Drought Impacts on Vegetation Indices and Productivity of Terrestrial Ecosystems in Southwestern China During 2001–2012

Drought, as a recurring extreme climate event, affects the structure, function, and process of terrestrial ecosystems. Despite the increasing occurrence and intensity of the drought in the past decade in Southwestern China, the impacts of continuous drought events on vegetation in this region remain unclear. During 2001–2012, Southwestern China experienced the severe drought events from 2009 to 2011. Our aim is to characterize drought conditions in the Southwestern China and explore the impacts on the vegetation condition and terrestrial ecosystem productivity. The Standardized Precipitation Index(SPI) was used to characterize drought area and intensity and a light-use efficiency model was used to explore the effect of drought on the terrestrial ecosystem productivity with Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer(MODIS) data. The SPI captured the major drought events in Southwestern China during the study period, indicated that the 12-year period of this study included both ‘normal' precipitation years and two severe drought events in 2009–2010 and 2011. Results showed that vegetation greenness(Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI and Enhanced Vegetation Index, EVI) both declined in 2009/2010 drought, but the 2011 drought resulted in less declines of vegetation greenness and productivity due to shorten drought duration and rising temperature. Meanwhile, it was about 5 months lapse between drought events and maximum declines in vegetation greenness for 2009/2010 drought events. In addition, forest, grassland and cropland revealed significant different ecosystem responses to drought. It indicated that grassland showed an early sensitivity to drought, while cropland was the most sensitive to water deficit and forest was more resilient to drought. This study suggests that it is necessary to detect the difference responses of ecosystem to drought in a regional area with satellite data and ecosystem model.     

Effects of long-term medieval agriculture on soil properties: A case study from the Kislovodsk basin,Northern Caucasus,Russia

The chemical properties and biological activities of soils were studied in the vicinity of the medieval settlement Podkumskoe-3 in the Kislovodsk basin (Northern Caucasus, Russia). Between the 5th and 8th centuries this area was ploughed regularly, but it was then abandoned up to the present day. It has been established that past human activity leads to soil undergoing significant transformations in terms of microbial communities and enzyme activity, and that such changes are maintained over long periods. Long-term manuring in the middle of the first millennium AD led to an increase in organic carbon content and the accumulation of nitrate nitrogen. Soils of ancient abandoned fields are associated with increases in microbial biomass, number of saprotrophic bacteria, urease activity, and fungal mycelium biomass. The observed changes in the microbiological and biochemical properties of soil were conditioned by secondary anthropogenically induced succession after the abandonment of arable lands.     

基于多源数据的农业干旱监测模型构建

在全球气候变暖的大背景下,干旱事件发生越来越频繁,严重危害我国的粮食生产安全。构建准确的干旱监测模型不仅能够及时地反映出干旱事件的发生,同时可以为地方政府制定减灾保产措施提供科学支撑和保障。传统的气象干旱监测方法因为缺乏对植被本身需水状态和土壤供水信息的考虑旱情判定结果往往比实际情况偏重,而遥感监测指标大多只考虑了植被或土壤等单方面因素具有局限性,目前已有的综合干旱监测模型大多以气象指标为因变量,一方面需要数据资料较多参数复杂,另一方面模型准确度依赖于气象指标对当地农业干旱的响应能力,而同一气象指标在不同区域适应性存在差异,因此同样存在局限性。本文以河南省的冬小麦为研究对象,利用2001-2011年的EOS-MODIS数据产品以及气象站点监测数据,计算了标准化降水蒸散指数SPEI、植被状态指数VCI、温度状态指数TCI、温度植被状态指数TVDI,同时结合河南省农业气象灾害旬报对冬小麦受灾的记录,构建了基于决策树的定性农业干旱监测模型。测试集结果表明,模型综合了大气异常信息、植被状态信息以及土壤水分信息,优于单个指标的监测结果。另外,基于此模型监测了河南省2009年4-5月的干旱事件,结果与实情相符,能够较好地反映农业旱情的发生和空间演变情况。     

