Impact of nitrogen addition on plant community in a semi-arid temperate steppe in China

Increased nitrogen （N） deposition will often lead to a decline in species richness in grassland ecosystems but the shifts in functional groups and plant traits are still poorly understood in China. A field experiment was conducted at Duolun, Inner Mongolia, China, to investigate the effects of N addition on a temperate steppe ecosystem. Six N levels （0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 g N/（m2-a）） were added as three applications per year from 2005 to 2010. Enhanced N deposition, even as little as 3 g N/（m2.a） above ambient N deposition （1.2 g N/（m2.a））, led to a decline in species richness of the whole community. Increasing N addition can significantly stimulate aboveground biomass of perennial bunchgrasses （PB） but decrease perennial forbs （PF）, and induce a slight change in the biomass of shrubs and semi-shrubs （SS）. The biomass of annuals （AS） and perennial rhizome grasses （PR） accounts for only a small part of the total biomass. Species richness of PF decreased significantly with increasing N addition rate but there was a little change in the other functional groups. PB, as the dominant functional group, has a relatively higher height than others. Differences in the response of each functional group to N addition have site-specific and species-specific characteristics. We initially infer that N enrichment stimulated the growth of PB, which further suppressed the growth of other functional groups.

Impact of Climate Change and Grazing on Temperate Steppe

Ecosystem of eastern Eurasian steppe is facing more and more challenges of global issues such as climate change, food and ecological security and human excessive utilization since the 21st century. Facing on the increasingly prominent international issues, it is very essential for relevant countries, international organizations and domestic counterparts to enhance systematic and mutual cooperation and exchanges to carry out scientific research and develop protection practice on the Eurasian steppe.

Response of soil N_2O emissions to precipitation pulses under different nitrogen availabilities in a semiarid temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia, China

Short-term nitrous oxide（N2O） pulse emissions caused by precipitation account for a considerable portion of the annual N2O emissions and are greatly influenced by soil nitrogen（N） dynamics. However, in Chinese semiarid temperate steppes, the response of N2O emissions to the coupling changes of precipitation and soil N availability is not yet fully understood. In this study, we conducted two 7-day field experiments in a semiarid temperate typical steppe of Inner Mongolia, China, to investigate the N2O emission pulses resulting from artificial precipitation events（approximately equivalent to 10.0 mm rainfall） under four N addition levels（0, 5, 10 and 20 g N/（m2·a）） using the static opaque chamber technique. The results show that the simulated rainfall during the dry period in 2010 caused greater short-term emission bursts than that during the relatively rainy observation period in 2011（P〈0.05）. No significant increase was observed for either the N2O peak effluxes or the weekly cumulative emissions（P〉0.05） with single water addition. The peak values of N2O efflux increased with the increasing N input. Only the treatments with water and medium（WN10） or high N addition（WN20） significantly increased the cumulative N2O emissions（P〈0.01） in both experimental periods. Under drought condition, the variations in soil N2O effluxes were positively correlated with the soil NH4-N concentrations in the three N input treatments（WN5, WN10, and WN20）. Besides, the soil moisture and temperature also greatly influenced the N2O pulse emissions, particularly the N2O pulse under the relatively rainy soil condition or in the treatments without N addition（ZN and ZWN）. The responses of the plant metabolism to the varying precipitation distribution and the length of drought period prior to rainfall could greatly affect the soil N dynamics and N2O emission pulses in semiarid grasslands.

Plant diversity is coupled with soil fungal diversity in a natural temperate steppe of northeastern China

Soil fungi and aboveground plant play vital functions in terrestrial ecosystems,while the relationship between aboveground plant diversity and the unseen soil fungal diversity remains unclear.We established 6 sites from the west to the east of the temperate steppe that vary in plant diversity(plant species richness:7-32)to explore the relationship between soil fungal diversity and aboveground plant diversity.Soil fungal community was characterized by applying 18S rRNA gene sequencing using MiSeq PE300 and aligned with Silva 132 database.As a result,soil fungal community was predominately composed of species within the Ascomycota(84.36%),Basidiomycota(7.22%)and Mucoromycota(6.44%).Plant species richness occupied the largest explanatory power in structuring soil fungal community(19.05%–19.78%).The alpha(α)diversity of the whole soil fungi and Ascomycota showed a hump-backed pattern with increasing plant species richness,and the beta(β)diversity of the whole soil fungi and Ascomycota increased with increasing plantβdiversity.Those results indicated that soil fungi and external resources were well balanced at the 20-species level of plant and the sites were more distinct in the composition of their plant communities also harbored more distinct soil fungal communities.Thus,plant diversity could predict both soil fungalαandβdiversity in the temperate steppe of northeastern China.

