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Wang K, Wang C, Fu B, Huang J, Wei F, Leng X, Feng X, Li Z, Jiang W. Divergent driving mechanisms of community temporal stability in China's drylands. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND ECOTECHNOLOGY 2024; 20:100404. [PMID: 38585198 PMCID: PMC10997951 DOI: 10.1016/j.ese.2024.100404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2023] [Revised: 02/18/2024] [Accepted: 02/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Climate change and anthropogenic activities are reshaping dryland ecosystems globally at an unprecedented pace, jeopardizing their stability. The stability of these ecosystems is crucial for maintaining ecological balance and supporting local communities. Yet, the mechanisms governing their stability are poorly understood, largely due to the scarcity of comprehensive field data. Here we show the patterns of community temporal stability and its determinants across an aridity spectrum by integrating a transect survey across China's drylands with remote sensing. Our results revealed a U-shaped relationship between community temporal stability and aridity, with a pivotal shift occurring around an aridity level of 0.88. In less arid areas (aridity level below 0.88), enhanced precipitation and biodiversity were associated with increased community productivity and stability. Conversely, in more arid zones (aridity level above 0.88), elevated soil organic carbon and biodiversity were linked to greater fluctuations in community productivity and reduced stability. Our study identifies a critical aridity threshold that precipitates significant changes in community stability in China's drylands, underscoring the importance of distinct mechanisms driving ecosystem stability in varying aridity contexts. These insights are pivotal for developing informed ecosystem management and policy strategies tailored to the unique challenges of dryland conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Cong Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- Shaanxi Yan'an Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Beijing, 100085, China
- National Observation and Research Station of Earth Critical Zone on the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Bojie Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
- Shaanxi Yan'an Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Beijing, 100085, China
- National Observation and Research Station of Earth Critical Zone on the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Jianbei Huang
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Fangli Wei
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Xuejing Leng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Xiaoming Feng
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100049, China
| | - Zongshan Li
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
- Shaanxi Yan'an Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Beijing, 100085, China
- National Observation and Research Station of Earth Critical Zone on the Loess Plateau in Shaanxi, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Wei Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100085, China
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2
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Goranov AI, Chen H, Duan J, Myneni SCB, Hatcher PG. Potentially Massive and Global Non-Pyrogenic Production of Condensed "Black" Carbon through Biomass Oxidation. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY 2024; 58:2750-2761. [PMID: 38294931 PMCID: PMC10867845 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c05448] [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: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
With the increased occurrences of wildfires worldwide, there has been an increase in scientific interest surrounding the chemistry of fire-derived "black" carbon (BC). Traditionally, wildfire research has assumed that condensed aromatic carbon (ConAC) is exclusively produced via combustion, and thus, ConAC is equated to BC. However, the lack of correlations between ConAC in soils or rivers and wildfire history suggests that ConAC may be produced non-pyrogenically. Here, we show quantitative evidence that this occurs during the oxidation of biomass with environmentally ubiquitous hydroxyl radicals. Pine wood boards exposed to iron nails and natural weather conditions for 12 years yielded a charcoal-like ConAC-rich material. ConAC was also produced during laboratory oxidations of pine, maple, and brown-rotted oak woods, as well as algae, corn root, and tree bark. Back-of-the-envelope calculations suggest that biomass oxidation could be producing massive non-pyrogenic ConAC fluxes to terrestrial and aquatic environments. These estimates (e.g., 163-182 Tg-ConAC/year to soils) are much higher than the estimated pyrogenic "BC" fluxes (e.g., 128 Tg-ConAC/year to soils) implying that environmental ConAC is primarily non-pyrogenic. This novel perspective suggests that wildfire research trajectories should shift to assessing non-pyrogenic ConAC sources and fluxes, developing new methods for quantifying true BC, and establishing a new view of ConAC as an intermediate species in the biogeochemical processing of biomass during soil humification, aquatic photochemistry, microbial degradation, or mineral-organic matter interactions. We also advise against using BC or pyrogenic carbon (pyC) terminologies for ConAC measured in environmental matrices, unless a pyrogenic source can be confidently assigned.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar I. Goranov
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529 United States
| | - Hongmei Chen
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529 United States
| | - Jianshu Duan
- Department
of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 United States
| | - Satish C. B. Myneni
- Department
of Geosciences, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08544 United States
| | - Patrick G. Hatcher
- Department
of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Old Dominion
University, Norfolk, Virginia 23529 United States
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3
