1
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Propson BE, Zak DR, Classen AT, Burton AJ, Freedman ZB. Gains in soil carbon storage under anthropogenic nitrogen deposition are rapidly lost following its cessation. Ecology 2024:e4444. [PMID: 39400351 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 10/15/2024]
Abstract
In the Northern Hemisphere, anthropogenic nitrogen (N) deposition contributed to the enhancement of the global terrestrial carbon (C) sink, partially offsetting CO2 emissions. Across several long-term field experiments, this ecosystem-level response was determined to be driven, in part, by the suppression of microbial activity associated with the breakdown of soil organic matter. However, since the implementation of emission abatement policies in the 1970s, atmospheric N deposition has declined globally, and the consequences of this decline are unknown. Here, we assessed the response of soil C storage and associated microbial activities, in a long-term field study that experimentally increased N deposition for 24 years. We measured soil C and N, microbial activity, and compared effect sizes of soil C in response to, and in recovery from, the N deposition treatment across the history of our experiment (1994-2022). Our results demonstrate that the accumulated C in the organic horizon has been lost and exhibits additional deficits 5 years post-termination of the N deposition treatment. These findings, in part, arise from mechanistic changes in microbial activity. Soil C in the mineral soil was less responsive thus far in recovery. If these organic horizon C dynamics are similar in other temperate forests, the Northern Hemisphere C sink will be reduced and climate warming will be enhanced.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke E Propson
- Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | - Donald R Zak
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Aimée T Classen
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Andrew J Burton
- College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, Michigan, USA
| | - Zachary B Freedman
- Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
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2
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Knorr MA, Contosta AR, Morrison EW, Muratore TJ, Anthony MA, Stoica I, Geyer KM, Simpson MJ, Frey SD. Unexpected sustained soil carbon flux in response to simultaneous warming and nitrogen enrichment compared with single factors alone. Nat Ecol Evol 2024:10.1038/s41559-024-02546-x. [PMID: 39317790 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-024-02546-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2024] [Indexed: 09/26/2024]
Abstract
Recent observations document that long-term soil warming in a temperate deciduous forest leads to significant soil carbon loss, whereas chronic soil nitrogen enrichment leads to significant soil carbon gain. Most global change experiments like these are single factor, investigating the impacts of one stressor in isolation of others. Because warming and ecosystem nitrogen enrichment are happening concurrently in many parts of the world, we designed a field experiment to test how these two factors, alone and in combination, impact soil carbon cycling. Here, we show that long-term continuous soil warming or nitrogen enrichment when applied alone followed the predicted response, with warming resulting in significant soil carbon loss and nitrogen fertilization tending towards soil carbon gain. The combination treatment showed an unanticipated response, whereby soil respiratory carbon loss was significantly higher than either single factor alone, but without a concomitant decline in soil carbon storage. Observations suggest that when soils are exposed to both factors simultaneously, plant carbon inputs to the soil are enhanced, counterbalancing soil carbon loss and helping maintain soil carbon stocks near control levels. This has implications for both atmospheric CO2 emissions and soil fertility and shows that coupling two important global change drivers results in a distinctive response that was not predicted by the behaviour of the single factors in isolation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa A Knorr
- Center for Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
| | - A R Contosta
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - E W Morrison
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - T J Muratore
- Center for Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - M A Anthony
- Center for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - I Stoica
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Environmental NMR Centre, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - K M Geyer
- Department of Environmental Science and Sustainability, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, USA
| | - M J Simpson
- Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences and Environmental NMR Centre, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - S D Frey
- Center for Soil Biogeochemistry and Microbial Ecology, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA.
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3
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Houle D, Moore JD, Renaudin M. Eastern Canadian boreal forest soil and foliar chemistry show evidence of resilience to long-term nitrogen addition. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 34:e2958. [PMID: 38425036 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 11/23/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024]
Abstract
The boreal forest is one of the world's largest terrestrial biome and plays crucial roles in global biogeochemical cycles, such as carbon (C) sequestration in vegetation and soil. However, the impacts of decades of N deposition on N-limited ecosystems, like the eastern Canadian boreal forest, remain unclear. For 13 years, N deposition was simulated by periodically adding ammonium nitrate on soils of two boreal coniferous forests (i.e., balsam fir and black spruce) of eastern Canada, at low (LN) and high (HN) rates, corresponding to 3 and 10 times the ambient N deposition, respectively. We show that more than a decade of N addition had no strong effects on mineral soil C, N, P, and cation concentrations and on foliar total Ca, K, Mg, and Mn concentrations. In organic soil, C stock was not affected by N addition while N stock increased, and exchangeable Ca2+ and Mg2+ decreased at the balsam fir site under HN treatment. At both sites, LN treatment had nearly no impact on foliage and soil chemistry but foliar N and N:P significantly increased under HN treatment, potentially leading to foliar nutrient imbalance. Overall, our work indicates that, in the eastern Canadian boreal forest, soil and foliar nutrient concentrations and stocks are resilient to increasing N deposition potentially because, in the context of N limitation, extra N would be rapidly immobilized by soil micro-organisms and vegetation. These findings could improve modeling future boreal forest soil C stocks and biomass growth and could help in planning forest management strategies in eastern Canada.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Houle
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Jean-David Moore
- Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts, Québec City, Québec, Canada
| | - Marie Renaudin
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada, Montréal, Québec, Canada
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
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4
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Hu Y, Deng Q, Kätterer T, Olesen JE, Ying SC, Ochoa-Hueso R, Mueller CW, Weintraub MN, Chen J. Depth-dependent responses of soil organic carbon under nitrogen deposition. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17247. [PMID: 38491798 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17247] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
Emerging evidence points out that the responses of soil organic carbon (SOC) to nitrogen (N) addition differ along the soil profile, highlighting the importance of synthesizing results from different soil layers. Here, using a global meta-analysis, we found that N addition significantly enhanced topsoil (0-30 cm) SOC by 3.7% (±1.4%) in forests and grasslands. In contrast, SOC in the subsoil (30-100 cm) initially increased with N addition but decreased over time. The model selection analysis revealed that experimental duration and vegetation type are among the most important predictors across a wide range of climatic, environmental, and edaphic variables. The contrasting responses of SOC to N addition indicate the importance of considering deep soil layers, particularly for long-term continuous N deposition. Finally, the lack of depth-dependent SOC responses to N addition in experimental and modeling frameworks has likely resulted in the overestimation of changes in SOC storage under enhanced N deposition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanliu Hu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Qi Deng
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems/Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- South China National Botanical Garden, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Thomas Kätterer
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jørgen Eivind Olesen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Aarhus University Centre for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Samantha C Ying
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, California, USA
| | - Raúl Ochoa-Hueso
- Department of Biology, IVAGRO, University of Cádiz, Campus de Excelencia Internacional Agroalimentario (CeiA3), Cádiz, Spain
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Carsten W Mueller
- Institute of Ecology, Chair of Soil Science, Technische Universitaet Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Michael N Weintraub
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, Ohio, USA
| | - Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi'an, China
- Institute of Global Environmental Change, Department of Earth and Environmental Science, School of Human Settlements and Civil Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province, China
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5
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Roy F, Ibayev O, Arnstadt T, Bässler C, Borken W, Groß C, Hoppe B, Hossen S, Kahl T, Moll J, Noll M, Purahong W, Schreiber J, Weisser WW, Hofrichter M, Kellner H. Nitrogen addition increases mass loss of gymnosperm but not of angiosperm deadwood without changing microbial communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 900:165868. [PMID: 37516186 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165868] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Enhanced nitrogen (N) deposition due to combustion of fossil fuels and agricultural fertilization is a global phenomenon which has severely altered carbon (C) and N cycling in temperate forest ecosystems in the northern hemisphere. Although deadwood holds a substantial amount of C in forest ecosystems and thus plays a crucial role in nutrient cycling, the effect of increased N deposition on microbial processes and communities, wood chemical traits and deadwood mass loss remains unclear. Here, we simulated high N deposition rates by adding reactive N in form of ammonium-nitrate (40 kg N ha-1 yr-1) to deadwood of 13 temperate tree species over nine years in a field experiment in Germany. Non-treated deadwood from the same logs served as control with background N deposition. Our results show that chronically elevated N levels alters deadwood mass loss alongside respiration, enzymatic activities and wood chemistry depending on tree clade and species. In gymnosperm deadwood, elevated N increased mass loss by +38 %, respiration by +37 % and increased laccase activity 12-fold alongside increases of white-rot fungal abundance +89 % (p = 0.03). Furthermore, we observed marginally significant (p = 0.06) shifts of bacterial communities in gymnosperm deadwood. In angiosperm deadwood, we did not detect consistent effects on mass loss, physico-chemical properties, extracellular enzymatic activity or changes in microbial communities except for changes in abundance of 10 fungal OTUs in seven tree species and 28 bacterial OTUs in 10 tree species. We conclude that N deposition alters decomposition processes exclusively in N limited gymnosperm deadwood in the long term by enhancing fungal activity as expressed by increases in respiration rate and extracellular enzyme activity with minor shifts in decomposing microbial communities. By contrast, deadwood of angiosperm tree species had higher N concentrations and mass loss as well as community composition did not respond to N addition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Friederike Roy
- Department of Bio- and Environmental Sciences, International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany
| | - Orkhan Ibayev
- Department of Bio- and Environmental Sciences, International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany
| | - Tobias Arnstadt
- Department of Bio- and Environmental Sciences, International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany
| | - Claus Bässler
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Department of Conservation Biology, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany; National Park Bavarian Forest, Freyunger Str. 2, D-94481 Grafenau, Germany
| | - Werner Borken
- Institute for Soil Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Dr.-Hans-Frisch-Straße 1-3, D-95448 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Christina Groß
- Institute for Soil Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Dr.-Hans-Frisch-Straße 1-3, D-95448 Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Björn Hoppe
- Institute for National and International Plant Health, Julius Kühn Institute (JKI) - Federal Research Centre for Cultivated Plants, Messeweg 11/12, D-38104 Braunschweig, Germany
| | - Shakhawat Hossen
- Institute for Bioanalysis, University of Applied Sciences Coburg, Friedrich-Streib-Straße 2, D-96450 Coburg, Germany
| | - Tiemo Kahl
- UNESCO-Biosphärenreservat Thüringer Wald, Schmiedefeld a. Rstg, Brunnenstraße 1, D-98528 Suhl, Germany
| | - Julia Moll
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Th.-Lieser- Str. 4, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Matthias Noll
- Institute for Bioanalysis, University of Applied Sciences Coburg, Friedrich-Streib-Straße 2, D-96450 Coburg, Germany
| | - Witoon Purahong
- Department of Soil Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Th.-Lieser- Str. 4, D-06120 Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Jasper Schreiber
- Institute for Ecology, Evolution and Diversity, Department of Conservation Biology, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt, Max-von-Laue-Str. 13, D-60438 Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Wolfgang W Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Technical University of Munich, D-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - Martin Hofrichter
- Department of Bio- and Environmental Sciences, International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany
| | - Harald Kellner
- Department of Bio- and Environmental Sciences, International Institute Zittau, Technische Universität Dresden, Markt 23, D-02763 Zittau, Germany.
