The decomposition of plant litter is a key process in the flows of energy and nutrients in ecosystems. However, the response of litter decomposition to global climate warming in plateau wetlands remains largely unknown. In this study, we conducted a one-year litter decomposition experiment along an elevation gradient from 1891 m to 3260 m on the Yunnan Plateau of Southwest China, using different litter types to determine the influences of climate change, litter quality and microenvironment on the decomposition rate. The results showed that the average decomposition rate(K) increased from 0.608 to 1.152, and the temperature sensitivity of litter mass losses was approximately 4.98%/℃ along the declining elevation gradient. Based on a correlation analysis, N concentrations and C︰N ratios in the litter were the best predictors of the decomposition rate, with significantly positive and negative correlations, respectively. Additionally, the cumulative effects of decomposition were clearly observed in the mixtures of Scirpus tabernaemontani and Zizania caduciflora. Moreover, the litter decomposition rate in the water was higher than that in the sediment, especially in high-elevation areas where the microenvironment was significantly affected by temperature. These results suggest that future climate warming will have significant impacts on plateau wetlands, which have important functions in biogeochemical cycling in cold highland ecosystems.
LIU GuodongSUN JinfangTIAN KunYUAN XingzhongAN SubangWANG Hang
植物叶围存在大量真菌,它们伴随着植物从新生到死亡的整个过程,不同阶段下的植物生境调控着真菌群落结构、组成及多样性,受到人们的广泛关注。通过对滇西北地区典型湿地挺水植物水葱(Schoenoplectus tabernaemontani)在生长盛期阶段(A)、立枯阶段(B)、倒伏阶段(C)、沉水阶段(D)的植物叶片以及底泥(E)样品进行采集,使用超声水浴+剧烈震荡的方法收集叶围微生物,提取DNA,以Illumina Hi Seq测序平台对ITS片段进行测序,获得叶围真菌物种组成及相对丰度信息。结果表明,随着植物的生长、衰落与死亡,叶围真菌群落的α和β多样性均显著升高,群落结构复杂性增加,不同样品之间的异质性增高,群落组成差异逐渐增大。在属水平上,处于生长盛期和立枯阶段的叶围优势真菌分别为链格孢菌属(Alternaria)和隐球菌属(Cryptococcus),随着植物倒伏并沉入水体,赤霉菌属(Gibberella)和瓶霉菌属(Phialophora)逐渐侵入叶围成为优势菌。生长盛期、立枯、倒伏、沉水阶段植物样品之间的共有OTU数目仅为22个,而沉水样品与底泥之间的共有OTU数目多达99个,表明伴随植物死亡过程,叶围真菌群落与底泥真菌群落逐渐趋于一致。本研究揭示了水葱生长至死亡分解过程中真菌群落的演替规律,为研究湿地植物叶围真菌群落结构变化的内在机制提供了理论支持。
