title: Effects of grazing on photosynthetic features and soil respiration of rangelands in the Tianshan Mountains of Northwest China.
abstract: Rangelands play a critical role in the global carbon cycle. However, the eco-physiological mechanisms associated with the effects of grazing on leaf photosynthesis and soil respiration remain poorly understood. To examine the impacts of grazing on leaf photosynthesis and soil respiration, we measured the photosynthetic parameters of the dominant species (Trifolium repens) and the soil respiration in grazed and ungrazed rangelands in the Tianshan Mountains of China. We found that grazing reduced the daily maximum net photosynthetic rate and soil respiration rates by 35% and 15%, respectively. The photosynthetic quantum yield, dark respiratory rate, and water use efficiency of T. repens leaves were reduced in grazed plots by 33.3%, 69.2%, and 21.5%, respectively. Our results demonstrated that grazing reduced carbon assimilation while increasing soil respiration within the rangelands in the Tianshan Mountains.
authors.affiliation: Department of Forestry and Landscape Architecture, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei 230036, P. R. China.|Faculty of Natural Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Environment, The State Forestry Administration; Institute of Forest Ecology, Environment and Protection, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing 100091, P. R. China.
authors.forename: Runguo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zang
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Natural Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada.
authors.forename: Han Y H
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D057486:Carbon Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D002681:China; D060434:Herbivory / Q000502:physiology*; D010788:Photosynthesis / Q000502:physiology*; D012987:Soil / Q000737:chemistry; D029921:Trifolium / Q000378:metabolism*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D012987:Soil; D014867:Water; D002244:Carbon