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6
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Clark CM, Thomas RQ, Horn KJ. Above-ground tree carbon storage in response to nitrogen deposition in the U.S. is heterogeneous and may have weakened. COMMUNICATIONS EARTH & ENVIRONMENT 2023; 4:1-8. [PMID: 37325084 PMCID: PMC10262689 DOI: 10.1038/s43247-023-00677-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2022] [Accepted: 01/06/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
Changes in nitrogen (N) availability affect the ability for forest ecosystems to store carbon (C). Here we extend an analysis of the growth and survival of 94 tree species and 1.2 million trees, to estimate the incremental effects of N deposition on changes in aboveground C (dC/dN) across the contiguous U.S. (CONUS). We find that although the average effect of N deposition on aboveground C is positive for the CONUS (dC/dN=+9 kg C per kg N), there is wide variation among species and regions. Furthermore, in the Northeastern U.S. where we may compare responses from 2000-2016 with those from the 1980s-90s, we find the recent estimate of dC/dN is weaker than from the 1980s-90s due to species-level changes in responses to N deposition. This suggests that the U.S. forest C-sink varies widely across forests and may be weakening overall, possibly necessitating more aggressive climate policies than originally thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher M. Clark
- U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, Washington, DC, USA
| | - R. Quinn Thomas
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
| | - Kevin J. Horn
- Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA, USA
- Present address: Freedom Consulting Group, 7061 Columbia Gateway Drive, Columbia, MD, USA
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7
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Liu W, Duan H, Shen F, Liao Y, Li Q, Wu J. Effects of long‐term nitrogen addition on water use by
Cunninghamia lanceolate
in a subtropical plantation. Ecosphere 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.4033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Wenfei Liu
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems and Watershed Ecohydrology Nanchang Institute of Technology Nanchang China
| | - Honglang Duan
- College of Forestry Guizhou University Guiyang China
| | - Fangfang Shen
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems and Watershed Ecohydrology Nanchang Institute of Technology Nanchang China
| | - Yingchun Liao
- Jiangxi Key Laboratory for Restoration of Degraded Ecosystems and Watershed Ecohydrology Nanchang Institute of Technology Nanchang China
| | - Qiang Li
- Department of Civil Engineering University of Victoria Victoria British Columbia Canada
| | - Jianping Wu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaptation and Evolutionary Ecology Yunnan University Kunming China
- Key Laboratory of Soil Ecology and Health in Universities of Yunnan Province, School of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Yunnan University Kunming China
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8
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Effect of Simulated Combined N and P on Soil Acidity within Soil Aggregates in Natural and Planted Korean Pine Forest in Northeast China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13040529] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Globally, atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is rising, adversely impacting soil health, i.e., increasing soil acidity. While phosphorus (P) is the limiting element in the temperate environment and plays a key role in making the ecosystem more vulnerable to N-derived acidification. The impact of elevated N and P inputs on soil acidity and exchangeable base cations have been extensively studied; however, few studies have focused on these parameters, especially within various soil aggregate fractions in the temperate forest. In 2017, a field experiment was conducted under N and P additions with four soil aggregate fractions (>5 mm, 2–5 mm, 0.25–2 mm, and <0.25 mm) in two forests, i.e., the broad leave Korean pine forest (BKPF) and Korean pine plantation (KPP) in the Liangshui National Natural Reserves in Northeast China. Results showed that high NP addition decreases pH, base cations, Mg2+ Ca2+, and BS% and increases in Fe3+, Al3+, and E.A (effective acidity) in all four aggregate fractions, in descending order; overall concentration of the base cations is ranked as BKPF > KPP. Thus, soil acidification is primarily caused by a decrease in base cations, such as Ca2+ and Mg2+, and increase in exchangeable Fe3+ and Al3+ ions in large macro-aggregates and macro-aggregates, which leads to the depletion of soil nutrients. The initial pH value (5.69) in >5 mm soil aggregate was decreased to (5.4) under high fertilizer application, while a minimum value of 5.36 was observed in 0.25–2 mm aggregates under high fertilizer application. The same trend was observed in all aggregates because of decrease in base cations, which, in turn, affects the vitality and health of the forests.
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9
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Jiang N, Bah H, Zhou M, Xu P, Zhang B, Zhu B. Effects of straw and biochar amendment on hydrological fluxes of dissolved organic carbon in a subtropical montane agricultural landscape. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2022; 296:118751. [PMID: 34973382 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2021.118751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2021] [Revised: 12/21/2021] [Accepted: 12/23/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Straw and biochar amendments have been shown to increase soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks in arable land; however, their effects on hydrological fluxes of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), which may offset the benefits of C sequestration amounts remain uncertain. Therefore, we conducted a three-year field study that included four treatments (CK, control with no fertilizer; NPK, synthetic N fertilizer; RSDNPK, synthetic N fertilizer plus crop residues; BCNPK, synthetic N fertilizer plus biochar of crop straw) to investigate the effects of straw and biochar amendment on DOC losses through hydrological pathways of overland flow and interflow from a wheat-maize rotation system in the subtropical montane agricultural landscape. We detected substantial intra- and inter-annual variations in runoff discharge, DOC concentration, and DOC fluxes for both overland flow and interflow pathways, which were primarily attributed to variations in rainfall amount and intensity. On average, the DOC concentrations for interflow (2.98 mg C L-1) were comparable with those for overland flow (2.71 mg C L-1) throughout the three-year experiment. However, average annual DOC fluxes for interflow were approximately 2.60 times greater than those for overland flow, which probably related to higher runoff discharges of interflow than overland flow. Compared to the control, on average, the N fertilization treatments significantly decreased the annual DOC fluxes of overland flow and significantly increased annual DOC fluxes of interflow. Relative to the application of synthetic N fertilizer only, on average, crop straw amendment practice significantly increased annual DOC fluxes of interflow by 28.7%, while decreasing annual DOC fluxes of overland flow by 12.0%; in contrast, biochar amendment practice decreased annual DOC fluxes of interflow by 25.3% while increasing annual DOC fluxes of overland flow by 44.6%. Overall, considering both overland flow and interflow, crop straw amendment significantly increased hydrological DOC fluxes, whereas biochar had no significant effects on hydrological DOC fluxes throughout the three-year experiment. We conclude that crop straw incorporation strategies that aim to increase SOC stocks may enhance hydrological losses of DOC, thereby in turn offsetting its benefits in the subtropical montane agricultural landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nan Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Hamidou Bah
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China; Institut Supérieur Agronomique et Vétérinaire de Faranah (ISAV/F), Faranah, 131, Guinea
| | - Minghua Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Peng Xu
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Bowen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Bo Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Mountain Surface Processes and Ecological Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
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10