基于高效生态农业布局导向性的资源环境承载力评价—以黄河三角洲高效生态经济区为例

该文在对研究区资源环境本底基本了解的基础上,建立了包括耕地资源、水资源、社会经济资源、土壤环境、极端气候发生率和地质环境6个二级指标的资源环境承载力评价指标体系,采用定性和定量相结合的方法,利用层次分析法确定相关指标权重,分别对6个要素进行承载力评价。在各单元要素评价基础上,结合黄河三角洲高效生态经济区农业发展要求,划分出了沿海湿地生态系统保护带、北部盐渍化土质特色种植区、南部优质粮食生产区和果蔬集中种植区4个生态农业布局适宜区,并提出发展建议。     

长江流域陆地水储量异常的卫星重力监测与干旱指数对比分析北大核心CSCD

利用GRACE/GRACE-FO数据对长江流域2003~2021年期间发生的干旱事件进行定量分析,以探究卫星重力监测区域性干旱的可行性。采用3个机构发布的5种GRACE/GRACE-FO数据产品(CSR_SH、JPL_SH、GFZ_SH、CSR_M、JPL_M)反演长江流域陆地水储量异常(TWSA),计算陆地水储量亏损(WSD)和水储量亏损指数(WSDI),结合气象干旱数据(SPI、SPEI、scPDSI)对5种数据产品的结果进行比较,并对2003~2021年长江流域干旱事件进行分析。结果表明,不同机构发布的GRACE/GRACE-FO数据产品对长江流域干旱事件严重等级的划分具有一定差异;WSDI与6个月时间尺度的SPEI相关性最高,相关系数为0.66,与scPDSI相关系数最低为0.54,降水是影响长江流域陆地水储量变化的重要因素;长江流域最严重的干旱事件发生在2019年夏秋季,干旱强度为2.31,持续10个月,水储量累计亏损达到415 Gt,此次干旱事件的WSDI空间分布图显示2019-09干旱最为严重,出现极端干旱区域。WSDI可反映长江流域干旱分布的时空变化,可在监测全球和大尺度区域干旱方面发挥重要作用。     

Soil organic carbon pool along different altitudinal level in the Sygera Mountains,Tibetan Plateau

Labile organic carbon (LOC) is one of the most important indicators of soil organic matter quality and dynamics elevation and plays important function in the Tibetan Plateau climate. However, it is unknown what the sources and causes of LOC contamination are. In this study, soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), microbial biomass carbon (MBC), microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN) and LOC were analyzed based on different soil horizons and elevations using turnover time in an experimental site (3700 m to 4300 m area) in Sygera. SOC and LOC in higher-elevation vegetation types were higher than that of in lower-elevation vegetation types. Our results presented that the soil microbial biomass carbon (SMBC) and soil microbial biomass nitrogen (SMBN) were positively correlated with SOC. The content of easily oxidized carbon (EOC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and light fraction organic carbon (LFOC) decreased with depth increasing and the content were the lowest in the 60 cm to 100 cm depth. The total SOC, ROC and POC contents decreased with increasing soil horizons. The SOC, TN, MBC and MBN contents increased with increasing altitude in the Sygera Mountains. The MBC and MBN contents were different with the changes of SOC (p<0.05), meanwhile, both LFOC and POC were related to total SOC (p<0.05). The physical and chemical properties of soil, including temperature, humidity, and altitude, were involved in the regulation of SOC, TN, MBC, MBN and LFOC contents in the Sygera Mountains, Tibetan Plateau.     

Do mowing regimes affect plant and soil biological activity in the mountain meadows of Southern Poland?

