| Short-term grazing exclusion improved topsoil conditions and plant characteristics in degraded alpine grasslands | |
Du Chenjun1,2,3; Jing Jie2,3; Shen Yuan4; Liu Haixiu5; Gao Yongheng1,2
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| Corresponding Author | Gao, Yongheng(yhgao@imde.ac.cn) |
| 2020 | |
| Source Publication | ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
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| ISSN | 1470-160X |
| EISSN | 1872-7034 |
| Volume | 108Pages:UNSP 105680 |
| Subtype | Article |
| Contribution Rank | 2 |
| Abstract | Grazing exclusion by fencing is one of the most effective practices to recover the degraded alpine grasslands in Tibetan Plateau. In the present study, the effects of 8-year (GE8) and 4-year (GE4) grazing exclusion were studied in comparison with free grazing (FG) in the plant-soil ecosystems of alpine grasslands. Within fencing, improved plant characteristics such as aboveground biomass (AGB), belowground biomass (BGB) and plant total cover developed without grazing and trampling were observed. Also, there were significant improvements of soil organic carbon (SOC), ammonia nitrogen (NH 4(+)-N) and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations usually in the topsoil (0-30 cm) but a stable C:N ratio with the number of years of grazing exclusion. Fencing enhanced soil main enzyme (invertase, phosphatase, urease and beta-glucosidase) activities by providing sufficient substrates for microbial activities. Unexpectedly, GE4 had higher soil invertase, phosphatase, urease and beta-glucosidase activities than GE8, which had less plant diversity, richness and higher total cover causing a lowering of soil temperature. Additionally, the results supported the allometric allocation hypothesis for the ABG versus BGB in the grasslands of Tibetan Plateau. Our results indicated that SOC and BGB can be used as indicators of the restoration process of degraded alpine grassland. Cautions should be taken for a long-term fencing in degraded alpine grasslands because of the loss of plant richness, diversity and soil enzyme activities. The present results also suggested that a suitable grazing regime combined with fencing should be focused in the future study of the alpine grasslands. Research results obtained in the present study should, therefore, be helpful to offer a better guidance towards the management practices of the degraded alpine grasslands. |
| Keyword | Tibetan Plateau Grassland degradation Fencing Soil nutrients Enzyme activity |
| DOI | 10.1016/j.ecolind.2019.105680 |
| Indexed By | SCI |
| WOS Keyword | BELOW-GROUND BIOMASS ; QINGHAI-TIBETAN PLATEAU ; SOIL MICROBIAL BIOMASS ; CARBON STORAGE ; NO IMPACT ; SPECIES RICHNESS ; LOESS PLATEAU ; DIVERSITY ; DEGRADATION ; VEGETATION |
| Language | 英语 |
| Funding Project | National Key Research and Development Program of China[2016YFC0501802] ; International Cooperation Program of Qinghai Province of China[2019-HZ-807] ; Key Research and Development Program of Sichuan Province of China[18ZDYF0318] ; Hundred Young Talents Program of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences[SDSQB-2016-02] |
| WOS Research Area | Biodiversity & Conservation ; Environmental Sciences & Ecology |
| WOS Subject | Biodiversity Conservation ; Environmental Sciences |
| WOS ID | WOS:000493902400011 |
| Funding Organization | National Key Research and Development Program of China ; International Cooperation Program of Qinghai Province of China ; Key Research and Development Program of Sichuan Province of China ; Hundred Young Talents Program of the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences |
| Publisher | ELSEVIER |
| Citation statistics | |
| Document Type | 期刊论文 |
| Identifier | http://ir.imde.ac.cn/handle/131551/32288 |
| Collection | 山地表生过程与生态调控重点实验室 |
| Corresponding Author | Gao Yongheng |
| Affiliation | 1.Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; 2.Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China; 3.College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; 4.College of Life Science & Biotechnology, Mianyang Teachers’ College, Mianyang 621000, China; 5.Ledu Forestry Bureau, Haidong 810699, China |
| First Author Affilication | 中国科学院水利部成都山地灾害与环境研究所 |
| Corresponding Author Affilication | 中国科学院水利部成都山地灾害与环境研究所 |
| Recommended Citation GB/T 7714 | Du Chenjun,Jing Jie,Shen Yuan,et al. Short-term grazing exclusion improved topsoil conditions and plant characteristics in degraded alpine grasslands[J]. ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS,2020,108:UNSP 105680. |
| APA | Du Chenjun,Jing Jie,Shen Yuan,Liu Haixiu,&Gao Yongheng.(2020).Short-term grazing exclusion improved topsoil conditions and plant characteristics in degraded alpine grasslands.ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS,108,UNSP 105680. |
| MLA | Du Chenjun,et al."Short-term grazing exclusion improved topsoil conditions and plant characteristics in degraded alpine grasslands".ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS 108(2020):UNSP 105680. |
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