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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2024, Vol. 33 ›› Issue (7): 205-214.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2023328

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Effects of snow addition on soil phosphorus availability in an alpine meadow of the Tibetan Plateau

Xiang-jiao TAN1,4(), Kui-cai DONG2, Hua ZHANG3, Chuan-chuan TANG1, Yan YANG1()   

  1. 1.Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment,Chinese Academy of Science,Chengdu 610299,China
    2.Sanjiangyuan National Park Administration Ecological Monitoring Information Center,Xining 810003,China
    3.Dongxia Forest Farm,Datong County,Qinghai Province,Datong 810100,China
    4.University of Chinese Academy of Sciences,Beijing 100049,China
  • Received:2023-09-06 Revised:2023-11-09 Online:2024-07-20 Published:2024-04-08
  • Contact: Yan YANG

Abstract:

Deeper snow cover in winter may change soil phosphorus cycling in alpine meadow grassland ecosystems through effects on soil temperature and moisture. A field experiment involving snow addition was conducted at an alpine meadow in the permafrost region of the Tibetan Plateau. Snow fences were used to contain snow to simulate increased depth of snow cover. The results showed: 1) Snow addition significantly increased temperature and moisture in the top 0-10 cm soil horizon in the growing season (from May to September). 2) Snow addition significantly increased soil total phosphorus, available phosphorus and Al-P in the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil horizons, but decreased soil organic phosphorus and Ca2-P contents. The Ca8-P content decreased in the 0-10 cm soil depth and increased in the 10-20 cm soil depth. 3) Redundancy analysis showed that the key factors affecting soil phosphorus forms were soil total nitrogen, organic matter and soil hydrothermal state. Therefore, it was confirmed that snow addition improved soil organic phosphate mineralization rate by changing soil physical and chemical properties, including total nitrogen content, organic matter content, hydrothermal state and soil phosphatase activity. Snow addition also promoted phosphorus release from slow-acting phosphorus sources such as Ca8-P and Al-P, and improved soil phosphorus availability.

Key words: Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, snow addition, alpine meadow, phosphorus availability