模拟增温对西藏高原高寒草甸土壤供氮潜力的影响

过去几十年青藏高原呈现显著的增温趋势,冬季增温幅度显著高于生长季的季节非对称特征。气候变暖会对生态系统氮素循环产生重要影响,但关于全年增温与冬季增温对高寒生态系统氮循环的不同影响仍缺乏研究。在青藏高原高寒草甸区开展模拟增温试验,研究季节非对称增温对高寒草甸生态系统氮循环的影响。该试验布设于2010年7月,设置3种处理(不增温、冬季增温与全年增温)。研究结果发现,开顶箱增温装置造成了小环境的暖干化:显著提高了地表空气温度和表层土壤温度,降低了表层土壤含水量。冬季增温会加剧土壤中氮素的流失,所以在经历了冬季增温后土壤氮含量显著降低;在生长季节,土壤氮素周转速率受土壤水分的调控,在降雨较少的季节,增温引起的土壤含水量降低会抑制土壤氮周转速率。对于土壤微生物量而言,高寒草甸土壤微生物量碳表现出明显的季节动态,在生长季旺盛期较低,在生长季末期和初冬季节反而较高,这说明为了降低对土壤养分的竞争,高寒草甸植物氮吸收与土壤微生物氮固持在时间上存在分离。研究结果表明,冬季增温导致的土壤养分含量变化会影响随后生长季植物群落的生产力、结构组成与碳氮循环等过程,对生态系统过程产生深远的影响。     

不同坡向高寒草甸土壤理化特性和微生物数量特征

阐明不同坡向草地土壤性质的空间分异格局,为退化草地的精准修复和科学管理提供参考。研究了青藏高原东缘高寒草甸退化草地不同坡向(北坡N、西北坡NW、西坡W、东坡E、东北坡NE、西南坡SW和南坡S)土壤理化性质和微生物数量特征。结果发现:从N→S坡向上,土壤有机质、碳氮比和全氮含量均呈下降趋势,土壤全磷含量和pH值在不同坡向间均无显著差异(P0.05),E坡向全磷含量最高((2.83±0.95)g/kg),NW坡向含量最低((2.07±0.12)g/kg);土壤细菌、真菌和放线菌数量变化呈波动现象,NW坡向的细菌((13.0×10~5±1.0×10~5)个/g)、真菌((14.0×10~3±0.0)个/g)和放线菌((24.0×10~4±1.0×10~4)个/g)数量最低,E坡向的细菌数量最高((85.5×10~5±2.5×10~5)个/g),S坡向的真菌((24.0×10~3±0.0)个/g)和放线菌((209.5×10~4±4.5×10~4)个/g)数量最高;回归分析表明,在E→S坡向上,随土壤含水量、有机质、碳氮比和全氮含量的增加,土壤细菌和放线菌数量均显著降低(P0.05),而土壤真菌数量随含水量、pH值、土壤养分含量的增加略有降低(P0.05)。可见,不同坡向高寒草甸土壤理化特征差异明显,也导致了土壤微生物数量分配格局的不同。     

高寒草甸植物物候对温度变化的响应

植物物候是植物为适应其生长环境而呈现的规律性变化,是气候变化的指示器。为了解高寒植物物候对温度变化的响应,利用1997—2010年青海湖海北高寒草原生态监测站群落优势种矮嵩草物候观测资料和同时段的气象资料,应用偏最小二乘(PLS)回归定量分析了植物物候期变化特征、趋势及其与气温间的相互关系。结果表明:①1997—2010年青海湖地区年均温度总体上升,倾向率为0.5℃/10a,其中年均最高温度和最低温度呈现出非对称型变化,最低温度显著升高且高于年均温升幅,倾向率为0.7℃/10a(P0.05),而年均最高温度无明显变化。②1997—2010年间,矮嵩草平均返青期和枯黄期分别为4月18日和10月2日,矮嵩草返青期推迟,枯黄期提前,生长季长度缩短。③影响矮嵩草返青的关键时期为每年的1月和3—4月,1月温度升高影响植物休眠进程进而延迟返青,而3—4月温度升高有利于热量积累使返青提前;影响矮嵩草枯黄的关键时期为7月上中旬和8月,期间温度升高使枯黄期提前。④根据PLS分析和相关分析,最低温度在各关键时期内显著影响植物物候,而最高温度仅在8月对枯黄期影响通过显著性检验,因此最低温度是影响高寒草地矮嵩草物候期的关键因子。     

Relations between carbon dioxide fluxes and environmental factors of Kobresia humilis meadows and Potentilla fruticosa meadows