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Schulte‐Uebbing LF, Ros GH, de Vries W. Experimental evidence shows minor contribution of nitrogen deposition to global forest carbon sequestration. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:899-917. [PMID: 34699094 PMCID: PMC9299138 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Accepted: 09/09/2021] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Human activities have drastically increased nitrogen (N) deposition onto forests globally. This may have alleviated N limitation and thus stimulated productivity and carbon (C) sequestration in aboveground woody biomass (AGWB), a stable C pool with long turnover times. This 'carbon bonus' of human N use partly offsets the climate impact of human-induced N2 O emissions, but its magnitude and spatial variation are uncertain. Here we used a meta-regression approach to identify sources of heterogeneity in tree biomass C-N response (additional C stored per unit of N) based on data from fertilization experiments in global forests. We identified important drivers of spatial variation in forest biomass C-N response related to climate (potential evapotranspiration), soil fertility (N content) and tree characteristics (stand age), and used these relationships to quantify global spatial variation in N-induced forest biomass C sequestration. Results show that N deposition enhances biomass C sequestration in only one-third of global forests, mainly in the boreal region, while N reduces C sequestration in 5% of forests, mainly in the tropics. In the remaining 59% of global forests, N addition has no impact on biomass C sequestration. Average C-N responses were 11 (4-21) kg C per kg N for boreal forests, 4 (0-8) kg C per kg N for temperate forests and 0 (-4 to 5) kg C per kg N for tropical forests. Our global estimate of the N-induced forest biomass C sink of 41 (-53 to 159) Tg C yr-1 is substantially lower than previous estimates, mainly due to the absence of any response in most tropical forests (accounting for 58% of the global forest area). Overall, the N-induced C sink in AGWB only offsets ~5% of the climate impact of N2 O emissions (in terms of 100-year global warming potential), and contributes ~1% to the gross forest C sink.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena F. Schulte‐Uebbing
- Environmental Systems Analysis GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Gerard H. Ros
- Environmental Systems Analysis GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenthe Netherlands
- Nutrient Management InstituteWageningenthe Netherlands
| | - Wim de Vries
- Environmental Systems Analysis GroupWageningen University & ResearchWageningenthe Netherlands
- Wageningen Environmental ResearchWageningen University & ResearchWageningenthe Netherlands
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11
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Eastman BA, Adams MB, Brzostek ER, Burnham MB, Carrara JE, Kelly C, McNeil BE, Walter CA, Peterjohn WT. Altered plant carbon partitioning enhanced forest ecosystem carbon storage after 25 years of nitrogen additions. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1435-1448. [PMID: 33544877 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2020] [Accepted: 01/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Decades of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition in the northeastern USA have enhanced this globally important forest carbon (C) sink by relieving N limitation. While many N fertilization experiments found increased forest C storage, the mechanisms driving this response at the ecosystem scale remain uncertain. Following the optimal allocation theory, augmented N availability may reduce belowground C investment by trees to roots and soil symbionts. To test this prediction and its implications on soil biogeochemistry, we constructed C and N budgets for a long-term, whole-watershed N fertilization study at the Fernow Experimental Forest, WV, USA. Nitrogen fertilization increased C storage by shifting C partitioning away from belowground components and towards aboveground woody biomass production. Fertilization also reduced the C cost of N acquisition, allowing for greater C sequestration in vegetation. Despite equal fine litter inputs, the C and N stocks and C : N ratio of the upper mineral soil were greater in the fertilized watershed, likely due to reduced decomposition of plant litter. By combining aboveground and belowground data at the watershed scale, this study demonstrates how plant C allocation responses to N additions may result in greater C storage in both vegetation and soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke A Eastman
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Mary B Adams
- USDA Forest Service, 180 Canfield Street, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Edward R Brzostek
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Mark B Burnham
- Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 1200 IGB, 1206 West Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL, 61801, USA
| | - Joseph E Carrara
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Charlene Kelly
- Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, 337 Percival Hall, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Brenden E McNeil
- Department of Geology and Geography, West Virginia University, Brooks Hall, 98 Beechurst Ave., Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - Christopher A Walter
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
| | - William T Peterjohn
- Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Life Sciences Building, 53 Campus Drive, Morgantown, WV, 26506, USA
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12
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Abstract
Terrestrial ecosystem carbon (C) sequestration plays an important role in ameliorating global climate change. While tropical forests exert a disproportionately large influence on global C cycling, there remains an open question on changes in below-ground soil C stocks with global increases in nitrogen (N) deposition, because N supply often does not constrain the growth of tropical forests. We quantified soil C sequestration through more than a decade of continuous N addition experiment in an N-rich primary tropical forest. Results showed that long-term N additions increased soil C stocks by 7 to 21%, mainly arising from decreased C output fluxes and physical protection mechanisms without changes in the chemical composition of organic matter. A meta-analysis further verified that soil C sequestration induced by excess N inputs is a general phenomenon in tropical forests. Notably, soil N sequestration can keep pace with soil C, based on consistent C/N ratios under N additions. These findings provide empirical evidence that below-ground C sequestration can be stimulated in mature tropical forests under excess N deposition, which has important implications for predicting future terrestrial sinks for both elevated anthropogenic CO2 and N deposition. We further developed a conceptual model hypothesis depicting how soil C sequestration happens under chronic N deposition in N-limited and N-rich ecosystems, suggesting a direction to incorporate N deposition and N cycling into terrestrial C cycle models to improve the predictability on C sink strength as enhanced N deposition spreads from temperate into tropical systems.
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13
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Meeussen C, Govaert S, Vanneste T, Haesen S, Van Meerbeek K, Bollmann K, Brunet J, Calders K, Cousins SAO, Diekmann M, Graae BJ, Iacopetti G, Lenoir J, Orczewska A, Ponette Q, Plue J, Selvi F, Spicher F, Sørensen MV, Verbeeck H, Vermeir P, Verheyen K, Vangansbeke P, De Frenne P. Drivers of carbon stocks in forest edges across Europe. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 759:143497. [PMID: 33246733 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.143497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Forests play a key role in global carbon cycling and sequestration. However, the potential for carbon drawdown is affected by forest fragmentation and resulting changes in microclimate, nutrient inputs, disturbance and productivity near edges. Up to 20% of the global forested area lies within 100 m of an edge and, even in temperate forests, knowledge on how edge conditions affect carbon stocks and how far this influence penetrates into forest interiors is scarce. Here we studied carbon stocks in the aboveground biomass, forest floor and the mineral topsoil in 225 plots in deciduous forest edges across Europe and tested the impact of macroclimate, nitrogen deposition and smaller-grained drivers (e.g. microclimate) on these stocks. Total carbon and carbon in the aboveground biomass stock were on average 39% and 95% higher at the forest edge than 100 m into the interior. The increase in the aboveground biomass stock close to the edge was mainly related to enhanced nitrogen deposition. No edge influence was found for stocks in the mineral topsoil. Edge-to-interior gradients in forest floor carbon changed across latitude: carbon stocks in the forest floor were higher near the edge in southern Europe. Forest floor carbon decreased with increasing litter quality (i.e. high decomposition rate) and decreasing plant area index, whereas higher soil temperatures negatively affected the mineral topsoil carbon. Based on high-resolution forest fragmentation maps, we estimate that the additional carbon stored in deciduous forest edges across Europe amounts to not less than 183 Tg carbon, which is equivalent to the storage capacity of 1 million ha of additional forest. This study underpins the importance of including edge influences when quantifying the carbon stocks in temperate forests and stresses the importance of preserving natural forest edges and small forest patches with a high edge-to-interior surface area.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Meeussen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium.
