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Background and aims <p>Soil microbial communities mediate nutrient cycling through their respiration and extracellular enzyme activities. Global warming is responsible for more frequent abnormal precipitation events (e.g., drought or heavy precipitation), yet the response mechanisms of soil microbial functions, particularly potential soil respiration rates, to warming and altered precipitation remain unclear.</p> Methods <p>We initiated a field experiment in 2017 in an alpine meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau with warming (+ 0.3&#xa0;°C) and precipitation changes (+ 40% precipitation, ambient precipitation, and -40% precipitation). In August 2019, we surveyed plant communities, collected soil samples, analyzed microbial communities, and quantified potential soil respiration rate and activity of seven extracellular enzyme to explore the mechanisms of effects of warming and precipitation changes on soil microbial function.</p> Results <p>Fungal PLFA was the highest in warmer soil with decreased precipitation conditions, and higher fungal biomass was associated with more potential soil respiration. Increased precipitation indirectly decreased potential soil respiration, while indirectly stimulated extracellular enzyme activity by increasing soil moisture. Warming enhanced potential soil respiration via promoting fungal PLFA, whereas increased precipitation reduced potential soil respiration primarily through decreasing soil total carbon.</p> Conclusions <p>These findings provide new mechanistic understanding of soil microbial functions in response to warming and precipitation changes, contributing to improved predictions of nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems facing future climate change.</p>

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Mechanisms of warming and altered precipitation affecting soil microbial functions in an alpine meadow

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年7月18日

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  • He Mao,
  • Joann K. Whalen,
  • Xiongjie Sheng,
  • Guorui Hu,
  • Bo Chen,
  • Miaojun Ma

摘要

Background and aims

Soil microbial communities mediate nutrient cycling through their respiration and extracellular enzyme activities. Global warming is responsible for more frequent abnormal precipitation events (e.g., drought or heavy precipitation), yet the response mechanisms of soil microbial functions, particularly potential soil respiration rates, to warming and altered precipitation remain unclear.

Methods

We initiated a field experiment in 2017 in an alpine meadow on the eastern Tibetan Plateau with warming (+ 0.3 °C) and precipitation changes (+ 40% precipitation, ambient precipitation, and -40% precipitation). In August 2019, we surveyed plant communities, collected soil samples, analyzed microbial communities, and quantified potential soil respiration rate and activity of seven extracellular enzyme to explore the mechanisms of effects of warming and precipitation changes on soil microbial function.

Results

Fungal PLFA was the highest in warmer soil with decreased precipitation conditions, and higher fungal biomass was associated with more potential soil respiration. Increased precipitation indirectly decreased potential soil respiration, while indirectly stimulated extracellular enzyme activity by increasing soil moisture. Warming enhanced potential soil respiration via promoting fungal PLFA, whereas increased precipitation reduced potential soil respiration primarily through decreasing soil total carbon.

Conclusions

These findings provide new mechanistic understanding of soil microbial functions in response to warming and precipitation changes, contributing to improved predictions of nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems facing future climate change.