The soil biological activity of mountain meadows is a significant factor that determines the health and utility of these regions. The climax stage of this area is forest, but to maintain semi-natural grassland, which is characterised by high biodiversity,low-intensity land use(mowing or grazing) is necessarily required. To understand the effect of various mowing regimes on the soil biological activity and plants, the soil microbial activity(microbial biomass carbon, dehydrogenase activity and number of the cultivable fraction of soil microbial community),annelids community(density and species composition earthworms and enchytraeids) and plant species composition were investigated. The study area was located in the Pieniny National Park in the Carpathian Mountains, in a meadow belonging to the association Dactylis glomerata-Poa trivialis. The investigated variants were divided according to mowing regime:traditional scything – hand mowing(HM), mechanical mowing(MM), or the abandonment of mowing – nonmowing(NM). The microbial activities(expressed by,e.g. microbial biomass carbon and the number of phosphorus bacteria) were affected by the mowing regime. The density of earthworms was higher in the HM and MM than in the NM variants. The largest changes in plant species composition were caused by the abandonment of mowing(NM). The mean number of plant species was positively correlated with soil moisture, earthworm density, and microbial activity(expressed indirectly by dehydrogenases activity). The soil microbial community, such as vegetative bacteria forms and ammonifying bacteria,were positively associated with pH value, and the microbial and total organic carbon content. The results presented here indicate that there is no single form of optimal management for all living organisms.Decisions about mowing regimes, or abandonment of use, should be preceded by multi-aspect studies,including plants and soil biota.     

Effects of vegetation coverage and seasonal change on soil microbial biomass and community structure in the dry-hot valley region

Soil microorganisms are sensitive indicator of soil health and quality. Understanding the effects of vegetation biomass and seasonal change on soil microorganisms is vital to evaluate the soil quality and implement vegetation restoration. This study analyzed the soil phospholipid fatty acids (PLFAs) in fresh and withered Kudzu (Pueraria montana var. lobata) vegetation conditions in different seasons. The results showed that vegetation biomass and seasonal change significantly affected microbial biomass and its community structure. Both fresh and withered Kudzu cover significantly increased soil microbial biomass, and the growth effect of microbes in the soil with fresh Kudzu cover was more obvious than that with withered Kudzu cover. Compared with the dry season, the rainy season significantly increased the microbial biomass and the B/F (the ratio of bacterial to fungal PLFAs) ratio but dramatically reduced the G+/G- (the ratio of gram-positive to gram-negative bacteria PLFAs). Kudzu cover and seasonal change had a significant effect on microbial structure in soil covered by higher vegetation biomass. Furthermore, soil temperature and moisture had different correlations with specific microbial biomass in the two seasons. Our findings highlight the effect of Kudzu vine cover on the soil microenvironment and soil microhabitat, enhancing the soil quality in the Dry-hot Valley of Jinsha River, Southwest China.     

基于多卫星遥感产品的极端降水监测研究

以中国气象局提供的地面观测站点逐小时降水数据为基准数据,综合评估了目前国际上主流的高分辨率多卫星遥感降水在2015年强台风灿鸿所带来的极端降水事件中的表现。结果表明:1所有的卫星遥感降水产品在此次极端降水事件中对实际降水都存在着低估,其中IMERG系列下经过校正的Final产品IMERG-Final-Calibrated表现得最好;2IMERG-Late-Calibrated在实时产品中表现最好,一定程度上可以满足极端降水事件监测对实时性的要求;3总的来说,在此次极端降水事件中,不管是滞时类产品还是实时类产品,IMERG系列卫星降水的表现均要好于TMPA系列下卫星降水的表现。     

Impacts of Drought and Human Activity on Vegetation Growth in the Grain for Green Program Region,China