| | - Sanne Govaert
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Thomas Vanneste
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Stef Haesen
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Koenraad Van Meerbeek
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, KU Leuven, Celestijnenlaan 200E, 3001 Leuven, Belgium
| | - Kurt Bollmann
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jörg Brunet
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 49, 230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - Kim Calders
- CAVElab - Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Sara A O Cousins
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Martin Diekmann
- Vegetation Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Ecology, FB2, University of Bremen, Leobener Str. 5, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Bente J Graae
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Giovanni Iacopetti
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 28, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Jonathan Lenoir
- UR « Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés » (EDYSAN, UMR 7058 CNRS-UPJV), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 Rue des Louvels, 80037 Amiens, France
| | - Anna Orczewska
- Institute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia, Bankowa 9, 40-007 Katowice, Poland
| | - Quentin Ponette
- Earth and Life Institute, Université catholique de Louvain, Croix de Sud 2, 1348 Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Jan Plue
- Biogeography and Geomatics, Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg 8, 106 91 Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Federico Selvi
- Department of Agriculture, Food, Environment and Forestry, University of Florence, P. le Cascine 28, 50144 Florence, Italy
| | - Fabien Spicher
- UR « Ecologie et Dynamique des Systèmes Anthropisés » (EDYSAN, UMR 7058 CNRS-UPJV), Université de Picardie Jules Verne, 1 Rue des Louvels, 80037 Amiens, France
| | - Mia Vedel Sørensen
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Høgskoleringen 5, 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Hans Verbeeck
- CAVElab - Computational and Applied Vegetation Ecology, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vermeir
- Laboratory for Chemical Analysis (LCA), Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Voskenslaan 270, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter Vangansbeke
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
| | - Pieter De Frenne
- Forest & Nature Lab, Department of Environment, Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Geraardsbergsesteenweg 267, 9090 Melle-Gontrode, Belgium
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14
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Finzi AC, Giasson M, Barker Plotkin AA, Aber JD, Boose ER, Davidson EA, Dietze MC, Ellison AM, Frey SD, Goldman E, Keenan TF, Melillo JM, Munger JW, Nadelhoffer KJ, Ollinger SV, Orwig DA, Pederson N, Richardson AD, Savage K, Tang J, Thompson JR, Williams CA, Wofsy SC, Zhou Z, Foster DR. Carbon budget of the Harvard Forest Long‐Term Ecological Research site: pattern, process, and response to global change. ECOL MONOGR 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecm.1423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrien C. Finzi
- Department of Biology Boston University Boston Massachusetts02215 USA
| | | | | | - John D. Aber
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire03824 USA
| | - Emery R. Boose
- Harvard Forest Harvard University Petersham Massachusetts01366 USA
| | - Eric A. Davidson
- Appalachian Laboratory University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Frostburg Maryland21532 USA
| | - Michael C. Dietze
- Department of Earth & Environment Boston University Boston Massachusetts02215 USA
| | - Aaron M. Ellison
- Harvard Forest Harvard University Petersham Massachusetts01366 USA
| | - Serita D. Frey
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire03824 USA
| | - Evan Goldman
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts02138 USA
| | - Trevor F. Keenan
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Berkeley California94720 USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management UC Berkeley Berkeley California94720 USA
| | - Jerry M. Melillo
- The Ecosystems Center Marine Biological laboratory Woods Hole Massachusetts02543 USA
| | - J. William Munger
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts02138 USA
| | - Knute J. Nadelhoffer
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Michigan Ann Arbor Michigan48109 USA
| | - Scott V. Ollinger
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire03824 USA
- Earth Systems Research Center University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire03824 USA
| | - David A. Orwig
- Harvard Forest Harvard University Petersham Massachusetts01366 USA
| | - Neil Pederson
- Harvard Forest Harvard University Petersham Massachusetts01366 USA
| | - Andrew D. Richardson
- School of Informatics, Computing and Cyber Systems Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona86011 USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff Arizona86011 USA
| | - Kathleen Savage
- Woods Hole Research Center 149 Woods Hole Road Falmouth Massachusetts02540 USA
| | - Jianwu Tang
- The Ecosystems Center Marine Biological laboratory Woods Hole Massachusetts02543 USA
| | | | - Christopher A. Williams
- Graduate School of Geography and Department of Biology Clark University Worcester Massachusetts01610 USA
| | - Steven C. Wofsy
- School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University Cambridge Massachusetts02138 USA
| | - Zaixing Zhou
- Earth Systems Research Center University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire03824 USA
| | - David R. Foster
- Harvard Forest Harvard University Petersham Massachusetts01366 USA
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15
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Yue K, Ni X, Fornara DA, Peng Y, Liao S, Tan S, Wang D, Wu F, Yang Y. Dynamics of Calcium, Magnesium, and Manganese During Litter Decomposition in Alpine Forest Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems. Ecosystems 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-020-00532-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
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16
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Peach ME, Ogden LA, Mora EA, Friedland AJ. Building houses and managing lawns could limit yard soil carbon for centuries. CARBON BALANCE AND MANAGEMENT 2019; 14:9. [PMID: 31420807 PMCID: PMC7227114 DOI: 10.1186/s13021-019-0124-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2019] [Accepted: 08/05/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Comparisons of soil carbon (C) pools across land uses can be confounded by site-specific history. To better quantify the response of soil C pools to residential development and use, we compared yard soils (n = 20) to adjacent mown fields and second-growth forests within land-use clusters (LUC; n = 12). Land uses within clusters shared site-specific legacies (land use and other soil forming history) prior to residential development (15-227 years ago). We analyzed soil cores to 60-cm depth for carbon, nitrogen, and bulk density. Within one LUC, we monitored soil dissolved organic carbon, moisture, and thermal regimes to explain soil C dynamics. RESULTS We accounted for pre-development legacies to test how present uses affect soil properties. We found that yard soil C pools to 60-cm depth (9.07 ± 0.32 kg C m-2; mean ± SE) were smaller than fields (10.26 ± 0.44 kg C m-2) and forests (10.62 ± 0.87 kg C m-2). Fields contained more nitrogen to 60-cm depth (0.78 ± 0.043 kg N m-2) than yards (0.68 ± 0.030 kg N m-2) and forests (0.69 ± 0.057 kg N m-2). Time since development predicted decreased yard and field soil C/N, field soil N accumulation, and reduced yard bulk density. In old yards (> 150 years), where residents in recent times mowed monthly to bimonthly and left clippings on the lawn, there was evidence of soil C and N gains relative to old commercially managed yards mown weekly with clippings exported. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests land conversion to yard can limit soil C pools for centuries, with contemporary management key to that trajectory. Our research points to the importance of accounting for pre-development legacies to reveal the response of soil properties to land conversion and present use. This work can inform policies and land use intended to enhance the soil C sink and minimize development-related soil C losses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Morgan E. Peach
- Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems & Society Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Laura A. Ogden
- Ecology, Evolution, Ecosystems & Society Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- Anthropology Department, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Eleni A. Mora
- Environmental Studies Program, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
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17
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Yue K, Yang W, Tan B, Peng Y, Huang C, Xu Z, Ni X, Yang Y, Zhou W, Zhang L, Wu F. Immobilization of heavy metals during aquatic and terrestrial litter decomposition in an alpine forest. CHEMOSPHERE 2019; 216:419-427. [PMID: 30384312 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2018.10.169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2018] [Revised: 10/23/2018] [Accepted: 10/24/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant litter decomposition is an important pathway of heavy metal cycling in forested soil and watershed ecosystems globally, but is so far an overlooked aspects in the existing literature. To investigate the temporal dynamics of heavy metals in decomposing litter, we conducted a two-year field experiment using litterbag method across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems in an alpine forest on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Using multigroup comparisons of structural equation modeling with different litter mass-loss intervals, we assessed the direct and indirect effects of several biotic and abiotic factors on the release rates of lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd), and chromium (Cr). Results suggested that both the concentrations and amounts of Pb, Cd, and Cr increased during litter decomposition regardless of ecosystem type and litter species, showing an immobilization pattern. The release rates of Pb, Cd, or Cr shared a common hierarchy of drivers across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, with environmental factors and initial litter quality having both direct and indirect effects, and the effects of initial litter quality gained importance in the late decomposition stages. However, litter chemical dynamics and microbial diversity index have significant effects on release rates throughout the decomposition process. Our results are useful for better understanding heavy metal fluxes in aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, and for predicting anthropogenic heavy metal pollution impacts on ecosystems. In addition, our results indicated that not only spatial but also temporal variability should be taken into consideration when addressing heavy metal dynamics accompanying litter decomposition process.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Yue
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Wanqin Yang
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Bo Tan
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Yan Peng
- Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, Rolighedsvej 23, DK-1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark
| | - Chunping Huang
- College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, No. 1819, 2nd Section of Chenglong Avenue, Longquanyi District, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Zhenfeng Xu
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Xiangyin Ni
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Yun Yang
- School of Architecture, Chengdu College of Arts and Sciences, 278 Xuefu Avenue, Jintang County, Chengdu, 610401, China
| | - Wei Zhou
- College of Resources, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, China
| | - Li Zhang
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China
| | - Fuzhong Wu
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystems, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agricultural University, 211 Huimin Road, Wenjiang District, Chengdu, 611130, Sichuan, China.
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18
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Negative effects of canopy N addition on soil organic carbon in wet season are primarily detected in uppermost soils of a subtropical forest. Glob Ecol Conserv 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2019.e00543] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
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19
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Gilliam FS, Burns DA, Driscoll CT, Frey SD, Lovett GM, Watmough SA. Decreased atmospheric nitrogen deposition in eastern North America: Predicted responses of forest ecosystems. ENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION (BARKING, ESSEX : 1987) 2019; 244:560-574. [PMID: 30384062 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2018] [Revised: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Historical increases in emissions and atmospheric deposition of oxidized and reduced nitrogen (N) provided the impetus for extensive, global-scale research investigating the effects of excess N in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, with several regions within the Eastern Deciduous Forest of the United States found to be susceptible to negative effects of excess N. The Clean Air Act and associated rules have led to decreases in emissions and deposition of oxidized N, especially in eastern U.S., representing a research challenge and opportunity for ecosystem ecologists and biogeochemists. The purpose of this paper is to predict changes in the structure and function of North American forest ecosystems in a future of decreased N deposition. Hysteresis is a property of a system wherein output is not a strict function of corresponding input, incorporating lag, delay, or history dependence, particularly when the response to decreasing input is different from the response to increasing input. We suggest a conceptual hysteretic model predicting varying lag times in recovery of soil acidification, plant biodiversity, soil microbial communities, forest carbon (C) and N cycling, and surface water chemistry toward pre-N impact conditions. Nearly all of these can potentially respond strongly to reductions in N deposition. Most responses are expected to show some degree of hysteresis, with the greatest delays in response occurring in processes most tightly linked to "slow pools" of N in wood and soil organic matter. Because experimental studies of declines in N loads in forests of North America are lacking and because of the expected hysteresis, it is difficult to generalize from experimental results to patterns expected from declining N deposition. These will likely be long-term phenomena, difficult to distinguish from other, concurrent environmental changes, including elevated atmospheric CO2, climate change, reductions in acidity, invasions of new species, and long-term vegetation responses to past disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Frank S Gilliam
- Department of Biology, University of West Florida, Pensacola, FL 32514, United States.
| | - Douglas A Burns
- U.S. Geological Survey New York Water Science Center, 425 Jordan Road, Troy, NY 12180, United States
| | - Charles T Driscoll
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244, United States
| | - Serita D Frey
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, United States
| | - Gary M Lovett
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, PO Box AB, Millbrook, NY 12545, United States
| | - Shaun A Watmough
- School of the Environment, Trent University, 1600 West Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9L 0G2, Canada
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20
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Growth and survival relationships of 71 tree species with nitrogen and sulfur deposition across the conterminous U.S. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0205296. [PMID: 30335770 PMCID: PMC6193662 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/21/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) influences forest demographics and carbon (C) uptake through multiple mechanisms that vary among tree species. Prior studies have estimated the effects of atmospheric N deposition on temperate forests by leveraging forest inventory measurements across regional gradients in deposition. However, in the United States (U.S.), these previous studies were limited in the number of species and the spatial scale of analysis, and did not include sulfur (S) deposition as a potential covariate. Here, we present a comprehensive analysis of how tree growth and survival for 71 species vary with N and S deposition across the conterminous U.S. Our analysis of 1,423,455 trees from forest plots inventoried between 2000 and 2016 reveals that the growth and/or survival of the vast majority of species in the analysis (n = 66, or 93%) were significantly affected by atmospheric deposition. Species co-occurred across the conterminous U.S. that had decreasing and increasing relationships between growth (or survival) and N deposition, with just over half of species responding negatively in either growth or survival to increased N deposition somewhere in their range (42 out of 71). Averaged across species and conterminous U.S., however, we found that an increase in deposition above current rates of N deposition would coincide with a small net increase in tree growth (1.7% per Δ kg N ha-1 yr-1), and a small net decrease in tree survival (-0.22% per Δ kg N ha-1 yr-1), with substantial regional and among-species variation. Adding S as a predictor improved the overall model performance for 70% of the species in the analysis. Our findings have potential to help inform ecosystem management and air pollution policy across the conterminous U.S., and suggest that N and S deposition have likely altered forest demographics in the U.S.
