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Acta Prataculturae Sinica ›› 2025, Vol. 34 ›› Issue (8): 79-87.DOI: 10.11686/cyxb2024356

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Effects of stockpiling methods on root activity in stripped alpine meadows of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau

Yu-gang GENG1(), Hong-mei YANG1, Wen-wu WANG2(), Rui-jie LUO1, Bao-guo ZHAO2, Jiang-hong CHEN1, Chang-sheng QIN3, Rui-yin CHEN1   

  1. 1.Huadian Jinsha River Upstream Changdu New Energy Co. Lid. ,Changdu 854000,China
    2.POWERCHINA Chengdu Engineering Corporation Limited,Chengdu 610000,China
    3.Guodian Nanjing Automation Co. ,Ltd. ,Nanjing 210000,China
  • Received:2024-09-23 Revised:2024-11-20 Online:2025-08-20 Published:2025-06-16
  • Contact: Wen-wu WANG

Abstract:

With the increasing rate of economic development in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, particularly the construction of photovoltaic power stations, meadow conservation faces significant challenges. This study systematically evaluated the impact of different stockpiling methods on the root activity of stripped alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, aiming to identify the pattern that most effectively preserved root activity. Six stockpiling methods were tested: flat-laying, hollow, scaffold, three-layer overlapping, five-layer overlapping, and a soil and water conservation scaffold (hereafter referred to as a “conservation scaffold”). Soil physicochemical properties and meadow root activity under the six stockpiling methods were comprehensively analyzed to assess their effectiveness in protecting stripped meadows. Key soil properties, including pH, organic carbon content, total nitrogen content, total potassium content, total phosphorus content, available phosphorus content, available potassium content, and alkaline hydrolyzable nitrogen content, were measured, along with triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC, mg·kg?1·h?1) reduction intensity as an indicator of root activity. The relationships between these indicators and root activity were also examined. The results show that the different stockpiling methods had limited influence on soil physicochemical properties. However, the conservation scaffold showed a significant advantage in maintaining meadow root activity, with root TTC reduction intensity as follows: Conservation scaffold (5.52 mg·kg?1·h?1)>scaffold (4.52 mg·kg?1·h?1)>hollow (4.02 mg·kg?1·h?1)>flat-laying (3.74 mg·kg?1·h?1)>five-layer overlapping (3.71 mg·kg?1·h?1)>three-layer overlapping (3.54 mg·kg?1·h?1). Soil potassium level (total potassium and available potassium) was strongly associated with promotion of root growth, increased soil respiration rate, and enhanced stress resistance, while soil pH, organic carbon content, and phosphorus had weaker associations with root activity. Overall, this study reveals the effects of different photovoltaic panel installation patterns on the root activity of stripped meadows, providing scientific data to support meadow ecological restoration and sustainable development planning.

Key words: meadow ecosystem, stockpiling methods, root activity, influencing factors, ecological restoration