillifolia,Polygonum viviparum and Caragana sinica was noticeably increased by grazing,but negligible effect on Potentilla fruticosa nutritive value was recorded.(ii)During the rainy year(2015),compared with G0,Polygonum viviparum and Potentilla fruticosa displayed 5.4 and 1.5%increases in the crude protein(CP)content and 8.5 and 2.4%increases in vitro true digestibility(IVTD),respectively,while the neutral detergent fibre(NDF)decreased by 13.5 and 0.9%,respectively.During the droughty year(2016),compared with G0,C.sinica and Potentilla fruticosa showed increases in the CP content by 4.3 and 1.3%and increases in the IVTD by 10.7 and 0.4%,respectively,during G3,while the NDF decreased by 6.0 and 1.0%,respectively.(iii)The nutritive values of all species were higher in the years when the rains were good.However,the nutritive values suffered heavily during drought conditions.Besides,the highest and lowest values of nutrition were detected in June and in September,respectively.The inter-seasonal and the inter-annual changes in the nutritional values of species were higher for K.capillifolia and Polygonum viviparum than for Potentilla fruticosa and C.sinica,suggesting that Potentilla fruticosa and C.sinica had higher water-use efficiency.(iv)Grazing clearly reduced the drought tolerance of three species and showed no effects on Potentilla fruticosa.(v)Grazing clearly increased the inter-month variation in the nutritional value of K.capillifolia and Polygonum viviparum but showed no effects on Potentilla fruticosa or C.sinica.Evidently,the grazing effects impacting the nutritional value of the dominant species of herbage exhibited conspicuous inter-annual and seasonal variations with species-specific influences and responses.Our findings are expected to have far-reaching implications enabling the authorities to arrive at strategic decisions and designing of relevant policies for the efficient management of the ecosystems ensuring the speed restoration of the QTP under severe grazing and extreme climatic circumstances.

Vegetation physiological parameter setting in the Simple Biosphere model 2(SiB2) for alpine meadows in the upper reaches of Heihe river

Land surface process modeling of high and cold area with vegetation cover has not yielded satisfactory results in previous applications. In this study, land surface energy budget is simulated using a land surface model for the A'rou meadow in the upper-reach area of the Heihe River Basin in the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The model performance is evaluated using the in-situ observations and remotely sensed data. Sensible and soil heat fluxes are overestimated while latent heat flux is underestimated when the default parameter setting is used. By analyzing physical and physiological processes and the sensitivities of key parameters, the inappropriate default setting of optimum growth and inhibition temperatures is identified as an important reason for the bias. The average daytime temperature during the period of fastest vegetation growth(June and July) is adopted as the optimum growth temperature, and the inhibition temperatures were adjusted using the same increment as the optimum temperature based on the temperature acclimation. These adjustments significantly reduced the biases in sensible, latent, and soil heat fluxes.

Effects of the hummock-depression microhabitat on plant communities of alpine marshy meadows in the Yellow River Source Zone,China

Our objectives are to examine the effects of hummock-depression spatial heterogeneity on plant communities and soil properties,and to understand the process of maintaining and adjusting microtopography-mediated hydrological inputs and their spatial fluctuations that produce obvious microhabitats.We set up 36 plots(1 m×1 m)and sampled 45 plant and 225 soil samples in flooded(FH)and non-flooded hummocks(NFH)and depressions of the marshy,and the surrounding non-wetland meadows as well as in the Yellow River Source Zone,west China.We evaluated whether the alpine marshy wetland has a fertile island effect by the comparison method.Our results show that hummock presence can increase the spatial heterogeneity of the microhabitat and promote the plant diversity and soil fertility of the Kobresia tibetica community.Plant height,coverage,above-ground biomass,species richness and diversity were significantly higher in the FH and NFH microhabitat than in the areas between hummocks and surrounding non-wetland meadows.Compared with broad alpine meadows,the hummock-depression complex provided a microhabitat favorable to the growth of Cyperaceae.In the 0-50 cm soil layer,the closer the soil layer was to the ground surface,the higher its soil organic carbon and total nitrogen contents.Thus,in deeper layers,the gap between soil nutrients in wetland hummock-depression microhabitat and in the surrounding alpine meadows becomes smaller.Hence,the wetland hummock-depression microhabitat formed a fertile island pattern.Therefore,these results contribute toward improving our understanding of ecosystem restoration in alpine marshy meadows.

