Scientia Agricultura Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 58 ›› Issue (1): 117-126.doi: 10.3864/j.issn.0578-1752.2025.01.009

• SOIL & FERTILIZER·WATER-SAVING IRRIGATION·AGROECOLOGY & ENVIRONMENT • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Litter Decomposition Characteristics of Steppe Ecosystems with Different Precipitation Gradients

LI AoGui1(), CHEN YaRu1,2, PENG ZiYang3, RU JingYi2, LIU WeiXing1,*()   

  1. 1 State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Arid and Semi-arid Arable Land in Northern China/Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081
    2 College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding 071002, Hebei
    3 State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change/Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093
  • Received:2024-01-24 Accepted:2024-05-24 Online:2025-01-01 Published:2025-01-07
  • Contact: LIU WeiXing

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Abstract:

【Objective】 This study aimed to explore the dynamics of litter decomposition under different environmental precipitation conditions, thereby facilitating understanding of the carbon (C) and nutrient cycling processes and ecosystem functions of steppe ecosystems. 【Method】In this study, soil monoliths selected from three types of temperate steppe along the natural precipitation gradient (i.e. desert, typical, and meadow steppes), and transplanted to conduct a two-year litter decomposition experiment of Cleistogenes squarrosa in typical steppe. We continuously monitored mass loss, the remaining rates of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), as well as the activities of β-glucosidase (BG), leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), N-acetylglucosidase (NAG) and acid phosphatase (AP) during decomposition, to discover the influence of long-term historical precipitation on litter decomposition rate and the dynamic characteristics of decomposition process. 【Result】The litter decomposition rate was highest in the typical steppe with a decomposition constant (k value) of (0.32±0.01) a-1, were no difference observed between the desert steppe and the meadow steppe. The remaining rate of N and P in litters after two years of decomposition were lowest in typical steppe, with values of (53.0±2.4) % and (58.6±3.9) %, respectively. The N element mainly showed a mineralization pattern during the decomposition stages, while the P was fixed from environment in early stages whereas mineralized in late stages, and microbial P accumulation in litters was greatest in desert steppe. The activities of all enzymes showed fluctuations depending on decomposition stages. Over the whole decomposition time, the activities of C-acquiring enzyme (BG) and N-acquiring enzyme (LAP and NAG) were highest in typical steppe, while the activities of P-acquiring enzyme (AP) were highest in meadow steppe. Combined with the results of enzyme stoichiometry, litter decomposition showed C-limitation in typical steppe, while it was P-limited in meadow steppe. The litter mass loss rate increased with the enhancement of litter BG and NAG activities across the three steppes. 【Conclusion】The mass loss rate, nutrient release rate and enzyme activities of steppe litter did not increase with the increase of precipitation gradient. The litter decomposition fixed more P from environment in water-limited steppe ecosystems. This study reveals the characteristics of litter decomposition process in response to different historical precipitation, advancing our understanding of plant-soil-microbe C and nutrient cycles.

Key words: temperate steppe, litter decomposition, precipitation gradient, enzyme activity

Fig. 1

The k value of Cleistogenes squarrosa litter during decomposition in desert, typical and meadow steppes DS: Desert steppe; TS: Typical steppe; MS: Meadow steppe. Different lowercase letters on the column meant significant difference between different steppe types at 0.05 level"

Fig. 2

N and P remaining rate of Cleistogenes squarrosa litter during decomposition in desert, typical and meadow steppes S: Steppe type; T: Time; S×T: Interaction of steppe type and time. The same as below"

Fig. 3

Enzyme activity of BG, LAP, NAG and AP of Cleistogenes squarrosa litter during decomposition in desert, typical and meadow steppes"

Fig. 4

Enzyme stoichiometric characteristics, the variation of vector length and angle of Cleistogenes squarrosa litter during decomposition in desert, typical and meadow steppes"

Fig. 5

Correlation between mass loss rate of Cleistogenes squarrosa litter and enzyme activity of BG, LAP, NAG and AP in desert, typical and meadow steppes"

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