Understanding anthropogenic influences on soil respiration (Rs) is critical for accurate predictions of soil carbon fluxes, but it is not known how Rs responds to grazing exclusion (GE). Here, we conducted a manipulative experiment in a meadow grassland on the Tibetan Plateau to investigate the effects of GE on Rs. The exclusion of livestock significantly increased soil moisture and above\uffe2\uff80\uff90ground biomass, but it decreased soil temperature, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and Rs. Regression analysis indicated that the effects of GE on Rs were mainly due to changes in soil temperature, soil moisture, and MBC. Compared with the grazed blocks, GE significantly decreased soil carbon release by 23.6% over the growing season and 21.4% annually, but it increased the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of Rs by 6.5% and 14.2% for the growing season and annually respectively. Therefore, GE may reduce the release of soil carbon from the Tibetan Plateau, but under future climate warming scenarios, the increases in Q10 induced by GE could lead to increased carbon emissions.
", "keywords": ["570", "MICROBIAL RESPIRATION", "Environmental Sciences & Ecology", "Plant Productivity", "Temperature Sensitivity", "ALPINE GRASSLAND", "630", "Microbial Biomass Carbon", "NORTHERN CHINA", "SEASONAL PATTERNS", "MOUNTAIN GRASSLANDS", "Grazing Exclusion", "Tibetan Plateau", "PLANT-COMMUNITIES", "Original Research", "2. Zero hunger", "Science & Technology", "CLIMATE-CHANGE", "CO2 EFFLUX", "Ecology", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "15. Life on land", "INNER-MONGOLIA", "BELOW-GROUND BIOMASS", "Soil Respiration", "13. Climate action", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Life Sciences & Biomedicine"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.1867"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecology%20and%20Evolution", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1002/ece3.1867", "name": "item", "description": "10.1002/ece3.1867", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1002/ece3.1867"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2016-01-11T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1002/ldr.3656", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-23T16:14:08Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2020-06-07", "title": "Herbivores stimulate respiration from labile and recalcitrant soil carbon pools in grasslands of Yellowstone National Park", "description": "AbstractQuantifying the effects of grazing on soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition is of crucial importance for understanding soil C dynamics. However, less attention has been paid to the pool\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific SOC decomposition and the underlying factors associated with each C pool, representing critical knowledge gaps on soil C dynamics. In this study, we applied a state\uffe2\uff80\uff90of\uffe2\uff80\uff90the\uffe2\uff80\uff90art Bayesian data assimilation technique to re\uffe2\uff80\uff90analyze previous soil incubation data to examine how herbivores influenced the fraction and cumulative respiration of labile and recalcitrant soil C pools from seven edaphically diverse sites in Yellowstone National Park, whereas those variables were not explored in the earlier study. Our results showed that grazing significantly increased cumulative respiration from both labile and recalcitrant C pools. Greater cumulative respiration from the labile C pool was related to grazers increasing labile C pool fractions, while higher cumulative respiration from the recalcitrant C pool was associated with grazers accelerating the decomposition rate of the recalcitrant C pool. Cumulative respiration from both labile and recalcitrant C pools was positively correlated with shoot biomass, soil gravimetric moisture, and soil C and nitrogen content. Our results underscore how knowledge of pool\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific SOC decomposition can provide a better mechanistic understanding of soil C dynamics along topo\uffe2\uff80\uff90edaphic gradients in grazed grassland.Past vegetation and climatic conditions are known to influence current biodiversity patterns. However, whether their legacy effects affect the provision of multiple ecosystem functions, that is, multifunctionality, remains largely unknown. Here we analyzed soil nutrient stocks and their transformation rates in 236 drylands from six continents to evaluate the associations between current levels of multifunctionality and legacy effects of the\uffc2\uffa0Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) desert biome distribution and climate. We found that past desert distribution and temperature legacy, defined as increasing temperature from LGM, were negatively correlated with contemporary multifunctionality even after accounting for predictors such as current climate, soil texture, plant species richness, and site topography. Ecosystems that have been deserts since the LGM had up to 30% lower contemporary multifunctionality compared with those that were nondeserts during the LGM. In addition, ecosystems that experienced higher warming rates since the LGM had lower contemporary multifunctionality than those suffering