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Ma F, Yan Y, Svenning JC, Quan Q, Peng J, Zhang R, Wang J, Tian D, Zhou Q, Niu S. Opposing effects of warming on the stability of above- and belowground productivity in facing an extreme drought event. Ecology 2024; 105:e4193. [PMID: 37882140 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming, often accompanied by extreme drought events, could have profound effects on both plant community structure and ecosystem functioning. However, how warming interacts with extreme drought to affect community- and ecosystem-level stability remains a largely open question. Using data from a manipulative experiment with three warming treatments in an alpine meadow that experienced one extreme drought event, we investigated how warming modulates resistance and recovery of community structural and ecosystem functional stability in facing with extreme drought. We found warming decreased resistance and recovery of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and structural resistance but increased resistance and recovery of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP), overall net primary productivity (NPP), and structural recovery. The findings highlight the importance of jointly considering above- and belowground processes when evaluating ecosystem stability under global warming and extreme climate events. The stability of dominant species, rather than species richness and species asynchrony, was identified as a key predictor of ecosystem functional resistance and recovery, except for BNPP recovery. In addition, structural resistance of common species contributed strongly to the resistance changes in BNPP and NPP. Importantly, community structural resistance and recovery dominated the resistance and recovery of BNPP and NPP, but not for ANPP, suggesting the different mechanisms underlie the maintenance of stability of above- versus belowground productivity. This study is among the first to explain that warming modulates ecosystem stability in the face of extreme drought and lay stress on the need to investigate ecological stability at the community level for a more mechanistic understanding of ecosystem stability in response to climate extremes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fangfang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yingjie Yan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jens-Christian Svenning
- Center for Ecological Dynamics in a Novel Biosphere (ECONOVO) and Center for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
| | - Quan Quan
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinlong Peng
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Ruiyang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Jinsong Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dashuan Tian
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Qingping Zhou
- Institute of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, Southwest University for Nationalities, Chengdu, China
| | - Shuli Niu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Department of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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4
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Guasconi D, Manzoni S, Hugelius G. Climate-dependent responses of root and shoot biomass to drought duration and intensity in grasslands-a meta-analysis. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 903:166209. [PMID: 37572920 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2023] [Revised: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/14/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the effects of altered precipitation regimes on root biomass in grasslands is crucial for predicting grassland responses to climate change. Nonetheless, studies investigating the effects of drought on belowground vegetation have produced mixed results. In particular, root biomass under reduced precipitation may increase, decrease or show a delayed response compared to shoot biomass, highlighting a knowledge gap in the relationship between belowground net primary production and drought. To address this gap, we conducted a meta-analysis of nearly 100 field observations of grassland root and shoot biomass changes under experimental rainfall reduction to disentangle the main drivers behind grassland responses to drought. Using a response-ratio approach we tested the hypothesis that water scarcity would induce a decrease in total biomass, but an increase in belowground biomass allocation with increased drought length and intensity, and that climate (as defined by the aridity index of the study location) would be an additional predictor. As expected, meteorological drought decreased root and shoot biomass, but aboveground and belowground biomass exhibited contrasting responses to drought duration and intensity, and their interaction with climate. In particular, drought duration had negative effects on root biomass only in wet climates while more intense drought had negative effects on root biomass only in dry climates. Shoot biomass responded negatively to drought duration regardless of climate. These results show that long-term climate is an important modulator of belowground vegetation responses to drought, which might be a consequence of different drought tolerance and adaptation strategies. This variability in vegetation responses to drought suggests that physiological plasticity and community composition shifts may mediate how climate affects carbon allocation in grasslands, and thus ultimately carbon storage in soil.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela Guasconi
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Stefano Manzoni
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gustaf Hugelius
- Department of Physical Geography, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Bolin Centre for Climate Research, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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5
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Wang Y, Wang C, Ren F, Jing X, Ma W, He JS, Jiang L. Asymmetric response of aboveground and belowground temporal stability to nitrogen and phosphorus addition in a Tibetan alpine grassland. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:7072-7084. [PMID: 37795748 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16967] [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: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 09/19/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/06/2023]
Abstract
