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Langley JA, Wang L, Yedman B, Megonigal JP. Rising plant demand strengthens nitrogen limitation in tidal marsh. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17342. [PMID: 38804198 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17342] [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: 01/03/2024] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) is a limiting nutrient for primary productivity in most terrestrial ecosystems, but whether N limitation is strengthening or weakening remains controversial because both N sources and sinks are increasing in magnitude globally. Temperate marshes are exposed to greater amounts of external N inputs than most terrestrial ecosystems and more than in preindustrial times owing to their position downstream of major sources of human-derived N runoff along river mouths and estuaries. Simultaneously, ecosystem N demand may also be increasing owing to other global changes such as rising atmospheric [CO2]. Here, we used interannual variability in external drivers and variables related to exogenous supply of N, along with detailed assessments of plant growth and porewater biogeochemistry, to assess the severity of N-limitation, and to determine its causes, in a 14-year N-addition × elevated CO2 experiment. We found substantial interannual variability in porewater [N], plant growth, and experimental N effects on plant growth, but the magnitude of N pools through time varied independently of the strength of N limitation. Sea level, and secondarily salinity, related closely to interannual variability in growth of the dominant plant functional groups which drove patterns in N limitation and in porewater [N]. Experimental exposure of plants to elevated CO2 and years with high flooding strengthened N limitation for the sedge. Abiotic variables controlled plant growth, which determined the strength of N limitation for each plant species and for ecosystem productivity as a whole. We conclude that in this ecosystem, which has an open N cycle and where N inputs are likely greater than in preindustrial times, plant N demand has increased more than supply.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Langley
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - L Wang
- Department of Mathematics, Statistics and Data Science, Loyola Marymount University, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - B Yedman
- Department of Biology and Center for Biodiversity & Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - J P Megonigal
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, Maryland, USA
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2
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Vahsen ML, Kleiner HS, Kodak H, Summers JL, Vahsen WL, Blum MJ, Megonigal JP, McLachlan JS. Complex eco-evolutionary responses of a foundational coastal marsh plant to global change. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:2121-2136. [PMID: 37452486 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19117] [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: 11/30/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Predicting the fate of coastal marshes requires understanding how plants respond to rapid environmental change. Environmental change can elicit shifts in trait variation attributable to phenotypic plasticity and act as selective agents to shift trait means, resulting in rapid evolution. Comparably, less is known about the potential for responses to reflect the evolution of trait plasticity. Here, we assessed the relative magnitude of eco-evolutionary responses to interacting global change factors using a multifactorial experiment. We exposed replicates of 32 Schoenoplectus americanus genotypes 'resurrected' from century-long, soil-stored seed banks to ambient or elevated CO2 , varying levels of inundation, and the presence of a competing marsh grass, across two sites with different salinities. Comparisons of responses to global change factors among age cohorts and across provenances indicated that plasticity has evolved in five of the seven traits measured. Accounting for evolutionary factors (i.e. evolution and sources of heritable variation) in statistical models explained an additional 9-31% of trait variation. Our findings indicate that evolutionary factors mediate ecological responses to environmental change. The magnitude of evolutionary change in plant traits over the last century suggests that evolution could play a role in pacing future ecosystem response to environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L Vahsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Helena S Kleiner
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Haley Kodak
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
| | - Jennifer L Summers
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - Wendy L Vahsen
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
| | - Michael J Blum
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee Knoxville, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | | | - Jason S McLachlan
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, 46556, USA
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3
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Fang C, Verbrigghe N, Sigurdsson BD, Ostonen I, Leblans NIW, Marañón-Jiménez S, Fuchslueger L, Sigurðsson P, Meeran K, Portillo-Estrada M, Verbruggen E, Richter A, Sardans J, Peñuelas J, Bahn M, Vicca S, Janssens IA. Decadal soil warming decreased vascular plant above and belowground production in a subarctic grassland by inducing nitrogen limitation. