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Aims <p>Carbon dioxide (CO<sub>2</sub>) and methane (CH<sub>4</sub>) are two potent greenhouse gases that play critical roles in global carbon (C) cycling and climate regulation. As a grassland management strategy, mowing alters plant biomass allocation and modifies soil C cycling. However, the effect of mowing intensity on soil CO<sub>2</sub> and CH₄ emissions in the grazed grasslands remains insufficiently characterized.</p> Methods <p>We established a manipulative field experiment on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau to quantify the effects of different mowing intensities on soil CO<sub>2</sub> and CH<sub>4</sub> emissions in an alpine meadow. Simultaneously, soil dissolved organic C concentration, pH, microbial biomass C, C cycling enzyme activities, and the abundance of C cycling functional genes were also measured.</p> Results <p>Our results showed that light mowing increased soil CO<sub>2</sub> emission, but heavy mowing decreased it. This contrast was primarily driven by the distinct changes in the abundance of <i>cbh</i>I and <i>lcc</i> genes. The soil CH<sub>4</sub> uptake decreased with increasing mowing intensity, primarily because of the reduction in methanotrophs caused by the decrease in soil water content and the increase in soil bulk density.</p> Conclusions <p>Increasing mowing intensity reduced alpine meadow soil CH<sub>4</sub> oxidation potential, whereas CO<sub>2</sub> emissions initially increased and subsequently declined. Our findings are crucial for optimizing the mowing intensity to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance net soil C sequestration in alpine meadows.</p>

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Increased mowing intensity reduces soil CH4 uptake but diversely affects CO2 emission in an alpine meadow on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2025年8月5日

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  • Zhuolin Yu,
  • Yihong Liu,
  • Baogang Zhang,
  • Youchao Chen,
  • Huai Chen,
  • Xinli Chen,
  • Scott X. Chang,
  • Yanjiang Cai

摘要

Aims

Carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) are two potent greenhouse gases that play critical roles in global carbon (C) cycling and climate regulation. As a grassland management strategy, mowing alters plant biomass allocation and modifies soil C cycling. However, the effect of mowing intensity on soil CO2 and CH₄ emissions in the grazed grasslands remains insufficiently characterized.

Methods

We established a manipulative field experiment on the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau to quantify the effects of different mowing intensities on soil CO2 and CH4 emissions in an alpine meadow. Simultaneously, soil dissolved organic C concentration, pH, microbial biomass C, C cycling enzyme activities, and the abundance of C cycling functional genes were also measured.

Results

Our results showed that light mowing increased soil CO2 emission, but heavy mowing decreased it. This contrast was primarily driven by the distinct changes in the abundance of cbhI and lcc genes. The soil CH4 uptake decreased with increasing mowing intensity, primarily because of the reduction in methanotrophs caused by the decrease in soil water content and the increase in soil bulk density.

Conclusions

Increasing mowing intensity reduced alpine meadow soil CH4 oxidation potential, whereas CO2 emissions initially increased and subsequently declined. Our findings are crucial for optimizing the mowing intensity to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and enhance net soil C sequestration in alpine meadows.