Effects of freezing and freeze-thaw cycles on soil microbial biomass and nutrient dynamics under different snow gradients in an Alpine meadow (Tibetan Plateau)

• Autorzy: Liu L. , Wu Y. , Wu N. , Xu J. , Mao Y. , Luo P. , Zhang L.
• Języki publikacji: EN

Abstrakty

EN

In alpine zones, cold season processes, particularly those associated with snow accumulation and ablation, have a central role in ecosystem functioning. However, we know very little about soil carbon and nitrogen processes under the snowpack in these ecosystems, including the Tibetan Plateau. We conducted an experiment comparing three snow regimes (11 m × 1 m plots) of different snow depths and durations at an altitude of 4,100 m in the Minshan Range on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. The three snow regimes included a shallow and short duration snowpack (SS; depth <10 cm), a moderate snow depth and medium duration snowpack (MS; depth <20 cm), as well as a deep and long duration snowpack (DS; depth > 30 cm). This study explores the effects of different snow conditions on soil temperature, and further describes the sequence and timing of dissolved nutrients and microbial biomass carbon (MBC) and microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) in soils under different snow regimes during the autumn-winter transition (i.e. November 7, 2008 – March 7, 2009). Three successive phases of temperature change were distinguished: I – initial decline – soil temperatures dropped steadily from 4°C to about 0°C at the same rate for all three snow regimes; II – moderate freezing – soil temperatures fluctuated between 0°C and –7°C under all three snow regimes; III – multiple freeze-thaw cycles took place in the SS and MS regimes, but permanent freezing occurred in the DS regime. Under moderate freezing, we found that soil temperature fluctuation was an essential factor for the transformation of soil C and N. Our results indicate that larger temperature fluctuations correlate with a greater increase in dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) content. Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content increased markedly only under the most drastic temperature fluctuations. In contrast, MBC content increased significantly only when soil temperatures were relatively steady. Under the permanent freezing, only a large number of freeze-thaw cycles caused a significant decline of NO₃⁻–N and DOC concentrations. DON content declined markedly under permanent freezing and multiple freeze-thaw cycles. However, MBC content declined significantly only under permanent freezing. Ultimately, multiple freeze-thaw cycles resulted in the export of dissolved nutrients (organic and inorganic nitrogen) from the alpine ecosystem which had previously accumulated in the moderate freezing phase of the soil.

Słowa kluczowe

EN

freezing; freeze-thaw cycle; soil microbial biomass; nutrient dynamics; cold season; snow accumulation; ecosystem; permanent freezing; soil temperature; dissolved organic nitrogen; dissolved organic carbon; Alpine meadow; Tibetan Plateau; Alpine ecosystem

• Wydawca: -
• Czasopismo: Polish Journal of Ecology
• Rocznik: 2010
• Tom: 58
• Numer: 4
• Opis fizyczny: p.717-728,fig.,ref.

Twórcy

autor

Liu L.

• Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, P. O. Box 416, Chengdu 610041, China

autor

Wu Y.

autor

Wu N.

autor

Xu J.

autor

Mao Y.

autor

Luo P.

autor

Zhang L.

