Journal
PLANT AND SOIL
Volume 458, Issue 1-2, Pages 151-164Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11104-020-04573-6
Keywords
Grazing practices; Diversity conservation; Litter mass; Grassland restoration; Alpine grasslands
Categories
Funding
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [41701276, 91837312]
- Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program [2019QZKK0106]
- National Key Research and Development Project of China [2019YFC0507702]
- Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities, Southwest Minzu University [2020NQN28]
- State Key Laboratory of Hulless Barley and Yak GermplasmResources and Genetic Improvement [XZNKY-2020-C-007 K04]
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The study reveals that warm-season grazing benefits species diversity conservation, while cold-season grazing is suitable for soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration in alpine swamp meadows. Changes in litter mass induced by grazing greatly contribute to variations in plant diversity and soil carbon and nitrogen storage. Periodic warm- and cold-season grazing strategies should be considered to maintain the sustainability of alpine swamp meadows in light of accelerated vegetation and soil degradation in alpine grasslands.
Background and aims Seasonal grazing is a traditional grassland management practice in alpine swamp meadows on the Tibetan Plateau, but little information is available on the interactions between plant diversity and soil carbon and nitrogen sequestration in warm- and cold- season grazed alpine swamp meadows. Methods A multisite survey was conducted to investigate the plant characteristics and soil properties of Tibetan alpine swamp meadows under warm-season grazing (WG) and cold-season grazing (CG). Results Our study showed that plant biomass, litter mass, soil water content (SW), soil available nitrogen, soil microbial biomass carbon and nitrogen were significantly lower in the WG meadows than in the CG meadows (P < 0.05). However, plant diversity, species richness and the evenness index tended to increase in the WG meadows. Soil C and N storage were significantly lower in the WG meadows than in the CG meadows (P < 0.01). Grazing-induced changes in SW, plant diversity, plant biomass and litter mass were the major factors resulting in the decrease in soil C and N storage. Conclusions Our results indicate that warm-season grazing is beneficial for species diversity conservation, whereas cold-season grazing is suitable for soil C and N sequestration in alpine swamp meadows. Grazing-induced changes in litter mass greatly contributed to variations in plant diversity and soil C and N storage. In view of the accelerated vegetation and soil degradation in alpine grasslands, periodic warm- and cold-season grazing strategies should be considered to maintain alpine swamp meadow sustainability.
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