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21
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Chen J, Luo Y, van Groenigen KJ, Hungate BA, Cao J, Zhou X, Wang RW. A keystone microbial enzyme for nitrogen control of soil carbon storage. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2018; 4:eaaq1689. [PMID: 30140736 PMCID: PMC6105232 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aaq1689] [Citation(s) in RCA: 98] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2017] [Accepted: 07/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Agricultural and industrial activities have increased atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition to ecosystems worldwide. N deposition can stimulate plant growth and soil carbon (C) input, enhancing soil C storage. Changes in microbial decomposition could also influence soil C storage, yet this influence has been difficult to discern, partly because of the variable effects of added N on the microbial enzymes involved. We show, using meta-analysis, that added N reduced the activity of lignin-modifying enzymes (LMEs), and that this N-induced enzyme suppression was associated with increases in soil C. In contrast, N-induced changes in cellulase activity were unrelated to changes in soil C. Moreover, the effects of added soil N on LME activity accounted for more of the variation in responses of soil C than a wide range of other environmental and experimental factors. Our results suggest that, through responses of a single enzyme system to added N, soil microorganisms drive long-term changes in soil C accumulation. Incorporating this microbial influence on ecosystem biogeochemistry into Earth system models could improve predictions of ecosystem C dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Chen
- Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG) and Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China
- Aarhus University Centre for Circular Bioeconomy, Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Blichers Allé 20, 8830 Tjele, Denmark
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Department for Earth System Science, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, AZ 86011, USA
- Corresponding author.
| | - Kees Jan van Groenigen
- Department of Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Bruce A. Hungate
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Junji Cao
- State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology (SKLLQG) and Key Laboratory of Aerosol Chemistry and Physics, Institute of Earth Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xi’an 710061, China
- Institute of Global Environmental Change, Xi’an Jiaotong University, Xi’an 710049, China
| | - Xuhui Zhou
- Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, Tiantong National Field Observation Station for Forest Ecosystem, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- Shanghai Institute of Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Shanghai 200437, China
| | - Rui-wu Wang
- Center for Ecological and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Space Bioscience and Biotechnology, Northwestern Polytechnical University, Xi’an 710072, China
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Zhang S, Rossi S, Huang JG, Jiang S, Yu B, Zhang W, Ye Q. Intra-annual Dynamics of Xylem Formation in Liquidambar formosana Subjected to Canopy and Understory N Addition. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2018; 9:79. [PMID: 29467775 PMCID: PMC5808591 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2018.00079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Increasing N deposition caused by intensive anthropogenic activities is expected to affect forest growth. However, the effects of N deposition on trees are still controversial due to the wide variability in results and experimental methods used. We conducted an experiment involving both canopy and understory N addition to investigate the effects of N-addition on intra-annual xylem formation of Chinese sweetgum (Liquidambar formosana) in a warm-temperate forest of Central China. Since 2013, 50 kg N ha-1 year-1 (2.5 times the current natural N deposition) was applied monthly from April to December. In 2014 and 2015, the timing and dynamics of xylem formation were monitored weekly during March-December by microcoring the stems of control and treated trees. Similar dynamics of wood formation were observed between canopy and understory N addition. Xylem formation of all the experimental trees started in March and lasted for 119-292 days. Compared to the control, no change was observed in the timing and dynamics of wood formation in N-treated trees. Tree ring-width ranged between 1701 and 4774 μm, with a rate of xylem production of 10.52-26.64 μm day-1. The radial growth of trees was not modified by the treatments. Our findings suggest that short-term N addition is unable to affect the dynamics of xylem formation in Chinese sweetgum in Central China. The effects of N on tree growth observed in previous studies might be related to the duration of the experiment or the imbalance between the amount of natural deposition and N added during treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaokang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
- South China Botanical Garden, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC, Canada
| | - Jian-Guo Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Shaowei Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- South China Botanical Garden, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Biyun Yu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- South China Botanical Garden, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Qing Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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23
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Schulte-Uebbing L, de Vries W. Global-scale impacts of nitrogen deposition on tree carbon sequestration in tropical, temperate, and boreal forests: A meta-analysis. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2018; 24:e416-e431. [PMID: 29034987 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 07/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Elevated nitrogen (N) deposition may increase net primary productivity in N-limited terrestrial ecosystems and thus enhance the terrestrial carbon (C) sink. To assess the magnitude of this N-induced C sink, we performed a meta-analysis on data from forest fertilization experiments to estimate N-induced C sequestration in aboveground tree woody biomass, a stable C pool with long turnover times. Our results show that boreal and temperate forests responded strongly to N addition and sequestered on average an additional 14 and 13 kg C per kg N in aboveground woody biomass, respectively. Tropical forests, however, did not respond significantly to N addition. The common hypothesis that tropical forests do not respond to N because they are phosphorus-limited could not be confirmed, as we found no significant response to phosphorus addition in tropical forests. Across climate zones, we found that young forests responded more strongly to N addition, which is important as many previous meta-analyses of N addition experiments rely heavily on data from experiments on seedlings and young trees. Furthermore, the C-N response (defined as additional mass unit of C sequestered per additional mass unit of N addition) was affected by forest productivity, experimental N addition rate, and rate of ambient N deposition. The estimated C-N responses from our meta-analysis were generally lower that those derived with stoichiometric scaling, dynamic global vegetation models, and forest growth inventories along N deposition gradients. We estimated N-induced global C sequestration in tree aboveground woody biomass by multiplying the C-N responses obtained from the meta-analysis with N deposition estimates per biome. We thus derived an N-induced global C sink of about 177 (112-243) Tg C/year in aboveground and belowground woody biomass, which would account for about 12% of the forest biomass C sink (1,400 Tg C/year).
