Single-Species Artificial Grasslands Decrease Soil Multifunctionality in a Temperate Steppe on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau
Kelu Chen,
Huakun Zhou,
Bingbing Lu,
Yang Wu,
Jie Wang,
Ziwen Zhao,
Yuanze Li,
Mei Wang,
Yue Zhang,
Wenjing Chen,
Guobin Liu,
Sha Xue
Affiliations
Kelu Chen
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Huakun Zhou
Qinghai Provincial Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology in Cold Regions, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining 810008, China
Bingbing Lu
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Yang Wu
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Jie Wang
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Ziwen Zhao
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Yuanze Li
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Mei Wang
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Yue Zhang
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Wenjing Chen
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Guobin Liu
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Sha Xue
State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Xianyang 712100, China
Artificial grasslands have been regarded as an effective method to improve grass production and quality, especially on the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Soil ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) plays an important role in sustainable regional development. However, few studies have investigated the impacts of artificial grasslands on soil EMF. Here, we constructed single-species artificial grasslands in a natural temperate steppe and investigated soil microbial communities, abiotic factors (soil moisture and pH), and functions related to biogeochemical cycles to explore (1) how the transformation from temperate steppe to artificial grasslands affected soil EMF and (2) the roles of species and phylogenetic microbial diversities, microbial community composition, and abiotic factors in driving differences in soil EMF. Our results showed that artificial grasslands decreased soil EMF regardless of planting species; that the bacterial and fungal community composition contributed more to soil EMF prediction than species and phylogenetic diversities; and that microbial phylogenetic diversities were negatively associated with soil EMF. Soil pH played an important role in the effects of artificial grasslands on soil EMF—artificial grasslands increased soil pH, which was negatively associated with soil EMF. Overall, the benefits of establishing artificial grasslands, for example, higher grass production and quality, might be at the expense of soil EMF. Further studies should explore mixed-species artificial grasslands.
