Stellera chamaejasme L. increases soil N availability, turnover rates and microbial biomass in an alpine meadow ecosystem on the eastern Tibetan Plateau of China

Plant species have been shown to have significant effects on soil nutrient pools and dynamics. Stellera chamaejasme L. a toxic perennial weed, has established and is now abundant in the alpine meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau of China since the 1960s. We quantified the effects of Stellera on carbon and nitrogen cycling in two topographic habitats, a flat valley and a south-facing slope, where Stellera was favored to spread within the study area. Aboveground litter biomass and tissue chemistry of aboveground litter and root were measured to explain the likely effects of Stellera on soil carbon and nutrient cycling. The sizes of various soil pools, e.g. nitrate, ammonium, inorganic phosphorus, microbial biomass, soil respiration and turnover rates including net mineralization, gross nitrification and denitrification were determined. The results showed that Stellera produced more aboveground litter than each of the co-occurring species. Aboveground litter of Stellera had higher tissue N and lower lignin:N than the other species. Stellera significantly increased surface soil (0-15 cm) organic matter, whereas no significant differences were found for organic C and total P in subsoil (15-30 cm) within and between patches of Stellera. Soil extractable nitrate concentrations in Stellera surface soil were 113% and 90% higher on the flat valley and on the south-facing slope, respectively. Both microbial biomass C and N were significantly higher in Stellera surface soil. Gross nitrification and microbial respiration were significantly higher in Stellera surface soil both on the flat valley and on the south-facing slope, whereas significant differences of denitrification were found only on the flat valley. The differences in the quantity and quality of aboveground litter are a likely mechanism responsible for the changes of soil properties. (c) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.