荒漠化对沙漠生态系统的安全构成永久威胁。多年生沙漠植被在维持沙漠生态系统的结构和功能以及通过在树冠下形成“肥沃的岛屿”来减缓其荒漠化过程方面发挥着至关重要的作用。然而,这些肥沃的岛屿如何影响土壤磷 (P) 组分的转化,以及土壤 P 组分与不同植物物种下和不同土壤深度的酶活性或微生物生物量之间的关系仍然不确定。在这里,我们收集并分析了土壤 P 组分(Hedley P 池)、酶活性(碱性磷酸酶 [ALP] 和 β-葡萄糖苷酶)、微生物生物量碳 (MBC)、氮 (MBN) 和磷,以及其他土壤特性,在三种典型的多年生树种(Alhagi sparsifolia、Karelinia caspia、Tamarix ramosissima)和超过 0-100 厘米土壤剖面的间隙区域土壤中,在超干旱和土壤 P 贫化的沙漠-绿洲过渡带下。结果表明,土壤磷组分,尤其是土壤不稳定性磷、土壤酶活性、土壤含水量(SWC)、NH4+-N和NO3−-N浓度与冠层下土壤的相关性比间隙面积密切相关。土壤深度和植物种类也显著影响土壤不稳定 P 和其他土壤特性,其中最高的是冠层下的表土。土壤不稳定性-P 在冠层下显著增加,与 ALP 和 β-葡萄糖苷酶活性以及土壤 MBC 和 MBN 浓度呈正相关,而与 SWC 和电导率呈负相关。我们还观察到,肥沃岛屿效应与冠层大小基本一致,排名如下: T. ramosissima > K. caspia > A. sparsifolia. 这项全面的实地研究推进了我们目前对土壤 P 组分相对于沙漠生态系统中肥沃岛屿效应的转化的理解,这可能有助于通过改善土壤保护和绿化沙漠景观来缓解荒漠化。
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“Fertile islands” beneath three desert vegetation on soil phosphorus fractions, enzymatic activities, and microbial biomass in the desert-oasis transition zone
Desertification poses a perpetual threat to the security of desert ecosystems. Perennial desert vegetation plays a crucial role in maintaining the structure and function of a desert ecosystem and slowing down its desertification process by creating “fertile islands” beneath their canopy. Yet, how these fertile islands affect the transformation of soil phosphorus (P) fractions and the relationship between soil P fractions and enzymatic activities or microbial biomass beneath differing plant species and across soil depths still remains uncertain. Here we collected and analyzed soil P fractions (Hedley P pools), enzymatic activities (alkaline phosphatase [ALP] and β-glucosidase), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), nitrogen (MBN), and phosphorus, in addition to other soil properties, beneath three typical perennial species (Alhagi sparsifolia, Karelinia caspia, Tamarix ramosissima) and in interspace area soils over a 0–100 cm soil profile, under the desert-oasis transition zone of hyper-arid and soil P-impoverished. We found that soil P fractions, especially soil labile-P, soil enzymatic activities, soil water content (SWC), NH4+-N and NO3−-N concentration were closely related to the soils beneath canopy than interspace area. Soil depth and plant species also significantly affected soil labile-P and other soil properties, with the highest being topsoil beneath the canopy. Soil labile-P increased substantially beneath the canopy and was positively related to the activities of ALP and β-glucosidase and the concentrations of soil MBC and MBN, while negatively related to SWC and electrical conductivity. We also observed that the fertile island effect was generally consistent with canopy size and ranked as follows: T. ramosissima > K. caspia > A. sparsifolia. This comprehensive field study advances our current understanding of the transformation of soil P fractions vis-à-vis the fertile island effect in desert ecosystems, which could be useful for mitigating desertification by improving soil protection and greening the desert landscape.