文献类型：期刊文献

英文题名：Interactive effects of plant litter type and yak excrement on litter decomposition in a shrub-encroached alpine meadow

作者：Wang, Yingxin[1,2] Zhou, Qingping[3] Chu, Jianmin[4] Zhang, Jinxin[2] Hou, Fujiang[1]

第一作者：Wang, Yingxin

通信作者：Hou, FJ[1]

机构：[1]Lanzhou Univ, Coll Pastoral Agr Sci & Technol, Natl Forestry & Grassland Adm, Minist Agr & Rural Affairs,Engn Technol Res Ctr Ec, Lanzhou, Peoples R China;[2]Chinese Acad Forestry, Inst Ecol Conservat & Restorat, Beijing, Peoples R China;[3]Southwest Minzu Univ, Coll Grassland Resources, Chengdu, Peoples R China;[4]Chinese Acad Forestry, Res Inst Forestry, Beijing, Peoples R China

年份：2025

卷号：39

期号：7

起止页码：1799-1814

外文期刊名：FUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY

收录：;Scopus(收录号：2-s2.0-105007617193);WOS:【SCI-EXPANDED(收录号:WOS:001502830900001)】；

基金：This study was conducted with the support of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (U21A20242; 32301511), the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2021YFD1300504), the Program for Innovative Research Team of Ministry of Education (IRT_17R50), and Lanzhou City's Scientific Research Funding Subsidy to Lanzhou University (GRCZC2021001). We thank Shuaijun Hou, Yuhui Tan, and Zhe Wu for their substantial assistance. We are deeply appreciative of Ken Hodgkinson's contributions and the anonymous reviewers' efforts in reviewing this manuscript.

语种：英文

外文关键词：interactive effects; litter decomposition; litter type; nutrient release patterns; shrub-encroached alpine meadow; yak excrement

摘要：1. In the plant community with a shrub-grass mosaic, the main types of litter include herbaceous litter and its mixed forms with shrub leaves and stems. However, the quantitative relationship between the litter composition type and the litter decomposition, as well as how these processes are influenced by grazing activities (e.g. excrement deposition), remains largely unexplored. 2. Herein, a three-year litter incubation experiment was conducted in a shrub-encroached alpine meadow. We aimed to elucidate the individual and interactive effects of litter type (solely grass litter (L), a mixture of grass litter and shrub leaves (L1) and a mixture of grass litter, shrub leaves and shrub stems (L2)) and yak excrement addition (no addition, addition of dung only, addition of urine only, addition of both dung and urine) on the litter decomposition rate and nutrients release. Additionally, the initial chemical quality of litter, soil microclimate, soil nutrients and soil microbial attributes were analysed to ascertain the underlying driving mechanisms. 3. We found that litter type and yak excrement had significant individual and interactive effects on litter decomposition. Specifically, litter type primarily affected litter decomposition by increasing initial carbon and lignin concentration and reducing the nitrogen and phosphorus concentration of the litter. In contrast, yak excrement positively impacted litter decomposition through enhancing soil pH and soil microbial activity. Crucially, low-quality litter (L2) mitigated the positive effects of yak excrement on litter decomposition. While the addition of yak excrement did not alter the overall direction of litter decomposition, it influenced the magnitude of the effects caused by litter mixing. Notably, temporary nitrogen immobilization was observed during the early stages of decomposition, and net phosphorus release patterns were evident throughout the decomposition process. However, the duration of nitrogen immobilization differed depending on the litter type and yak excrement treatment. 4. Our findings provide localized evidences that elucidate the interactive effects of litter type and yak excrement addition on litter decomposition and nutrient release processes. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of how grazing activity modulates nutrient cycling in shrub-encroached grassland ecosystems.