lower warming rates, with a ~9% reduction per extra degree Celsius. Past desert distribution and temperature legacies had direct negative effects, while temperature legacy also had indirect (via soil sand content) negative effects on multifunctionality. Our results indicate that past biome and climatic conditions have left a strong \uffe2\uff80\uff9cfunctionality debt\uffe2\uff80\uff9d in global drylands. They also suggest that ongoing warming and expansion of desert areas may leave a strong fingerprint in the future functioning of dryland ecosystems worldwide that needs to be considered when establishing management actions aiming to combat land degradation and desertification.It is unclear how elevated CO2 (eCO2) and the corresponding shifts in temperature and precipitation will interact to impact ecosystems over time. During a 7\uffe2\uff80\uff90year experiment in a semi\uffe2\uff80\uff90arid grassland, the response of plant biomass to eCO2 and warming was largely regulated by interannual precipitation, while the response of plant community composition was more sensitive to experiment duration. The combined effects of eCO2 and warming on aboveground plant biomass were less positive in \uffe2\uff80\uff98wet\uffe2\uff80\uff99 growing seasons, but total plant biomass was consistently stimulated by ~\uffc2\uffa025% due to unique, supra\uffe2\uff80\uff90additive responses of roots. Independent of precipitation, the combined effects of eCO2 and warming on C3 graminoids became increasingly positive and supra\uffe2\uff80\uff90additive over time, reversing an initial shift toward C4 grasses. Soil resources also responded dynamically and non\uffe2\uff80\uff90additively to eCO2 and warming, shaping the plant responses. Our results suggest grasslands are poised for drastic changes in function and highlight the need for long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term, factorial experiments.
", "keywords": ["forb", "0106 biological sciences", "Time Factors", "Climate Change", "Rain", "01 natural sciences", "nitrogen", "Bouteloua gracilis", "climatic changes", "C3 grass", "XXXXXX - Unknown", "plant productivity", "soils", "580", "2. Zero hunger", "Artemisia frigida", "grasslands", "500", "carbon dioxide", "Carbon Dioxide", "15. Life on land", "Grassland", "C4 grass", "root biomass", "climate change", "13. Climate action", "soil moisture"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/ele.12634"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Ecology%20Letters", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/ele.12634", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/ele.12634", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/ele.12634"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2016-06-24T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/gcb.12323", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-23T16:18:29Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2013-10-12", "title": "Multi-Nutrient Vs. Nitrogen-Only Effects On Carbon Sequestration In Grassland Soils", "description": "AbstractHuman activities have greatly increased the availability of biologically active forms of nutrients [e.g., nitrogen (N), phosphorous (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg)] in many soil ecosystems worldwide. Multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90nutrient fertilization strongly increases plant productivity but may also alter the storage of carbon (C) in soil, which represents the largest terrestrial pool of organic C. Despite this issue is important from a global change perspective, key questions remain on how the single addition of N or the combination of N with other nutrients might affect C sequestration in human\uffe2\uff80\uff90managed soils. Here, we use a 19\uffe2\uff80\uff90year old nutrient addition experiment on a permanent grassland to test for nutrient\uffe2\uff80\uff90induced effects on soil C sequestration. We show that combined NPKMg additions to permanent grassland have \uffe2\uff80\uff98constrained\uffe2\uff80\uff99 soil C sequestration to levels similar to unfertilized plots whereas the single addition of N significantly enhanced soil C stocks (N\uffe2\uff80\uff90only fertilized soils store, on average, 11\uffc2\uffa0t C\uffc2\uffa0ha\uffe2\uff88\uff921 more than unfertilized soils). These results were consistent across grazing and liming treatments suggesting that whilst multi\uffe2\uff80\uff90nutrient additions increase plant productivity, soil C sequestration is increased by N\uffe2\uff80\uff90only additions. The positive N\uffe2\uff80\uff90only effect on soil C content was not related to changes in plant species diversity or to the functional composition of the plant community. N\uffe2\uff80\uff90only fertilized grasslands show, however, increases in total root mass and the accumulation of organic matter detritus in topsoils. Finally, soils receiving any N addition (N only or N in combination with other nutrients) were associated with high N losses. Overall, our results demonstrate that nutrient fertilization remains an important global change driver of ecosystem functioning, which can strongly affect the long\uffe2\uff80\uff90term sustainability of grassland soil ecosystems (e.g., soils ability to deliver multiple ecosystem services).