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Schulte-Uebbing
- Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Wim de Vries
- Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
- Environmental Research (Alterra), Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, the Netherlands
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24
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Svensson T, Montelius M, Andersson M, Lindberg C, Reyier H, Rietz K, Danielsson Å, Bastviken D. Influence of Multiple Environmental Factors on Organic Matter Chlorination in Podsol Soil. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2017; 51:14114-14123. [PMID: 29172517 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.7b03196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Natural chlorination of organic matter is common in soils. The abundance of chlorinated organic compounds frequently exceeds chloride in surface soils, and the ability to chlorinate soil organic matter (SOM) appears widespread among microorganisms. Yet, the environmental control of chlorination is unclear. Laboratory incubations with 36Cl as a Cl tracer were performed to test how combinations of environmental factors, including levels of soil moisture, nitrate, chloride, and labile organic carbon, influenced chlorination of SOM from a boreal forest. Total chlorination was hampered by addition of nitrate or by nitrate in combination with water but enhanced by addition of chloride or most additions including labile organic matter (glucose and maltose). The greatest chlorination was observed after 15 days when nitrate and water were added together with labile organic matter. The effect that labile organic matter strongly stimulated the chlorination rates was confirmed by a second independent experiment showing higher stimulation at increased availability of labile organic matter. Our results highlight cause-effect links between chlorination and the studied environmental variables in podsol soil-with consistent stimulation by labile organic matter that did overrule the negative effects of nitrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresia Svensson
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Malin Montelius
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Malin Andersson
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Cecilia Lindberg
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Henrik Reyier
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Karolina Rietz
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - Åsa Danielsson
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
| | - David Bastviken
- Department of Thematic Studies, Environmental Change, Linköping University , SE-581 83 Linköping, Sweden
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25
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Zhang S, Huang JG, Rossi S, Ma Q, Yu B, Zhai L, Luo D, Guo X, Fu S, Zhang W. Intra-annual dynamics of xylem growth in Pinus massoniana submitted to an experimental nitrogen addition in Central China. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 37:1546-1553. [PMID: 28985432 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpx079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2017] [Accepted: 05/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
In recent decades, anthropogenic activities have increased nitrogen (N) deposition in terrestrial ecosystems. This higher availability of N is expected to impact plant growth. However, the effects of N deposition on tree growth remain inconclusive due to the wide variability of experimental methods used. This study aimed to test the effect of short-term N addition on the intra-annual wood formation of Chinese red pine (Pinus massoniana Lamb.) in a warm-temperate forest of Central China. From 2013, solution containing 25 kg N ha-1 year-1 was applied monthly to the understory of experimental plots from April to December to double the current natural N deposition. Each week from March to December in 2014 and 2015, cambial activity and the timings and dynamics of xylem formation were monitored by collecting microcores from stems. Xylem formation lasted from March to November, producing an average of 19 and 33 cells for all studied trees in 2014 and 2015, respectively. No difference in xylem cell production was observed between control and N-treated trees. Moreover, N-treated trees had similar timings, rates and durations of xylem formation as control trees. These findings indicated that short-term N addition was unable to affect timings and dynamics of xylem formation in Chinese red pine of warm-temperate forest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaokang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Boulevard de l'Universite, QC G7H2B1, Canada
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jian-Guo Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, 555 Boulevard de l'Universite, QC G7H2B1, Canada
| | - Qianqian Ma
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Biyun Yu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Lihong Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Dawei Luo
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiali Guo
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19(A) Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shenglei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China
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26
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Reply to Remy et al.: Local and global limitations to forest productivity as mediators of biogeochemical response to forest edge effects. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:E7033-E7034. [PMID: 28811380 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1712103114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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27
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Matyssek R, Kozovits AR, Wieser G, King J, Rennenberg H. Woody-plant ecosystems under climate change and air pollution-response consistencies across zonobiomes? TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2017; 37:706-732. [PMID: 28338970 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpx009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2016] [Accepted: 01/22/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Forests store the largest terrestrial pools of carbon (C), helping to stabilize the global climate system, yet are threatened by climate change (CC) and associated air pollution (AP, highlighting ozone (O3) and nitrogen oxides (NOx)). We adopt the perspective that CC-AP drivers and physiological impacts are universal, resulting in consistent stress responses of forest ecosystems across zonobiomes. Evidence supporting this viewpoint is presented from the literature on ecosystem gross/net primary productivity and water cycling. Responses to CC-AP are compared across evergreen/deciduous foliage types, discussing implications of nutrition and resource turnover at tree and ecosystem scales. The availability of data is extremely uneven across zonobiomes, yet unifying patterns of ecosystem response are discernable. Ecosystem warming results in trade-offs between respiration and biomass production, affecting high elevation forests more than in the lowland tropics and low-elevation temperate zone. Resilience to drought is modulated by tree size and species richness. Elevated O3 tends to counteract stimulation by elevated carbon dioxide (CO2). Biotic stress and genomic structure ultimately determine ecosystem responsiveness. Aggrading early- rather than mature late-successional communities respond to CO2 enhancement, whereas O3 affects North American and Eurasian tree species consistently under free-air fumigation. Insect herbivory is exacerbated by CC-AP in biome-specific ways. Rhizosphere responses reflect similar stand-level nutritional dynamics across zonobiomes, but are modulated by differences in tree-soil nutrient cycling between deciduous and evergreen systems, and natural versus anthropogenic nitrogen (N) oversupply. The hypothesis of consistency of forest responses to interacting CC-AP is supported by currently available data, establishing the precedent for a global network of long-term coordinated research sites across zonobiomes to simultaneously advance both bottom-up (e.g., mechanistic) and top-down (systems-level) understanding. This global, synthetic approach is needed because high biological plasticity and physiographic variation across individual ecosystems currently limit development of predictive models of forest responses to CC-AP. Integrated research on C and nutrient cycling, O3-vegetation interactions and water relations must target mechanisms' ecosystem responsiveness. Worldwide case studies must be subject to biostatistical exploration to elucidate overarching response patterns and synthesize the resulting empirical data through advanced modelling, in order to provide regionally coherent, yet globally integrated information in support of internationally coordinated decision-making and policy development.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Matyssek
- Technische Universität München, TUM School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Chair of Ecophysiology of Plants, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, D-85354 Freising, Germany
| | - A R Kozovits
- Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Department of Biodiversity, Evolution and Environment, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Bauxita, 35.400-000 Ouro Preto, MG, Brazil
| | - G Wieser
- Department of Alpine Timberline Ecophysiology, Federal Office and Research Centre for Forests, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - J King
- Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - H Rennenberg
- Chair of Tree Physiology, Institute of Forest Sciences, University of Freiburg, Georges-Koehler-Allee 53/54, D79110 Freiburg, Germany
- King Saud University, PO Box 2454, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia
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28
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Chen LC, Wang H, Yu X, Zhang WD, Lü XT, Wang SL. Recovery time of soil carbon pools of conversional Chinese fir plantations from broadleaved forests in subtropical regions, China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 587-588:296-304. [PMID: 28249750 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.02.140] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The conversion from natural forest to plantation has been widely applied, with consequences on ecosystem carbon pool. The experimental results of changes of soil carbon stocks after forest conversion are often contradictory. Moreover, the recovery time of soil carbon stocks after forest conversion varies among different sites. To examine the changes of soil carbon stocks following the forest conversions in the long-term and to estimate the recovery time, we selected 116 subtropical forests, including 29 pair-wise replicates for evergreen broadleaved forests (EBF, 40-100-year-old), young Chinese fir plantations (Cunninghamia lanceolata) (YCP, 4-8-year-old), middle-aged Chinese fir plantations (MACP, 13-20-year-old), and mature Chinese fir plantations (MCP, 23-32-year-old), and estimated soil carbon stocks. Soil carbon stocks of YCP and MACP decreased in average 12.5 and 28.7Mgha-1 compared with EBF, and showed no variation between MCP and EBF. Soil carbon stocks were positively correlated to soil total nitrogen stocks and C:N ratio. Our results showed that the forest conversions didn't cause a variation of soil carbon stocks in the long-term, although there was a short-term decline after conversion. The recovery time of soil carbon stock is 27years. These results indicate that the conversion from evergreen broadleaved forests to Chinese fir plantations in subtropical region of China causes soil carbon release in early stage, but has no effect on soil carbon stocks in the long-term. Prolonging the rotation period (>27years) would offset the adverse effects of the forest conversion on soil carbon stocks, and be critical in alleviating global climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Long-Chi Chen
- Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Huitong National Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, Huitong 418307, China.
| | - Hua Wang
- College of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Hunan Agricultural University, Changsha 410128, China.
| | - Xin Yu
- Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wei-Dong Zhang
- Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Huitong National Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, Huitong 418307, China
| | - Xiao-Tao Lü
- Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Si-Long Wang
- Huitong Experimental Station of Forest Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China; Huitong National Research Station of Forest Ecosystem, Huitong 418307, China.
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29
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Individual size but not additional nitrogen regulates tree carbon sequestration in a subtropical forest. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46293. [PMID: 28425494 PMCID: PMC5397863 DOI: 10.1038/srep46293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have indicated that tree carbon accumulation in subtropical forests has been negatively affected by global change phenomena such as warming and drought. However, the long-term effect of nitrogen addition on plant carbon storage remains poorly understood in these regions. In this study, we conducted a 10-year field experiment examining the effect of experimental N addition on plant growth and carbon storage in a subtropical Chinese fir forest. The N levels were 0 (control), 60, 120, and 240 kg ha−1 yr−1, and the N effects on tree carbon were divided into stand and individual levels. The results indicated that tree carbon storage at the stand scale was not affected by long-term N addition in the subtropical forest. By contrast, significant impacts of different tree size classes on carbon sequestration were found under different N treatments, which indicated that the amount of plant carbon sequestration was significantly enhanced with tree size class. Our findings highlight the importance of community structure and growth characteristics in Chinese fir forests, in which individual size but not additional N regulates tree carbon sequestration in this subtropical forest.
