Impact of short-term grazing disturbance on nitrogen accumulation of biological soil crusts in the hilly Loess Plateau region, China

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201712.021

Abstract

Abstract: The variations of total nitrogen, available nitrogen and microbial biomass nitrogen caused by simulated grazing disturbance were investigated in the sixth and twelfth months by using field survey combined with laboratory analysis in order to reveal the sensitivity of nitrogen content in biocrustal soils to disturbance in the hilly Loess Plateau region. The results showed that nitrogen contents in biocrustal soil were sensitive to disturbance. Total nitrogen and available nitrogen in the biocrustal layers were decreased by 0.17-0.39 g·kg^-1 and 1.78-5.65 mg·kg^-1 during the first half-year compared to the undisturbed treatment, and they were found respectively decreased by 0.13-0.40 g·kg^-1 and 11.45-32.68 mg·kg^-1 one year later since disturbance. The content of microbial biomass nitrogen in the biocrustal layer was reduced by 69.99-330.97 mg·kg^-1, whereas the content was increased by 25.51-352.17 mg·kg^-1 in soil of 0-2 cm layer. The induction of nitrogen accumulation depended on the intensity of disturbance. Slight variation was observed in the nitrogen accumulation in biocrustal layer under 20% and 30% disturbance, while significant reduction was found in the 40% and 50% disturbance. Significant reduction was detected only in nitrogen accumulation in the biocrustal layers, whereas no significant influence was found in the top 5 cm soil layer.

WANG Shan-shan, ZHAO Yun-ge, SHI Ya-fang, GAO Li-qian, YANG Qiao-yun. Impact of short-term grazing disturbance on nitrogen accumulation of biological soil crusts in the hilly Loess Plateau region, China[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017, 28(12): 3848-3854.