", "keywords": ["2. Zero hunger", "Carbon Sequestration", "root mass", "Nitrogen", "grasslands", "nitrogen losses", "Phosphorus", "nitrogen fertilization", "Biodiversity", "04 agricultural and veterinary sciences", "Plants", "15. Life on land", "Plant Roots", "6. Clean water", "Soil", "England", "nutrient addition", "13. Climate action", "Potassium", "0401 agriculture", " forestry", " and fisheries", "Seasons", "plant productivity", "ecosystem services", "Ecosystem"]}, "links": [{"href": "https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.12323"}, {"rel": "related", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/Global%20Change%20Biology", "name": "related record", "description": "related record", "type": "application/json"}, {"rel": "self", "type": "application/geo+json", "title": "10.1111/gcb.12323", "name": "item", "description": "10.1111/gcb.12323", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main/items/10.1111/gcb.12323"}, {"rel": "collection", "type": "application/json", "title": "Collection", "name": "collection", "description": "Collection", "href": "https://repository.soilwise-he.eu/cat/collections/metadata:main"}], "time": {"date": "2013-10-10T00:00:00Z"}}, {"id": "10.1111/nph.14634", "type": "Feature", "geometry": null, "properties": {"updated": "2026-05-23T16:18:54Z", "type": "Journal Article", "created": "2017-06-13", "title": "Circular linkages between soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity are limited to topsoil at the continental scale", "description": "Summary
The current theoretical framework suggests that tripartite positive feedback relationships between soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity are universal. However, empirical evidence for these relationships at the continental scale and across different soil depths is lacking.
We investigate the continental\uffe2\uff80\uff90scale relationships between the diversity of microbial and invertebrate\uffe2\uff80\uff90based soil food webs, fertility and above\uffe2\uff80\uff90ground plant productivity at 289 sites and two soil depths, that is 0\uffe2\uff80\uff9310 and 20\uffe2\uff80\uff9330\uffc2\uffa0cm, across Australia.
Soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity are strongly positively related in surface soils. Conversely, in the deeper soil layer, the relationships between soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity weaken considerably, probably as a result of a reduction in biodiversity and fertility with depth. Further modeling suggested that strong positive associations among soil biodiversity\uffe2\uff80\uff93fertility and fertility\uffe2\uff80\uff93plant productivity are limited to the upper soil layer (0\uffe2\uff80\uff9310\uffc2\uffa0cm), after accounting for key factors, such as distance from the equator, altitude, climate and physicochemical soil properties.
These findings highlight the importance of surface soil biodiversity for soil fertility, and suggest that any loss of surface soil could potentially break the links between soil biodiversity\uffe2\uff80\uff93fertility and/or fertility\uffe2\uff80\uff93plant productivity, which can negatively impact nutrient cycling and food production, upon which future generations depend.
