Title: Effect of plateau pika (Ochotona curzoniae) bioturbation on soil C-N-P stoichiometry in alpine meadows

Authors: Xiao Pan Pang, Huan Yang, Xiao Xing Wei, Zheng Gang Guo*

Journal: Geoderma

Impact factor: IF₂₀₂₁=6.114

Abstract: Bioturbation by small burrowing herbivores can affect soil organic carbon (C), total nitrogen (N) and total phosphorus (P) concentrations mainly by creating visible bare soil patches that are interspersed within vegetated surfaces in grasslands. This study focused on plateau pikas (Ochotona curzoniae) to investigate the effects of bioturbation by these small burrowing herbivores on the soil C, N, and P concentrations and their stoichiometry in bare and vegetated soils in alpine meadows. This study showed that plateau pika bioturbation was related to lower organic C concentrations in bare soil in the 0–10 cm and 10–20 cm layers than in vegetated soil and to lower total N concentrations in bare soil than in vegetated soil only in the 0–10 cm layer, whereas no significant differences were observed for the P concentrations. This study also showed that plateau pika bioturbation results in lower C:N and C:P ratios in bare soil than in vegetated soil at two soil depths and lower N:P ratios only in the 0–10 cm layer. These results presented a pattern of how bioturbation by small burrowing herbivores influences soil stoichiometry (C:N:P). The findings of this study imply that lower C:N and C:P ratios are a possible mechanism by which bare soil patches caused by small burrowing herbivores can naturally recover.

Linkage: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.geoderma.2021.115098