Anthropogenic eutrophication is known to impair the stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), but its effects on the stability of belowground (BNPP) and total (TNPP) net primary productivity remain poorly understood. Based on a nitrogen and phosphorus addition experiment in a Tibetan alpine grassland, we show that nitrogen addition had little impact on the temporal stability of ANPP, BNPP, and TNPP, whereas phosphorus addition reduced the temporal stability of BNPP and TNPP, but not ANPP. Significant interactive effects of nitrogen and phosphorus addition were observed on the stability of ANPP because of the opposite phosphorus effects under ambient and enriched nitrogen conditions. We found that the stability of TNPP was primarily driven by that of BNPP rather than that of ANPP. The responses of BNPP stability cannot be predicted by those of ANPP stability, as the variations in responses of ANPP and BNPP to enriched nutrient, with ANPP increased while BNPP remained unaffected, resulted in asymmetric responses in their stability. The dynamics of grasses, the most abundant plant functional group, instead of community species diversity, largely contributed to the ANPP stability. Under the enriched nutrient condition, the synchronization of grasses reduced the grass stability, while the latter had a significant but weak negative impact on the BNPP stability. These findings challenge the prevalent view that species diversity regulates the responses of ecosystem stability to nutrient enrichment. Our findings also suggest that the ecological consequences of nutrient enrichment on ecosystem stability cannot be accurately predicted from the responses of aboveground components and highlight the need for a better understanding of the belowground ecosystem dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghui Wang
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Chao Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- Institute of Grassland, Flowers and Ecology, Beijing Academy of Agriculture and Forestry Sciences (BAAFS), Beijing, China
| | - Fei Ren
- Key Laboratory of Restoration Ecology for Cold Regions in Qinghai Province, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, China
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and Agriculture, Qinghai University, Xining, China
| | - Xin Jing
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Wenhong Ma
- Ministry of Education Key Laboratory of Ecology and Resource Use of the Mongolian Plateau & Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Grassland Ecology, School of Ecology and Environment, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, China
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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6
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Lucas M, Santiago JP, Chen J, Guber A, Kravchenko A. The soil pore structure encountered by roots affects plant-derived carbon inputs and fate. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2023; 240:515-528. [PMID: 37532958 DOI: 10.1111/nph.19159] [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: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Abstract
Plant roots are the main supplier of carbon (C) to the soil, the largest terrestrial C reservoir. Soil pore structure drives root growth, yet how it affects belowground C inputs remains a critical knowledge gap. By combining X-ray computed tomography with 14 C plant labelling, we identified root-soil contact as a previously unrecognised influence on belowground plant C allocations and on the fate of plant-derived C in the soil. Greater contact with the surrounding soil, when the growing root encounters a pore structure dominated by small (< 40 μm Ø) pores, results in strong rhizodeposition but in areas of high microbial activity. The root system of Rudbeckia hirta revealed high plasticity and thus maintained high root-soil contact. This led to greater C inputs across a wide range of soil pore structures. The root-soil contact Panicum virgatum, a promising bioenergy feedstock crop, was sensitive to the encountered structure. Pore structure built by a polyculture, for example, restored prairie, can be particularly effective in promoting lateral root growth and thus root-soil contact and associated C benefits. The findings suggest that the interaction of pore structure with roots is an important, previously unrecognised, stimulus of soil C gains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maik Lucas
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
- Department of Soil System Sciences, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle (Saale), 06110, Germany
| | - James P Santiago
- Plant Resilience Institute and MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Jinyi Chen
- Department of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Andrey Guber
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
| | - Alexandra Kravchenko
- Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences, DOE Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA
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7
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Brown RF, Collins SL. As above, not so below: Long-term dynamics of net primary production across a dryland transition zone. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3941-3953. [PMID: 37095743 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16744] [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: 08/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Drylands are key contributors to interannual variation in the terrestrial carbon sink, which has been attributed primarily to broad-scale climatic anomalies that disproportionately affect net primary production (NPP) in these ecosystems. Current knowledge around the patterns and controls of NPP is based largely on measurements of aboveground net primary production (ANPP), particularly in the context of altered precipitation regimes. Limited evidence suggests belowground net primary production (BNPP), a major input to the terrestrial carbon pool, may respond differently than ANPP to precipitation, as well as other drivers of environmental change, such as nitrogen deposition and fire. Yet long-term measurements of BNPP are rare, contributing to uncertainty in carbon cycle assessments. Here, we used 16 years of annual NPP measurements to investigate responses of ANPP and BNPP to several environmental change drivers across a grassland-shrubland transition zone in the northern Chihuahuan Desert. ANPP was positively correlated with annual precipitation across this landscape; however, this relationship was weaker within sites. BNPP, on the other hand, was weakly correlated with precipitation only in Chihuahuan Desert shrubland. Although NPP generally exhibited similar trends among sites, temporal correlations between ANPP and BNPP within sites were weak. We found chronic nitrogen enrichment stimulated ANPP, whereas a one-time prescribed burn reduced ANPP for nearly a decade. Surprisingly, BNPP was largely unaffected by these factors. Together, our results suggest that BNPP is driven by a different set of controls than ANPP. Furthermore, our findings imply belowground production cannot be inferred from aboveground measurements in dryland ecosystems. Improving understanding around the patterns and controls of dryland NPP at interannual to decadal scales is fundamentally important because of their measurable impact on the global carbon cycle. This study underscores the need for more long-term measurements of BNPP to improve assessments of the terrestrial carbon sink, particularly in the context of ongoing environmental change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renée F Brown
