Grazing exclusion (GE) is an effective measure for restoring degraded grassland ecosystems. However, the effect of GE on methane (CH4) uptake and production remains unclear in dominant bacterial taxa, main metabolic pathways, and drivers of these pathways. This study aimed to determine CH4 flux in alpine meadow soil using the chamber method. The in situ composition of soil aerobic CH4-oxidizing bacteria (MOB) and CH4-producing archaea (MPA) as well as the relative abundance of their functional genes were analyzed in grazed and nongrazed (6 years) alpine meadows using metagenomic methods. The results revealed that CH4 fluxes in grazed and nongrazed plots were −34.10 and −22.82 μg‧m−2‧h−1, respectively. Overall, 23 and 10 species of Types I and II MOB were identified, respectively. Type II MOB comprised the dominant bacteria involved in CH4 uptake, with Methylocystis constituting the dominant taxa. With regard to MPA, 12 species were identified in grazed meadows and 3 in nongrazed meadows, with Methanobrevibacter constituting the dominant taxa. GE decreased the diversity of MPA but increased the relative abundance of dominated species Methanobrevibacter millerae from 1.47 to 4.69%. The proportions of type I MOB, type II MOB, and MPA that were considerably affected by vegetation and soil factors were 68.42, 21.05, and 10.53%, respectively. Furthermore, the structural equation models revealed that soil factors (available phosphorus, bulk density, and moisture) significantly affected CH4 flux more than vegetation factors (grass species number, grass aboveground biomass, grass root biomass, and litter biomass). CH4 flux was mainly regulated by serine and acetate pathways. The serine pathway was driven by soil factors (0.84, p < 0.001), whereas the acetate pathway was mainly driven by vegetation (−0.39, p < 0.05) and soil factors (0.25, p < 0.05). In conclusion, our findings revealed that alpine meadow soil is a CH4 sink. However, GE reduces the CH4 sink potential by altering vegetation structure and soil properties, especially soil physical properties.

为了解灌丛凋落叶在灌草群落结构维持中可能存在的潜在化感作用,以东祁连山3种优势灌木和灌下优势草种垂穗披碱草(Elymus nutans)为供试材料,分析了不同浓度(0.01 g/L、0.025 g/L、0.05 g/L、0.075 g/L、0.1 g/L)的金露梅(Potentilla fruticosa)、川滇柳(Salix rehderiana)、头花杜鹃(Rhododendron capitatum)及灌间草本的凋落叶水浸提液,对垂穗披碱草种子萌发、幼苗形态和生理指标的影响.结果表明:(1)垂穗披碱草种子发芽率与发芽势在金露梅与川滇柳凋落叶浸提液处理下呈"低促高抑"的浓度效应,在灌间草本凋落叶浸提液处理时表现为先升后降,而头花杜鹃凋落叶浸提液处理时均下降,并在浓度超过0.075 g/L时种子不发芽.(2)灌丛凋落叶浸提液对垂穗披碱草幼苗根长与干重均表现出抑制作用,且随浓度增大而增强;金露梅、川滇柳与灌间草本凋落叶浸提液对垂穗披碱草幼苗苗高表现出"低促高抑"的浓度效应;而头花杜鹃凋落叶浸提液处理对垂穗披碱草幼苗鲜重与苗高均呈抑制作用.(3)垂穗披碱草幼苗CAT、SOD活性随着浸提液浓度升高均表现出先升后降的变化趋势;可溶性糖与可溶性蛋白在灌丛凋落叶浸提液浓度低于0.075 g/L时含量较高;MOD含量在金露梅凋落叶浸提液处理下随浓度升高而持续升高,而在川滇柳与灌间草本凋落叶浸提液处理下呈先升高后降低的趋势.综合来看,灌丛凋落叶浸提液对垂穗披碱草的化感作用由大到小依次为:头花杜鹃、川滇柳、灌间草本、金露梅,其中头花杜鹃对灌下草本植物影响较大,凋落叶化感作用是影响该地区灌草系统群落分布及灌草结构的重要因素.

为探明刈割与施肥影响河西地区豆禾混播草地稳定性的生态学机理,本研究以'清水'紫花苜蓿(Medicago sati-va)、无芒雀麦(Bromus inermis)和长穗偃麦草(Elytrigia elongata)建植的混播草地为对象,设置3个留茬高度(5 cm(A1),8 cm(A2)和 11 cm(A3))和6个施肥处理(CK(B1),150 kg P2O5·hm-2(B2),75 kg N·hm-2+225 kg P2O5·hm-2(B.),150 kg N·hm-2+150 kg P2O5·hm-2(B4),150 kg N·hm-2(B5),225 kg N·hm-2+75 kgP2O5·hm-2(B6)),并对各草种的生态位特征进行了分析.结果表明:相较于留茬高度,牧草重要值对施肥的响应更敏感,然而提高留茬可增加无芒雀麦重要值并控制过高的紫花苜蓿重要值,其中A2B3处理效果最好;A1可增大各牧草生态位宽度,且均在第3茬的A1B4处理最大;紫花苜蓿与无芒雀麦、紫花苜蓿与长穗偃麦草、无芒雀麦与长穗偃麦草间的生态位重叠分别在第2茬的A2B6,A2B1和A2Be处理最小.本研究认为:留茬8 cm,施150 kg N·hm-2+150 kg P2O5·hm-2氮磷肥对实现河西地区豆禾混播草地物种和谐共存及群落结构的长期稳定具有良好效果.

本研究通过测定紫花苜蓿分别与3种生活型禾草混播草地牧草生产力和生理指标对混播成分和比例的响应,为建植可持续高产的混播草地提供理论依据.结果显示:混播紫花苜蓿和苇状羊茅MDA含量减小,抗逆能力和光合能力增强;建植初期混播草地早熟禾M DA含量大于单播,抗逆生理和光合生理指标在豆禾比为7:3时小于单播,5:5和3:7时大于单播;混播无芒雀麦MDA含量大于单播,抗氧化指标在豆禾比为7:3时小于单播,5:5和3:7时大于单播,渗透调节物质含量和光合生理指标大于单播,说明紫花苜蓿与苇状羊茅混播时二者生理协同效应较好,建植初期豆禾比为7:3时紫花苜蓿对草地早熟禾和无芒雀麦有种间竞争胁迫,适当下调紫花苜蓿比例有利于草地早熟禾和无芒雀麦生长.隶属函数评价结果显示紫花苜蓿与丛生型苇状羊茅3:7混播时两种牧草生理表现最好,增产率和产量最高.