Ecology and Ecosystem Research Laboratory, Department of Botany, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110007, India.
University School of Environment Management, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, Delhi, 110078, India.
J Environ Manage. 2023 Nov 1;345:118839. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118839. Epub 2023 Aug 18.
Mosses (Class- Bryopsida) are vital to ecosystem dynamics in numerous biomes, although their effects on soil processes are poorly understood. The interplay of moss cover and seasonal variations in soil processes is still unclear in the Indian Central Himalayas. Therefore, we examined the seasonal variations in net nitrogen (N) mineralization rates and several soil properties under two ground covers (with and without moss cover). We used the ex-situ incubation technique to determine N mineralization rates (R) and standard methodology for soil physical and chemical analysis. During the rainy season, the physical properties of the soil and its nutrients, apart from phosphorus, were higher under moss cover. The winter season, however, showed a different pattern, with soil properties exhibiting higher values in soils without moss cover. Ammonium concentrations were higher under moss cover, while nitrate concentrations were higher in soil without moss cover during rainy and winter seasons. The R rates were higher in soil under moss cover, indicating that moss cover promotes N transformation. In contrast, R rates were negative in soil without moss cover, indicating that N immobilization was dominant in N transformation under this ground cover during the rainy season. Our research shows that mosses positively impact the nutrient status and N mineralization rates in various temperate forest types. The seasonal patterns of soil properties are strongly influenced by soil temperature, moisture, and organic carbon. Therefore, we advocate the conservation of mosses and their integration into forest management plans for better ecosystem processes and services in the ecologically fragile Himalayas.
苔藓（苔藓植物门）在众多生物群落的生态系统动态中起着至关重要的作用，但它们对土壤过程的影响却知之甚少。在印度中央喜马拉雅地区，苔藓覆盖物与土壤过程季节性变化之间的相互作用仍不清楚。因此，我们研究了在两种地面覆盖物（有苔藓覆盖和无苔藓覆盖）下净氮（N）矿化速率和几种土壤性质的季节性变化。我们使用原地培养技术来确定氮矿化速率（R）和土壤物理化学分析的标准方法。在雨季，苔藓覆盖下的土壤物理性质及其养分（除磷外）较高。然而，在冬季，土壤无苔藓覆盖下的土壤性质表现出更高的数值。在雨季和冬季，苔藓覆盖下的氨浓度较高，而无苔藓覆盖下的土壤中硝酸盐浓度较高。苔藓覆盖下的 R 速率较高，表明苔藓覆盖促进了 N 转化。相比之下，无苔藓覆盖下的 R 速率为负，表明在这种地面覆盖物下，雨季 N 转化以 N 固定为主。我们的研究表明，苔藓对各种温带森林类型的养分状况和 N 矿化速率有积极影响。土壤性质的季节性模式受土壤温度、水分和有机碳的强烈影响。因此，我们提倡保护苔藓，并将其纳入森林管理计划，以在生态脆弱的喜马拉雅地区实现更好的生态系统过程和服务。