Effects of Seasonal and Perennial Grazing on Soil Fauna Community and Microbial Biomass Carbon in the Subalpine Meadows of Yunnan, Southwest China

Grazing and over-grazing may drive changes in the diversity and functioning of below-ground meadow ecosystems. A field soil survey was conducted to compare microbial biomass carbon （Cmin） and soil fauna communities in the two main grassland management systems in subalpine regions of Yunnan Province, China： perennial grazing currently practiced due to increasing herd sizes and traditional seasonal grazing. A three-year exclosure experiment was then conducted to further compare the effects of different grazing practices, including treatments of no mowing, perennial grazing （NM ＋ G）, mowing followed by seasonal grazing （M ＋ G）, mowing and no grazing （M ＋ NG）, and no mowing or grazing （NM ＋ NG）. The comparative survey result revealed that Cmin and total density of soil fauna were significantly lower at a perennially grazed site than at a seasonally grazed site. The experiment results showed that in comparison to non-grazing treatments （M ＋ NG and NM ＋ NG）, grazing （NM ＋ G and M ＋ G） reduced total fauna density （by 150 individuals m-2） and the number of taxonomic groups present （by 0.32 taxa m-2）. Mowing decreased Cmin （by 0.31 mg g-l）. Furthermore, the NM ＋ G treatment （perennial grazing） had the lowest density of Collembola （16.24 individuals m-2）, one of the two most common taxonomic groups, although other taxonomic groups responded differently to the treatments. Treatment effects on soil fauna were consistent with those on above-ground grasses, in which C：N ratios were greatly reduced by grazing, with this effect being the greatest for the NM ＋ G treatment. In contrast, different grazing treatments had little effect on C：N ratio of soil. Furthermore, the traditional grazing method （mowing followed by seasonal grazing） may have less severe effects on some taxonomic groups than perennial grazing. Therefore, an appropriate management should aim to protect soil fauna and microbes in this area from over-grazing and against further degradation.

Functional diversity and redundancy of subalpine meadows subjected to anthropogenic disturbances

Aims The aims of this study were to assess how functional diversity(FD)and functional redundancy respond to subalpine meadow ecosystem degradation under anthropogenic disturbance and how species contribute to functional redundancy along the disturbance gradient.Methods The study was carried out in the subalpine meadow in Mount Jade Dragon,which is located at the southeastern edge of the Tibetan Plateau.Four disturbance intensities[no disturbance(ND),weak disturbance(WD),moderate disturbance(MD)and severe disturbance(SD)]were identified.Species richness,soil properties and five key plant functional traits were assessed along the disturbance gradient.Simpson’s diversity index,FD based on the Rao algorithm,functional redundancy,community-weighted mean of each functional trait and species-level functional redundancy were determined.Important Findings Unimodal change pattern of FD and functional redundancy along the disturbance gradient were found in the present study,with their maximum in MD and WD,respectively.Species diversity showed a decreasing trend with increasing disturbance intensity.As disturbance intensified,species with traits related to conservative growth strategies,such as low specific leaf area(SLA)and high leaf dry matter content(LDMC),decreased,whereas species with resource acquisitive strategies,such as small plant,high SLA and low LDMC,increased in the community.At the species level,species showed species-specific roles in functional redundancy.Notably,some species were important in the community in terms of their unique function.For instance,Ligularia dictyoneura in ND and Potentilla delavayi in MD and SD.

Relations between Carbon Dioxide Fluxes and Environmental Factors of Kobresia humilis Meadows and Potentilla fruticosa Meadows

Carbon dioxide fluxes of Kobresia humilis and Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadows,two typical ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,were measured by eddy covari-ance technology and the data collected in August 2003 were employed to analyze the relations between carbon dioxide fluxes and environmental factors of the ecosystems.August is the time when the two ecosystems reach their peak leaf area indexes and stay stable,and also the period when the net carbon absorptions of Kobresia humilis and Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadows reach 56.2 g C·m^(-2)and 32.6 g C·m^(-2),with their highest daily carbon dioxide absorp-tions standing at 12.7μmol·m^(-2)·s^(-1)and 9.3μmol·m^(-2)·s^(-1),and their highest carbon discharges at 5.1μmol·m^(-2)·s^(-1)and 5.7μmol·m^(-2)·s^(-1),respectively.At the same photosynthetic photo flux densities(PPFD),the carbon dioxide-uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow is higher than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow;where the PPFD are higher than 1,200μmol·m^(-2)·s^(-1).The carbon dioxide uptake rates of the two ecosystems declined as air temperature increased,but the carbon dioxide uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow decreased more quickly(-0.086)than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow(-0.016).Soil moistures exert influence on the soil respirations and this varies with the vegetation type.The daily carbon dioxide absorptions of the ecosystems increase with increased diurnal temperature differences and higher diurnal temperature differences result in higher carbon dioxide exchanges.There exists a negative correlation between the vegetation albedos and the carbon dioxide fluxes.