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:565-576. [PMID: 37545200 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19177] [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: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Below and aboveground vegetation dynamics are crucial in understanding how climate warming may affect terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling. In contrast to aboveground biomass, the response of belowground biomass to long-term warming has been poorly studied. Here, we characterized the impacts of decadal geothermal warming at two levels (on average +3.3°C and +7.9°C) on below and aboveground plant biomass stocks and production in a subarctic grassland. Soil warming did not change standing root biomass and even decreased fine root production and reduced aboveground biomass and production. Decadal soil warming also did not significantly alter the root-shoot ratio. The linear stepwise regression model suggested that following 10 yr of soil warming, temperature was no longer the direct driver of these responses, but losses of soil N were. Soil N losses, due to warming-induced decreases in organic matter and water retention capacity, were identified as key driver of the decreased above and belowground production. The reduction in fine root production was accompanied by thinner roots with increased specific root area. These results indicate that after a decade of soil warming, plant productivity in the studied subarctic grassland was affected by soil warming mainly by the reduction in soil N.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chao Fang
- Research Center for Global Changes and Ecosystem Carbon Sequestration & Mitigation, School of Applied Meteorology, Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology, Nanjing, 210044, China
- PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Niel Verbrigghe
- Flanders Research Institute for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Caritasstraat 39, Melle, 9090, Belgium
| | | | - Ivika Ostonen
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, 51003, Estonia
| | - Niki I W Leblans
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Umeå University, Umeå, 90333, Sweden
| | - Sara Marañón-Jiménez
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain
| | - Lucia Fuchslueger
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Páll Sigurðsson
- Agricultural University of Iceland, Hvanneyri, Borgarnes, IS-311, Iceland
| | - Kathiravan Meeran
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Miguel Portillo-Estrada
- PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Erik Verbruggen
- PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Andreas Richter
- Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, University of Vienna, Djerassiplatz 1, 1030, Vienna, Austria
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Barcelona, 08193, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Michael Bahn
- Department of Ecology, University of Innsbruck, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Sara Vicca
- PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
| | - Ivan A Janssens
- PLECO (Plants and Ecosystems), Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, Wilrijk, 2610, Belgium
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4
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Wei S, Chu X, Sun B, Yuan W, Song W, Zhao M, Wang X, Li P, Han G. Climate warming negatively affects plant water-use efficiency in a seasonal hydroperiod wetland. WATER RESEARCH 2023; 242:120246. [PMID: 37348421 DOI: 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120246] [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: 04/21/2023] [Revised: 06/12/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming has substantial influences on plant water-use efficiency (PWUE), which is defined as the ratio of plant CO2 uptake to water loss and is central to the cycles of carbon and water in ecosystems. However, it remains uncertain how does climate warming affect PWUE in wetland ecosystems, especially those with seasonally alternating water availability during the growing season. In this study, we used a continuous 10-year (2011-2020) eddy covariance (EC) dataset from a seasonal hydroperiod wetland coupled with a 15-year (2003-2017) satellite-based dataset (called PML-V2) and an in situ warming experiment to examine the climate warming impacts on wetland PWUE. The 10-year EC observational results revealed that rising temperatures had significant negative impacts on the interannual variations in wetland PWUE, and increased transpiration (Et) rather than changes in gross primary productivity (GPP) dominated these negative impacts. Furthermore, the 15-year satellite-based evidence confirmed that, in the study region, climate warming had significant negative consequences for the interannual variations in wetland PWUE by enhancing wetland Et. Lastly, at the leaf-scale, the light response curves of leaf photosynthesis, leaf Et, and leaf-scale PWUE indicated that wetland plants need to consume more water during the photosynthesis process under warmer conditions. These findings provide a fresh perspective on how climate warming influences carbon and water cycles in wetland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyu Wei
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, China; Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaojing Chu
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, China; Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China
| | - Baoyu Sun
- Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Biodiversity Science and Ecological Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai, China
| | - Wenping Yuan
- School of Atmospheric Sciences, Guangdong Province Key Laboratory for Climate Change and Natural Disaster Studies, Zhuhai Key Laboratory of Dynamics Urban Climate and Ecology, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China; Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
| | - Weimin Song
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, China; Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China
| | - Mingliang Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, China; Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China
| | - Xiaojie Wang
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, China; Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China
| | - Peiguang Li
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, China; Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China
| | - Guangxuan Han
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, Shandong, China; Yellow River Delta Field Observation and Research Station of Coastal Wetland Ecosystem, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Dongying, Shandong, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.
