Litter decomposition is the fundamental process in nutrient cycling and soil carbon(C) sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems. The global-wide increase in nitrogen(N) inputs is expected to alter litter decomposition and,ultimately, affect ecosystem C storage and nutrient status. Temperate grassland ecosystems in China are usually N-deficient and particularly sensitive to the changes in exogenous N additions. In this paper, we conducted a 1,200-day in situ experiment in a typical semi-arid temperate steppe in Inner Mongolia to investigate the litter decomposition as well as the dynamics of litter C and N concentrations under three N addition levels(low N with 50 kg N/(hm2?a)(LN), medium N with 100 kg N/(hm2?a)(MN), and high N with 200 kg N/(hm2?a)(HN)) and three N addition forms(ammonium-N-based with 100 kg N/(hm2?a) as ammonium sulfate(AS), nitrate-N-based with 100 kg N/(hm2?a) as sodium nitrate(SN), and mixed-N-based with 100 kg N/(hm2?a) as calcium ammonium nitrate(CAN)) compared to control with no N addition(CK). The results indicated that the litter mass remaining in all N treatments exhibited a similar decomposition pattern: fast decomposition within the initial 120 days, followed by a relatively slow decomposition in the remaining observation period(120–1,200 days). The decomposition pattern in each treatment was fitted well in two split-phase models, namely, a single exponential decay model in phase I(<398 days) and a linear decay function in phase II(≥398 days). The three N addition levels exerted insignificant effects on litter decomposition in the early stages(<398 days, phase I; P>0.05). However, MN and HN treatments inhibited litter mass loss after 398 and 746 days, respectively(P<0.05). AS and SN treatments exerted similar effects on litter mass remaining during the entire decomposition period(P>0.05). The effects of these two N addition forms differed greatly from those of CAN after 746 and 1,053 days, respectively(P<0.05). During the decomposition period, N concentrations in the decomposing li
The Tarim Basin, in northwestern China, is the largest continental basin in the world, and hosts desert landscapes as well as extensive oasis agriculture. Many horticultural products come from this basin. However, since the 1950s, frequent river flow interruptions have occurred in the lower reaches of the Tarim River. Thus, the natural ecology of the basin has undergone significant changes because of recent human economic and social activities. In particular, water resource development and utilization along with climate changes have had a significant impact on the area. To prevent further deterioration of the environment, the Central Government implemented a water conveyance project in 2000. Based on this project, Chinese scientists, together with those from overseas, have conducted extensive research on the historical evolution of the area, and the physiological and ecological responses of the natural vegetation around the Tarim Desert Highway. Progress has been made in the areas of environmental protection and ecological conservation.
Grassland is the largest terrestrial ecosystem in China. It is of great significance to measure accurately the soil respiration of different grassland types for the contribution evaluation of the Chinese terrestrial ecosystem’s carbon emission to the atmospheric CO2 concentration. A three-year (2005-2007) field experiment was carried out on three steppes of Stipa L. in the Xilin River Basin, Inner Mongolia, China, using a static opaque chamber technique. The seasonal and interannual variations of soil respiration rates were analyzed, and the annual total soil respiration of the three steppes was estimated. The numerical models between soil respiration and water-heat factors were established respectively. Similar seasonal dynamic and high annual and interannual variations of soil respiration were found in all of the three steppes. In the growing season, the fluctuation of soil respiration was particularly evident. The coefficients of variation (CVs) for soil respiration in different growing seasons ranged from 54% to 93%, and the annual CVs were all above 115%. The interannual CV of soil respiration progressively decreased in the order of Stipa grandis (S. grandis) steppe > Stipa baicalensis (S. baicalensis) steppe > Stipa krylovii (S. krylovii) steppe. The annual total soil respiration for the S. baicalensis steppe was 223.62?299.24 gC m-2 a-1, 150.62-226.99 gC m-2 a-1 for the S. grandis steppe, and 111.31–131.55 gC m-2 a-1 for the S. krylovii steppe, which were consistent with the precipitation gradient. The variation in the best fitting temperature factor explained the 63.5%, 73.0%, and 73.2% change in soil respiration in the three steppes at an annual time scale, and the corresponding Q10 values were 2.16, 2.98, and 2.40, respectively. Moreover, the Q10 values that were calculated by soil temperature at different depths all expressed a 10 cm > 5 cm > surface in the three sampling sites. In the growing season, the soil respiration rates were related mostly to the surface soil moisture, and the 95.2%, 97.4%,
The seasonal dynamics of soil respiration in steppe (S. bungeana), desert shrub (A. ordosica), and shrub- perennial (A. ordosica +C. komarovii) communities were investigated during the growth season (May to October) in 2006; their environmental driving factors were also analyzed. In the three communities, soil respiration showed similar characteristics in their growth seasons, with peak respiration values in July and August owing to suitable temperature and soil moisture conditions during this period. Meanwhile, changes in soil respiration were greatly influenced by temperatures and surface soil moistures. Soil water content at a depth of 0 to 10 cm was identified as the key environmental factor affecting the variation in soil respiration in the steppe. In contrast, in desert shrub and shrub-perennial communities, the dynamics of soil respiration was significantly influenced by air temperature. Similarly, the various responses of soil respiration to environmental factors may be attributed to the different soil textures and distribution patterns of plant roots. In desert ecosystems, precipitation results in soil respiration pulses. Soil carbon dioxide (CO2) effluxes greatly increased after rainfall rewetting in all of the ecosystems under study. However, the precipitation pulse effect differed across the ecosystem. We propose that this may be a result of a reverse effect from the soil texture.
