mowing data

Research Hypothesis
In semiarid grasslands, long-term annual mowing is expected to alter plant community structure and soil microclimate, thereby affecting soil extracellular enzyme activities and overall soil multifunctionality.
We hypothesized that:

Mowing increases soil multifunctionality (SMF) by stimulating key carbon- and nitrogen-cycling enzymes, primarily through increased soil temperature and altered substrate availability.

The magnitude of mowing effects depends on plant community type (grass-, forb-, or legume-dominated), because different functional groups differ in root architecture, litter quality, and nutrient acquisition strategies.

Soil temperature and total nitrogen are the main direct drivers of mowing-induced changes in soil multifunctionality, while plant species richness and cover exert indirect effects.

This study tested these hypotheses across six contrasting plant communities on the Mongolian Plateau.

2. Data Gathering Methods
In mid-August 2020 (peak growing season), the following variables were measured in each plot:

Plant variables: species richness (number of species per 1×1 m quadrat), plant cover (%), litter mass (g·m⁻²).

Soil physicochemical properties (0–10 cm depth):
ST = soil temperature (°C, measured in situ at 10 cm depth)
TN = soil total nitrogen (g·kg⁻¹)
DOC = dissolved organic carbon (mg·kg⁻¹)

Soil enzyme activities (nmol·g⁻¹·h⁻¹):
C-cycle enzymes: BG (β-1,4-glucosidase), CBH (β-cellobiohydrolase), BX (β-xylosidase)
N-cycle enzymes: NAG (β-1,4-N-acetylglucosaminidase), LAP (L-leucine aminopeptidase)
P-cycle enzyme: AP (acid phosphatase)