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5
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Arnaud M, Krause S, Norby RJ, Dang TH, Acil N, Kettridge N, Gauci V, Ullah S. Global mangrove root production, its controls and roles in the blue carbon budget of mangroves. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3256-3270. [PMID: 36994691 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Mangroves are among the most carbon-dense ecosystems worldwide. Most of the carbon in mangroves is found belowground, and root production might be an important control of carbon accumulation, but has been rarely quantified and understood at the global scale. Here, we determined the global mangrove root production rate and its controls using a systematic review and a recently formalised, spatially explicit mangrove typology framework based on geomorphological settings. We found that global mangrove root production averaged ~770 ± 202 g of dry biomass m-2 year-1 globally, which is much higher than previously reported and close to the root production of the most productive tropical forests. Geomorphological settings exerted marked control over root production together with air temperature and precipitation (r2 ≈ 30%, p < .001). Our review shows that individual global changes (e.g. warming, eutrophication, drought) have antagonist effects on root production, but they have rarely been studied in combination. Based on this newly established root production rate, root-derived carbon might account for most of the total carbon buried in mangroves, and 19 Tg C lost in mangroves each year (e.g. as CO2 ). Inclusion of root production measurements in understudied geomorphological settings (i.e. deltas), regions (Indonesia, South America and Africa) and soil depth (>40 cm), as well as the creation of a mangrove root trait database will push forward our understanding of the global mangrove carbon cycle for now and the future. Overall, this review presents a comprehensive analysis of root production in mangroves, and highlights the central role of root production in the global mangrove carbon budget.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie Arnaud
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Birmingham, UK
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Paris (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Stefan Krause
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Birmingham, UK
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR5023, Ecologie des Hydrosystèmes Naturels et Anthropisés (LEHNA), Villeurbanne, France
| | - Richard J Norby
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Birmingham, UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Tennessee, Knoxville, USA
| | - Thuong Huyen Dang
- Faculty of Geology and Petroleum Engineering, University of Technology, Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City (VNU-HCM), Vietnam
| | - Nezha Acil
- Institute for Environmental Futures, School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Space Park Leicester, Leicester, UK
- National Centre for Earth Observation, University of Leicester, Space Park Leicester, Leicester, UK
| | - Nicholas Kettridge
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Birmingham, UK
| | - Vincent Gauci
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Birmingham, UK
| | - Sami Ullah
- School of Geography, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of Birmingham, and Birmingham Institute of Forest Research, Birmingham, UK
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6
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Climate-driven tradeoffs between landscape connectivity and the maintenance of the coastal carbon sink. Nat Commun 2023; 14:1137. [PMID: 36914625 PMCID: PMC10011419 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-36803-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/15/2023] [Indexed: 03/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecosystem connectivity tends to increase the resilience and function of ecosystems responding to stressors. Coastal ecosystems sequester disproportionately large amounts of carbon, but rapid exchange of water, nutrients, and sediment makes them vulnerable to sea level rise and coastal erosion. Individual components of the coastal landscape (i.e., marsh, forest, bay) have contrasting responses to sea level rise, making it difficult to forecast the response of the integrated coastal carbon sink. Here we couple a spatially-explicit geomorphic model with a point-based carbon accumulation model, and show that landscape connectivity, in-situ carbon accumulation rates, and the size of the landscape-scale coastal carbon stock all peak at intermediate sea level rise rates despite divergent responses of individual components. Progressive loss of forest biomass under increasing sea level rise leads to a shift from a system dominated by forest biomass carbon towards one dominated by marsh soil carbon that is maintained by substantial recycling of organic carbon between marshes and bays. These results suggest that climate change strengthens connectivity between adjacent coastal ecosystems, but with tradeoffs that include a shift towards more labile carbon, smaller marsh and forest extents, and the accumulation of carbon in portions of the landscape more vulnerable to sea level rise and erosion.
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7
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Wang L, Zheng J, Wang G, Dang QL. Combined effects of elevated CO2 and warmer temperature on limitations to photosynthesis and carbon sequestration in yellow birch. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 43:379-389. [PMID: 36322135 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpac128] [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: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 09/30/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Elevated CO2 and warmer temperature occur simultaneously under the current climate change. However, their combined effects on the photosynthetic traits in boreal trees are not well understood. This study investigated the morphological and photosynthetic responses of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) to a combined treatment of CO2 and temperature (ambient, ACT (400 μmol mol-1 CO2 and current temperature) vs elevated, ECT (750 μmol mol-1 CO2 and current +4 °C temperature)). It was found that ECT significantly reduced leaf-area based photosynthetic rate (An), maximum Rubisco carboxylation rate (Vcmax), photosynthetic electron transport rate (Jmax), leaf nitrogen concentration, respiration and mesophyll conductance. There were two interesting findings: first, the primary mechanism of photosynthetic limitation shifted from Ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate (RuBP) carboxylation (related to Vcmax) to RuBP regeneration (related to Jmax) in response to ECT, leading to decreased transition point (Ci-t and An-t) from RuBP carboxylation to regeneration; second, the increase in total leaf area in response to ECT more than compensated for the downregulation of leaf-area based photosynthesis, leading to greater biomass in ECT than in ACT. We proposed a new protocol for evaluating photosynthetic limitations by comparing the relative relationship between the transition point (Ci-t and An-t) and the photosynthetic rate at growth CO2 (Ci-g and An-g). Furthermore, we found that Jmax (RuBP regeneration) was the primary limitation to An under ECT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wang
