Freeze-thaw process induced by increased precipitation affects root growth of alpine steppe on the Tibetan Plateau

The response of vegetation productivity to precipitation is becoming a worldwide concern. Most reports on responses of vegetation to precipitation trends are based on the growth season. In the soil freeze/thaw process, the soil water phase and heat transport change can affect root growth, especially...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of mountain science 2023-10, Vol.20 (10), p.3010-3017
Main Authors: Qin, Xiao-jing, Nie, Xiao-jun, Wang, Xiao-dan, Hong, Jiang-tao
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Ecology
Environment
Freeze-thaw
Freeze-thawing
Freezing
Geography
Growing season
Growth
Heat transport
Melting
Moisture content
Original Article
Plant growth
Precipitation
Productivity
Seasons
Soil
Soil moisture
Soil water
Spring
Spring (season)
Steppes
Thawing
Vegetation
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Summary:The response of vegetation productivity to precipitation is becoming a worldwide concern. Most reports on responses of vegetation to precipitation trends are based on the growth season. In the soil freeze/thaw process, the soil water phase and heat transport change can affect root growth, especially during the thawing process in early spring. A field experiment with increased precipitation (control, increased 25% and increased 50%) was conducted to measure the effects of soil water in early spring on above- and below-ground productivity in an alpine steppe over two growing seasons from June 2017 to September 2018. The increased 50% treatment significantly increased the soil moisture at the 10 cm depth, there was no difference in soil moisture between the increased 25% treatment and the control in the growing season, which was not consistent in the freeze/thaw process. Increased soil moisture during the non-growing season retarded root growth. Increased precipitation in the freezing-thawing period can partially offset the difference between the control and increased precipitation plots in both above- and below-ground biomass.
ISSN:1672-6316
1993-0321
1008-2786
DOI:10.1007/s11629-023-8010-0