Extreme precipitation causes divergent responses of root respiration to nitrogen enrichment in an alpine meadow

Grassland roots are fundamental to obtain the most limiting soil water and nitrogen (N) resources. However, this natural pattern could be significantly changed by recent co-occurrence of N deposition and extreme precipitations, likely with complex interactions on grassland root production and respiration. Despite this nonlinearity, we still know little about how extreme precipitation change nonlinearly regulates the responses of root respiration to N enrichment. Here, we conducted a 6-year experiment of N addition in an alpine meadow, coincidently experiencing extreme precipitations among experimental years. Our results demonstrated that root respiration showed divergent responses to N addition along with extreme precipitation changes among years. Under normal rainfall year, root respiration was significantly stimulated by N addition, whereas it was depressed under high or low water. Moreover, we revealed that both root biomass and traits (i.e. specific root length) were critical mechanisms in affecting root respiration response, but their relative importance changed with water condition. For example, specific root length and specific root respiration were more dominant than root biomass in determining root respiration response under low water, or vice versa. Overall, this study comprehensively reveals the nonlinearity of root respiration responses to the interactions of N enrichment and extreme water change. These new findings help to reconcile previously conflicting results that obtain in a specific episode of water gradient, with important implications for understanding grassland belowground carbon dynamics in facing combined N deposition and extreme precipitation events.

Automated summary

This study investigates the nonlinearity of root respiration responses to the interactions of nitrogen enrichment and extreme water change. The experiment was conducted in an alpine meadow for 6 years, coinciding with extreme precipitations. Results show that root respiration exhibited divergent responses to nitrogen addition under different water conditions. Root biomass and traits were found to be critical mechanisms affecting root respiration response, with their relative importance changing with water condition.