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
| | - Scott L Collins
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA
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8
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Keller AB, Walter CA, Blumenthal DM, Borer ET, Collins SL, DeLancey LC, Fay PA, Hofmockel KS, Knops JMH, Leakey ADB, Mayes MA, Seabloom EW, Hobbie SE. Stronger fertilization effects on aboveground versus belowground plant properties across nine U.S. grasslands. Ecology 2023; 104:e3891. [PMID: 36208208 PMCID: PMC10078332 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Increased nutrient inputs due to anthropogenic activity are expected to increase primary productivity across terrestrial ecosystems, but changes in allocation aboveground versus belowground with nutrient addition have different implications for soil carbon (C) storage. Thus, given that roots are major contributors to soil C storage, understanding belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and biomass responses to changes in nutrient availability is essential to predicting carbon-climate feedbacks in the context of interacting global environmental changes. To address this knowledge gap, we tested whether a decade of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization consistently influenced aboveground and belowground biomass and productivity at nine grassland sites spanning a wide range of climatic and edaphic conditions in the continental United States. Fertilization effects were strong aboveground, with both N and P addition stimulating aboveground biomass at nearly all sites (by 30% and 36%, respectively, on average). P addition consistently increased root production (by 15% on average), whereas other belowground responses to fertilization were more variable, ranging from positive to negative across sites. Site-specific responses to P were not predicted by the measured covariates. Atmospheric N deposition mediated the effect of N fertilization on root biomass and turnover. Specifically, atmospheric N deposition was positively correlated with root turnover rates, and this relationship was amplified with N addition. Nitrogen addition increased root biomass at sites with low N deposition but decreased it at sites with high N deposition. Overall, these results suggest that the effects of nutrient supply on belowground plant properties are context dependent, particularly with regard to background N supply rates, demonstrating that site conditions must be considered when predicting how grassland ecosystems will respond to increased nutrient loading from anthropogenic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne B. Keller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | | | - Dana M. Blumenthal
- USDA‐ARS Rangeland Resources & Systems Research UnitFort CollinsColoradoUSA
| | - Elizabeth T. Borer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Scott L. Collins
- Department of BiologyUniversity of New MexicoAlbuquerqueNew MexicoUSA
| | - Lang C. DeLancey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Philip A. Fay
- USDA‐ARS GrasslandSoil, and Water Research LaboratoryTempleTexasUSA
| | - Kirsten S. Hofmockel
- Earth and Biological Sciences DirectoratePacific Northwest National LaboratoryRichlandWashingtonUSA
- Department of AgronomyIowa State UniversityAmesIowaUSA
| | - Johannes M. H. Knops
- Health & Environmental Sciences DepartmentXi'an Jiaotong‐Liverpool UniversitySuzhouJiangsuChina
| | - Andrew D. B. Leakey
- Department of Plant Biology, Department of Crop SciencesUniversity of Illinois at Urbana‐ChampaignUrbana‐ChampaignIllinoisUSA
| | - Melanie A. Mayes
- Department of Earth and Planetary SciencesUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennesseeUSA
- Environmental Sciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennesseeUSA
| | - Eric W. Seabloom
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Sarah E. Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSaint PaulMinnesotaUSA
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9
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Lewis K, Barros FDV, Moonlight PW, Hill TC, Oliveira RS, Schmidt IB, Sampaio AB, Pennington RT, Rowland L. Identifying hotspots for ecosystem restoration across heterogeneous tropical savannah-dominated regions. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210075. [PMID: 36373925 PMCID: PMC9661949 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
There is high potential for ecosystem restoration across tropical savannah-dominated regions, but the benefits that could be gained from this restoration are rarely assessed. This study focuses on the Brazilian Cerrado, a highly species-rich savannah-dominated region, as an exemplar to review potential restoration benefits using three metrics: net biomass gains, plant species richness and ability to connect restored and native vegetation. Localized estimates of the most appropriate restoration vegetation type (grassland, savannah, woodland/forest) for pasturelands are produced. Carbon sequestration potential is significant for savannah and woodland/forest restoration in the seasonally dry tropics (net biomass gains of 58.2 ± 37.7 and 130.0 ± 69.4 Mg ha-1). Modelled restoration species richness gains were highest in the central and south-east of the Cerrado for savannahs and grasslands, and in the west and north-west for woodlands/forests. The potential to initiate restoration projects across the whole of the Cerrado is high and four hotspot areas are identified. We demonstrate that landscape restoration across all vegetation types within heterogeneous tropical savannah-dominated regions can maximize biodiversity and carbon gains. However, conservation of existing vegetation is essential to minimizing the cost and improving the chances of restoration success. This article is part of the theme issue 'Understanding forest landscape restoration: reinforcing scientific foundations for the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kennedy Lewis