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada
- Department of Biotechnology, College of Biotechnology, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu 212003, China
| | - Jinping Zheng
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada
- Forestry College, Beihua University, 3999 Binjiang East Road, Jilin, Jilin 132013, China
| | - Gerong Wang
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada
- Forestry College, Beihua University, 3999 Binjiang East Road, Jilin, Jilin 132013, China
| | - Qing-Lai Dang
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario P7B 5E1, Canada
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8
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Mozdzer TJ, McCormick MK, Slette IJ, Blum MJ, Megonigal JP. Rapid evolution of a coastal marsh ecosystem engineer in response to global change. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:157846. [PMID: 35948126 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 07/15/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that global change can alter ecosystems by eliciting rapid evolution of foundational plants capable of shaping vital attributes and processes. Here we describe results of a field-scale exposure experiment and multilocus assays illustrating that elevated CO2 (eCO2) and nitrogen (N) enrichment can result in rapid shifts in genetic and genotypic variation in Phragmites australis, an ecologically dominant plant that acts as an ecosystem engineer in coastal marshes worldwide. Compared to control treatments, genotypic diversity declined over three years of exposure, especially to N enrichment. The magnitude of loss also increased over time under conditions of N enrichment. Comparisons of genotype frequencies revealed that proportional abundances shifted with exposure to eCO2 and N in a manner consistent with expected responses to selection. Comparisons also revealed evidence of tradeoffs that constrained exposure responses, where any particular genotype responded favorably to one factor rather than to different factors or to combinations of factors. These findings challenge the prevailing view that plant-mediated ecosystem outcomes of global change are governed primarily by differences in species responses to shifting environmental pressures and highlight the value of accounting for organismal evolution in predictive models to improve forecasts of ecosystem responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Mozdzer
- Bryn Mawr College, Department of Biology, 101 N. Merion Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, United States of America; Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 21037, United States of America.
| | - Melissa K McCormick
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 21037, United States of America.
| | - Ingrid J Slette
- Colorado State University, Department of Biology and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, 251 W Pitkin St, Fort Collins, CO 80523, United States of America
| | - Michael J Blum
- University of Tennessee, Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, 1416 Circle Dr, Knoxville, TN 37996, United States of America.
| | - J Patrick Megonigal
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, 647 Contees Wharf Rd., Edgewater, MD 21037, United States of America.
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9
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Liu Y, Men M, Peng Z, Houx JH, Peng Y. Nitrogen availability determines ecosystem productivity in response to climate warming. Ecology 2022; 103:e3823. [PMID: 35857189 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
One of the major uncertainties for carbon-climate feedback predictions is an inadequate understanding of the mechanisms governing variations in ecosystem productivity response to warming. Temperature and water availability are regarded as the primary controls over the direction and magnitude of warming effects, but some unexplained results signal that our understanding is incomplete. Using two complementary meta-analyses, we present evidence that soil nitrogen (N) availability drives the warming effects on ecosystem productivity more strongly than thermal and hydrological factors over a broad geographical scale. First, by synthesizing temperature manipulation experiments, meta-regression model analysis showed that the warming effect on productivity is mainly driven by its effect on soil N availability. Sites with higher warming-induced increase in N availability were characterized by stronger productivity enhancement and vice versa, suggesting that N is a limiting factor across sites. Second, a synthesis of full-factorial warming×N addition experiments demonstrated that N addition significantly weakened the positive warming effect, because the additional N induced by warming may not further benefit plant growth when N limitation is relieved, providing experimental evidence that N regulates the warming effect. Further, we demonstrated that warming effects on soil N availability were modulated by changes in dissolved organic N and soil microbes. Overall, our findings enrich a new mechanistic understanding of the varying magnitudes of observed productivity response to warming, and the N scaling of warming effects may help constrain climate projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yang Liu
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences/Key Laboratory of Farmland Eco-Environment of Hebei, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China.,State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Mingxin Men
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences/Key Laboratory of Farmland Eco-Environment of Hebei, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - Zhengping Peng
- College of Resources and Environmental Sciences/Key Laboratory of Farmland Eco-Environment of Hebei, Hebei Agricultural University, Baoding, China
| | - James H Houx
- Agriculture Research and Technology, National Crop Insurance Services, Overland Park, KS, USA
| | - Yunfeng Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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Lumibao CY, Torres Martínez L, Megonigal JP, Van Bael SA, Blum MJ. Microbial mediation of salinity stress response varies by plant genotype and provenance over time. Mol Ecol 2022; 31:4571-4585. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.16603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Candice Y. Lumibao
- University of Tennessee Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Knoxville TN USA
- Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi, Department of Life Sciences Corpus Christi Texas USA
| | | | | | - Sunshine A. Van Bael
- Tulane University Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology New Orleans LA USA
| | - Michael J. Blum
- University of Tennessee Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology Knoxville TN USA
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11
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Stagg CL, Laurenzano C, Vervaeke WC, Krauss KW, McKee KL. Presence of the Herbaceous Marsh Species Schoenoplectus americanus Enhances Surface Elevation Gain in Transitional Coastal Wetland Communities Exposed to Elevated CO2 and Sediment Deposition Events. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11091259. [PMID: 35567260 PMCID: PMC9102553 DOI: 10.3390/plants11091259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Coastal wetlands are dynamic ecosystems that exist along a landscape continuum that can range from freshwater forested wetlands to tidal marsh to mudflat communities. Climate-driven stressors, such as sea-level rise, can cause shifts among these communities, resulting in changes to ecological functions and services. While a growing body of research has characterized the landscape-scale impacts of individual climate-driven stressors, little is known about how multiple stressors and their potential interactions will affect ecological functioning of these ecosystems. How will coastal wetlands respond to discrete climate disturbances, such as hurricane sediment deposition events, under future conditions of elevated atmospheric CO2? Will these responses vary among the different wetland communities? We conducted experimental greenhouse manipulations to simulate sediment deposition from a land-falling hurricane under future elevated atmospheric CO2 concentrations (720 ppm CO2). We measured responses of net primary production, decomposition, and elevation change in mesocosms representing four communities along a coastal wetland landscape gradient: freshwater forested wetland, forest/marsh mix, marsh, and mudflat. When Schoenoplectus americanus was present, above- and belowground biomass production was highest, decomposition rates were lowest, and wetland elevation gain was greatest, regardless of CO2 and sediment deposition treatments. Sediment addition initially increased elevation capital in all communities, but post-deposition rates of elevation gain were lower than in mesocosms without added sediment. Together these results indicate that encroachment of oligohaline marshes into freshwater forested wetlands can enhance belowground biomass accumulation and resilience to sea-level rise, and these plant-mediated ecosystem services will be augmented by periodic sediment pulses from storms and restoration efforts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille LaFosse Stagg
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA; (W.C.V.); (K.W.K.); (K.L.M.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Claudia Laurenzano
- Cherokee Nation System Solutions, Contractor to the U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA;
| | - William C. Vervaeke
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA; (W.C.V.); (K.W.K.); (K.L.M.)
| | - Ken W. Krauss
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA; (W.C.V.); (K.W.K.); (K.L.M.)
| | - Karen L. McKee
- U.S. Geological Survey, Wetland and Aquatic Research Center, Lafayette, LA 70506, USA; (W.C.V.); (K.W.K.); (K.L.M.)
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12
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Smith AJ, Noyce GL, Megonigal JP, Guntenspergen GR, Kirwan ML. Temperature optimum for marsh resilience and carbon accumulation revealed in a whole-ecosystem warming experiment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:3236-3245. [PMID: 35239211 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2021] [Revised: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 02/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Coastal marshes are globally important, carbon dense ecosystems simultaneously maintained and threatened by sea-level rise. Warming temperatures may increase wetland plant productivity and organic matter accumulation, but temperature-modulated feedbacks between productivity and decomposition make it difficult to assess how wetlands and their thick, organic-rich soils will respond to climate warming. Here, we actively increased aboveground plant-surface and belowground soil temperatures in two marsh plant communities, and found that a moderate amount of warming (1.7°C above ambient temperatures) consistently maximized root growth, marsh elevation gain, and belowground carbon accumulation. Marsh elevation loss observed at higher temperatures was associated with increased carbon mineralization and increased microtopographic heterogeneity, a potential early warning signal of marsh drowning. Maximized elevation and belowground carbon accumulation for moderate warming scenarios uniquely suggest linkages between metabolic theory of individuals and landscape-scale ecosystem resilience and function, but our work indicates nonpermanent benefits as global temperatures continue to rise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander J Smith
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
| | | | | | | | - Matthew L Kirwan
- Virginia Institute of Marine Science, William & Mary, Gloucester Point, Virginia, USA
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13
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Meng B, Li J, Yao Y, Nippert JB, Williams DG, Chai H, Collins SL, Sun W. Soil N enrichment mediates carbon allocation through respiration in a dominant grass during drought. Funct Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.14033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bo Meng
- Institute of Grassland Science Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun 130024 China
- Institute of Ecology College of Urban and Environmental Science Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education Peking University Beijing 100871 China
| | - Junqin Li
- Institute of Grassland Science Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun 130024 China
| | - Yuan Yao
- Institute of Grassland Science Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun 130024 China
| | - Jesse B. Nippert
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS 66506 USA
| | | | - Hua Chai
- Institute of Grassland Science Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun 130024 China
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of Biology University of New Mexico Albuquerque NM 87131 USA
| | - Wei Sun
- Institute of Grassland Science Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station Northeast Normal University Changchun 130024 China
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14