Managed grassland alters soil N dynamics and N2O emissions in temperate steppe

Reclamation of degraded grasslands as managed grasslands has been increasingly accelerated in recent years in China. Land use change affects soil nitrogen（N） dynamics and nitrous oxide（N2O） emissions. However, it remains unclear how large-scale grassland reclamation will impact the grassland ecosystem as a whole. Here, we investigated the effects of the conversion from native to managed grasslands on soil N dynamics and N2O emissions by field experiments in Hulunber in northern China. Soil（0-10 cm）, nitrate（NO3-）,ammonium（NH4＋）, and microbial N were measured in plots in a temperate steppe（Leymus chinensis grassland） and two managed grasslands（Medicago sativa and Bromus inermis grasslands） in 2011 and 2012. The results showed conversion of L. chinensis grassland to M.sativa or B. inermis grasslands decreased concentrations of NO3--N, but did not change NH4-N . Soil microbial N was slightly decreased by the conversion of L. chinensis grassland to M.sativa, but increased by the conversion to B. inermis. The conversion of L. chinensis grassland to M. sativa（i.e., a legume grass） increased N2O emissions by 26.2%, while the conversion to the B. inermis（i.e., a non-legume grass） reduced N2O emissions by 33.1%. The conversion from native to managed grasslands caused large created variations in soil NO3-＋-N and NH4-N concentrations. Net N mineralization rates did not change significantly in growing season or vegetation type, but to net nitrification rate. These results provide evidence on how reclamation may impact the grassland ecosystem in terms of N dynamics and N2O emissions.

Trends in extreme climatic indices across the temperate steppes of China from 1961 to 2013

Aims Extreme climate events have become more severe and frequent with global change in recent years.The Chinese temperate steppes are an important component of the Eurasian steppes and highly sensitive and vulnerable to climatic change.As a result,the occur-rence of extreme climate events must have strong impacts on the temperate steppes.Therefore,understanding the spatio-temporal trends in extreme climate is important for us to assess the sensitivity and vulnerability of Chinese temperate steppes to climatic changes.This research had two specific objects to(i)specify the temporal changes in extreme climate events across the whole steppe and(ii)compare the trend differences for extreme climate events in differ-ent types of steppes-meadow steppe,typical steppe and desert steppe.Methods To investigate extreme climate trends in the temperate steppes of China,82 meteorological stations with daily temperature and precipi-tation data(1961-2013)were used.Meanwhile,eight core extreme climate indices(extreme high-temperature threshold,extreme low-temperature threshold,frost days,heatwave duration,heavy rain-fall threshold,percentage of heavy rainfall,heavy rainfall days and consecutive dry days)from the Statistical and Regional Dynamical Downscaling of Extremes for European Regions(STARDEX)project were selected to analyse the trends in extreme climate across the whole temperate steppe and the three main types(meadow steppe,typical steppe and desert steppe)through time and space.Important Findings The results showed that(i)the changes in extreme climatic tem-perature events across the whole temperate steppe were obvi-ous during 1961-2013.The frost days(−3.40 days/10 year[yr])decreased significantly,while the extreme high-temperature thresh-old(0.24℃/10 yr),extreme low-temperature threshold(0.52℃/10 yr),and heatwave duration(0.58 days/10 yr)increased notably.The annual changes in extreme precipitation were small and not sig-nificant.(ii)Differences appeared in the extreme climatic trends in different types of steppes.The desert steppe showed strong climate extremes and underwent the most significant asymmetric warming compared with the meadow steppe and typical steppe.At the same time,the heatwave duration(0.62 days/10 yr)increased.In terms of the extreme precipitation,there was no significant trend among the three types of steppes.However,the fluctuations in extreme precipi-tation were the largest in the desert steppe compared to those in the typical steppe and meadow steppe.

