Carbon budget of alpine shrub meadow ecosystem in QinghaiTibetan plateau

The soil heterotrophic carbon dioxide flux from alpine Dasiphora fruticosa shrub and meadow dispersed among the shrubs were measured using static chamberGas Chromatography method, and the community biomass and sample plot were also surveyed. The carbon budget of alpine shrub meadow ecosystem was estimated primarily. The results suggested that during the growing seasons, the observed amount of annual carbon fixation via primary production for alpine shrub meadow ecosystem was about 461.83 g/(m2a ). The carbon dioxide outputs via soil heterotrophic respiration was about 376.78 g/(m2a ). So carbon budget was input more than output, the alpine shrub meadow ecosystem has stronger potential to absorb carbon dioxide, it was a sink of atmospheric CO2, and the plant community had a net carbon gain of 85.05 g/(m2a ) in a year.