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Sun B, Jiang M, Han G, Zhang L, Zhou J, Bian C, Du Y, Yan L, Xia J. Experimental warming reduces ecosystem resistance and resilience to severe flooding in a wetland. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabl9526. [PMID: 35080980 PMCID: PMC8791607 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abl9526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming and extreme hydrological events are threatening the sustainability of wetlands across the globe. However, whether climate warming will amplify or diminish the impact of extreme flooding on wetland ecosystems is unknown. Here, we show that climate warming significantly reduced wetland resistance and resilience to a severe flooding event via a 6-year warming experiment. We first found that warming rapidly altered plant community structure by increasing the dominance of low-canopy species. Then, we showed that warming reduced the resistance and resilience of vegetation productivity to a 72-cm flooding event. Last, we detected slower postflooding carbon processes, such as gross ecosystem productivity, soil respiration, and soil methane emission, under the warming treatment. Our results demonstrate how severe flooding can destabilize wetland vegetation structure and ecosystem function under climate warming. These findings indicate an enhanced footprint of extreme hydrological events in wetland ecosystems in a warmer climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoyu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264000, China
| | - Ming Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Guangxuan Han
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100000, China
| | - Liwen Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai 264000, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100000, China
| | - Jian Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
- Research Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Chenyu Bian
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
- Research Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Ying Du
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
- Research Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Liming Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
- Research Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
| | - Jianyang Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
- Research Center for Global Change and Complex Ecosystems, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200000, China
- Corresponding author.
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15
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Vahsen ML, Gentile RM, Summers JL, Kleiner HS, Foster B, McCormack RM, James EW, Koch RA, Metts DL, Saunders C, Megonigal JP, Blum MJ, McLachlan JS. Accounting for variability when resurrecting dormant propagules substantiates their use in eco-evolutionary studies. Evol Appl 2021; 14:2831-2847. [PMID: 34950232 PMCID: PMC8674891 DOI: 10.1111/eva.13316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been a steady rise in the use of dormant propagules to study biotic responses to environmental change over time. This is particularly important for organisms that strongly mediate ecosystem processes, as changes in their traits over time can provide a unique snapshot into the structure and function of ecosystems from decades to millennia in the past. Understanding sources of bias and variation is a challenge in the field of resurrection ecology, including those that arise because often-used measurements like seed germination success are imperfect indicators of propagule viability. Using a Bayesian statistical framework, we evaluated sources of variability and tested for zero-inflation and overdispersion in data from 13 germination trials of soil-stored seeds of Schoenoplectus americanus, an ecosystem engineer in coastal salt marshes in the Chesapeake Bay. We hypothesized that these two model structures align with an ecological understanding of dormancy and revival: zero-inflation could arise due to failed germinations resulting from inviability or failed attempts to break dormancy, and overdispersion could arise by failing to measure important seed traits. A model that accounted for overdispersion, but not zero-inflation, was the best fit to our data. Tetrazolium viability tests corroborated this result: most seeds that failed to germinate did so because they were inviable, not because experimental methods failed to break their dormancy. Seed viability declined exponentially with seed age and was mediated by seed provenance and experimental conditions. Our results provide a framework for accounting for and explaining variability when estimating propagule viability from soil-stored natural archives which is a key aspect of using dormant propagules in eco-evolutionary studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L. Vahsen
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Rachel M. Gentile
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Jennifer L. Summers
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Helena S. Kleiner
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research CenterEdgewaterMarylandUSA
| | - Benjamin Foster
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Regina M. McCormack
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Evan W. James
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Rachel A. Koch
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
| | - Dailee L. Metts
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Colin Saunders
- Southeast Environmental Research CenterFlorida International UniversityMiamiFloridaUSA
| | | | - Michael J. Blum
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
| | - Jason S. McLachlan
- Department of Biological SciencesUniversity of Notre DameNotre DameIndianaUSA
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16
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Perkowski EA, Waring EF, Smith NG. Root mass carbon costs to acquire nitrogen are determined by nitrogen and light availability in two species with different nitrogen acquisition strategies. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2021; 72:5766-5776. [PMID: 34114621 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erab253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/10/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Plant nitrogen acquisition requires carbon to be allocated belowground to build roots and sustain microbial associations. This carbon cost to acquire nitrogen varies by nitrogen acquisition strategy; however, the degree to which these costs vary due to nitrogen availability or demand has not been well tested under controlled conditions. We grew a species capable of forming associations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria (Glycine max) and a species not capable of forming such associations (Gossypium hirsutum) under four soil nitrogen levels to manipulate nitrogen availability and four light levels to manipulate nitrogen demand in a full-factorial greenhouse experiment. We quantified carbon costs to acquire nitrogen as the ratio of total root carbon to whole-plant nitrogen within each treatment combination. In both species, light availability increased carbon costs due to a larger increase in root carbon than whole-plant nitrogen, while nitrogen fertilization generally decreased carbon costs due to a larger increase in whole-plant nitrogen than root carbon. Nodulation data indicated that G. max shifted relative carbon allocation from nitrogen fixation to direct uptake with increased nitrogen fertilization. These findings suggest that carbon costs to acquire nitrogen are modified by changes in light and nitrogen availability in species with and without associations with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evan A Perkowski