References

[1] Hooper DU, Johnson L. Nitrogen limitation in dryland ecosystems: Responses to geographical and temporal variation in precipitation. Biogeochemistry, 1999, 46: 247-293
[2] Zhao Y-G (赵允格), Xu M-X (许明祥), Wang Q-J (王全九), et al. Impact of biological soil crust on soil physical and chemical properties of rehabilitated grassland in Hilly Loess Plateau. Journal of Natural Resources (自然资源学报), 2006, 21(3): 441-448 (in Chinese)
[3] Belnap J, Lange OL. Biological Soil Crusts: Ecology and Management. New York: Springer, 2001
[4] Evans RD, Lange OL. Biological soil crusts and ecosystem nitrogen and carbon dynamics// Belnap J, Lange OL, eds. Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management. Berlin: Springer, 2003: 263-280
[5] Stewart KJ, Coxson D, Grogan P. Nitrogen inputs by associative cyanobacteria across a low arctic tundra landscape. Arctic, Antarctic & Alpine Research, 2011, 43: 267-278
[6] Stewart KJ, Coxson D, Siciliano SD. Small-scale spatial patterns in N₂-fixation and nutrient availability in an arctic hummock-hollow ecosystem. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, 2011, 43: 133-140
[7] Stewart KJ, Lamb EG, Coxson DS, et al. Bryophyte-cyanobacterial associations as a key factor in N₂-fixation across the Canadian Arctic. Plant and Soil, 2011, 344: 335-346
[8] Belnap J. Nitrogen fixation in biological soil crusts from southeast Utah, USA. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 2002, 35: 128-135
[9] Belnap J. Impacts of off road vehicles on nitrogen cycles in biological soil crusts: Resistance in different US de-serts. Journal of Arid Environments, 2002, 52: 155-165
[10] Russow R, Veste M, Böhme F. A natural ¹⁵N approach to determine the biological fixation of atmospheric nitrogen by biological soil crusts of the Negev Desert. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 2010, 19: 3451-3456
[11] Caputa K, Coxson D, Sanborn P. Seasonal patterns of nitrogen fixation in biological soil crusts from British Columbia’s Chilcotin grasslands. Botany, 2013, 91: 631-641
[12] Chen L-D (陈利顶), Fu B-J (傅伯杰). Ecological significance characters and types of disturbance. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2000, 20(4): 581-586 (in Chinese)
[13] Liu TZ, Nan ZB, Hou FJ. Grazing intensity effects on soil nitrogen mineralization in semi-arid grassland on the Loess Plateau of northern China. Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems, 2011, 91: 67-75
[14] Fu H (付华), Wang Y-R (王彦荣), Wu C-X (吴彩霞), et al. Effects of grazing on soil physical and chemical properties of Alxa dessert grassland. Journal of Desert Research (中国沙漠), 2002, 22(4): 339-343 (in Chinese)
[15] Yuan Y (原烨), Zhang Z (张钊), Zhao N (赵宁), et al. Effects of burning and raking on soil pro-perties of steppe. Pratacultural Science (草业科学), 2011, 28(10): 1770-1776 (in Chinese)
[16] Ye J (叶菁), Bu C-F (卜崇峰), Yang Y-S (杨永胜), et al. Influences of biological soil crusts on water infiltration and soil erosion under harrowing disturbance. Journal of Soil and Water Conservation (水土保持学报), 2015, 29(3): 22-26 (in Chinese)
[17] Belnap J. Soil surface disturbances in cold deserts: Effects on nitrogenase activity in cyanobacterial-lichen soil crusts. Biology and Fertility of Soils, 1996, 23: 362-367
[18] Garciapichel F, Belnap J. Small-scale environments and distribution of biological soil crusts// Belnap J, Lange OL, eds. Biological Soil Crusts: Structure, Function, and Management. New York: Springer, 2003: 193-201
[19] Silvester WB, Parsons R, Watt PW. Direct measurement of release and assimilation of ammonia in the Gunnera-Nostoc symbiosis. New Phytologist, 2010, 132: 617-625
[20] Zhao YG, Xu MX, Belnap J. Potential nitrogen fixation activity of different aged biological soil crusts from rehabilitated grasslands of the Hilly Loess Plateau, China. Journal of Arid Environments, 2010, 74: 1186-1191
[21] Ming J (明姣), Zhao Y-G (赵允格), Xu M-X (许明祥), et al. Impacts of biological soil crusts on soil nitrogen in different rainfall regions in hilly areas of the Loess Plateau, China. Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science (植物营养与肥料学报), 2013, 19(1): 101-110 (in Chinese)
[22] Quan F-S (权富生), Li Y-F (李艳芳), Du F-Y (杜芳义), et al. Animal husbandry development in hilly and gully region in north Shaanxi Province. Acta Ecologiae Animalis Domastici (家畜生态学报), 2008, 29(6): 117-122 (in Chinese)
[23] Fu B-J (傅伯杰), Liu G-H (刘国华), Chen L-D (陈利顶). Scheme of ecological regionalization in China. Acta Ecologica Sinica (生态学报), 2001, 21(1): 1-6 (in Chinese)
[24] Zhang P-P (张培培), Zhao Y-G (赵允格), Wang Y (王媛), et al. Impact of biological soil crusts on soil water repellence in the hilly Loess Plateau region, China. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2014, 25(3): 657-663 (in Chinese)
[25] Bao S-D (鲍士旦). Soil and Agricultural Chemistry Analysis. 3rd Ed. Beijing: China Agriculture Press, 2000 (in Chinese)
[26] Li S-Q (李世清), Li S-X (李生秀). Study on the methods for measuring microbial biomass nitrogen in soils. Plant Nutrition and Fertilizer Science (植物营养与肥料学报), 2000, 6(1): 75-83 (in Chinese)
[27] Huang C-Y (黄昌勇). Soil Science. 3rd Ed. Beijing: China Agriculture Press, 2000 (in Chinese)
[28] Belnap J. Surface Disturbances: Their Role in Accelerating Desertification. Berlin: Springer, 1995
[29] Barger NN, Herrick JE, Zee JV, et al. Impacts of biological soil crust disturbance and composition on C and N loss from water erosion. Biogeochemistry, 2006, 77: 247-263
[30] Li S-X (李生秀). Soil and Plant Nitrogen in Dryland Areas of China. Beijing: Science Press, 2008 (in Chinese)
[31] Wu N (吴楠), Liang S-M (梁少民), Wang H-L (王红玲), et al. Study on the effects of trample of grazed livestock on the ecological distribution of microorganisms in microbiotic crusts in the Gurbantonggut Desert. Arid Zone Research (干旱区研究), 2006, 23(1): 50-55 (in Chinese)
[32] Barger NN, Belnap J, Ojima DS, et al. NO gas loss from biologically crusted soils in Canyonlands National Park, Utah. Biogeochemistry, 2005, 75: 373-391
[33] Xue S (薛萐), Liu G-B (刘国斌), Dai Q-H (戴全厚), et al. Dynamic changes of soil microbial biomass in the restoration process of shrub plantations in loess hilly area. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2008, 19(3): 517-523 (in Chinese)
[34] Qiao J (乔江). Negative Feedbacks of Nitrogen in Typical Steppe Ecosystem of Inner Mongolia. Master Thesis. Huhhot: Inner Mongolia University, 2007 (in Chinese)