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.
Xue WangZhuwen XuCaifeng YanWentao LuoRuzhen WangXingguo HanYong JiangMai-He Li
Climate warming and nitrogen(N)deposition change ecosystem processes,structure,and functioning whereas the phosphorus(P)composition and availability directly influence the ecosystem structure under conditions of N deposition.In our study,four treatments were designed,including a control,diurnal warming(DW),N deposition(ND),and combined warming and N deposition(WN).The effects of DW,ND,and WN on P composition were studied by31P nuclear magnetic resonance(31P NMR)spectroscopy in a temperate grassland region of China.The results showed that the N deposition decreased the soil pH and total N(TN)concentration but increased the soil Olsen-P concentration.The solution-state31P NMR analysis showed that the DW,ND and WN treatments slightly decreased the proportion of orthophosphate and increased that of the monoesters.An absence of myo-inositol phosphate in the DW,ND and WN treatments was observed compared with the control.Furthermore,the DW,ND and WN treatments significantly decreased the recovery of soil P in the NaOH–EDTA solution by17%–20%.The principal component analysis found that the soil pH was positively correlated with the P recovery in the NaOH–EDTA solution.Therefore,the decreased soil P recovery in the DW and ND treatments might be caused by an indirect influence on the soil pH.Additionally,the soil moisture content was the key factor limiting the available P.The positive correlation of total carbon(TC)and TN with the soil P composition indicated the influence of climate warming and N deposition on the biological processes in the soil P cycling.
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 plantations 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 exchangeable 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 exchangeable 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.
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.
陆地生态系统氮沉降增加可导致土壤酸化,从而可能造成土壤生态系统结构和功能的退化。依托内蒙古典型草地设置的模拟氮沉降试验,研究了连续6年9个氮添梯度(0、1、2、3、5、10、15、20、50 g m^(-2)a^(-1)),2个氮添加频次(一年两次或一月一次)及2种管理方式(封育或刈割)等4种模式对土壤p H和电导率的影响。结果表明,4种模式下氮添加量3 g m^(-2)a^(-1)以下4个处理间的土壤p H无显著差异,在氮添加量为20 g m^(-2)a^(-1)(与我国粮食作物年施氮量接近)时,土壤p H分别比对照平均降低了1.1~1.9个单位;封育一年两次添加氮素在添加量5 g m^(-2)a^(-1)以上时土壤p H显著下降,而封育每月一次添加氮素在添加量20 g m^(-2)a^(-1)以上时,土壤p H才出现显著下降的现象。4种模式下土壤p H与土壤阳离子交换量及土壤交换性钙呈极显著正相关,说明高量氮添加促进了土壤中盐基离子的耗竭。高量氮添加(50 g m^(-2)a^(-1))显著增加了土壤EC值;除封育每月一次添加氮素处理外,氮添加10 g m^(-2)a^(-1)以下各处理间的土壤电导率(EC)无显著差异;土壤EC值与土壤硝态氮含量呈极显著正相关。研究结果将为我国北方半干旱草地土壤酸化的量化表征及氮素管理提供数据支撑。