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
| | - Elizabeth F Waring
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, Northeastern State University, Tahlequah, OK, USA
| | - Nicholas G Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
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17
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Lie Z, Huang W, Liu X, Zhou G, Yan J, Li Y, Huang C, Wu T, Fang X, Zhao M, Liu S, Chu G, Kadowaki K, Pan X, Liu J. Warming leads to more closed nitrogen cycling in nitrogen-rich tropical forests. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:664-674. [PMID: 33140554 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Warming may have profound effects on nitrogen (N) cycling by changing plant N demand and underground N supply. However, large uncertainty exists regarding how warming affects the integrated N dynamic in tropical forests. We translocated model plant-soil ecosystems from a high-altitude site (600 m) to low-altitude sites at 300 and 30 m to simulate warming by 1.0°C and 2.1°C, respectively, in tropical China. The effects of experimental warming on N components in plant, soil, leaching, and gas were studied over 6 years. Our results showed that foliar δ15 N values and inorganic N (NH4 -N and NO3 -N) leaching were decreased under warming, with greater decreases under 2.1°C of warming than under 1.0°C of warming. The 2.1°C of warming enhanced plant growth, plant N uptake, N resorption, and fine root biomass, suggesting higher plant N demand. Soil total N concentrations, NO3 -N concentrations, microbial biomass N and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal abundance were decreased under 2.1°C of warming, which probably restricted bioavailable N supply and arbuscular mycorrhizal contribution of N supply to plants. These changes in plants, soils and leaching indicated more closed N cycling under warming, the magnitude of which varied over time. The closed N cycling became pronounced during the first 3 years of warming where the sustained reductions in soil inorganic N could not meet plant N demand. Subsequently, the closed N cycling gradually mitigated, as observed by attenuated positive responses of plant growth and less negative responses of microbial biomass N to warming during the last 3 years. Overall, the more closed N cycling under warming could facilitate ecosystem N retention and affect production in these tropical forests, but these effects would be eventually mitigated with long-term warming probably due to the restricted plant growth and microbial acclimation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhiyang Lie
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Wenjuan Huang
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA
| | - Xujun Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Guoyi Zhou
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Junhua Yan
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yuelin Li
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Chumin Huang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Wu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiong Fang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengdi Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shizhong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Guowei Chu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Kohmei Kadowaki
- Field Science Education and Research Center, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Xiaoping Pan
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Juxiu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- Center of Plant Ecology, Core Botanical Gardens, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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18
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Mozdzer TJ, Watson EB, Orem WH, Swarzenski CM, Turner RE. Unraveling the Gordian Knot: Eight testable hypotheses on the effects of nutrient enrichment on tidal wetland sustainability. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2020; 743:140420. [PMID: 32758808 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2020] [Revised: 06/18/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The position of tidal wetlands at the land-sea interface makes them especially vulnerable to the effects of nutrient discharges and sea level rise (SLR). Experimental studies of coastal wetland nutrient additions report conflicting results among and within habitats, highlighting the importance of site-specific factors, and how spatial and temporal scaling modulates responses. This suite of influences as SLR accelerates creates a "Gordian Knot" that may compromise coastal habitat integrity. We present eight testable hypotheses here to loosen this knot by identifying critical modulators about nutrient form, soil type and porosity, physiochemical gradients, and eco-evolutionary responses that may control the impacts of nutrient enrichment on coastal wetland sustainability: (1) the delivery and form of the nutrient shapes the ecosystem response; (2) soil type mediates the effects of nutrient enrichment on marshes; (3) belowground responses cannot be solely explained by phenotypic responses; (4) shifting zones of redox and salinity gradients modulate nutrient enrichment impacts; (5) eco-evolutionary processes can drive responses to nutrient availability; (6) nutrient enrichment leads to multiple changed ecosystem states; (7) biogeography trumps a plant's plastic responses to nutrient enrichment; and, (8) nutrient-enhanced wetlands are more susceptible to additional (and anticipated) anthropogenic changes. They provide a framework to investigate and integrate the urgently needed research to understand how excess nutrients threaten the sustainability of coastal wetlands, and wetlands in general. While there is no single 'right way' to test these hypotheses, including a combination of complex and simple, highly-replicated experiments is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas J Mozdzer
- Department of Biology, Bryn Mawr College, 101 N Merion Ave, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Burke Watson
- Department of Biodiversity, Earth & Environmental Sciences, Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA
| | - William H Orem
- U.S. Geological Survey, 12201 Sunrise Valley Drive, Mail Stop 956, Reston, VA 20192-0002, USA.
