干旱区研究

Arid Zone Research >

2020 , Vol. 37 >Issue 6: 1580 - 1589

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13866/j.azr.2020.06.24

Estimation of ecological thresholds in plant and soil properties during desertification in an alpine grassland

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  • (1. Lhasa National Ecological Research Station, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modelling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; 2. College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China)

Received date: 2020-05-11

  Revised date: 2020-06-15

  Online published: 2021-01-24

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Abstract

Alpine grassland desertification is an important environmental problem, which have an important impact on grassland forage production and residents’living environment. The current studies on grassland desertification are mostly focused on the changes in vegetation and soil properties during desertification process, with no prior knowledge about which variables are more sensitive and can be used to indicate state transition in the desertification process, and how to quantify the ecological threshold of the desertification process. Using the method of space- for- time, five types of communities were selected to represent the different gradients of alpine grassland desertification to systematically study the changes in plants, soil properties, and microorganisms during the desertification process, and to identify the desertification thresholds. The results showed that plant community cover, above- ground, and underground biomass significantly decreased with the increase in desertification. Soil moisture concentration gradually decreased, and soil bulk density gradually increased with the increase in the extent of desertification. Gravel content was significantly higher in severely desertified grassland community than in other desertified community types. Soil total carbon and nitrogen concentrations in the soil surface (0-10 cm) gradually decreased, and the ratio of carbon to nitrogen was significantly higher in severely desertified community than in other types of grassland community. Abrupt changes in vegetation occurred in lightly to moderately desertified communities. Meanwhile, rapid changes in soil properties and soil microorganisms (desertification threshold) occurred in moderately to severely desertified communities. Such results suggest that the response of plants to desertification could be more sensitive than that of soil sub-systems, and plants could be treated as a more direct indicators of the gradients of grassland desertification. Moreover, mildly to moderately desertified communities could be the key stage of grassland desertification. Thus, it is very important to take the right methods to avoid further desertification of the grassland.

Key words： alpine grassland; desertification gradient; vegetation characteristics; soil properties; soil microorgan? isms; ecological threshold

Cite this article

ZONG Ning, SHI Pei-li, SUN Jian . Estimation of ecological thresholds in plant and soil properties during desertification in an alpine grassland[J]. Arid Zone Research, 2020 , 37(6) : 1580 -1589 . DOI: 10.13866/j.azr.2020.06.24

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