Responses of plant^(15)N natural abundance and isotopic fractionation to N addition reflect the N status of a temperate steppe in China

Aims Elevated anthropogenic nitrogen(N)deposition could alter N status in temperate steppe.However,threshold observations of N status change from N limit to N saturation by far are not conclusive in these ecosystems.Research on the natural abundance of ^(15)N( δ^(15)N)could greatly help provide integrated information about ecosystem N status.The goal of this study was to investigate the suitability of measurements of δ^(15)N of major ecosystem N pools and several key species,plant ^(15)N fractionation,together with key vegetation and soil indicators in response to N fertilization as a tool to identify the N status in a temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia.Methods We carried out a N addition experiment during 2011-14 on a Stipa krylovii steppe in Inner Mongolia,Northern China.We investigated the response of several key N transformation processes,vegetation and soil properties to N addition.Aboveground biomass and below-ground biomass(BGB) δ^(15)N,root and foliar δ^(15)N of three dominant species(Artemisia frigida,S.krylovii and Leymus chinensis), δ^(15)N of soil total N and soil KCl-extractable NO_(3)^(−)-N were determined.The responses of isotope fractionation during plant N uptake and reallo-cation to N addition were also determined.Important Findings Our results suggest that the N addition rate of 5g N m^(−2) yr^(−1) could be regarded as threshold of early N saturation in this S.krylovii steppe as indicated by an increase in plant fraction-ation and a decrease in plant δ^(15)N.When N input rate is>10 g N m^(-2) yr^(-1),increased N deposition can lead to an apparent reduction in species richness and BGB as well as an increase in NO_(3)^(−)in extractable soil pools<30-cm soil profile.With N addition,S.krylovii and A.frigida undergo earlier N status shift from N limitation toward N excess compared with L.chinen-sis,contributing to L.chinensis out-competing other species.Overall,this study provides a better understanding of N status change in temperate steppe based on isotope evidence and several other functional variables and contributes to predicting the responses of temperate steppe to future global N deposition scenario.

Modeling the regional grazing impact on vegetation carbon sequestration ability in Temperate Eurasian Steppe

Anthropogenic activities profoundly influence carbon sequestration in the Eurasian Steppe. In particular, grazing has been identified as having a major effect on carbon sequestration. However, the extent to which grazing affects regional patterns or carbon sequestration is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the impact of regional grazing on grassland carbon seques- tration using the Boreal Ecosystem Productivity Simulator （BEPS） and the Shiyomi grazing model. Model performances were validated against the results from field measurements and eddy covariance （EC） sites. Model outputs showed that in 2008, the regional net primary productivity （NPP） was 79.5 g C m-2, and the net ecosystem productivity （NEP） was -6.5 g C m-2, characterizing the region as a Weak carbon source. The Mongol Steppe （MS） was identified as a carbon sink, whereas the Kazakh Steppe （KS） was either carbon neutral or a weak carbon source. The spatial patterns of grazing density are divergent between the MS and the KS. in the MS, livestock was mainly distributed in China with relatively good management, while in the KS livestock was mainly concentrated in the southern countries （especially Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan） with harsh environments and poor management. The consumption percentages of NPP in Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan were 5.3, 3.3 and 1.2%, respectively, whereas the percentages in other countries were lower than 1%. Correspondingly, grazing consumption contributed to the carbon sources of Turkmenistan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan by 11.6, 6.3 and 4.3%, respectively, while it weakened the carbon sink in Inner Mongolia, China and Mongolia by 1.6 and 0.5%. This regional pattern should be affected by different sub-regional characteristics, e.g., the continuous degradation of grassland in the southern part of the KS and the restoration of grassland in Inner Mongolia, China.