Bibliografia

• Bowman W.D. 1992 – Imputs and storage of nitrogen in winter snowpack in an alpine ecosystem – Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 24: 211–215.
• Brookes P.C., Landman A., Pruden G., Jenkinson D.S. 1985 – Chloroform fumigation and the release of soil nitrogen: a rapid direct extraction method to measure microbial biomass nitrogen in soil – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 17: 834–842.
• Brooks P.D., Williams M.W., Schmidt S.K. 1995 – Snowpack controls on soil nitrogen dynamics in the Colorado alpine – Biogeochemistry Seasonally Snow-covered Basins, 228: 283–292.
• Brooks P.D., Williams M.W., Schmidt S.K. 1996 – Microbial activity under alpine snowpacks, Niwot Ridge, Colorado – Biogeochemistry, 32: 93–113.
• Brooks P.D., Schmidt S.K., Williams M.W. 1997 – Winter production of CO and NO from Alpine tundra: Environmental controls and relationship to inter-system C and N fluxes – Oecologia, 110: 403–413.
• Bullock M.S., Kemper W.D., Nelson S.D. 1988 – Soil cohesion as affected by freezing, water content, time and tillage – Soil. Sci. Soc. Amer. J. 52: 770–776.
• Campbell J.L., Mitchell M.J., Groffman P.M., Christenson L.M., Hardy J.P. 2005 – Winter in northeastern North America: a critical period for ecological processes – Front. Ecol. Eviron. 3: 314–322.
• Cawse P.A. 1967 – Determination of Nitrate in Soil Solutions by Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry – Analyst, 92: 311–315.
• Cline D. 1995 – Snow surface energy exchanges and snowmelt at a continental alpine site (In: Biogeochemistry Seasonally Snow-covered Basins, Eds: K.A. Tonnessen, M.W. Williams, M. Tranter) – International Association for Hydrological Science, 228: 157–166.
• Coxson D.S., Parkinson D. 1987 – Winter respiratory activity in aspen woodland forest floor litter and soils – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 19: 49–59.
• Decker K.L.M., Wang D., Waite C., Scherbatskoy T. 2003 – Snow removal and ambient air temperature effects on forest soil temperatures in Northern Vermont – Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. J. 67: 1234–1242.
• Deluca T.H., Keeney D.R., McCarty G.W. 1992 – Effect of freeze-thaw events on mineralization of soil-nitrogen – Biol. Fert. Soils. 14: 116–120.
• Diemer M. 1992 – Population dynamics and spatial arrangement of Ranunculus glacialis L. an alpine perennial herb, in permanent plots – Vegetation, 103: 159–166.
• Edwards A.C., Cresser M.S. 1992 – Freezing and its effect on chemical and biological properties of soil – Adv. Soil. Sci. 18: 59–79.
• Edwards K.A., McCulloch J., Kershaw G.P., Jefferies R.L. 2006 – Soil microbial and nutrient dynamics in a wet Arctic sedge meadow in late winter and early spring – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 38: 2843–2851.
• Edwards A.C., Scalenghe R., Freppaz M. 2007 – Changes in the seasonal snow cover of alpine regions and its effect on soil processes: A review – Quatern. Int. 162: 172–181.
• Galen C., Stanton M.L. 1991 – Consequences of emergence phenology for reproductive success in Ranunculus adoneus (Ranunculaceae) – Am. J. Bot. 78: 978–988.
• Galen C., Stanton M.L. 1995 – Responses of snow-bed plants to changes in growing-season length – Ecology, 76: 1546–1557.
• Goodrich L.E. 1982 – The influence of snow cover on the group thermal regime – Canadian Geotech. J. 19: 421–432.
• Groffman P.M., Hardy J.P., Nolan S. 1999 – Snow depth, soil frost and nutrient loss in a northern hardwood forest – Hydrol. Processe. 13: 2275–2286.
• Groffman P.M., Driscoll C.T., Fahey T.J., Hardy J.P., Fitzhugh R.D., Tierney G.L. 2001b – Effects of mild winter freezing on soil nitrogen and carbon dynamics in a northern hardwood forest – Biogeochemistry, 56: 191–213.
• Grogan P., Michelsen A., Ambus P., Jonasson S. 2004 – Freeze-thaw regime effects on carbon and nitrogen dynamics in subarctic heath tundra mesocosms – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 36: 641–654.
