Response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to permafrost degradation in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin

NWIPB OpenIR

	Response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to permafrost degradation in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin
	Chen, Shengyun 1; Liu, Wenjie 1; Qin, Xiang 1; Liu, Yushuo 1; Zhang, Tongzuo 2; Chen, Kelong 3; Hu, Fengzu 2; Ren, Jiawen 1; Qin, Dahe 1
	2012-10-01
发表期刊	ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS
ISSN	1748-9326
卷号	7 期号:4
文章类型	Article
摘要	Permafrost degradation exhibits striking and profound influences on the alpine ecosystem, and response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to such degradation inevitably differ during the entire degraded periods. However, up to now, the related research is lacking in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). For this reason, twenty ecological plots in the different types of permafrost zones were selected in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin on the northeastern margin of the QTP. Vegetation characteristics (species diversity, community coverage and biomass etc) and topsoil environment (temperature (ST), water content (SW), mechanical composition (SMC), culturable microorganism (SCM), organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and so on), as well as active layer thickness (ALT) were investigated in late July 2009 and 2010. A spatial-temporal shifts method (the spatial pattern that is represented by different types of permafrost shifting to the temporal series that stands for different stages of permafrost degradation) has been used to discuss response characteristics of vegetation and topsoil environment throughout the entire permafrost degradation. The results showed that (1) ST of 0-40 cm depth and ALT gradually increased from highly stable and stable permafrost (H-SP) to unstable permafrost (UP). SW increased initially and then decreased, and SOC content and the quantities of SCM at a depth of 0-20 cm first decreased and then increased, whereas TN content and SMC showed obscure trends throughout the stages of permafrost degradation with a stability decline from H-SP to extremely unstable permafrost (EUP); (2) further, species diversity, community coverage and biomass first increased and then decreased in the stages from H-SP to EUP; (3) in the alpine meadow ecosystem, SOC and TN contents increased initially and then decreased, soil sandy fractions gradually increased with stages of permafrost degradation from substable (SSP) to transitional (TP), and to UP. Meanwhile, SOC/TN storages increased in the former stage, while they decreased in the latter stage. This study indicated that the response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment varied throughout the entire permafrost degradation, and SW was the dominant ecological factor that limited vegetation distribution and growth. Therefore, SSP and TP phases could provide a favourable environment for plant growth, mainly contributing to high SW.; Permafrost degradation exhibits striking and profound influences on the alpine ecosystem, and response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to such degradation inevitably differ during the entire degraded periods. However, up to now, the related research is lacking in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP). For this reason, twenty ecological plots in the different types of permafrost zones were selected in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin on the northeastern margin of the QTP. Vegetation characteristics (species diversity, community coverage and biomass etc) and topsoil environment (temperature (ST), water content (SW), mechanical composition (SMC), culturable microorganism (SCM), organic carbon (SOC) and total nitrogen (TN) contents and so on), as well as active layer thickness (ALT) were investigated in late July 2009 and 2010. A spatial-temporal shifts method (the spatial pattern that is represented by different types of permafrost shifting to the temporal series that stands for different stages of permafrost degradation) has been used to discuss response characteristics of vegetation and topsoil environment throughout the entire permafrost degradation. The results showed that (1) ST of 0-40 cm depth and ALT gradually increased from highly stable and stable permafrost (H-SP) to unstable permafrost (UP). SW increased initially and then decreased, and SOC content and the quantities of SCM at a depth of 0-20 cm first decreased and then increased, whereas TN content and SMC showed obscure trends throughout the stages of permafrost degradation with a stability decline from H-SP to extremely unstable permafrost (EUP); (2) further, species diversity, community coverage and biomass first increased and then decreased in the stages from H-SP to EUP; (3) in the alpine meadow ecosystem, SOC and TN contents increased initially and then decreased, soil sandy fractions gradually increased with stages of permafrost degradation from substable (SSP) to transitional (TP), and to UP. Meanwhile, SOC/TN storages increased in the former stage, while they decreased in the latter stage. This study indicated that the response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment varied throughout the entire permafrost degradation, and SW was the dominant ecological factor that limited vegetation distribution and growth. Therefore, SSP and TP phases could provide a favourable environment for plant growth, mainly contributing to high SW.
关键词	Vegetation Characteristics Soil Environment Permafrost Degradation
WOS标题词	Science & Technology ; Life Sciences & Biomedicine ; Physical Sciences
关键词[WOS]	QINGHAI-TIBET PLATEAU ; INTERNATIONAL POLAR YEAR ; THERMAL STATE ; ALPINE ECOSYSTEM ; CLIMATE ; TUNDRA ; RUSSIA ; ALASKA ; CHINA ; THAW
收录类别	SCI
语种	英语
WOS研究方向	Environmental Sciences & Ecology ; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
WOS类目	Environmental Sciences ; Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
WOS记录号	WOS:000312696400059
引用统计	被引频次：55[WOS] [WOS记录] [WOS相关记录]
文献类型	期刊论文
条目标识符	http://210.75.249.4/handle/363003/3596
专题	中国科学院西北高原生物研究所
作者单位	1.Chinese Acad Sci, State Key Lab Cryospher Sci, Qilian Shan Stn Glaciol & Ecol Environm, Cold & Arid Reg Environm & Engn Res Inst, Lanzhou 730000, Peoples R China 2.Chinese Acad Sci, NW Inst Plateau Biol, Xining 810008, Peoples R China 3.Qinghai Normal Univ, Biol & Geog Sci Inst, Xining 810008, Peoples R China
推荐引用方式 GB/T 7714	Chen, Shengyun,Liu, Wenjie,Qin, Xiang,et al. Response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to permafrost degradation in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS,2012,7(4).
APA	Chen, Shengyun.,Liu, Wenjie.,Qin, Xiang.,Liu, Yushuo.,Zhang, Tongzuo.,...&Qin, Dahe.(2012).Response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to permafrost degradation in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin.ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS,7(4).
MLA	Chen, Shengyun,et al."Response characteristics of vegetation and soil environment to permafrost degradation in the upstream regions of the Shule River Basin".ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH LETTERS 7.4(2012).

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