The Chinese government adopted six ecological restoration programs to improve its natural environments. Although these programs have proven successful in improving local environments, some studies have questioned their performance when regions suffer from drought. Whether we should consider the effects of drought on vegetation change in assessments of the benefits of ecological restoration programs is unclear. Therefore, taking the Grain for Green Program(GGP) region as a study area, we estimated vegetation growth in the region from 2000–2010 to clarify the trends in vegetation and their driving forces. Results showed that: 1) vegetation growth increased in the GGP region during 2000–2010, with 59.4% of the area showing an increase in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index(NDVI). This confirmed the benefits of the ecological restoration program. 2) Drought can affect the vegetation change trend, but human activity plays a significant role in altering vegetation growth, and the slight downward trend in the NDVI was not consistent with the severity of the drought. Positive human activity led to increased NDVI in 89.13% of areas. Of these, 22.52% suffered drought, but positive human activity offset the damage in part. 3) Results of this research suggest that appropriate human activity can maximize the benefits of ecological restoration programs and minimize the effects of extreme weather. We therefore recommend incorporating eco-risk assessment and scientific management mechanisms in the design and management of ecosystem restoration programs.     

Effects of seasonal variation on soil microbial community structure and enzyme activity in a Masson pine forest in Southwest China

Soil microbial communities and enzyme activities play key roles in soil ecosystems. Both are sensitive to changes in environmental factors,including seasonal temperature, precipitation variations and soil properties. To understand the interactive mechanisms of seasonal changes that affect soil microbial communities and enzyme activities in a subtropical masson pine(Pinus massoniana) forest, we investigated the soil microbial community structure and enzyme activities to identify the effect of seasonal changes on the soil microbial community for two years in Jinyun Mountain National Nature Reserve, Chongqing, China. The soil microbial community structure was investigated using phospholipid fatty acids(PLFAs). The results indicated that a total of 36 different PLFAs were identified, and 16:0 was found in the highest proportions in the four seasons, moreover, the total PLFAs abundance were highest in spring and lowest in winter. Bacteria and actinomycetes were the dominant types in the study area. Seasonal changes also had a significant(P 0.05) influence on the soil enzyme activity. The maximum and minimum values of the invertase and catalase activities were observed in autumn and winter, respectively. However, the maximum and minimum values of the urease and phosphatase acid enzymatic activities were found in spring and winter, respectively. Canonical correspondence analysis(CCA) analysis revealed that the seasonal shifts in soil community composition and enzyme activities were relatively more sensitive to soil moisture and temperature, but the microbial community structure and enzyme activity were not correlated with soil pH in the study region. This study highlights how the seasonal variations affect the microbial community and function(enzyme activity)to better understand and predict microbial responses to future climate regimes in subtropical area.     

Rainfall and Tillage Impacts on Soil Erosion of Sloping Cropland with Subtropical Monsoon Climate- A Case Study in Hilly Purple Soil area,China

Under global warming, storm events tend to intensify, particularly in monsoon-affected regions.As an important agricultural area in China, the purple soil region in the Sichuan Basin, where it has a prevailing monsoon climate, is threatened by serious soil erosion. Tillage operations alter runoff and soil erosion processes on croplands by changing the physical properties of the soil surface. To clarify the relationship between tillage and soil erosion in the purple soil region, three different tillage practices in this region were investigated at the plot scale over 4 years: bare land with minimum tillage(BL),conventional tillage(CT) and seasonal no-tillage ridges(SNTR) which was initially designed to prevent soil erosion by contoured ridges and no-tillage techniques. The results showed that although there were no significant differences in the surface runoff and soil erosion among the three practices, BL causedrelatively high surface runoff and soil erosion,followed by CT and SNTR. Classification and comparison of the rainfall events based on cluster analysis(CA) verified that the surface runoff was not significantly different between most intensive event and long intensive events but was significantly different between most intensive and short and medium-duration events. Only the rainfall events with the highest rainfall intensity could trigger serious soil erosion, up to 1000 kg ha-1 in the region. Further detailed investigations on the effects of tillage operations on the soil erosion in a subtropical region with a monsoon climate are needed to provide a basis for modeling catchments and designing better management practices.     