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QE, UK
| | - Fernanda de V. Barros
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QE, UK
| | - Peter W. Moonlight
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QE, UK
- Tropical Diversity Section, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK
| | - Timothy C. Hill
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QE, UK
| | - Rafael S. Oliveira
- Department of Plant Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas, Campinas, CEP 13083-970, Brazil
| | - Isabel B. Schmidt
- Department of Ecology, University of Brasília, Brasília, CEP 70.910-900, Brazil
| | - Alexandre B. Sampaio
- Centro Nacional de Avaliação da Biodiversidade e de Pesquisa e Conservação do Cerrado CBC, Instituto Chico Mendes de Conservação da Biodiversidade – ICMBio, University of Brasília, Brasília, CEP 70.670-350, Brazil
| | - R. Toby Pennington
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QE, UK
- Tropical Diversity Section, Royal Botanic Gardens Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, UK
| | - Lucy Rowland
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, Devon EX4 4QE, UK
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10
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Bukombe B, Bauters M, Boeckx P, Cizungu LN, Cooper M, Fiener P, Kidinda LK, Makelele I, Muhindo DI, Rewald B, Verheyen K, Doetterl S. Soil geochemistry - and not topography - as a major driver of carbon allocation, stocks, and dynamics in forests and soils of African tropical montane ecosystems. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:1676-1690. [PMID: 36089827 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18469] [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: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The lack of field-based data in the tropics limits our mechanistic understanding of the drivers of net primary productivity (NPP) and allocation. Specifically, the role of local edaphic factors - such as soil parent material and topography controlling soil fertility as well as water and nutrient fluxes - remains unclear and introduces substantial uncertainty in understanding net ecosystem productivity and carbon (C) stocks. Using a combination of vegetation growth monitoring and soil geochemical properties, we found that soil fertility parameters reflecting the local parent material are the main drivers of NPP and C allocation patterns in tropical montane forests, resulting in significant differences in below- to aboveground biomass components across geochemical (soil) regions. Topography did not constrain the variability in C allocation and NPP. Soil organic C stocks showed no relation to C input in tropical forests. Instead, plant C input seemingly exceeded the maximum potential of these soils to stabilize C. We conclude that, even after many millennia of weathering and the presence of deeply developed soils, above- and belowground C allocation in tropical forests, as well as soil C stocks, vary substantially due to the geochemical properties that soils inherit from parent material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Bukombe
- Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, 86159, Germany
| | - Marijn Bauters
- Department of Environment, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Pascal Boeckx
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Landry Ntaboba Cizungu
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bugabo 02, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Matthew Cooper
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
| | - Peter Fiener
- Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, 86159, Germany
| | - Laurent Kidinda Kidinda
- Institute of Soil Science and Site Ecology, Technische Universität Dresden, Tharandt, 01737, Germany
| | - Isaac Makelele
- Department of Green Chemistry and Technology, Isotope Bioscience Laboratory - ISOFYS, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Daniel Iragi Muhindo
- Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, Université Catholique de Bukavu, Bugabo 02, Bukavu, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | - Boris Rewald
- Department of Forest and Soil Sciences, Institute of Forest Ecology, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU), Vienna, 1190, Austria
| | - Kris Verheyen
- Department of Environment, Ghent University, Ghent, 9000, Belgium
| | - Sebastian Doetterl
- Institute of Geography, Augsburg University, Augsburg, 86159, Germany
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, 8092, Switzerland
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11
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Xia M, Valverde‐Barrantes OJ, Suseela V, Blackwood CB, Tharayil N. Characterizing natural variability of lignin abundance and composition in fine roots across temperate trees: a comparison of analytical methods. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2022; 236:2358-2373. [PMID: 36168143 PMCID: PMC9828118 DOI: 10.1111/nph.18515] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Lignin is an important root chemical component that is widely used in biogeochemical models to predict root decomposition. Across ecological studies, lignin abundance has been characterized using both proximate and lignin-specific methods, without much understanding of their comparability. This uncertainty in estimating lignin limits our ability to comprehend the mechanisms regulating root decomposition and to integrate lignin data for large-scale syntheses. We compared five methods of estimating lignin abundance and composition in fine roots across 34 phylogenetically diverse tree species. We also assessed the feasibility of high-throughput techniques for fast-screening of root lignin. Although acid-insoluble fraction (AIF) has been used to infer root lignin and decomposition, AIF-defined lignin content was disconnected from the lignin abundance estimated by techniques that specifically measure lignin-derived monomers. While lignin-specific techniques indicated lignin contents of 2-10% (w/w) in roots, AIF-defined lignin contents were c. 5-10-fold higher, and their interspecific variation was found to be largely unrelated to that determined using lignin-specific techniques. High-throughput pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, when combined with quantitative modeling, accurately predicted lignin abundance and composition, highlighting its feasibility for quicker assessment of lignin in roots. We demonstrate that AIF should be interpreted separately from lignin in fine roots as its abundance is unrelated to that of lignin polymers. This study provides the basis for informed decision-making with respect to lignin methodology in ecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxue Xia
