Analysing the spatial variation of soil respiration during the early growing season of different grasslands in China

Background As one of the most essential vegetation types, grasslands play a vital role in the global carbon cycle. However, current researches on the spatial variation (SV) of soil respiration ( R s ) in grasslands faces great uncertainties. Methods The SV of R s was analysed by obtaining R s during the early growing season of three types of grasslands ( i.e ., alpine meadow, desert steppe, and typical steppe) and related impact factors at 19 sites. Results The results demonstrated that during the early growing season, the R s of the alpine meadow was the highest, followed by the typical steppe and desert steppe. Moreover, soil temperature was the primary factor affecting the SV of R s in desert steppe. In contrast, soil water content influenced the SV of R s in typical steppe. This study increases our understanding of the SV of R s during the early growing season of different grasslands. It provides an important reference for accurately estimating the SV of R s in grasslands at various time scales.