Herbivore dung deposition increases soil respiration through elevated substrate availability and microbial biomass
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Herbivore dung deposition increases soil respiration through elevated substrate availability and microbial biomass. / Zhang, Zhiyang; Zhang, Shiting; Rinnan, Riikka.
In: Applied Soil Ecology, Vol. 194, 105203, 2024.Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
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TY - JOUR
T1 - Herbivore dung deposition increases soil respiration through elevated substrate availability and microbial biomass
AU - Zhang, Zhiyang
AU - Zhang, Shiting
AU - Rinnan, Riikka
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2023 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2024
Y1 - 2024
N2 - Soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) is the primary pathway for terrestrial ecosystem CO2 efflux. Herbivore grazing activity is known to affect grassland soil Rh, but the effects of grazing-related dung deposition on Rh and the mechanisms involved remain unknown. Here, we explored effects of dung on Rh via altered biotic and abiotic factors in a short-term experiment with yak dung application during a growing season in a Tibetan alpine meadow. Dung application significantly decreased soil pH, but increased soil Rh, concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), microbial biomass, and activities of enzymes related to C-, N-, and P-degradation. Linear regression showed that Rh was positively correlated with labile substrates, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities, and negatively correlated with soil pH, suggesting that these factors are all potential drivers of Rh. Further, using piecewise structural equation modeling, we revealed that Rh was driven directly by altered microbial biomass and enzyme activities, and indirectly by altered pH and labile substrates. Particularly labile substrates and microbial biomass had more important roles in driving Rh than pH and enzyme activities. Taken together, our work revealed some mechanisms behind short-term dung deposition effects on Rh, which can be used to develop grassland management practices and forecast C feedback in grazed ecosystems.
AB - Soil heterotrophic respiration (Rh) is the primary pathway for terrestrial ecosystem CO2 efflux. Herbivore grazing activity is known to affect grassland soil Rh, but the effects of grazing-related dung deposition on Rh and the mechanisms involved remain unknown. Here, we explored effects of dung on Rh via altered biotic and abiotic factors in a short-term experiment with yak dung application during a growing season in a Tibetan alpine meadow. Dung application significantly decreased soil pH, but increased soil Rh, concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P), microbial biomass, and activities of enzymes related to C-, N-, and P-degradation. Linear regression showed that Rh was positively correlated with labile substrates, microbial biomass, and enzyme activities, and negatively correlated with soil pH, suggesting that these factors are all potential drivers of Rh. Further, using piecewise structural equation modeling, we revealed that Rh was driven directly by altered microbial biomass and enzyme activities, and indirectly by altered pH and labile substrates. Particularly labile substrates and microbial biomass had more important roles in driving Rh than pH and enzyme activities. Taken together, our work revealed some mechanisms behind short-term dung deposition effects on Rh, which can be used to develop grassland management practices and forecast C feedback in grazed ecosystems.
KW - C cycling
KW - Enzyme activities
KW - Herbivore dung deposition
KW - Heterotrophic respiration
KW - Labile substrates
KW - Microbial biomass
U2 - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105203
DO - 10.1016/j.apsoil.2023.105203
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85177889979
VL - 194
JO - Agro-Ecosystems
JF - Agro-Ecosystems
SN - 0167-8809
M1 - 105203
ER -
ID: 377797629