Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Seasonal variations in alpine grassland biomass and nutrient accumulation under different grazing systems in Xainza, Tibet
Author(s):
Yan Yan 1, 2,
Xiaodan Wang 1, 2*, Xuyang Lu 1, 2, Jihui Fan 1, 2Recieved Date: 2013-06-10, Accepted Date: 2013-09-18
Abstract:The seasonal dynamics of above- and belowground biomass and the nutrient characteristics (nitrogen, carbon and phosphorus) of “no-grazing” (NG), “short-term grazing” (SG) and “unrestricted grazing” (UG) grasslands were investigated in typical alpine grasslands in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China, from June to September 2010. The results showed that the seasonal changes in plant biomass were essentially the same in all cases, except for the belowground biomass of the NG community. The plant biomass of the NG and SG communities improved more than that of the UG community did, but the difference was not significant (p>0.05). The seasonal changes in the organic carbon content of both the above- and belowground parts of the plants were not consistent and no significant differences among the three grazing communities were observed. However, the seasonal changes in the aboveground nitrogen content of the three communities were consistent: they increased gradually in June until they reached their maximum values in August, and then they decreased gradually until September. In comparison, the seasonal changes in the belowground nitrogen content increased in the NG and UG communities and reached their maximum values at the end of the growing season. The belowground nitrogen content was higher during the early growing stages than during the later growing stages in the SG community. The seasonal dynamics of the above- and belowground phosphorus content all reached their maximum values in August. The accumulated total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) levels in the above- and belowground plant parts during the growing season exhibited the same dynamics as those of the biomass did. The C/N ratios in the different plant portions in the three communities had a negative linear relationship with the total nitrogen content during the growing season. Moreover, the C/P ratios in the three communities had a negative linear relationship with the total phosphorus content. The results showed that nitrogen is the primary limiting nutrient for alpine grassland growth.
Keywords:Alpine grassland,
nutrient content and accumulation, biomass, Tibet Autonomous Region, seasonal changesJournal: Journal of Food, Agriculture and Environment
Year: 2013
Volume: 11
Issue: 3&4
Category: Environment
Pages: 2273-2278
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