| | - Christopher M Swarzenski
- U.S. Geological Survey, Lower Mississippi-Gulf Water Science Center, 3535 S. Sherwood Forest Blvd., Baton Rouge, LA 70816, USA.
| | - R Eugene Turner
- Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA.
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19
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Sun B, Yan L, Jiang M, Li X, Han G, Xia J. Reduced magnitude and shifted seasonality of CO 2 sink by experimental warming in a coastal wetland. Ecology 2020; 102:e03236. [PMID: 33098567 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3236] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Coastal wetlands have the highest carbon sequestration rate per unit area among all unmanaged natural ecosystems. However, how the magnitude and seasonality of the CO2 sink in coastal wetlands will respond to future climate warming remains unclear. Here, based on measurements of ecosystem CO2 fluxes in a field experiment in the Yellow River Delta, we found that experimental warming (i.e., a 2.4°C increase in soil temperature) reduced net ecosystem productivity (NEP) by 23.7% across two growing seasons of 2017-2018. Such a reduction in NEP resulted from the greater decrease in gross primary productivity (GPP) than ecosystem respiration (ER) under warming. The negative warming effect on NEP mainly occurred in summer (-43.9%) but not in autumn (+61.3%), leading to a shifted NEP seasonality under warming. Further analyses showed that the warming effects on ecosystem CO2 exchange were mainly controlled by soil salinity and its corresponding impacts on species composition. For example, warming increased soil salinity (+35.0%), reduced total aboveground biomass (-9.9%), and benefited the growth of plant species with high salt tolerance and late peak growth. To the best of our knowledge, this study provides the first experimental evidence on the reduced magnitude and shifted seasonality of CO2 exchange under climate warming in coastal wetlands. These findings underscore the high vulnerability of wetland CO2 sink in coastal regions under future climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baoyu Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200000, China.,Joint Translational Science and Technology Research Institute, East China Normal University and Haifa University, Shanghai, 200000, China.,Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264000, China
| | - Liming Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200000, China.,Research Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200000, China
| | - Ming Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200000, China.,Research Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200000, China
| | - Xinge Li
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264000, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Guangxuan Han
- Key Laboratory of Coastal Zone Environmental Processes and Ecological Remediation, Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Yantai, 264000, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100000, China
| | - Jianyang Xia
- State Key Laboratory of Estuarine and Coastal Research, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200000, China.,Research Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, East China Normal University, Shanghai, 200000, China
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20
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Mueller P, Mozdzer TJ, Langley JA, Aoki LR, Noyce GL, Megonigal JP. Plant species determine tidal wetland methane response to sea level rise. Nat Commun 2020; 11:5154. [PMID: 33056993 PMCID: PMC7560622 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-18763-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Blue carbon (C) ecosystems are among the most effective C sinks of the biosphere, but methane (CH4) emissions can offset their climate cooling effect. Drivers of CH4 emissions from blue C ecosystems and effects of global change are poorly understood. Here we test for the effects of sea level rise (SLR) and its interactions with elevated atmospheric CO2, eutrophication, and plant community composition on CH4 emissions from an estuarine tidal wetland. Changes in CH4 emissions with SLR are primarily mediated by shifts in plant community composition and associated plant traits that determine both the direction and magnitude of SLR effects on CH4 emissions. We furthermore show strong stimulation of CH4 emissions by elevated atmospheric CO2, whereas effects of eutrophication are not significant. Overall, our findings demonstrate a high sensitivity of CH4 emissions to global change with important implications for modeling greenhouse-gas dynamics of blue C ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Mueller
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA.
- Institute of Soil Science, Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Universität Hamburg, 20146, Hamburg, Germany.
| | - Thomas J Mozdzer
- Department of Biology, Bryn Mawr College, Bryn Mawr, PA, 19010, USA
| | - J Adam Langley
- Department of Biology, Center for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Stewardship, Villanova University, Villanova, PA, 19003, USA
| | - Lillian R Aoki
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA
| | - Genevieve L Noyce
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD, 21037, USA
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