• Hentschel K., Borken W., Matzner E. 2008 – Repeated freeze-thaw events affect leaching losses of nitrogen and dissolved organic matter in a forest soil – J. Plant. Nutr. Soil. Sc. 171: 699–706.
• Hinman W.C., Frederick B. 1968 – Alterations of soil structure upon freezing and thawing and subsequent drying – Can. J. Soil Sci. 50: 179–182.
• Inouye D.W., McGuire A.D. 1991 – Effects of snowpack on timing and abundance of flowering in Delphinium nelsonii (Ranunculaceae): implications for climate change – Am. J. Bot. 78: 997–1001.
• Jonasson S., Michelsen A., Schmidt I.K., Nielsen E.V., Callaghan T.V. 1996 – Microbial biomass C, N and P in two arctic soils and responses to addition of NPK fertilizer and sugar: implications for plant nutrient uptake – Oecologia, 106: 507–515.
• Jones D.L., Willett V.B. 2006 – Experimental evaluation of methods to quantify dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) and diissolved organic carbon (DOC) in soil – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 38: 991–999.
• Kalbitz K., Solinger S., Park J.H. 2000 – Controls on the dynamics of dissolved organic matter in soils: a review – Soil Sci. 165: 277–304.
• Kaste O., Austnes K., Vestgarden L.S., Wright R.F. 2008 – Manipulation of snow in small headwater catchments at Storgama, Norway: Effects on leaching of inorganic nitrogen – Ambio, 37: 29–37.
• Kielland K., Olson K., Ruess R.W., Boone R.D. 2006 – Contribution of winter processes to soil nitrogen flux in taiga forest ecosystems – Biogeochemistry, 81: 349–360.
• Kudo G. 1991 – Effects of snow-free period on the phenology of ailpne plants inhabiting snow patches – Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 23: 436–443.
• Kudo G. 1992 – Performance and phenology of alpine herbs along a snow-melting gradient – Ecol. Res. 7: 294–304.
• Löffler J. 2002 – Altitudinal changes of ecosystem dynamics in the central Norwegian high mountains – Die. Erde. 133: 227–258.
• Larsen K.S., Jonasson S., Michelsen A. 2002 – Repeated freeze-thaw cycles and their effects on biological processes in two arctic ecosystem types – Appl. Soil. Ecol. 21: 187–195.
• Lipson D.A., Monson R.K. 1998 – Plantmicrobe competition for soil amino acids in the alpine tundra: effects of freeze-thaw and dry-rewet events – Oecologia, 113: 406–414.
• Lipson D.A., Schmidt S.K., Monson R.K. 2000 – Carbon availability and temperature control the post-snowmelt baseline in alpine soil microbial biomass – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 32: 441–448.
• Matzner E., Borken W. 2008 – Do freezethaw events enhance C and N losses from soils of different ecosystems: A review – Eur. J. Soil. Sci. 59: 274–284.
• Mikan C.J., Schimal J.P., Doyle A.P. 2002 – Temperature controls of microbial respiration in arctic tundra soil above and below freezing – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 34: 1785–1795.
• Molau U. 1993 – Relationships between flowering phenology and life history strategies in tundra plants – Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 25: 391–402.
• Monson R.K., Lipson D.L., Burn S.P., Turnipseed A.A., Delany A.C., Williams M.W. 2006 – Winter forest soil respiration controlled by climate and microbial community composition – Nature, 439: 711–714.
• Morley C.R., Trofymow J.A., Coleman D.C., Cambardella C. 1983 – Effects of freeze-thaw stress on bacterial populations in soil microcosms – Microbial. Ecol. 9: 329–340.
• Mulvaney R.L. 1996 – Nitrogen-inorganic forms (In: Methods of Soil Analysis. Part 3: Chemica Methods, Ed: D.L. Sparks) – Soil Science Society of America and American Society of Agronomy, Madison, WI, pp: 1123–1184.
• Neilson C.B., Groffman P.M., Hamburg S.P., Driscoll C.T., Fahey T.J., Hardy J.P. 2001 – Freezing effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling in northern hardwood forest soils – Soil. Sci. Soc. Am. J. 65: 1723–1730.
• Panikov N.S., Flanagan P.W., Oechel W.C., Mastepanov M.A., Christensen T.R. 2006 – Microbial activity in soils frozen to below –39° – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 38: 785–794.