Carbon dioxide fluxes of Kobresia humilis and Potentillafruticosa shrub meadows,two typical ecosystems in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau,were measured by eddy covariance technology and the data collected in August 2003 were employed to analyze the relations between carbon dioxide fluxes and environmental factors of the ecosystems.August is the time when the two ecosystems reach their peak leaf area indexes and stay stable,and also the period when the net carbon absorptions of Kobresia humilis and Potentilla photo flux densities (PPFD),the carbon dioxide-uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow is higher than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow;where the PPFD are rates of the two ecosystems declined as air temperature increased,but the carbon dioxide uptake rate of the Kobresia humilis meadow decreased more quickly (-0.086) than that of the Potentilla fruticosa shrub meadow (-0.016).Soil moistures exert influence on the soil respirations and this varies with the vegetation type.The daily carbon dioxide absorptions of the ecosystems increase with increased diurnal temperature differences and higher diurnal temperature differences result in higher carbon dioxide exchanges.There exists a negative correlation between the vegetation albedos and the carbon dioxide fluxes.     

调控措施对祁连山中度退化高寒草甸土壤的影响

研究不同调控措施(春季休牧、春季休牧-划破草皮、春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥、春季休牧-划破草皮-播种、春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥-播种)对祁连山中度退化高寒草甸植被、土壤理化性质和土壤微生物生物量的影响。结果表明: 各调控措施均显著增加了退化高寒草甸植被盖度以及地上、地下生物量,春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥与春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥-播种两种措施下植被物种丰富度显著增加,春季休牧-划破草皮-播种与春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥-播种措施下物种优势种为补播草种青海草地早熟禾。中度退化高寒草甸土壤(对照)pH和容重显著高于各调控措施样地,春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥-播种措施下土壤含水量、土壤有机碳、全氮、全钾含量及碳氮比、氮磷比均最高,分别为21.3%、22.30 g·kg^-1、2.77 g·kg^-1、19.93 g·kg^-1、8.3、3.5。春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥-播种措施下退化草地土壤微生物生物量氮、磷(分别为104.98和40.74 mg·kg^-1)显著高于其他措施,而退化草地在春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥措施下土壤微生物生物量碳(240.72 mg·kg^-1)显著高于其他措施。雷达图表明,调控措施对退化草地植被特征(地上、地下生物量)、土壤理化性质(含水量、有机碳、全氮、全磷、全钾)及土壤微生物生物量(碳、氮、磷)特征影响显著,且春季休牧-划破草皮-施肥-播种措施对研究区退化草地的修复效果最佳。     

青海海北地区高山蒿草草甸植物群落的结构特征及其分布格局

对高山草甸主要植物群落结构特征及其分布格局的研究结果表明,矮嵩草草甸植物群落的丰富度最大,隶属１８科,４３属４５种,呈多优势种植物群落;小嵩草草甸居中,隶属１１科,３０属３５种,小嵩草（Ｋｏｂｒｅｓｉａｐｙｇｍａｅａ）为优势种;藏嵩草沼泽化草甸最小,隶属９科,２１属２３种,藏嵩草（Ｋ．ｔｉｂｅｔｉｃａ）为优势种。其中,有９个种群为３个群落中的共有种,分别占矮嵩草草甸、小嵩草草甸和藏嵩草沼泽化草甸总种数的２０．００％、２５．７１％和３９．１３％。它们在水分资源位上的生态位宽度较大。３个植物群落类型的种－面积关系呈对数曲线分布,群落的最小样方面积为０．２５ｍ２或０．５ｍ２较适宜。种－多度分布呈对数正态分布,其分布模型的表达式如下：Ｓ（Ｒ）＝Ｓ０ｅ－（ａ２Ｒ     

Effects of the Epichloë fungal endophyte symbiosis with Schedonorus pratensis on host grass invasiveness

