Abstract. The widespread land degradation in an alpine meadow ecosystem would affect ecosystem carbon (C) balance. Biomass, soil chemical properties and carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) of six levels of degraded lands (D1-D6, according to the number of rodent holes and coverage) were investigated to examine the effects of rodent-induced land degradation on an alpine meadow ecosystem. Soil organic carbon (SOC), labile soil carbon (LC), total nitrogen (TN) and inorganic nitrogen (N) were obtained by chemical analysis. Soil respiration (R s ), net ecosystem exchange (NEE) and ecosystem respiration (ER) were measured by a Li-Cor 6400XT. Gross ecosystem production (GEP) was the sum of NEE and ER. Aboveground biomass (AGB) was based on a linear regression with coverage and plant height as independent variables. Root biomass (RB) was obtained by using a core method. Soil respiration, ER, GEP and AGB were significantly higher in slightly degraded (D3 and D6, group I) than in severely degraded land (D1, D2, D4 and D5, group II). Positive values of NEE average indicate that the alpine meadow ecosystem is a weak C sink during the growing season. The only significant difference was in ER among different degradation levels. R s , ER and GEP were 38.2, 44.3 and 46.5 % higher in group I than in group II, respectively. Similar difference of ER and GEP between the two groups resulted in an insignificant difference of NEE. Positive correlations of AGB with ER, NEE and GEP, and relatively small AGB and lower CO 2 fluxes in group II, suggest the control of AGB on ecosystem CO 2 fluxes. Correlations of RB with SOC, LC, TN and inorganic N indicate the regulation of RB on soil C and N with increasing number of rodent holes in an alpine meadow ecosystem in the permafrost region of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP).

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Abstract. Land degradation induced by rodent activities is extensively occurred in alpine meadow ecosystem in the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau that would affect the ecosystem carbon (C) balance. We conducted a field experiment with six levels of land degradation (D1–D6, degradation aggravates from D1 to D6) to investigate the effects of land degradation on ecosystem C fluxes. Soil respiration (Rs), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), ecosystem respiration (ER) and gross ecosystem production (GEP) were measured from June to September 2012. Soil respiration, ER, GEP and above-ground biomass (AGB) was significantly higher in slightly degraded (D3 and D6) than in severely degraded land (D1, D2, D4 and D5). Positive averages of NEE in the growing season indicate that alpine meadow ecosystem is a weak C sink during the growing season. Net ecosystem exchange had no significant difference among different degraded levels, but the average NEE in slightly degraded group was 33.6% higher than in severely degraded group. Soil respiration, ER and NEE were positively correlated with AGB whereas soil organic C, labile soil C, total nitrogen (N) and inorganic nitrogen were associated with root biomass (RB). Our results highlight the decline of vegetation C storage of alpine meadow ecosystem with increasing number of rodent holes and suggest the control of AGB on ecosystem C fluxes, and the control of RB on soil C and N with development of land degradation.