Differential responses of short-term soil respiration dynamics to the experimental addition of nitrogen and water in the temperate semi-arid steppe of Inner Mongolia, China

We examined the effects of simulated rainfall and increasing N supply of different levels on CO2 pulse emission from typical Inner Mongolian steppe soil using the static opaque chamber technique, respectively in a dry June and a rainy August. The treatments included NH4NO3 additions at rates of 0, 5, 10, and 20 g N/（m2.year） with or without water. Immediately after the experimental simulated rainfall events, the CO2 effluxes in the watering plots without N addition （WCK） increased greatly and reached the maximum value at 2 hr. However, the efflux level reverted to the background level within 48 hr. The cumulative CO2 effluxes in the soil ranged from 5.60 to 6.49 g C/m2 over 48 hr after a single water application, thus showing an increase of approximately 148.64% and 48.36% in the efftuxes during both observation periods. By contrast, the addition of different N levels without water addition did not result in a significant change in soil respiration in the short term. Two-way ANOVA showed that the effects of the interaction between water and N addition were insignificant in short-term soil COz efftuxes in the soil. The cumulative soil CO2 fluxes of different treatments over 48 hr accounted for approximately 5.34% to 6.91% and 2.36% to 2.93% of annual C emission in both experimental periods. These results stress the need for improving the sampling frequency after rainfall in future studies to ensure more accurate evaluation of the grassland C emission contribution.

Analysis of Parameter Sensitivity on Surface Heat Exchange in the Noah Land Surface Model at a Temperate Desert Steppe Site in China

The dominant parameters in the Noah land surface model （LSM） are identified, and the effects of parameter optimization on the surface heat exchange are investigated at a temperate desert steppe site during growing season in Inner Mongolia, China. The relative impacts of parameters on surface heat flux are examined by the distributed evaluation of local sensitivity analysis （DELSA）, and the Noah LSM is calibrated by the global shuffled complex evolution （SCE） against the corresponding observations during May-September of 2008 and 2009. The differences in flux sim- ulations are assessed between the Noah LSM calibrated by the SCE with 27 parameters and 12 dominant parameters. The systematic error, unsystematic error, root mean squared error, and mean squared error decompositions are used to evaluate the model performance. Compared to the control experiment, parameter optimization by the SCE using net radiation, sensible heat flux, latent heat flux, and ground heat flux as the objective criterion, respectively, can ob- viously reduce the errors of the Noah LSM. The calibrated Noah LSM is further validated against flux observations of growing season in 2010, and it is found that the calibrated Noah LSM can be applied in the longer term at this site. The Noah LSM with 12 dominant parameters calibrated performs similar to that with 27 parameters calibrated.

Responses of plant diversity and primary productivity to nutrient addition in a Stipa baicalensis grassland, China

Nutrient addition can affect the structure and diversity of grassland plant communities, thus alter the grassland productivity. Studies on grassland plant community composition, structure and diversity in response to nutrient addition have an important theoretical and practical significance for the scientific management of grassland, protection of plant diversity and the recovery of degraded grassland. A randomized block design experiment was conducted with six blocks of eight treatments each： control（no nutrient addition） and K, P, N, PK, NK, NP, and NPK addition. We evaluated plant composition, height, coverage, density, and aboveground biomass to estimate primary productivity and plant diversity. Results showed that all treatments increased primary productivity significantly（P〈0.05） with the exception of the K and the NPK treatments had the greatest effect, increasing aboveground biomass 2.46 times compared with the control（P〈0.05）. One-way ANOVA and factorial analysis were used for the species richness, Shannon-Wiener index, Pielou index and aboveground biomass, and the relationships between the diversity indices and aboveground biomass were determined through linear regression. We found that fertilization altered the community structure; N（but not P or K） addition increased the proportion of perennial rhizome grasses and significantly reduced that of perennial forbs（P〈0.05）, thus it presented a trend of decrease in species richness, Shannon-Wiener and Pielou indexex, respectively. Only the main effects of N had significant impacts on both the diversity indices and the aboveground biomass（P〈0.05）, and the interactions between N-P, N-K, P-K and N-P-K could be neglected. With fertilization, plant diversity（correlation coefficient, –0.61）, species richness（–0.49）, and species evenness（–0.51） were all negatively linearly correlated with primary productivity. The correlations were all significant（P〈0.01）. Scientific nutrient management is an effective way to improve grassland productivity, protect the plant diversity as well as recover the degraded grassland.