Abstract: To explore the effects of plant community structure changes on soil organic carbon mineralization in the different degraded alpine meadows in the Three-River Headwaters Region, we collected topsoil from different degraded alpine meadows, and then added three kinds of litters from different functional groups (grasses, sedges, and forbs) incubated in the laboratory for 203 days. The results showed that the cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon first increased and then decreased as the degree of soil degradation increased. Litter addition significantly increased the cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon of non-degraded, slightly degraded, moderately degraded, and severely degraded meadow by 102.04%, 58.71%, 70.68%, and 181.32%, respectively. However, there was no significant difference among the positive effects of different functional groups. Regression analysis showed that soil organic carbon, total nitrogen, and pH of different degraded alpine meadows could better explain the changes in the cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon. The cumulative mineralization of soil organic carbon first increased and then decreased with soil organic carbon, total nitrogen and pH increased, while the influence degree and direction were altered by litter addition. In general, the plant community structure changes in the different degraded alpine meadows in the Three-River Headwaters Region significantly influenced soil organic carbon mineralization.

Key words: Alpine meadow, Degradation, Plant community structure, Soil organic carbon mineralization

摘要： 为明确高寒草甸退化后植被群落结构改变对土壤碳矿化特征的影响，以不同退化梯度高寒草甸表层土壤为研究对象，通过室内恒温培养203 d研究了不同功能群枯落物添加对土壤有机碳矿化的影响。结果表明：随退化程度加剧，土壤有机碳累积矿化量呈先增加后降低的非线性响应趋势；枯落物添加分别显著增加了未退化、轻度退化、中度退化以及重度退化草甸土壤有机碳的累积矿化量约102.04%，58.71%，70.68%和181.32%，但同一退化梯度不同枯落物添加对土壤有机碳累积矿化量的影响不存在显著差异。进一步分析发现，随着培养前土壤有机碳、总氮含量以及pH值的增加，土壤有机碳矿化累积量呈先增加后降低的趋势，而枯落物添加可以改变土壤有机碳矿化累积量对土壤本底碳氮含量以及pH值的响应程度。总之，三江源区退化高寒草甸植被群落结构的改变显著影响了土壤有机碳矿化特征。

关键词: 高寒草甸, 退化, 植被群落结构, 土壤有机碳矿化