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Evaluating the lingering effect of livestock grazing on functional potentials of microbial communities in Tibetan grassland soils

Journal Article · · Plant and Soil
 [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [4];  [5];  [6];  [7];  [1]
  1. Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China)
  2. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China)
  3. Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China); Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States)
  4. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Xining (China)
  5. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Xining (China); Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou (China)
  6. Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Chengdu (China)
  7. Tsinghua Univ., Beijing (China); Univ. of Oklahoma, Norman, OK (United States); Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Background and aims: Livestock grazing is a widely practiced land-use regime that can impose lingering effects on global biogeochemical cycles. Yet, elucidating the mechanisms of related eco-processes, which are largely mediated by the microbial community, remains challenging.

Methods: In this work, we collected soil samples from two Tibetan grassland sites subjected to grazing in winter followed by a 3-month recovery. We then evaluated functional potentials of microbial communities via a metagenomic tool known as GeoChip 4.0.

Results: Significant alterations were detected in post-grazing grassland soils, and further analysis showed that plant diversity was the best indicator of alterations in functional potentials. Relative abundances of labile C degradation genes decreased at the 3400-m site, but those of recalcitrant C degradation genes increased, which could be explained by the higher soil recalcitrant C input owing to their being substantially more forbs species at this site. Nitrification genes decreased at both sites, probably owing to increased soil moisture conducive to oxygen-limiting conditions. Relative abundance of denitrification genes increased at the 3200-m site, concomitant with increased N2O emissions.

Conclusions: These findings demonstrated that functional gene compositions of the microbial community were altered in post-grazing grassland soils, and linked to soil biogeochemical processes.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Biological and Environmental Research (BER) (SC-23); National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; SC0004601
OSTI ID:
1567066
Journal Information:
Plant and Soil, Journal Name: Plant and Soil Journal Issue: 1-2 Vol. 407; ISSN 0032-079X
Publisher:
SpringerCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (1)

Divergent responses of ecosystem respiration components to livestock exclusion on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau journal May 2018

Figures / Tables (8)

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Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
GeoChip
Microbial functional potential
Post-winter grazing
Tibetan grassland