Work

Multifunctional group species reseeding reduces community-level root exudate rate at severely degraded alpine meadows

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Root exudates play a crucial role in the communication and interaction between plants and soil. However, the responses of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) exudation rates and their stoichiometric ratios to multifunctional group species reseeding in severely degraded alpine meadows remain poorly understood. This study was conducted in a severely degraded alpine meadow and four species composition treatments were established: grass mixtures, grass + legume mixtures, grass + legume + sedge mixtures and grass + legume + forb mixtures. The results showed that among the four reseeding treatments, the grass + legume + sedge mixture exhibited the lowest root C exudate rate and total exudate capacity, while N and P exudation rates, as well as their total exudate capacities, did not differ significantly between treatments. The carbon-to-phosphorus (C:P) ratio of root exudate was lowest in the grass + legume + sedge mixture, while the carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) and nitrogen-to-phosphorus (N:P) ratios showed no significant differences among the four reseeding treatments. Root C and P exudation rates, as well as the C:N and N:P ratios, were significantly correlated with plant diversity, aboveground biomass, total biomass, soil organic matter and electrical conductivity. Variation partitioning analysis showed that root C exudate rate was most strongly influenced by biomass, whereas N and P exudate rates were more strongly affected by plant diversity. These findings suggest that species reseeding patterns significantly influence root exudates and their stoichiometric characteristics and contribute to understand the trajectories of soil microbes and soil health under reseeding.

Source: Journal of Plant Ecology

DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtaf198

Authors: Wenying Wang, Yuanming Xiao, Guoying Zhou, Xiaoyun Wang, Bo Fan, Jiaxin Xu

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Qinghai University, Southwest Minzu University

Language: English

Topic: Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics

Subfield: Soil Science

Field: Agricultural and Biological Sciences

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Life on land

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,190