Affiliation:
1. Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology in Cold Regions, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810001, China
2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
3. College of Life Sciences, Qinghai Normal University, Xining 810008, China
4. State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining 810016, China
Abstract
Grassland resources occupy an important place in the national economy. However, grasslands in alpine regions of China are severely degraded, and the effects of land-use types on species composition, soil nutrients, and ecosystem multifunctionality of degraded alpine grasslands are less certain. To ascertain the effects of main land-use types (no-tillage reseeding and fertilization) on species diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality in alpine grasslands, we investigated the changes in these factors by subjecting specified areas. Using a standardized field survey, we measured the cover, richness, and evenness of plants. At each site, we measured microbial diversity and twelve soil variables critical for maintaining ecosystem multifunctionality in alpine grasslands. The results showed that: (1) the Margalef, Shannon–Wiener, and Simpson indices of plant community, and fungal diversity indices increased significantly in no-tillage reseeding and fertilization; (2) at the phyla level, the relative abundances of Basidiomycota, Olpidiomycota, and Proteobacteria increased significantly in no-tillage reseeding and fertilization, as well as, at the genus level, those of Coniochaeta, Solirubrobacter, Pseudonocardia, and Microvirga; (3) the soil physicochemical properties (except the C:N of soil) increased significantly in no-tillage reseeding and fertilization; (4) correlation analysis showed that species diversity was mainly correlated with soil nutrients in control check, while it was mainly correlated with soil physical properties in no-tillage reseeding and fertilization; (5) linear regression analysis showed significant positive relationships between Margalef, Shannon–Wiener, and Simpson indices of plant community and ecosystem multifunctionality. In addition, ecosystem multifunctionality was positively related to Pielou, Shannon–Wiener, and Simpson indices of the fungal community and it was positively related to Pielou and Shannon–Wiener indices of bacterial community. These observations indicated that no-tillage reseeding and fertilization of degraded alpine grasslands had the potential to improve ecosystem functions in many ways.
Funder
Qinghai Natural Science Fund Innovation Team Project
National Natural Science Foundation of China Joint Fund Project
Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program
Chinese Academy of Sciences and Qinghai Provincial People’s Government
Subject
Nature and Landscape Conservation,Ecology,Global and Planetary Change
Reference69 articles.
1. Theory and application of no-tillage reseeding in degraded grasslands;Zhang;Chin. Sci. Bull.,2020
2. Rate and causes of degradation of alpine grassland in the source regions of the Yangtze and Yellow Rivers during the last 45 years;Du;Acta Pratac. Sin.,2015
3. Effects of artificial grassland establishment on soil nutrients and carbon properties in a black-soil-type degraded grassland;Wu;Plant Soil,2010
4. Effects of Overseeding Grass on Aboveground Biomass of Different Economic Group in Maqu Alpine Desertified Meadow Pasture;Chen;Chin. J. Grass,2011
5. Effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition on forage and soil nutrients in alpine grasslands around Qinghai Lake;Wang;Pratac. Sci.,2019