Spatiotemporal Characteristics of Oxygen Content in the Vegetation Growing Season of Qinghai Province Based on Vertical Gradients

To reveal the spatiotemporal variations in near-surface oxygen content during the growing season across different altitudinal gradients in Qinghai Province and to deepen the understanding of oxygen cycling in plateau ecosystems, this study analyzed daily observations from 12 monitoring stations spanning three elevation ranges (1500–2500 m, 2500–3500 m, and 3500–4500 m) during the 2022–2023 growing seasons (March–July). The Mann–Kendall test was employed to detect temporal trends, variability indices such as standard deviation and coefficient of variation were used to quantify fluctuation intensity, kernel density estimation (KDE) was applied to characterize distributional features, and the Kruskal–Wallis test was conducted to assess statistical significance. The results indicate that: (1) oxygen content showed a significant increasing trend at all three altitudinal gradients, with the strongest rise at low elevations and the weakest at high elevations; (2) fluctuation intensity exhibited clear spatial heterogeneity, with the most pronounced variability in summer at low elevations, a distinct peak in June at mid-elevations, and overall stability at high elevations; and (3) KDE analysis revealed a broader distribution and higher frequency of extreme oxygen values at low elevations, while mid- and high-elevations displayed more concentrated distributions. Both the Kruskal–Wallis test and post hoc comparisons confirmed highly significant differences among the three elevation ranges. These findings demonstrate that elevation is a key factor influencing the spatiotemporal distribution of near-surface oxygen content during the growing season in Qinghai Province. Differences are not only evident in absolute oxygen levels but also in fluctuation intensity and distributional characteristics. This study provides empirical evidence for understanding oxygen variability mechanisms on the plateau and offers theoretical and practical references for ecological management and health risk prevention in high-altitude regions.