川西亚高山、高山森林土壤微生物生物量和酶活性动态特征

为深入了解川西亚高山/高山森林冬季生态学过程,于2008年11月─2009年10月,在土壤冻结初期、冻结期和融化期及植被生长季节,研究了不同海拔岷江冷杉林（Abies faxoniana）土壤微生物生物量和酶活性动态。各海拔森林土壤在冬季维持着较高的微生物生物量含量和酶活性,并随土壤冻融过程不断变化。土壤有机层和矿质土壤层冬季微生物生物量碳和氮含量及转化酶和尿酶活性均表现出受冻结初期土壤冻融循环影响显著降低,在冻结期变化不明显,在融化期急剧增加至融化后显著降低的趋势,且土壤有机层微生物生物量含量和酶活性在融化期具有一个明显的年高峰值。海拔变化显著影响了土壤酶活性,但对土壤微生物生物量不显著。土壤温度与土壤微生物生物量含量相关显著。这表明季节性冻融期是土壤生态过程的重要时期,土壤冻融格局显著影响川西亚高山/高山森林土壤微生物生物量和酶活性动态。     

Effects of Recreational Impacts on Soil Microbial Communities

/ The functional diversity of soil microbial communities in heavilyimpacted subalpine campsites and adjacent undisturbed areas was comparedusing the Biolog method of carbon utilization profiles. Principal componentsanalysis of patterns and level of microbial activity indicate that microbialcommunities differentiate in response to disturbance in the top 6 cm of soil,while below 6 cm there were no recognizable differences between disturbed andundisturbed soil communities. Analysis of the factors that differentiate theupper microbial communities between disturbed and undisturbed sites revealedthat the percent of total carbon sources utilized was significantly less inthe disturbed (54%) than in undisturbed areas (95%). Carbonsubstrates important in the discrimination between soil communities includeplant, invertebrate, and microbial derivatives that could not be metabolizedby microbial communities from disturbed sites. Comparisons of totalculturable actinomycetes, bacteria, and fungi reveal no difference in overallnumber of colony forming units (CFU) on disturbed and undisturbed sites, buta marked decrease in actinomycetes on disturbed sites. Biolog andspread-plate data combined indicate a shift in the structure and function ofthe microbial community in campsite soils, which may be a useful indicator ofsoil community disturbance.KEY WORDS: Microbial functional diversity; Anthropogenic disturbance;Recreational impacts; Carbon source profile; Subalpine     

Effects of herbage removal on productivity of selected high-sierra meadow community types

We investigated the effects of herbage removal on three subalpine meadow plant communities in the Rock Creek drainage of Sequoia National Park, California, USA. In the xericCarex exserta Mkze. (short-hair sedge) type, annual aboveground productivity averaged 19 g/m² in control plots (clipped once after plant senescence in late September) over a five-year period. Annual aboveground productivity was enhanced about 30%–35% when plots in this community type were clipped more frequently (i.e., additional herbage removal in the early, mid, and late seasons) during each of four treatment years but was reduced by 13%–19% during a fifth (recovery) year in which all but late September clipping was suspended. In a moderately mesicEleocharis pauciflora (Lightf.) Link. (few-flowered spike rush)-Calamagrostis breweri Thurb. (short-hair grass) type, control plot productivity averaged 115 g/m²/yr and was reduced by 20–30% by the additional herbage removal. A more mesicDeschampsia caespitosa (L.) Beauv. (tufted hairgrass)-Carex rostrata Stokes, (beaked sedge) type had the greatest mean above-ground productivity (169 g/m²/yr) but also showed damage (i.e., decrease in productivity by 15%–20%) caused by the additional herbage removal. These data suggest that longterm, intensive herbage removal may be more detrimental to moderately mesic and mesic subalpine meadow community types than to xeric types.     