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30
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Ehtesham E, Bengtson P. Decoupling of soil carbon and nitrogen turnover partly explains increased net ecosystem production in response to nitrogen fertilization. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46286. [PMID: 28406242 PMCID: PMC5390271 DOI: 10.1038/srep46286] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last decade there has been an ongoing controversy regarding the extent to which nitrogen fertilization can increase carbon sequestration and net ecosystem production in forest ecosystems. The debate is complicated by the fact that increased nitrogen availability caused by nitrogen deposition has coincided with increasing atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations. The latter could further stimulate primary production but also result in increased allocation of carbon to root exudates, which could potentially 'prime' the decomposition of soil organic matter. Here we show that increased input of labile carbon to forest soil caused a decoupling of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling, which was manifested as a reduction in respiration of soil organic matter that coincided with a substantial increase in gross nitrogen mineralization. An estimate of the magnitude of the effect demonstrates that the decoupling could potentially result in an increase in net ecosystem production by up to 51 kg C ha-1 day-1 in nitrogen fertilized stands during peak summer. Even if the effect is several times lower on an annual basis, the results still suggest that nitrogen fertilization can have a much stronger influence on net ecosystem production than can be expected from a direct stimulation of primary production alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emad Ehtesham
- Department of Biology – Microbial Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Per Bengtson
- Department of Biology – Microbial Ecology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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31
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Tatariw C, MacRae JD, Fernandez IJ, Gruselle MC, Salvino CJ, Simon KS. Chronic Nitrogen Enrichment at the Watershed Scale Does Not Enhance Microbial Phosphorus Limitation. Ecosystems 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-017-0140-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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32
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Levesque M, Andreu-Hayles L, Pederson N. Water availability drives gas exchange and growth of trees in northeastern US, not elevated CO 2 and reduced acid deposition. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46158. [PMID: 28393872 PMCID: PMC5385545 DOI: 10.1038/srep46158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Dynamic global vegetation models (DGVM) exhibit high uncertainty about how climate change, elevated atmospheric CO2 (atm. CO2) concentration, and atmospheric pollutants will impact carbon sequestration in forested ecosystems. Although the individual roles of these environmental factors on tree growth are understood, analyses examining their simultaneous effects are lacking. We used tree-ring isotopic data and structural equation modeling to examine the concurrent and interacting effects of water availability, atm. CO2 concentration, and SO4 and nitrogen deposition on two broadleaf tree species in a temperate mesic forest in the northeastern US. Water availability was the strongest driver of gas exchange and tree growth. Wetter conditions since the 1980s have enhanced stomatal conductance, photosynthetic assimilation rates and, to a lesser extent, tree radial growth. Increased water availability seemingly overrides responses to reduced acid deposition, CO2 fertilization, and nitrogen deposition. Our results indicate that water availability as a driver of ecosystem productivity in mesic temperate forests is not adequately represented in DGVMs, while CO2 fertilization is likely overrepresented. This study emphasizes the importance to simultaneously consider interacting climatic and biogeochemical drivers when assessing forest responses to global environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathieu Levesque
- Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Laia Andreu-Hayles
- Tree-Ring Laboratory, Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University, Palisades, NY 10964, USA
| | - Neil Pederson
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA 01366, USA
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33
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Goodale CL. Multiyear fate of a 15 N tracer in a mixed deciduous forest: retention, redistribution, and differences by mycorrhizal association. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:867-880. [PMID: 27564989 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 07/11/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The impact of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on forest ecosystems depends in large part on its fate. Past tracer studies show that litter and soils dominate the short-term fate of added 15 N, yet few have examined its longer term dynamics or differences among forest types. This study examined the fate of a 15 N-NO3- tracer over 5-6 years in a mixed deciduous stand that was evenly composed of trees with ectomycorrhizal and arbuscular mycorrhizal associations. The tracer was expected to slowly mineralize from its main initial fate in litter and surface soil, with some 15 N moving to trees, some to deeper soil, and some net losses. Recovery of added 15 N in trees and litterfall totaled 11.3% both 1 and 5-6 years after the tracer addition, as 15 N redistributed from fine and especially coarse roots into cumulative litterfall and small accumulations in woody tissues. Estimates of potential carbon sequestration from tree 15 N recovery amounted to 12-14 kg C per kg of N deposition. Tree 15 N acquisition occurred within the first year after the tracer addition, with no subsequent additional net transfer of 15 N from detrital to plant pools. In both years, ectomycorrhizal trees gained 50% more of the tracer than did trees with arbuscular mycorrhizae. Much of the 15 N recovered in wood occurred in tree rings formed prior to the 15 N addition, demonstrating the mobility of N in wood. Tracer recovery rapidly decreased over time in surface litter material and accumulated in both shallow and deep soil, perhaps through mixing by earthworms. Overall, results showed redistribution of tracer 15 N through trees and surface soils without any losses, as whole-ecosystem recovery remained constant between 1 and 5-6 years at 70% of the 15 N addition. These results demonstrate the persistent ecosystem retention of N deposition even as it redistributes, without additional plant uptake over this timescale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine L Goodale
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
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Wang J, Wu L, Zhang C, Zhao X, Bu W, Gadow KV. Combined effects of nitrogen addition and organic matter manipulation on soil respiration in a Chinese pine forest. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2016; 23:22701-22710. [PMID: 27557973 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-016-7474-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
The response of soil respiration (Rs) to nitrogen (N) addition is one of the uncertainties in modelling ecosystem carbon (C). We reported on a long-term nitrogen (N) addition experiment using urea (CO(NH2)2) fertilizer in which Rs was continuously measured after N addition during the growing season in a Chinese pine forest. Four levels of N addition, i.e. no added N (N0: 0 g N m-2 year-1), low-N (N1: 5 g N m-2 year-1), medium-N (N2: 10 g N m-2 year-1), and high-N (N3: 15 g N m-2 year-1), and three organic matter treatments, i.e. both aboveground litter and belowground root removal (LRE), only aboveground litter removal (LE), and intact soil (CK), were examined. The Rs was measured continuously for 3 days following each N addition application and was measured approximately 3-5 times during the rest of each month from July to October 2012. N addition inhibited microbial heterotrophic respiration by suppressing soil microbial biomass, but stimulated root respiration and CO2 release from litter decomposition by increasing either root biomass or microbial biomass. When litter and/or root were removed, the "priming" effect of N addition on the Rs disappeared more quickly than intact soil. This is likely to provide a point of view for why Rs varies so much in response to exogenous N and also has implications for future determination of sampling interval of Rs measurement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Wang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources and Ecosystem Processes, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
- Synthesis Research Center of Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - L Wu
- Sustainable Soils and Grassland Systems, Rothamsted Research, North Wyke, Okehampton, Devon, EX20 2SB, UK
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources and Ecosystem Processes, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources and Ecosystem Processes, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083, China.
| | - Wensheng Bu
- College of Forestry, Jiangxi Agricultural University, Nanchang, 330045, China
| | - Klaus V Gadow
- Department of Forestry and Wood Technology, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Faculty of Forestry and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, Büsgenweg 5, D-37077, Göttingen, Germany
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Morrison EW, Frey SD, Sadowsky JJ, van Diepen LT, Thomas WK, Pringle A. Chronic nitrogen additions fundamentally restructure the soil fungal community in a temperate forest. FUNGAL ECOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.funeco.2016.05.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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Yue K, Yang W, Peng C, Peng Y, Zhang C, Huang C, Tan Y, Wu F. Foliar litter decomposition in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem on the eastern Tibetan Plateau. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 566-567:279-287. [PMID: 27220105 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.05.081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Litter decomposition is a biological process fundamental to element cycling and a main nutrient source within forest meta-ecosystems, but few studies have looked into this process simultaneously in individual ecosystems, where environmental factors can vary substantially. A two-year field study conducted in an alpine forest meta-ecosystem with four litter species (i.e., willow: Salix paraplesia, azalea: Rhododendron lapponicum, cypress: Sabina saltuaria, and larch: Larix mastersiana) that varied widely in chemical traits showed that both litter species and ecosystem type (i.e., forest floor, stream and riparian zone) are important factors affecting litter decomposition, and their effects can be moderated by local-scale environmental factors such as temperature and nutrient availability. Litter decomposed fastest in the streams followed by the riparian zone and forest floor regardless of species. For a given litter species, both the k value and limit value varied significantly among ecosystems, indicating that the litter decomposition rate and extent (i.e., reaching a limit value) can be substantially affected by ecosystem type and the local-scale environmental factors. Apart from litter initial acid unhydrolyzable residue (AUR) concentration and its ratio to nitrogen concentration (i.e., AUR/N ratio), the initial nutrient concentrations of phosphorus (P), potassium (K), calcium (Ca), and magnesium (Mg) were also important litter traits that affected decomposition depending on the ecosystem type.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Yue
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; Institute of Environment Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada
| | - Wanqin Yang
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Changhui Peng
- Institute of Environment Sciences, University of Quebec at Montreal, Montreal, QC H3C 3P8, Canada; Laboratory for Ecological Forecasting and Global Change, College of Forestry, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China
| | - Yan Peng
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Chuan Zhang
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Chunping Huang
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; College of Life Science, Sichuan Normal University, Chengdu 610101, China
| | - Yu Tan
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China
| | - Fuzhong Wu
- Long-term Research Station of Alpine Forest Ecosystem, Provincial Key Laboratory of Ecological Forestry Engineering, Institute of Ecology and Forestry, Sichuan Agriculture University, Chengdu 611130, China; Collaborative Innovation Center of Ecological Security in the Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River, Chengdu 611130, China.
