Soil arthropods, nematodes, and environmental factors data under different precipitation gradients in alpine grasslands
Description
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP), known as the "Third pole" of the Earth, take an important role in the global water cycle, and the alpine meadows on QTP are sensitive to global climate change (Xu et al., 2019). Annual precipitation on the QTP increased during 1961-2019 and is projected to continue increasing until the end of 21st century. However, relatively few studies have focused on the effects of altered precipitation on belowground biota, particularly soil fauna, in alpine meadows of the QTP. Therefore, understanding how soil faunal communities respond to altered precipitation is essential for predicting the impacts of climate change on soil food web structure and functioning and for guiding sustainable management of alpine meadows on the QTP. The study site (32.83° N, 102.59° E) was located in an alpine meadow on the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Hongyuan County (31.8333°–33.3667° N, 101.85°–103.3833° E), Sichuan province, China. A precipitation manipulation experiment was established in May 2015. Five precipitation treatments were applied: three reduced precipitation levels (0.1P, 0.5P, and 0.7P, representing 90%, 50%, and 30% reductions, respectively), ambient precipitation (1.0P) and increased precipitation (1.5P, +50%). Each treatment consisted of six replicate plots (2 m × 2 m). Precipitation reduction was achieved using V-shaped rain interceptors (2.4 m long and 14 cm wide), which covered 90%, 50%, and 30% of the plot area for the 0.1P, 0.5P, and 0.7P treatments, respectively. Soil samples were collected in September 2020. According to meteorological data from 2016 to 2020, the mean annual precipitation was 883 mm. Accordingly, the annual precipitation amounts for the five treatments were approximately 88 mm (0.1P), 442 mm (0.5P), 618 mm (0.7P), 883 mm (1.0P), and 1,325 mm (1.5P). Soil microarthropods were extracted using the Tullgren funnel method for 48 h at 38 °C and preserved in 75% ethanol. Soil nematodes were extracted from 50 g of fresh soil using a Baermann funnel method and preserved in 5% formaldehyde. The data showed that precipitation alters soil food web structure more than diversity in alpine meadows; soil fauna responses are stronger in surface soil than in deeper layers; nematodes respond more sensitively to precipitation changes than microarthropods; precipitation shifts nematode trophic structure and energy pathways; and critical thresholds (~442 mm and ~883 mm) regulate soil faunal responses. The findings of this study will provide a scientific basis for the scientific management and sustainable utilization of alpine meadows under ongoing climate change.
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Institutions
- Southwest Minzu UniversitySichuan, Chengdu