ORIGINAL RESEARCH
Comparison of Soil Microbial Biomass
and Enzyme Activities among Three Alpine
Grassland Types in Northern Tibet
Xuyang Lu1, Jihui Fan1,2, Yan Yan2, Xiaodan Wang1
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1Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, IMHE, CAS, Chengdu 610041, China
2Shenzha Alpine Steppe and Wetland Ecosystem Observation and Experiment Station,
IMHE, CAS, Shenzha 853100, China
Pol. J. Environ. Stud. 2013;22(2):437-443
KEYWORDS
ABSTRACT
Soil microbial biomass and enzyme activities have an important influence on nutrient cycling. The temporal
variation in soil microbial biomass C, N, and enzyme activities during the growing season were determined
under three different alpine grasslands in Northern Tibet. The results showed that soil microbial biomass
C, and N contents and enzyme activities of the alpine meadow (AM) and the alpine meadow steppe
(AMS) sites were much higher than those of the alpine steppe (AS) site. Soil microbial biomass C, N variations
were not significantly correlated with the soil temperature and moisture, except that microbial biomass
N seemed associated with the microsite where soil temperature was higher. Our results demonstrate that soil
temperature was one of most important factors explaining the seasonal variation of microbial biomass N, but
how the alpine grassland ecosystem's type affects microbial biomass C, N and enzyme activity are still needed
to be clarified by determining other correlative ecological factors and covering prolonged observation periods.