Plant Functional Group Removal Shifts Soil Nematode Community and Decreases Soil Particulate Organic Carbon in an Alpine Meadow.

ABSTRACT: Vegetation degradation in the alpine meadows is becoming increasingly severe under global change, with species loss frequently linked to changes in plant functional groups (PFGs). Changes in PFGs alter plant-derived carbon inputs, which significantly influence soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration and soil communities. However, the impact of specific PFG removal on soil carbon fractions and nematode trophic groups remains underexplored. In this study, above-ground removal of PFGs was carried out for five consecutive years in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau alpine meadow, with five treatments: (1) no removal of PFGs (CK); (2) keep non-legume forbs (remove graminoids and legumes, Forbs); (3) keep graminoids (remove legumes and non-legume forbs, Graminoids); (4) keep legumes (remove non-legume fo

SUBMITTER: Huang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12737263 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature