Aboveground and Belowground Biomass Relationships in the Zoige Peatland, Eastern Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Plant biomass and its allocation patterns are instrumental in understanding global carbon sinks; however, knowledge is still limited, especially in high-altitude peatlands. We investigated aboveground and belowground biomass allocation in the Zoige peatland of the Tibetan plateau, China, and its relationship with environmental factors using data collected from 32 sites across the peatland during 2011 and 2012. Standardized major axis, multiple factor analysis and linear regression functions were used to perform data analysis. The average aboveground biomass, belowground biomass, total biomass and root:shoot ratio for the Zoige alpine peatland were 341.01, 3262.93, 3620.36 g m−2 and 10.32, respectively. On average, approximately 86% of the root biomass was located in the top 30 cm of soil. There was positive allometric relationship (p < 0.01) between belowground biomass and aboveground biomass. The water conditions, soil organic carbon and soil nitrogen were the main factors that influenced plant biomass and biomass allocation in the Zoige peatland.