Past vegetation and climatic conditions are known to influence current biodiversity patterns. However, whether their legacy effects affect the provision of multiple ecosystem functions, that is, multifunctionality, remains largely unknown. Here we analyzed soil nutrient stocks and their transformation rates in 236 drylands from six continents to evaluate the associations between current levels of multifunctionality and legacy effects of the\uffc2\uffa0Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) desert biome distribution and climate. We found that past desert distribution and temperature legacy, defined as increasing temperature from LGM, were negatively correlated with contemporary multifunctionality even after accounting for predictors such as current climate, soil texture, plant species richness, and site topography. Ecosystems that have been deserts since the LGM had up to 30% lower contemporary multifunctionality compared with those that were nondeserts during the LGM. In addition, ecosystems that experienced higher warming rates since the LGM had lower contemporary multifunctionality than those suffering lower warming rates, with a ~9% reduction per extra degree Celsius. Past desert distribution and temperature legacies had direct negative effects, while temperature legacy also had indirect (via soil sand content) negative effects on multifunctionality. Our results indicate that past biome and climatic conditions have left a strong \uffe2\uff80\uff9cfunctionality debt\uffe2\uff80\uff9d in global drylands. They also suggest that ongoing warming and expansion of desert areas may leave a strong fingerprint in the future functioning of dryland ecosystems worldwide that needs to be considered when establishing management actions aiming to combat land degradation and desertification.The current theoretical framework suggests that tripartite positive feedback relationships between soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity are universal. However, empirical evidence for these relationships at the continental scale and across different soil depths is lacking.
We investigate the continental\uffe2\uff80\uff90scale relationships between the diversity of microbial and invertebrate\uffe2\uff80\uff90based soil food webs, fertility and above\uffe2\uff80\uff90ground plant productivity at 289 sites and two soil depths, that is 0\uffe2\uff80\uff9310 and 20\uffe2\uff80\uff9330\uffc2\uffa0cm, across Australia.
Soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity are strongly positively related in surface soils. Conversely, in the deeper soil layer, the relationships between soil biodiversity, fertility and plant productivity weaken considerably, probably as a result of a reduction in biodiversity and fertility with depth. Further modeling suggested that strong positive associations among soil biodiversity\uffe2\uff80\uff93fertility and fertility\uffe2\uff80\uff93plant productivity are limited to the upper soil layer (0\uffe2\uff80\uff9310\uffc2\uffa0cm), after accounting for key factors, such as distance from the equator, altitude, climate and physicochemical soil properties.
These findings highlight the importance of surface soil biodiversity for soil fertility, and suggest that any loss of surface soil could potentially break the links between soil biodiversity\uffe2\uff80\uff93fertility and/or fertility\uffe2\uff80\uff93plant productivity, which can negatively impact nutrient cycling and food production, upon which future generations depend.
Quantifying the effects of grazing on soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition is of crucial importance for understanding soil C dynamics. However, less attention has been paid to the pool\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific SOC decomposition and the underlying factors associated with each C pool, representing critical knowledge gaps on soil C dynamics. In this study, we applied a state\uffe2\uff80\uff90of\uffe2\uff80\uff90the\uffe2\uff80\uff90art Bayesian data assimilation technique to re\uffe2\uff80\uff90analyze previous soil incubation data to examine how herbivores influenced the fraction and cumulative respiration of labile and recalcitrant soil C pools from seven edaphically diverse sites in Yellowstone National Park, whereas those variables were not explored in the earlier study. Our results showed that grazing significantly increased cumulative respiration from both labile and recalcitrant C pools. Greater cumulative respiration from the labile C pool was related to grazers increasing labile C pool fractions, while higher cumulative respiration from the recalcitrant C pool was associated with grazers accelerating the decomposition rate of the recalcitrant C pool. Cumulative respiration from both labile and recalcitrant C pools was positively correlated with shoot biomass, soil gravimetric moisture, and soil C and nitrogen content. Our results underscore how knowledge of pool\uffe2\uff80\uff90specific SOC decomposition can provide a better mechanistic understanding of soil C dynamics along topo\uffe2\uff80\uff90edaphic gradients in grazed grassland.