- Department of Plant & Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
| | - Oscar J. Valverde‐Barrantes
- International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Institute of EnvironmentFlorida International UniversityMiamiFL33199USA
| | - Vidya Suseela
- Department of Plant & Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
| | | | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant & Environmental SciencesClemson UniversityClemsonSC29634USA
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12
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Wang L, Sheng M. Phytolith occluded organic carbon in Fagopyrum (Polygonaceae) plants: Insights on the carbon sink potential of cultivated buckwheat planting. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 13:1014980. [PMID: 36438128 PMCID: PMC9692092 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2022.1014980] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Crop cultivation has great potential to result in a phytolith carbon sink and can play important roles in the long-term stable carbon sequestration of terrestrial ecosystems. Buckwheat, an important multigrain crop with a very long cultivation history, is widely planted around the world. The phytolith carbon sink potential of buckwheat planting is still limited in the in-depth understanding of biogeochemical carbon sequestration in croplands. In order to estimate the phytolith carbon sink potential of buckwheat planting, in the present study, six species including 17 populations of Fagopyrum plants were selected as study materials. Firstly, their phytoliths were extracted using the wet oxidation method; then, the phytolith-occluded organic carbon (PhytOC) contents were determined using the spectrophotometry method; finally, the phytolith carbon sink potential of buckwheat planting was estimated. Results showed the following: 1) The PhytOC content range of the six Fagopyrum species studied was 0.006%~0.038%, which was significantly lower than that of rice, wheat, sugarcane, and some cereal and oil crops. There were significant differences in total silicon, phytolith, and PhytOC content of Fagopyrum plants among the different species, different organs (root, stem, and leaf), and different living forms (annual, partly perennial, and completely perennial). There were significant positive relationships between PhytOC and phytolith content and between phytolith and total silicon content. 2) The average phytolith carbon sequestration rate of Fagopyrum esculentum and Fagopyrum tataricum planting was 2.62 × 10-3 and 1.17 × 10-3 t CO2 hm-2·a-1, respectively, being approximately equal to that of terrestrial shrub vegetation. 3) The global total amount of phytolith carbon sequestration of buckwheat planting reached 5,102.09 t CO2 in 2018, and the Chinese total amount of phytolith carbon sequestration of buckwheat cultivation was 624.79 t CO2 in 2020. The phytolith carbon sink of buckwheat planting had significant potential for playing obvious roles in the carbon cycle. The present results are of great significance in crop phytolith studies and provide important references for phytolith carbon sink potential estimation of farmland ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linjiao Wang
- Institute of Karst Research, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China
- Guizhou Engineering Laboratory for Karst Rocky Desertification Control and Derivative Industry, Guiyang, China
| | - Maoyin Sheng
- Institute of Karst Research, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang, China
- National Engineering Research Center for Karst Rocky Desertification Control, Guiyang, China
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13
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Behera SK, Behera MD, Tuli R, Barik SK. Atmospheric temperature and humidity demonstrated strong correlation with productivity in tropical moist deciduous forests. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT 2022; 195:69. [PMID: 36331671 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-022-10668-7] [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: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 10/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests sequester six times higher carbon than that released by humans annually into the atmosphere. These biodiversity-rich tropical forests have high net primary productivity (NPP), which differs among constituent plant communities. Tropical moist deciduous forests occupy 179,335 km2 of India's geographical area and constitute 44% of the country's total protected area (PA) forests. The productivity of these forests has neither been estimated specifically nor precisely. We measured the annual NPP of three predominant distinct community types, viz., mixed (DM), sal (SM), and teak (TP), in a tropical moist deciduous forest in northern India. The NPP was estimated from tree biomass data collected from nine long-term ecological research (LTER) plots of 1 ha each representing the above three community types. The estimated annual NPP were 10.28, 6.25, and 9.79 Mg ha-1 year-1 in DM; 8.93, 7.09, and 10.59 Mg ha-1 year-1 in SM; and 14.57, 7.14, and 13.56 Mg ha-1 year-1 in TP for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012, respectively. The NPP was correlated with tree density, height and DBH, species richness, diversity, microclimatic and edaphic variables, and leaf area index (LAI) using principal component analysis (PCA) and generalized linear modeling (GLM). Air temperature and humidity were strongly related to NPP in all the community types, while "complementarity" and "selection effects" contributed to the NPP in both the sal and mixed forest communities with equal importance, and the NPP in teak plantation ould point to "dominance effect."
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumit Kumar Behera
- Plant Ecology and Climate Change Science Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India.
- Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India.
| | - Mukunda Dev Behera
- Centre for Oceans, Rivers, Atmosphere and Land Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, Kharagpur, India
| | - Rakesh Tuli
- Plant Ecology and Climate Change Science Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India
- UIET, Panjab University, Sector 25, Chandigarh, India
| | - Saroj K Barik
- Plant Ecology and Climate Change Science Division, CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow, 226001, Uttar Pradesh, India
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14
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De Marco A, Sicard P, Feng Z, Agathokleous E, Alonso R, Araminiene V, Augustatis A, Badea O, Beasley JC, Branquinho C, Bruckman VJ, Collalti A, David‐Schwartz R, Domingos M, Du E, Garcia Gomez H, Hashimoto S, Hoshika Y, Jakovljevic T, McNulty S, Oksanen E, Omidi Khaniabadi Y, Prescher A, Saitanis CJ, Sase H, Schmitz A, Voigt G, Watanabe M, Wood MD, Kozlov MV, Paoletti E. Strategic roadmap to assess forest vulnerability under air pollution and climate change. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:5062-5085. [PMID: 35642454 PMCID: PMC9541114 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2021] [Revised: 03/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Although it is an integral part of global change, most of the research addressing the effects of climate change on forests have overlooked the role of environmental pollution. Similarly, most studies investigating the effects of air pollutants on forests have generally neglected the impacts of climate change. We review the current knowledge on combined air pollution and climate change effects on global forest ecosystems and identify several key research priorities as a roadmap for the future. Specifically, we recommend (1) the establishment of much denser array of monitoring sites, particularly in the South Hemisphere; (2) further integration of ground and satellite monitoring; (3) generation of flux-based standards and critical levels taking into account the sensitivity of dominant forest tree species; (4) long-term monitoring of N, S, P cycles and base cations deposition together at global scale; (5) intensification of experimental studies, addressing the combined effects of different abiotic factors on forests by assuring a better representation of taxonomic and functional diversity across the ~73,000 tree species on Earth; (6) more experimental focus on phenomics and genomics; (7) improved knowledge on key processes regulating the dynamics of radionuclides in forest systems; and (8) development of models integrating air pollution and climate change data from long-term monitoring programs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Zhaozhong Feng
- Key Laboratory of Agro‐Meteorology of Jiangsu Province, School of Applied MeteorologyNanjing University of Information Science & TechnologyNanjingChina
| | - Evgenios Agathokleous
- Key Laboratory of Agro‐Meteorology of Jiangsu Province, School of Applied MeteorologyNanjing University of Information Science & TechnologyNanjingChina
| | - Rocio Alonso
- Ecotoxicology of Air Pollution, CIEMATMadridSpain
| | - Valda Araminiene
- Lithuanian Research Centre for Agriculture and ForestryKaunasLithuania
| | - Algirdas Augustatis
- Faculty of Forest Sciences and EcologyVytautas Magnus UniversityKaunasLithuania
| | - Ovidiu Badea
- “Marin Drăcea” National Institute for Research and Development in ForestryVoluntariRomania
- Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering“Transilvania” UniversityBraşovRomania
| | - James C. Beasley
- Savannah River Ecology Laboratory and Warnell School of Forestry and Natural ResourcesUniversity of GeorgiaAikenSouth CarolinaUSA
| | - Cristina Branquinho
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de CiênciasUniversidade de LisboaLisbonPortugal
| | - Viktor J. Bruckman
- Commission for Interdisciplinary Ecological StudiesAustrian Academy of SciencesViennaAustria
| | | | | | - Marisa Domingos
- Instituto de BotanicaNucleo de Pesquisa em EcologiaSao PauloBrazil
| | - Enzai Du
- Faculty of Geographical ScienceBeijing Normal UniversityBeijingChina
| | | | - Shoji Hashimoto
- Department of Forest SoilsForestry and Forest Products Research InstituteTsukubaJapan
| | | | | | | | - Elina Oksanen
- Department of Environmental and Biological SciencesUniversity of Eastern FinlandJoensuuFinland
| | - Yusef Omidi Khaniabadi
- Department of Environmental Health EngineeringIndustrial Medial and Health, Petroleum Industry Health Organization (PIHO)AhvazIran
| | | | - Costas J. Saitanis
- Lab of Ecology and Environmental ScienceAgricultural University of AthensAthensGreece
| | - Hiroyuki Sase
- Ecological Impact Research DepartmentAsia Center for Air Pollution Research (ACAP)NiigataJapan
| | - Andreas Schmitz
- State Agency for Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection of North Rhine‐WestphaliaRecklinghausenGermany
| | | | - Makoto Watanabe
- Institute of AgricultureTokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT)FuchuJapan
| | - Michael D. Wood
- School of Science, Engineering and EnvironmentUniversity of SalfordSalfordUK
| | | | - Elena Paoletti
- Department of Forest SoilsForestry and Forest Products Research InstituteTsukubaJapan
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15
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Song Z, Wu Y, Yang Y, Zhang X, Van Zwieten L, Bolan N, Li Z, Liu H, Hao Q, Yu C, Sun X, Song A, Wang W, Liu C, Wang H. High potential of stable carbon sequestration in phytoliths of China's grasslands. