Climate warming increases root exudation rates of dominant species in alpine meadow on the Qingzang Plateau

Aims Plant root exudates have received increasing attention as a key link in plant-soil-microbe interactions in recent years. However, studies on the impact of climate warming on the root exudation rates of grassland plants remain relatively limited. Methods In this study, we conducted a laboratory controlled experiment with 10 dominant plant species in alpine meadows of the Qingzang Plateau. We collected root exudates in situ to quantitatively analyze the changes in root carbon exudation rates of the dominant species under experimental warming (+4 °C) and identified the factors influencing these changes. Important findings Our results showed that: (1) Warming significantly increased the root carbon exudation rate of most dominant species, with an overall increase of (83.48 ±6.00) μg·g^–1·h^–1(81.71%), but it decreased the root exudation rate in leguminous plants (11.15%); (2) The changes in root exudation rates induced by warming were closely related to plant nutrient traits and morphological traits, with root nitrogen content explaining the highest variation. These findings suggest that climate warming will enhance the root exudation rates of dominant species in alpine meadows and highlight the critical role of functional traits in regulating root exudation responses to warming. This study contributes to the understanding rhizosphere carbon dynamics in the context of climate change and provides scientific evidence for predicting changes in the soil carbon on the Qingzang Plateau.