Impacts of warming and nitrogen addition on soil autotrophic and heterotrophic respiration in a semi-arid environment

Abstract

Evaluating the responses of soil respiration and its components to global environmental change is crucial for predicting future terrestrial carbon cycle. However, the effects of warming and nitrogen (N) addition on them remain unclear. A field manipulative experiment was conducted in a semi-arid grassland on the Loess Plateau to evaluate the responses of soil total respiration (Rt), autotrophic respiration (Ra) and heterotrophic respiration (Rh) to warming and N addition from April 2015 to December 2016. Open-top chambers were used to elevate temperature and N was added as NH4NO3 at a rate of 4.42gNm−2yr−1. Warming significantly decreased Rt and Rh by 7.4% and 9.5%, respectively, but had no significant effect on Ra. N addition significantly stimulated Ra by 34%, whereas it inhibited Rh by 11% and had no significant effect on Rt. The maximum N-inducing stimulation of Rt and Ra were observed in the month with the most rainfall events in 2015. N addition significantly increased the contribution of Ra to Rt by 10%. Warming decreased the Q10 values of Rt and Rh but had no significant effect on Q10 values of Ra. N addition significantly increased the Q10 values of Rt and Rh, whereas it decreased the Q10 values of Ra. The combination of warming and N addition had a synergistic effect on the cumulant of Rh, whereas it had an antagonistic effect on Ra. No interactive effect between warming and N addition was observed on Rt. Our results emphasized that Ra and Rh responded differently to warming and/or N addition, and the extreme rainfall frequency influenced the responses of Rt and its components to N addition. Our findings suggested that Rt has the potential to resist climate warming and increasing N deposition by differentiating the responses of its inherent components.