Degradation induces changes in the soil C:N:P stoichiometry of alpine steppe on the Tibetan Plateau

Due to the Tibetan Plateau's unique high altitude and low temperature climate conditions,the region's alpine steppe ecosystem is highly fragile and is suffering from severe degradation under the stress of increasing population,overgrazing,and climate change.The soil stoichiometry,a crucial part of ecological stoichiometry,provides a fundamental approach for understanding ecosystem processes by examining the relative proportions and balance of the three elements.Understanding the impact of degradation on the soil stoichiometry is vital for conservation and management in the alpine steppe on the Tibetan Plateau.This study aims to examine the response of soil stoichiometry to degradation and explore the underlying biotic and abiotic mechanisms in the alpine steppe.We conducted a field survey in a sequent degraded alpine steppe with seven levels inNorthern Tibet.The plant species,aboveground biomass,and physical and chemical soil properties such as the moisture content,temperature,pH,compactness,total carbon(C),total nitrogen(N),and total phosphorus(P)were measured and recorded.The results showed that the contents of soil C/N,C/P,and N/P consistently decreased along intensifying degradation gradients.Using regression analysis and a structural equation model(SEM),we found that the C/N,C/P,and N/P ratios were positively affected by the soil compactness,soil moisture content and species richness of graminoids but negatively affected by soil pH and the proportion of aboveground biomass of forbs.The soil temperature had a negative effect on the C/N ratio but showed positive effect on the C/P and N/P ratios.The current study shows that degradation-induced changes in abiotic and biotic conditions such as soil warming and drying,which accelerated the soil organic carbon mineralization,as well as the increase in the proportion of forbs,whichwere difficult to decompose and input less organic carbon into soil,resulted in the decreases in soil C/N,C/P,and N/P contents to a great extent.Our results provide a sound basis for sustainable conservation and management of the alpine steppe.     

Changes of soil labile organic carbon in different land uses in Sanjiang Plain,Heilongjiang Province

In the Sanjiang Plain,Northeast China,the natural wetland is undergoing a rapid conversion into agricultural land,which has resulted in drastic ecological changes in the region. To investigate the effects of different land uses on soil labile organic carbon,soils of Calamagrostis angustifolia wetland,Carex lasiocarpa wetland,dry farmland,paddy field,forest land and abandoned cultivated land were collected for measuring the contents of soil microbial biomass carbon (MBC),dissolved organic carbon (DOC),readil...     

Effect of hydrological variability on diatom distribution in Poyang Lake,China

Poyang Lake is the largest freshwater lake in China, and it has a seasonal flooding cycle that significantly changes the water level every year. The aim of this paper was to explain how these hydrological changes influence diatom populations in Poyang Lake. The yearly hydrological cycle can be divided into 4 phases: low water-level phase, increasing water-level phase, high water-level phase and decreasing water-level phase. Variations in the abundance of planktonic diatoms were studied using quarterly monitoring data collected from January 2009 to October 2013. Generally, diatoms were dominant in Poyang Lake and accounted for more than 50% of the total phytoplankton biomass except in July 2009 (26%) and January 2012 (35%). Aulacoseira granulata and Surirella robusta were the predominant species in all four phases, and they accounted for 25.02% to 56.89% and 5.07% to 14.78% of the total phytoplankton biomass, respectively. A redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that changes in physico-chemical parameter were related to the water level, and changes in diatom biomass were related to nitrite levels and pH. These results indicate that changes in environmental parameters related to both seasonal variations and water-level fluctuations caused variations in diatom biomass and community composition in Poyang Lake. Furthermore, extreme hydrological events can have different influences on the diatom community composition in the main channel and lentic regions. This research provides data on the diatom variations in Poyang Lake and will be useful for establishing biological indicators of environmental change and protecting Poyang Lake in the future.     

