Response of soil respiration to short-term experimental warming and precipitation pulses over the growing season in an alpine meadow on the Northern Tibet

•A warming and precipitation pulses experiment was conducted beginning June 2013.•Soil respiration (Rs) was measured from July to September in 2013.•Precipitation pulses effect on Rs depended on pulses sizes and water availability.•The effect of warming on Rs varied with water availability.•Water availability regulated the response of soil respiration to warming.

A warming and precipitation pulses experiment was conducted in an alpine meadow of Tibet over the growing season (June–September) in 2013. Soil respiration (Rs) was measured biweekly from early July to early September 2013. The effect of experimental warming on Rs varied with water availability. The effect of precipitation pulses on Rs depended on pulses sizes, antecedent precipitation and soil moisture conditions. Precipitation pulses increased the temperature sensitivity of Rs, which was not affected by experimental warming. Our findings suggest that water availability regulates the response of soil respiration to warming.