Characteristics of soil respiration in different degraded alpine grassland in the source region of Three-River

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1258.2014.00018

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims Soil respiration is a major way that CO₂ is emitted into the atmosphere, and it is important in global change research. Our objective was to examine the effects of degradation on carbon flux in alpine grassland.
Methods We measured soil respiration rates in alpine grassland under four degrees of degradation (no, light, moderate, and heavy degradation) using a LI-8100A open-circuit soil carbon flux measuring system. We analyzed the relationship between soil respiration and soil temperature, as well as between soil respiration and soil moisture.
Important findings Soil respiration under each level of degradation showed a monthly dynamic, but it varied by degree of degradation. With an increase of degradation, average soil respiration of the growing season first increased and then decreased. The highest soil respiration occurred under the moderate level ((2.46 ± 0.27) μmol·m^-2·s^-1), which was significantly higher than under no degradation ((1.92 ± 0.11) μmol·m^-2·s^-1) and heavy degradation ((1.30 ± 0.16) μmol·m^-2·s^-1) (p < 0.01). There was no significant difference between the moderate degradation and the light degradation (p > 0.05). The respiration under heavy degradation was significantly lower than under the other degradation levels (p < 0.01). There was a significant positive linear correlation between aboveground biomass and soil respiration (p = 0.004), but not between soil respiration and underground biomass (p = 0.056). There was a significant positive correlation between soil respiration and soil temperature at each level except heavy degradation. There were correlations between soil respiration and soil moisture (binomial fitting) with no degradation as well as moderate and heavy degradation (p < 0.05), and it was significantly correlated with light degradation (p < 0.01).

Key words: alpine grassland, grassland degradation, soil moisture, soil respiration, source region of Three-River, temperature

WEN Jun, ZHOU Hua-Kun, YAO Bu-Qing, LI Yi-Kang, ZHAO Xin-Quan, CHEN Zhe, LIAN Li-Ye, GUO Kai-Xian. Characteristics of soil respiration in different degraded alpine grassland in the source region of Three-River[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2014, 38(2): 209-218.

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https://www.plant-ecology.com/EN/Y2014/V38/I2/209

Figures/Tables 9

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退化程度 Degradation degree	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	海拔 Altitude (m)	植被 Vegetation
未退化 No degradation	34°52′ N, 98°15 E	4 217	典型紫花针茅草原 Typical Stipa purpuea steppe
轻度退化 Light degradation	34°50′ N, 98°19′ E	4 227	紫花针茅草原 Stipa purpurea steppe
中度退化 Moderate degradation	34°51′ N, 98°17′ E	4 225	杂类草草原 Forbs steppe
重度退化 Heavy degradation	34°50′ N, 98°19′ E	3 953	沙化草原 Desertified grassland

退化程度 Degradation degree	经纬度 Latitude and longitude	海拔 Altitude (m)	植被 Vegetation
未退化 No degradation	34°52′ N, 98°15 E	4 217	典型紫花针茅草原 Typical Stipa purpuea steppe
轻度退化 Light degradation	34°50′ N, 98°19′ E	4 227	紫花针茅草原 Stipa purpurea steppe
中度退化 Moderate degradation	34°51′ N, 98°17′ E	4 225	杂类草草原 Forbs steppe
重度退化 Heavy degradation	34°50′ N, 98°19′ E	3 953	沙化草原 Desertified grassland

退化程度Degradation degree	物种数Number of species	香农威纳指数Shannon-Wiener index	Pielou指数Pielou index	盖度 Coverage (%)	地上生物量 Aboveground biomass (g·m^-2)	地下生物量 Underground biomass (g·m^-2)	优势种 Dominant species
未退化 No degradation	5.0±0.11^a	0.77±0.02^a	0.48±0.01^b	70	86.10±6.40^a	1440.64±226.78^a	紫花针茅 Stipa purpurea
轻度退化 Light degradation	8.8±0.80^b	1.45±0.24^b	0.67±0.09^a	55	92.49±11.04^a	992.91±71.26^b	紫花针茅、多裂委陵菜 Potentilla multifida、薹草 Carex tristachya
中度退化 Moderate degradation	8.4±0.51^b	1.24±0.05^b	0.59±0.03^a	62	118.01±9.71^b	902.28±134.54^b	薹草、披针叶黄华 Thermopsis lanceolata、细叶亚菊 Ajania tenuifolia
重度退化 Heavy degradation	4.6±0.87^a	0.96±0.20^a	0.66±0.11^a	<15	29.56±6.13^c	376.76±67.11^c	细叶亚菊、西伯利亚蓼Polygonum sibiricum

退化程度Degradation degree	物种数Number of species	香农威纳指数Shannon-Wiener index	Pielou指数Pielou index	盖度 Coverage (%)	地上生物量 Aboveground biomass (g·m^-2)	地下生物量 Underground biomass (g·m^-2)	优势种 Dominant species
未退化 No degradation	5.0±0.11^a	0.77±0.02^a	0.48±0.01^b	70	86.10±6.40^a	1440.64±226.78^a	紫花针茅 Stipa purpurea
轻度退化 Light degradation	8.8±0.80^b	1.45±0.24^b	0.67±0.09^a	55	92.49±11.04^a	992.91±71.26^b	紫花针茅、多裂委陵菜 Potentilla multifida、薹草 Carex tristachya
中度退化 Moderate degradation	8.4±0.51^b	1.24±0.05^b	0.59±0.03^a	62	118.01±9.71^b	902.28±134.54^b	薹草、披针叶黄华 Thermopsis lanceolata、细叶亚菊 Ajania tenuifolia
重度退化 Heavy degradation	4.6±0.87^a	0.96±0.20^a	0.66±0.11^a	<15	29.56±6.13^c	376.76±67.11^c	细叶亚菊、西伯利亚蓼Polygonum sibiricum

退化程度 Degradation degree	拟合方程 Fitting equation	R²	p	Q₁₀
未退化 No degradation	SR = 0.998e^0.064^T	0.565	<0.01	1.90
轻度退化 Light degradation	SR = 1.3624e^0.0477^T	0.636	<0.01	1.61
中度退化 Moderate degradation	SR = 1.4236e^0.0494^T	0.256	<0.05	1.64
重度退化 Heavy degradation	SR = 1.2944e^-0.006^T	0.009	>0.05	-