Contrasting hydrothermal regimes shape carbon–water coupling and water use efficiency in alpine swamp meadows

doi:10.1093/jpe/rtag069

J Plant Ecol ›› Advance articles DOI:10.1093/jpe/rtag069

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Contrasting hydrothermal regimes shape carbon–water coupling and water use efficiency in alpine swamp meadows

Yuyang Wang¹, Fu Li², Dengying Zhang¹, Zhiyong Ding³, Ying Liu⁴, Kesi Liu^1*, Yaoming Ma^5,6*

¹ College of Grassland Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China.
² Institute of Qinghai Meteorological Science Research, Xining 810001, China
³ Faculty of Geosciences and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China.
⁴ College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Tibetan Plateau Earth System, Environment and Resources (TPESER), Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
⁶ College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
^*Corresponding to: Kesi Liu (kliu@cau.edu.cn), Yaoming Ma (ymma@itpcas.ac.cn)

Received:2025-11-18 Accepted:2026-04-06 Published:2026-04-27
Supported by:
This work was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2024YFF1309000), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42301016 and 42571034), the Chinese Universities Scientific Fund (2025RC009), the China Agricultural University (Yuyang Wang).

水热格局差异对高寒沼泽草甸碳–水耦合及水分利用效率的影响

Abstract

Abstract: Alpine swamp meadows on the Tibetan Plateau are integral to the regional carbon-water cycle. Hydrothermal variability co-regulates photosynthesis and evapotranspiration, thereby governing carbon-water coupling and water-use efficiency (WUE). Resolving these hydrothermal controls across contrasting regimes is essential for reliable carbon and water balance projections and improved ecosystem modeling. Using eddy-covariance measurements from two climatically contrasting sites—Dashalong (DSL) on the northeastern margin of the plateau and Longbao (LB) in the plateau interior—we quantified growing-season carbon and water vapor fluxes and their biophysical controls during 2017-2018. Results showed that DSL was a stronger carbon sink (-211.8 ± 20.2 g C m^-2), with lower evapotranspiration (353.5 ± 100.8 mm) and higher WUE, whereas LB had greater evapotranspiration (408.9 ± 5.6 mm) but weaker net carbon uptake (-113.5 ± 7.4 g C m^-2). Lower temperatures at DSL suppressed respiration, resulting in greater carbon sequestration than at LB. In both ecosystems, temperature and radiation act as the primary energy constraints and play a key role in driving variations in growing-season carbon-water exchange and WUE. Hydrothermal contrasts further modulated carbon sequestration and water consumption, resulting in distinct carbon-water coupling patterns between the two ecosystems. These findings improve our understanding of carbon-water coupling in alpine wetlands and provide a basis for assessing future changes in carbon sequestration and evapotranspiration.

Hydrothermal conditions are key factors controlling carbon sequestration and carbon–water coupling in alpine swamp meadows on the Tibetan Plateau. Compared with the wetter and warmer meadow, the cooler and relatively drier meadow showed stronger carbon uptake, higher water-use efficiency, and tighter coordination between carbon assimilation and water use.

Key words: Alpine swamp meadow, growing season, carbon-water coupling, water-use efficiency, Tibetan Plateau

摘要：
青藏高原高寒沼泽草甸是区域碳水循环的重要组成部分。水热条件通过协同调控光合作用和蒸散发过程，进而影响生态系统碳水耦合关系及水分利用效率(WUE)。阐明不同水热格局下碳水耦合及水分利用效率的调控机制，对于准确评估生态系统碳水平衡和优化生态系统模型具有重要意义。本研究基于青藏高原两处气候特征差异显著观测站(高原东北缘的大沙龙， DSL；高原腹地的隆宝， LB)的涡度相关观测数据，定量分析了2017-2018年生长季碳、水通量变化及其生物物理驱动因素。结果表明， DSL表现出更强的碳汇功能(-211.8± 20.2 g C m^-2），蒸散量较低(353.5 ± 100.8 mm)且WUE较高；相比之下， LB蒸散量更高(408.9 ± 5.6 mm)，而净碳吸收较弱(-113.5 ± 7.4 g C m^-2)。较低的生长季温度抑制了DSL站点的呼吸作用，从而使其净碳封存能力高于LB。总体来看，在两个生态系统中，温度和辐射作为主要的能量限制因子，是驱动生长季碳、水交换及WUE变化的关键因素。不同的水热条件进一步调节了碳封存与水分消耗过程，导致两地呈现出差异明显的碳水耦合格局。本研究加深了对高寒湿地草甸碳水耦合机制的认识，为未来气候变化背景下碳固存与蒸散过程的变化预测提供了科学依据。

关键词: 高寒沼泽草甸, 生长季, 碳水耦合, 水分利用效率, 青藏高原

Yuyang Wang, Fu Li, Dengying Zhang, Zhiyong Ding, Ying Liu, Kesi Liu, Yaoming Ma. Contrasting hydrothermal regimes shape carbon–water coupling and water use efficiency in alpine swamp meadows[J]. J Plant Ecol, DOI: 10.1093/jpe/rtag069.

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Contrasting hydrothermal regimes shape carbon–water coupling and water use efficiency in alpine swamp meadows

水热格局差异对高寒沼泽草甸碳–水耦合及水分利用效率的影响

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