• Pesaro M., Widmer F., Zeyer J. 2003 – Effects of freeze-thaw stress during soil storage on microbial communities and methidathion degredation – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 35: 1049–1061.
• Price P.B., Sowers T. 2004 – Temperature dependence of metabolic rates for microbial growth, maintenance and survival – Proc. Natl. Academy. Sci. U.S.A. 101: 4631–4636.
• Rascher C.M., Driscoll C.T., Peters N.E. 1987 – Concentration and flux of solutes from snow and forest floor during snowmelt in the West-Central Adirondack region of New York – Boigeochemistry, 3: 209–224.
• Rivkina E.M., Friedmann E.I., McKay C.P., Gilichinsky D.A. 2000 – Metabolic activity of permafrost bacteria below the freezig point – Appl. Environ. Microb. 66: 3230–3233.
• Rixen C., Haeberli W., Stoeckli V. 2004 – Ground temperatures under ski pistes with artificial and natural snow – Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 36: 419–427.
• Romanosky V., Osterkamp T. 2000 – Effects of unfrozen water on heat and mass transport processes in the active layer and permafrost – Permafrost. Periglac. 11: 219–239.
• Sakai A., Larcher W. 1987 – Frost survival of plants: responses and adaptation to freezing stress – Springer-Verlag, New York, 321 pp.
• Schimel J.P., Clein J.S. 1996 – Microbial response to freeze-thaw cycles in tundra and taiga soils – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 28: 1061–1066.
• Schimel J.P., Bilbrough C., Welker J.A. 2004 – Increased snow depth affects microbial activity and nitrogen mineralization in two Arctic tundra communities – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 36: 217–227.
• Schimel J.P., Mikan C. 2005 – Changing microbial substrate use in Arctic tundra soils through a freeze-thaw cycle – Soil Biol. Biochem. 37: 1411–1418
• Schmidt S.K., Lipson D.A. 2004 – Microbial growth under the snow: Implications for nutrient and allelochemical availability in temperate soils – Plant. Soil. 259: 1–7.
• Sharma S., Szele Z., Schilling R., Munch J.C., Schloter M. 2006 – Influence of freeze-thaw stress on the structure and function of microbial communities and denitrifying populations in soil – Appl. Environ. Microb. 72: 2148–2154.
• Skogland T., Lomeland S., Goksoyr J. 1988 – Respiratory burst after freezing and thawing of soil: experiments with soil bacteria – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 20: 851–856.
• Stanton M.L., Rejmanek M., Galen C. 1994 – Changes in vegetation and soil fertility along a predictable snowmelt gradient in the Mosquito Range, Colorado, U.S.A. – Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 6: 364–374.
• Stenberg B., Johansson M., Pell M., Sjodahl-Svensson K., Stenstrom J., Torstensson L. 1998 – Microbial biomass and activities in soil as affected by frozen and cold storage – Soil. Biol. Biochem. 30: 393–402.
• Taylor R.V., Seastedt T.R. 1994 – Shortterm and Long-term Patterns of Soil Moisture in Alpine Tundra – Arct. Antarct. Alp. Res. 26: 14–20.
• Tomonori S. 2009 – Influences of subtropical jet and Tibetan Plateau on precipitation pattern in Asia: Insights from regional climate modeling – Quatern. Int. 194: 148–158.
• Totland O., Alatalo J.M. 2002 – Effects of temperature and date of snowmelt on growth, reproduction, and flowering phenology in the arctic/alpine herb, Ranunculus glacialis – Oecologia, 133: 168–175.
• Williams M.W., Bales R.C., Brown A.D., Melack J.M. 1995 – Fluxes and transformations of N in a high-elevation catchment, Sierra Nevada – Biogeochemistry, 28: 1–31.
• Wu G.X., Liu Y.M., Wang T.M., Wan R.J., Liu X., Li W.P., Wang Z.Z., Zhang Q., Duan A.M., Liang X.Y. 2007 – The influence of mechanical and thermal forcing by the Tibetan Plateau on Asian Climate – J. Hydrometeorol. 8: 770–789.
• Yang M.X., Yao T.D., Hirose N., Hideyuki F. 2006 – Daily surface soil freeze-thaw cycle in the Tibetan Plateau – Chin. Sci. Bull. 51: 1974–1976 (in Chinese).
• Yang M.X., Yao T.D., Nelson F.E., Shiklomanov N.I., Guo D.L., Wang C.H. 2008 – Snow Cover and Depth of Freeze-Thaw on the Tibetan Plateau: A Case Study from 1997 to 1998 – Phys. Geogr. 29: 208–221.