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Cellulose Dynamics during Foliar Litter Decomposition in an Alpine Forest Meta-Ecosystem. FORESTS 2016. [DOI: 10.3390/f7080176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Jennings KA, Guerrieri R, Vadeboncoeur MA, Asbjornsen H. Response of Quercus velutina growth and water use efficiency to climate variability and nitrogen fertilization in a temperate deciduous forest in the northeastern USA. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 36:428-443. [PMID: 26917704 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpw003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2015] [Accepted: 01/06/2016] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) deposition and changing climate patterns in the northeastern USA can influence forest productivity through effects on plant nutrient relations and water use. This study evaluates the combined effects of N fertilization, climate and rising atmospheric CO2on tree growth and ecophysiology in a temperate deciduous forest. Tree ring widths and stable carbon (δ(13)C) and oxygen (δ(18)O) isotopes were used to assess tree growth (basal area increment, BAI) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE) ofQuercus velutinaLamb., the dominant tree species in a 20+ year N fertilization experiment at Harvard Forest (MA, USA). We found that fertilized trees exhibited a pronounced and sustained growth enhancement relative to control trees, with the low- and high-N treatments responding similarly. All treatments exhibited improved iWUE over the study period (1984-2011). Intrinsic water use efficiency trends in the control trees were primarily driven by changes in stomatal conductance, while a stimulation in photosynthesis, supported by an increase in foliar %N, contributed to enhancing iWUE in fertilized trees. All treatments were predominantly influenced by growing season vapor pressure deficit (VPD), with BAI responding most strongly to early season VPD and iWUE responding most strongly to late season VPD. Nitrogen fertilization increasedQ. velutinasensitivity to July temperature and precipitation. Combined, these results suggest that ambient N deposition in N-limited northeastern US forests has enhanced tree growth over the past 30 years, while rising ambient CO2has improved iWUE, with N fertilization and CO2having synergistic effects on iWUE.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie A Jennings
- Earth Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | - Rossella Guerrieri
- Earth Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA
| | | | - Heidi Asbjornsen
- Earth Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824, USA Department of Natural Resources and the Environment and Earth Systems Research Center, University of New Hampshire, 114 James Hall, Durham, NH 03824, USA
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Hinckley ES, Bonan GB, Bowen GJ, Colman BP, Duffy PA, Goodale CL, Houlton BZ, Marín‐Spiotta E, Ogle K, Ollinger SV, Paul EA, Vitousek PM, Weathers KC, Williams DG. The soil and plant biogeochemistry sampling design for The National Ecological Observatory Network. Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Eve‐Lyn S. Hinckley
- Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research Boulder Colorado 80303 USA
- Environmental Studies Program University of Colorado Boulder Colorado 80303 USA
| | - Gordon B. Bonan
- National Center for Atmospheric Research Boulder Colorado 80307 USA
| | - Gabriel J. Bowen
- Department of Geology and Geophysics University of Utah Salt Lake City Utah 84112 USA
| | - Benjamin P. Colman
- Department of Ecosystem and Conservation Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | | | - Christine L. Goodale
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Cornell University Ithaca New York 14853 USA
| | - Benjamin Z. Houlton
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources University of California Davis California 95616 USA
| | - Erika Marín‐Spiotta
- Department of Geography University of Wisconsin‐Madison Madison Wisconsin 53706 USA
| | - Kiona Ogle
- Informatics and Computing Program Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ 86011 USA
| | - Scott V. Ollinger
- Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space University of New Hampshire Durham New Hampshire 03824 USA
| | - Eldor A. Paul
- Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory Colorado State University Fort Collins Colorado 80523 USA
| | - Peter M. Vitousek
- Department of Biology Stanford University Stanford California 94305 USA
| | | | - David G. Williams
- Department of Botany University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming 82071 USA
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Li HC, Hu YL, Mao R, Zhao Q, Zeng DH. Effects of Nitrogen Addition on Litter Decomposition and CO2 Release: Considering Changes in Litter Quantity. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0144665. [PMID: 26657180 PMCID: PMC4676631 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0144665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 11/20/2015] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
This study aims to evaluate the impacts of changes in litter quantity under simulated N deposition on litter decomposition, CO2 release, and soil C loss potential in a larch plantation in Northeast China. We conducted a laboratory incubation experiment using soil and litter collected from control and N addition (100 kg ha−1 year−1 for 10 years) plots. Different quantities of litter (0, 1, 2 and 4 g) were placed on 150 g soils collected from the same plots and incubated in microcosms for 270 days. We found that increased litter input strongly stimulated litter decomposition rate and CO2 release in both control and N fertilization microcosms, though reduced soil microbial biomass C (MBC) and dissolved inorganic N (DIN) concentration. Carbon input (C loss from litter decomposition) and carbon output (the cumulative C loss due to respiration) elevated with increasing litter input in both control and N fertilization microcosms. However, soil C loss potentials (C output–C input) reduced by 62% in control microcosms and 111% in N fertilization microcosms when litter addition increased from 1 g to 4 g, respectively. Our results indicated that increased litter input had a potential to suppress soil organic C loss especially for N addition plots.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hui-Chao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ya-Lin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Rong Mao
- Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun, China
| | - Qiong Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - De-Hui Zeng
- State Key Laboratory of Forest and Soil Ecology, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- * E-mail:
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van Diepen LTA, Frey SD, Sthultz CM, Morrison EW, Minocha R, Pringle A. Changes in litter quality caused by simulated nitrogen deposition reinforce the N-induced suppression of litter decay. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es15-00262.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Ross DS, Bailey SW, Briggs RD, Curry J, Fernandez IJ, Fredriksen G, Goodale CL, Hazlett PW, Heine PR, Johnson CE, Larson JT, Lawrence GB, Kolka RK, Ouimet R, Paré D, Richter DD, Schirmer CD, Warby RA. Inter-laboratory variation in the chemical analysis of acidic forest soil reference samples from eastern North America. Ecosphere 2015. [DOI: 10.1890/es14-00209.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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Ferretti M, Marchetto A, Arisci S, Bussotti F, Calderisi M, Carnicelli S, Cecchini G, Fabbio G, Bertini G, Matteucci G, de Cinti B, Salvati L, Pompei E. On the tracks of Nitrogen deposition effects on temperate forests at their southern European range - an observational study from Italy. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2014; 20:3423-3438. [PMID: 24729460 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
We studied forest monitoring data collected at permanent plots in Italy over the period 2000-2009 to identify the possible impact of nitrogen (N) deposition on soil chemistry, tree nutrition and growth. Average N throughfall (N-NO3 +N-NH4 ) ranged between 4 and 29 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) , with Critical Loads (CLs) for nutrient N exceeded at several sites. Evidence is consistent in pointing out effects of N deposition on soil and tree nutrition: topsoil exchangeable base cations (BCE) and pH decreased with increasing N deposition, and foliar nutrient N ratios (especially N : P and N : K) increased. Comparison between bulk openfield and throughfall data suggested possible canopy uptake of N, levelling out for bulk deposition >4-6 kg ha(-1) yr(-1) . Partial Least Square (PLS) regression revealed that - although stand and meteorological variables explained the largest portion of variance in relative basal area increment (BAIrel 2000-2009) - N-related predictors (topsoil BCE, C : N, pH; foliar N-ratios; N deposition) nearly always improved the BAIrel model in terms of variance explained (from 78.2 to 93.5%) and error (from 2.98 to 1.50%). N deposition was the strongest predictor even when stand, management and atmosphere-related variables (meteorology and tropospheric ozone) were accounted for. The maximal annual response of BAIrel was estimated at 0.074-0.085% for every additional kgN. This corresponds to an annual maximal relative increase of 0.13-0.14% of carbon sequestered in the above-ground woody biomass for every additional kgN, i.e. a median value of 159 kgC per kgN ha(-1) yr(-1) (range: 50-504 kgC per kgN, depending on the site). Positive growth response occurred also at sites where signals of possible, perhaps recent N saturation were detected. This may suggest a time lag for detrimental N effects, but also that, under continuous high N input, the reported positive growth response may be not sustainable in the long-term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Ferretti
- TerraData environmetrics, Via L. Bardelloni 19, Monterotondo Marittimo, I-58025, Italy; Dipartimento di Biotecnologie Agrarie, Sezione di Botanica Ambientale ed Applicata, Università di Firenze, Piazzale Cascine 28, Firenze, I-50144, Italy
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McLauchlan KK, Craine JM, Nippert JB, Ocheltree TW. Lack of eutrophication in a tallgrass prairie ecosystem over 27 years. Ecology 2014; 95:1225-35. [PMID: 25000754 DOI: 10.1890/13-1068.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Many North American grasslands are receiving atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition at rates above what are considered critical eutrophication thresholds. Yet, potential changes in grassland function due to anthropogenic N deposition are poorly resolved, especially considering that other dynamic factors such as land use and precipitation can also affect N availability. To better understand whether elevated N deposition has altered ecosystem structure or function in North American grasslands, we analyzed a 27-year record of ecophysiological, community, and ecosystem metrics for an annually burned Kansas tallgrass prairie. Over this time, despite increasing rates of N deposition that are within the range of critical loads for grasslands, there was no evidence of eutrophication. Plant N concentrations did not increase, soil moisture did not decline, forb diversity did not decline, and the relative abundance of dominant grasses did not shift toward more eutrophic species. Neither aboveground primary productivity nor N availability to plants increased. The fates of deposited N in grasslands are still uncertain, and could include management losses through burning and grazing. However, evidence from this grassland indicates that eutrophication of North American grassland ecosystems is not an inevitable consequence of current levels of N deposition.
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Abstract
The Catskills forest provides a valuable array of ecosystem services for local and regional populations, including the provision of forest products, wildlife habitats, and high-quality water. These services depend on chemical and biological processes that occur in forest soils. In 2011, we sampled soils in 25 headwater catchments in the Catskills region to quantify the pools of soil nutrients and examine the variation in soil properties in the region. The average soil depth in the 50 excavated pits was 56.6 cm. Average soil mass was 205 kg/m(2). The pools of soil carbon and nitrogen averaged 58.5 and 3.95 Mg/ha, respectively. The thin organic horizons accounted for less than 1% of soil mass, but included 14% of the soil carbon and 11% of soil nitrogen. Catskills forest soils are highly acidic, with mean pH ranging between 3.9 and 4.75. Base saturation was high (>60%) in organic horizons and low (12-31%) in mineral soils. The pool of exchangeable calcium is approximately equivalent to 20 years of calcium export from headwater streams, raising concerns regarding the ability of these catchments to maintain current stream calcium concentrations. The data and samples collected in this study provide a baseline for future soil monitoring in the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris E Johnson
- Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York
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47
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Lovett GM, Arthur MA, Weathers KC, Griffin JM. Effects of introduced insects and diseases on forest ecosystems in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2013; 1298:66-77. [PMID: 23844706 DOI: 10.1111/nyas.12215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gary M. Lovett
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies; Millbrook; New York
| | - Mary A. Arthur
- Department of Forestry; University of Kentucky; Lexington; Kentucky
| | | | - Jacob M. Griffin
- Biological Sciences Department; Edgewood College; Madison; Wisconsin
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