Soil organic carbon and nitrogen content of density fractions and effect of meadow degradation to soil carbon and nitrogen of fractions in alpine Kobresia meadow

Abstract

This research was conducted on the non-disturbed native alpine Kobresia meadow (YF) and the severely degraded meadow (SDL) of Dari County of Qinghai Province. By a density fractionation approach, each soil sample was divided into two fractions: light fraction (LF) and heavy fraction (HF). The obtained fractions were analyzed for organic carbon (OC) and nitrogen (N) concentrations. The results showed: (1) the OC concentration in HF and LF was 3.84% and 28.63% respectively while the nitrogen concentration in HF and LF was 0.362% and 1.192% respectively in 0–10 cm depth. C:N ratio was 10.6 in HF and 23.8 in LF respectively. (2) As far as the ratio of OC in given fraction to that in gross sample was concerned, dominance of OC in HF was obvious in the whole soil profile. OC in HF increased from 78.95% to 90.33%, while OC in LF decreased from 21.05% to 9.68% with depths. (3) Soil total OC amounted to 47.47 in YF while 17.63 g · kg−1 in SDL, in which the OC content in HF decreased from 37.31 to 16.01 g · kg−1 while OC content in LF decreased from 10.01 to 1.62 g · kg−1. In other words, results of OC and N content show meadow degradation led to the loss of 57% OC in HF and 84% OC in LF from originally native ecosystem on alpine meadow. In addition, meadow degradation led to the loss of 43% N in HF and 79% N in LF from originally native ecosystem on alpine meadow. (4) The main reason for loss of C and N in LF during meadow degradation was not attributed to the decrease of OC and N concentration in LF and LF, but to the decrease in LF dry weight. Loss of N was far lower than loss of C in HF. This may suggest that there is difference in protection mode of C and N in HF.