Chin J Plan Ecolo ›› 2018, Vol. 42 ›› Issue (1): 133-142.DOI: 10.17521/cjpe.2017.0120

Special Issue: 青藏高原植物生态学:植物-土壤-微生物

• Research Articles • Previous Articles    

Characteristics of nutrients in two dominant plant species and rhizospheric soils in alpine desert of the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau under contrasting climates

GOU Xiao-Lin1,2,ZHOU Qing-Ping1,2,*(),CHEN You-Jun1,2,WEI Xiao-Xing1,TU Wei-Guo3   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Use of Forage Germplasm Resources on Tibetan Plateau of Qinghai Provence, Institute of Grazing & Veterinarian, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China;

    2 Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest Minzu University, Chengdu 610041, China

    3 Sichuan Province Natural Resources Science Academy, Chengdu 610015, China
  • Online:2018-01-20 Published:2018-01-18
  • Contact: Qing-Ping ZHOU
  • Supported by:
    Supported by the National Key Technology Research and Development Program of the Ministry of Science and Technology of China(2015BAC05B01);the Special Funds of Sichuan, China(2015SZ0062)

Abstract:

Aims This study was conducted to determine the responses of nutrients in plants and rhizospheric soils to climate in alpine-cold desert on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau.

Methods Tissue samples for two dominant plant species, Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. sinensis and Artemisia desertorum, and associated rhizospheric soil samples were collected from sites representing semi-arid and sub-humid climates in the alpine-cold desert on the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau. Measurements were made on the contents of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in roots and shoots, as well as on organic carbon, total nitrogen, total phosphate, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and available phosphate in rhizospheric soils in the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm layer. The relationship between nutrients in plant tissues and rhizospheric soils and the influencing factors were analyzed.

Important findings There were significant differences between the semi-arid and the sub-humid sites in tissue nutrients and rhizospheric soil nutrients for the two specie. Specifically, the contents of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus in plant tissues differed significantly between the semi-arid and the sub-humid sites. Soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, ammonium nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen and available phosphate for the rhizosphere of A. desertorum were significantly higher on site under sub-humid climate than that under semi-arid climate; whereas the trend was reversed for the rhizosphere of H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis. We found significant relationships between the tissue nutrients and soil nutrients, and significantly different plant nutrient ratios between the two species. There were negative correlations between tissues and rhizosheric soils in N:P ratio for A. desertorum and C:N ratio for H. rhamnoides subsp. sinensis under different climates.

Key words: Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, vegetal nutrients, soil nutrients, Hippophae rhamnoides subsp. sinensis, Artemisia desertorum