Moss mortality increases soil phosphorus availability in a temperate desert, northwest China

Abstract

Moss crusts play a vital function in the phosphorus (P) cycle in arid regions. Global climate change and anthropogenic disturbances have led to differing levels of mortality in desert mosses. However, the effects of moss mortality on soil P fractions across different soil depths are still unclear. This study compared and analyzed the soil P fractions and P cycle-related enzyme activities across different soil depths between living and moss mortality crusts in the Gurbantunggut Desert. The results demonstrated that moss mortality have significantly increased the contents of resin-P and NaHCO-Pi (inorganic phosphorus) across all soil depths, and NaOH-Po contents in 5–20 cm soil. Conversely, the contents of NaHCO-Po and residual-P in 0–2 cm and 5–20 cm soil depths were decreased with the moss mortality. Compared with living moss crusts, moss mortality have enhanced the contents of available P (5%–54%) across all soil depths, and moderately available P (17%–39%) in 0–10 cm. Meanwhile, the contents of non-available P (15%–16%) in 5–20 cm and total Pi (13%–15%) were decreased. The results of variance decomposition indicated that, the key factors for soil available P after moss mortality shifted from the interaction between biological and abiotic factors (30.09%) to abiotic factors (37.24%). SEM also revealed that moss mortality affected the soil available P contents by influencing the soil pH and S-ALP activity. In summary, moss mortality could enhance soil P availability and alleviate P limitation. This will contribute to understanding the soil P cycle and management of degraded desert ecosystems.₃₃

Graphical abstract

Keywords

phosphorus fractions / biological soil crusts / soil extracellular enzymes / Gurbantunggut Desert

Highlight

	● Moss mortality promotes the accumulation of available phosphorus and alleviates phosphorus limitation.
	● Moss mortality has an impact on phosphorus fractions in the 0−20 cm soil depths.
	● The key factors for soil available P after moss mortality shifted from the interaction between biological and abiotic factors to abiotic factors.
	● Moss mortality increases the activity of soil alkaline phosphatase, which promotes the mineralization of available organic phosphorus.

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