祁连山中部四种典型生态系统土壤氮矿化的研究

水热因素对土壤氮矿化的影响直接关系到陆地生态系统功能对气候变化的响应趋势。祁连山是青藏高原北沿的典型山地,对气候变化影响十分敏感和脆弱,为了定量确定祁连山土壤氮分解对水热因素变化的响应趋势,在人工气候箱内以正交试验设计方法培养土壤,分析了祁连山高寒草甸、山地森林、荒漠草原和干草原土壤氮矿化及其与温度、湿度和土层的关系。结果显示:以土壤氮矿化量极差计,海拔高度影响最大,其次是温度和湿度;以土壤氮矿化比例极差计,温度和海拔高度影响较大。海拔高度对土壤氮矿化量的影响显著(p<0.05)。除湿度外,其它因素对土壤氮矿化比例影响也达到显著程度(p<0.10)。35℃下土壤氮矿化比例显著比5℃下高,而不同湿度下土壤氮矿化及其矿化比例差异不显著(p<0.05)。海拔高度3000m和3300m处土壤氮矿化量比2800m和2200m处高,2800m处比2200m处高,3000m处土壤氮矿化比例显著比2200m和3300m处高(p<0.05)。森林和干旱草原土壤中氮矿化比例较高,荒漠草原和高寒草甸中较低。以土壤氮矿化速率计,5℃升高到15℃下和15℃升到25℃,Q10较低;以土壤氮矿化比例计,5℃升高到15℃下,Q10较高,15℃到25℃较低。研究结果说明高寒草甸和山地森林土壤氮矿化量较高,干旱草原和荒漠草原土壤氮矿化量较低;森林和干旱草原中土壤氮矿化比例较高,荒漠草原和高寒草甸中较低。     

Use of fertilization and grazing exclusion in mitigating lost meadow production in the Sierra Nevada,California, USA

The effects of a single fertilizer treatment (ammonium phosphate at 841 kg/ha, plus dolomite at 336 kg/ha) and cattle exclusion were studied in two meadows in the Sierra Nevada of California in the USA. Grazing exclusion had no effects on soil bulk density during the three years of the study. Fertilization had no effect on total soil nitrogen, soil pH, or crude protein concentrations in graminoids or forbs. Saturated soils and the development of anaerobic conditions close to the surface may have led to denitrification and the loss of usable nitrogen. Fertilization did result in short-term (one- to two-year) increases in available soild phosphorus in the drier of the two meadows, and in total phosphorus concentrations in graminoids and forbs, which were otherwise generally deficient in phosphorus. Few changes in plant species composition or production were detected, although a combination of fertilization and grazing exclusion increased forb production in the drier meadow. Based on our initial results, fertilization with phosphorus was the recommended treatment for meadow improvement projects in the central Sierra Nevada.     

The influence of grassland management on ground beetles (Carabidae, Coleoptera) in Swiss montane meadows

Effects of grassland management type and intensity on carabid species richness, number of individuals and species composition were studied in the Swiss Prealps. Carabids were censused in 2001 and 2002 in 21 mown and 20 grazed meadows by means of pitfall traps.Mean species richness was significantly higher in mown plots than in grazed plots and species composition was significantly different between these two management types. Additionally, different species characteristic for mown and grazed plots were found. These results suggest that mown meadows and grazed meadows represent two habitat types for carabid beetles.Within both habitats, management intensity was quantified by fertilizing intensity, the number of cuts, cattle density and/or grazing intensity. The relationship between management intensity and the number of individuals and species was positive. Higher fertilizing intensity was the most important factor for higher species richness and had a significant influence on species composition in both habitats. Other variables positively related to the number of individuals, were the number of cuts in mown meadows and grazing intensity and altitude in grazed meadows. Additionally to fertilizing intensity, cattle density was positively related to the number of species in grazed meadows. These results illustrate that in the extensive management systems found in the Swiss Alps and Prealps, even intensively managed meadows can sustain high carabid diversity and abundance.     

Effects of sheep and goat grazing on the species diversity in the alpine meadows of Western Himalaya

This paper deals with effects of sheep and goat grazing on plant species diversity, species richness and species composition in two important conservation areas of the Western Himalaya; the Valley of Flowers (VOF) National Park and the Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP). The VOF is a completely Protected Area as it is devoid of livestock grazing whereas, 20,000 sheep and goats annually graze in GHNP. Both the National Parks possess sub-alpine and alpine vegetation that is distributed in 13 major habitat types. Present investigations indicate that all the habitat types in VOF are higher in plant species diversity and richness compared to habitat types in GHNP. Similarly, all three eco-climatic zones in VOF are higher in species diversity and richness compared to GHNP. Species diversity also decreases with increasing altitude in both the National Parks. The findings of this study are discussed in the light of the management and conservation of alpine meadows of the Western Himalayas.