Responses of polyphenoloxidase and catalase activities of rhizosphere and bulk soils to warming during the growing season in an alpine scrub ecosystem.

Abstract

To understand the effects of climate warming on rhizosphere ecological processes in the alpine scrub ecosystem, the responses of polyphenoloxidase and catalase activities in the rhizosphere and bulk soils to experimental warming (1.3 ℃) were examined during the growing season in a Sibiraea angustata scrub ecosystem on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China. The results showed that the activities of polyphenoloxidase in rhizosphere and bulk soils in the middle growing season were significantly higher than those in the early or late growing season. The activities of catalase in the bulk soil increased gradually during the growing season, while they showed no seasonal changes in the rhizosphere soil. In the bulk soil, warming significantly increased the activity of polyphenoloxidase by 17.5% in the late growing season and increased that of catalase by 2.2% in the middle growing season, whereas it did not affect soil enzyme activities in early or late growing seasons. In the rhizosphere soil, warming only significantly increased the activities of polyphenoloxidase and catalase by 6.5% and 1.3% in the early growing season. The rhizosphere effect of soil polyphenoloxidase activity was positive throughout the growing season, while there was no obvious rhizosphere effect for soil catalase activity. Furthermore, warming significantly decreased the rhizosphere effect of soil polyphenoloxidase activity by 15.2% during the late growing season. These results indicated that the activities of polyphenoloxidase and catalase activities differed between rhizosphere and bulk soils, with consequences on the rhizosphere soil ecological processes under climate warming in the alpine scrub ecosystem on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.