Effects of Environmental Conditions and Aboveground Biomass on CO_2 Budget in Phragmites australis Wetland of Jiaozhou Bay,China

Estuarial saline wetlands have been recognized as a vital role in CO_2 cycling.However,insufficient attention has been paid to estimating CO_2 fluxes from estuarial saline wetlands.In this study,the static chamber-gas chromatography(GC) method was used to quantify CO_2 budget of an estuarial saline reed(Phragmites australis) wetland in Jiaozhou Bay in Qingdao City of Shandong Province,China during the reed growing season(May to October) in 2014.The CO_2 budget study involved net ecosystem CO_2 exchange(NEE),ecosystem respiration(Reco) and gross primary production(GPP).Temporal variation in CO_2 budget and the impact of air/soil temperature,illumination intensity and aboveground biomass exerted on CO_2 budget were analyzed.Results indicated that the wetland was acting as a net sink of 1129.16 g/m~2 during the entire growing season.Moreover,the values of Reco and GPP were 1744.89 g/m~2 and 2874.05 g/m~2,respectively;the ratio of Reco and GPP was 0.61.Diurnal and monthly patterns of CO_2 budget varied significantly during the study period.Reco showed exponential relationships with air temperature and soil temperature at 5 cm,10 cm,20 cm depths,and soil temperature at 5 cm depth was the most crucial influence factor among them.Meanwhile,temperature sensitivity(Q10) of Reco was negatively correlated with soil temperature.Light and temperature exerted strong controls over NEE and GPP.Aboveground biomass over the whole growing season showed non-linear relationships with CO_2 budget,while those during the early and peak growing season showed significant linear relationships with CO_2 budget.This research provides valuable reference for CO_2 exchange in estuarial saline wetland ecosystem.     

Daily SPEI Reveals Long-term Change in Drought Characteristics in Southwest China

Drought is the most widespread and insidious natural hazard, presenting serious challenges to ecosystems and human society. The daily Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) has been developed to identify the regional spatiotemporal characteristics of drought conditions from 1960 to 2016, revealing the variability in drought characteristics across Southwest China. Daily data from142 meteorological stations across the region were used to calculate the daily SPEI at the annual and seasonal time scale. The Mann-Kendall test and the trend statistics were then applied to quantify the significance of drought trends, with the following results. 1) The regionally averaged intensity and duration of all-drought and severe drought showed increasing trends, while the intensity and duration of extreme drought exhibited decreasing trends. 2) Mixed (increasing/decreasing) trends were detected, in terms of intensity and duration, in the three types of drought events. In general, no evidence of significant trends (P < 0.05) was detected in the drought intensity and duration over the last 55 years at the annual timescale. Seasonally, spring was characterized by a severe drought trend for all drought and severe drought conditions, while extreme drought events in spring and summer were very severe. All drought intensities and durations showed an increasing trend across most regions, except in the northwestern parts of Sichuan Province. However, the areal extent of regions suffering increasing trends in severe and extreme drought became relatively smaller. 3) We identified the following drought hotspots: Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from the 1960s to the 1990s, respectively. Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and Guizhou Province in the 1970s and 1980s, and Yunnan Province in the 2000s. Finally, this paper can benefit operational drought characterization with a day-to-day drought monitoring index, enabling a more risk-based drought management strategy in the context of global warming.     

Characteristics of extreme temperature event and its response to regional warming in Northwest China in past 45 years

Using the daily maximum and minimum temperature dataset from 128 stations from 1960 to 2004 in Northwest China, daily extreme high temperature （EHT） and extreme low temperature （ELT） thresholds were determined by centesimal method for different stations at first, then yearly EHT and ELT events were counted up in different stations, and the characteristics of their spatio-temporal distribution were diagnosed at last. The study drew following conclusions： 1） The consistent anomaly distribution characteristic was the most important mode of the EHT and ELT events in Northwest China. 2） The spatial distribution of the EHT and ELT events can be divided into five sub-regions, namely, the north of Qinghai and west of Gansu, the north of Xinjiang, the south of Xinjiang, the east of Northwest China and the south of Qinghai. 3） The EHT events showed remarkable increasing trend in all of five sub-regions, but only in the north of Qinghai and west of Gansu area, sudden change phenomenon occurred; the ELT events showed decreasing trend in all of five sub-regions, and sudden change phenomenon occurred in Northwest China except for south of Qinghai. 4） In all of five sub-regions the EHT events showed remarkable 12-14yr period oscillation, and the ELT event showed significant 13-15yr and 7-8yr period oscillation. 5） The EHT and ELT events displayed remarkable positive and negative responses to regional warming of Northwest China respectively.     

