Table 4 Soil properties (0–20 cm layer) in the three steppe types.
From: Grazing effects on ecosystem CO2 fluxes differ among temperate steppe types in Eurasia
Meadow steppe | Typical steppe | Desert steppe | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
NG | SG | NG | SG | NG | SG | |
Clay (%) | 5.48 a | 3.76 b | 5.44 a | |||
Silt (%) | 57.88 a | 46.20 b | 41.32 c | |||
Sandy (%) | 36.64 b | 50.04 a | 53.24 a | |||
Bulk density (g cm−3) | 0.99 b | 1.12 ab | 1.11 ab | 1.09 ab | 1.29 a | 1.33 a |
Total carbon (%) | 2.26 a | 2.33 a | 1.63 b | 1.46 b | 1.22 b | 1.12 b |
Total nitrogen (%) | 0.23 a | 0.23 a | 0.19 ab | 0.18 ab | 0.16 b | 0.15 b |
C/N | 9.83 a | 9.96 a | 8.70 b | 8.33 b | 7.79 c | 7.41 c |
pH | 7.85 ab | 6.95 c | 6.96 c | 7.58 b | 8.14 a | 8.19 a |
Ammonia (mg N.kg−1 soil) | 2.69 b | 3.11 a | 2.42 bc | 2.04 d | 2.18 d | 1.55 e |
Nitrate (mg N.kg−1 soil) | 8.73 bc | 11.47 a | 9.03 b | 7.17 d | 7.93 cd | 5.23 e |
AK (mg K. kg−1 soil) | 413.14 a | 224.27 b | 282.11 a | 250.84 a | 238.84 a | 175.61 b |
AP (mg P. kg−1 soil) | 6.33 a | 3.43 a | 3.56 a | 3.22 a | 5.72 a | 4.51 a |
MBC (mg C.kg−1 soil) | 115.63 a | 91.85 a | 141.15 a | 117.72 a | 40.83 b | 51.92 b |
MBN (mg N.kg−1 soil) | 13.10 b | 10.68 b | 17.34 a | 12.47 b | 1.73 c | 3.99 c |
Soil temperature 2012 (°C) | 22.5b | 23.7a | 16.6d | 16.5d | 20.4c | 21.4b |
Soil temperature 2013 (°C) | 20.0b | 20.3b | 15.8d | 17.0c | 22.0a | 22.6a |
Soil temperature 2014 (°C) | 18.3b | 18.9b | 17.0c | 17.5bc | 23.8a | 24.4a |
Soil moisture 2012 (V/V%) | 56.8a | 46.3b | 33.3c | 31.5c | 24.6d | 25.4d |
Soil moisture 2013 (V/V%) | 47.8a | 33.0b | 19.2d | 22.0c | 19.8d | 18.6d |
Soil moisture 2014 (V/V%) | 39.6a | 29.5b | 17.3c | 19.3c | 11.3d | 12.3d |