Initial studies of grass–endophyte mutualisms using Schedonorus arundinaceus cultivar Kentucky‐31 infected with the vertically transmitted endophyte Epichloë coenophiala found strong, positive endophyte effects on host‐grass invasion success. However, more recent work using different cultivars of S. arundinaceus has cast doubt on the ubiquity of this effect, at least as it pertains to S. arundinaceus–E. coenophiala. We investigated the generality of previous work on vertically transmitted Epichloë‐associated grass invasiveness by studying a pair of very closely related species: S. pratensis and E. uncinata. Seven cultivars of S. pratensis and two cultivars of S. arundinaceus that were developed with high‐ or low‐endophyte infection rate were broadcast seeded into 2 × 2‐m plots in a tilled, old‐field grassland community in a completely randomized block design. Schedonorus abundance, endophyte infection rate, and co‐occurring vegetation were sampled 3, 4, 5, and 6 years after establishment, and the aboveground invertebrate community was sampled in S. pratensis plots 3 and 4 years after establishment. Endophyte infection did not enable the host grass to achieve high abundance in the plant community. Contrary to expectations, high‐endophyte S. pratensis increased plant richness relative to low‐endophyte cultivars. However, as expected, high‐endophyte S. pratensis marginally decreased invertebrate taxon richness. Endophyte effects on vegetation and invertebrate community composition were inconsistent among cultivars and were weaker than temporal effects. The effect of the grass–Epichloë symbiosis on diversity is not generalizable, but rather specific to species, cultivar, infection, and potentially site. Examining grass–endophyte systems using multiple cultivars and species replicated among sites will be important to determine the range of conditions in which endophyte associations benefit host grass performance and have subsequent effects on co‐occurring biotic communities.     

Microhabitat Characteristics of Preble's Meadow Jumping Mouse High-Use Areas

ABSTRACT Riparian wetlands are complex ecosystems containing species diversity that may easily be affected by anthropogenic disturbances. Preble's meadow jumping mouse (Zapus hudsonius preblei) is a federally threatened subspecies dependent upon riparian wetlands along the Front Range of Colorado and southeastern Wyoming, USA. Although habitat improvements for Preble's meadow jumping mouse are designed at multiple spatial scales, most knowledge about its habitat requirements has been described at a landscape scale. Our objective was to improve our understanding of Preble's meadow jumping mouse microhabitat characteristics within high-use areas (hotspots), which are essential for the development of effective management and conservation strategies. We evaluated Preble's meadow jumping mouse habitat by describing areas of high use and no use as determined from monitoring radiocollared individuals. A comparison of microhabitat characteristics from random samples of high-use and no-use areas indicated that mice use areas closer to the center of the creek bed and positively associated with shrub, grass, and woody debris cover. Distance to center of the creek bed, and percent of shrub and grass cover also had the greatest relative importance of habitat variables modeled when describing high-use areas. High-use areas contained 3 times more grass cover than forb cover, and overall had a greater proportion of wetland shrub and grass cover. However, proportion of cover type (shrub or grass) did not vary greatly between high-use and no-use areas. Our results suggest that management and conservation efforts should continue to focus on establishment of native wetland vegetation near streams and creeks. For example, vegetation should include shrubs such as willow (Salix spp.), narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia), alder (Alnus incana), grasses such as fescue (Fescue spp.), sedges (Carex spp.), and rush (Juncus spp).     

广西扶绥东罗二叠纪长兴期海相层中的植物大化石

首次描述埋葬于长兴期海相地层中的一个高地植物群,计14属23种,包括4新种,2相似种和11未定种。概略论述植物群的性质及其埋葬特征和生态意义。以松柏植物和Taeniopteris等为代表的裸子植物在这一植物群中占61%,显示由古生代向中生代过渡的性质。这一植物群与华北同期的高地植物群在属种组成上很不相同,显示两地在区系性质上的差异。     

On the balance between niche and neutral processes as drivers of community structure along a successional gradient: insights from alpine and sub-alpine meadow communities

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Neutral theory predicts that the diversity and relative abundance of species in ecological communities do not depend on their specific traits. This prediction remains controversial, as many studies suggest that variations in the niches of species determine the structure of communities. The aim of this study was to test empirically the relative importance of niche and neutral processes as drivers of species abundance within plant communities along a successional gradient. METHODS: Information on the abundance (density and frequency) and traits (aboveground individual biomass and seed mass) of > 90 species was collected in alpine and sub-alpine meadows of the Tibet Plateau (China). A successional gradient (1, 3, 15 and 30 years after abandonment) was established in a sub-alpine meadow. The relationships between species traits and their abundance were evaluated using regression models. KEY RESULTS: Seed mass was negatively related to both species density (r = -0.6270, P < 0.001) and frequency (r = -0.5335, P = 0.005) in the 1-year meadow. Such relationships disappeared along the successional gradient evaluated (P > 0.07 in the 3-, 15- and 30-year meadows). Data gathered in all sites showed a significant negative relationship between the average individual biomass of a given species and its density within the community (r < -0.30, P < 0.025 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS: The results show that seed mass was a key driver of species abundance in early successional communities, and that niche forces may become more important as succession progresses. They also indicate that predictions from neutral theory, in its current form, do not hold for the meadow communities studied.