Modeling of forest soil and litter health using disturbance and landscape heterogeneity indicators in northern Iran

This paper focuses on the indicators of soil and litter health, disturbance, and landscape heterogeneity as a tool for prediction of ecosystem sustainability in the northern forests of Iran. The study area was divided into spatial homogenous sites using slope, aspect, and soil humidity classes. Then a range of sites along the disturbance gradient was selected for sampling. Chemical and physical indicators of soil and litter health were measured at random points within these sites. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was applied to link six constructs of landscape heterogeneity, three constructs of disturbance (harvest, livestock, and human accessibility), and soil and litter health. The results showed that with decreasing accessibility, the total N and organic matter content of soil increased and effective bulk density decreased. Harvesting activities increased soil organic matter. Therefore, it is concluded that disturbances through harvesting and accessibility inversely affect the soil health. Unexpectedly, it was found that the litter total C and C:N ratio improved with an increase in the harvest and accessibility disturbances, whereas litter bulk density decreased. Investigation of tree composition revealed that in the climax communities, which are normally affected more by harvesting activities, some species like Fagus orientalis Lipsky with low decomposition rate are dominant. The research results showed that changes in disturbance intensity are reflected in litter and soil indicators, whereas the SEM indicated that landscape heterogeneity has a moderator effect on the disturbance to both litter and soil paths.     

Soil microbial community composition and its driving factors in alpine grasslands along a mountain elevational gradient

Understanding the vertical distribution patterns of soil microbial community and its driving factors in alpine grasslands in the humid regions of the Tibet Plateau might be of great significance for predicting the soil microbial community of this type of vegetation in response to environmental change.Using phospholipid fatty acids(PLFA),we investigated soil microbial community composition along an elevational gradient(3094~4131 m above sea level) on Mount Yajiageng,and we explored the impact of plant functional groups and soil chemistry on the soil microbial community.Except for Arbuscular Mycorrhizal fungi(AM fungi) biomarker18:2ω6,9 increasing significantly,other biomarkers did not show a consistent trend with the elevational gradient.Microbial biomass quantified by total PLFAs did not show the elevational trend and had mean values ranging from 1.64 to 4.09 μmol per g organic carbon(OC),which had the maximum value at the highest site.Bacterial PLFAs exhibited a similar trend with total PLFAs,and its mean values ranged from0.82 to 1.81 μmol(g OC)~(-1).The bacterial to fungal biomass ratios had the minimum value at the highest site,which might be related to temperature and soil total nitrogen(TN).The ratios of Gram-negative to Gram-positive bacteria had a significantly negative correlation with soil TN and had the maximum value at the highest site.Leguminous plant coverage and soil TN explained 58% of the total variation in the soil microbial community and could achieve the same interpretation as the whole model.Other factors may influence the soil microbial community through interaction with leguminous plant coverage and soil TN.Soil chemistry and plant functional group composition in substantial amounts explained different parts of the variation within the soil microbial community,and the interaction between them had no impact on the soil microbial community maybe because long-term grazing greatly reduces litter.In sum,although there were obvious differences in soil microbial communities along the elevation gradient,there were no clear elevational trends found in general.Plant functional groups and soil chemistry respectively affect the different aspects of soil microbial community.Leguminous plant coverage and soil TN had important effects in shaping soil microbial community.