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2736-2750. [PMID: 35060227 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Phytolith carbon (C) sequestration plays a key role in mitigating global climate change at a centennial to millennial time scale. However, previous estimates of phytolith-occluded carbon (PhytOC) storage and potential in China's grasslands have large uncertainties mainly due to multiple data sources. This contributes to the uncertainty in predicting long-term C sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems using Earth System Models. In this study, we carried out an intensive field investigation (79 sites, 237 soil profiles [0-100 cm], and 61 vegetation assessments) to quantify PhytOC storage in China's grasslands and to better explore the biogeographical patterns and influencing factors. Generally, PhytOC production flux and soil PhytOC density in both the Tibetan Plateau and the Inner Mongolian Plateau had a decreasing trend from the Northeast to the Southwest. The aboveground PhytOC production rate in China's grassland was 0.48 × 106 t CO2 a-1 , and the soil PhytOC storage was 383 × 106 t CO2 . About 45% of soil PhytOC was stored in the deep soil layers (50-100 cm), highlighting the importance of deep soil layers for C stock assessments. Importantly, the Tibetan Plateau had the greatest contribution (more than 70%) to the PhytOC storage in China's grasslands. The results of multiple regression analysis indicated that altitude and soil texture significantly influenced the spatial distribution of soil PhytOC, explaining 78.1% of the total variation. Soil phytolith turnover time in China's grasslands was mainly controlled by climatic conditions, with the turnover time on the Tibetan Plateau being significantly longer than that on the Inner Mongolian Plateau. Our results offer more accurate estimates of the potential for phytolith C sequestration from ecological restoration projects in degraded grassland ecosystems. These estimates are essential to parameterizing and validating global C models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhaoliang Song
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuntao Wu
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Yuanhe Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaodong Zhang
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Lukas Van Zwieten
- NSW Department of Primary Industries, Wollongbar, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nanthi Bolan
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Institute of Agriculture, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Zimin Li
- Université catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Earth and Life Institute, Soil Science, Louvain-La-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Hongyan Liu
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | - Qian Hao
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Changxun Yu
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Xiaole Sun
- Baltic Sea Center, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alin Song
- Key Laboratory of Crop Nutrition and Fertilization, Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wenying Wang
- Academy of Plateau Science and Sustainability, People's Government of Qinghai Province & Beijing Normal University, Qinghai, China
| | - Congqiang Liu
- School of Earth System Science, Institute of Surface-Earth System Science, Tianjin University, Tianjin, China
| | - Hailong Wang
- School of Environment and Chemical Engineering, Foshan University, Guangdong, China
- Key Laboratory of Soil Contamination Bioremediation of Zhejiang Province, College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang A & F University, Zhejiang, China
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16
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Yang GJ, Hautier Y, Zhang ZJ, Lü XT, Han XG. Decoupled responses of above- and below-ground stability of productivity to nitrogen addition at the local and larger spatial scale. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:2711-2720. [PMID: 35098614 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16090] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2021] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Temporal stability of net primary productivity (NPP) is important for predicting the reliable provisioning of ecosystem services under global changes. Although nitrogen (N) addition is known to affect the temporal stability of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), it is unclear how it impacts that of belowground net primary productivity (BNPP) and NPP, and whether such effects are scale dependent. Here, using experimental N addition in a grassland, we found different responses of ANPP and BNPP stability to N addition at the local scale and that these responses propagated to the larger spatial scale. That is, N addition significantly decreased the stability of ANPP but did not affect the stability of BNPP and NPP at the two scales investigated. Additionally, spatial asynchrony of both ANPP and BNPP among communities provided greater stability at the larger scale and was not affected by N addition. Our findings challenge the traditional view that N addition would reduce ecosystem stability based on results from aboveground dynamics, thus highlighting the importance of viewing ecosystem stability from a whole system perspective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo-Jiao Yang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- College of Ecology and Environment, Hainan University, Haikou, China
| | - Yann Hautier
- Ecology and Biodiversity Group, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Zi-Jia Zhang
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Xiao-Tao Lü
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
| | - Xing-Guo Han
- Erguna Forest-Steppe Ecotone Research Station, CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, China
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation of Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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17
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Jevon FV, Lang AK. Tree biomass allocation differs by mycorrhizal association. Ecology 2022; 103:e3688. [PMID: 35324010 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Tree biomass allocation to leaves, roots, and wood affects the residence time of carbon in forests, with potentially dramatic implications for ecosystem carbon storage. However, drivers of tree biomass allocation remain poorly quantified. Using a combination of global datasets, we tested the relative importance of climate, leaf habit, and tree mycorrhizal associations on biomass allocation. We show that trees that associate with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi allocate roughly 4% more of their biomass to root tissue than trees that associate with ectomycorrhizal fungi. Further, the effect of mycorrhizal association on root biomass allocation was greater than that of climate and similar in magnitude to that of leaf habit (evergreen vs. deciduous). These patterns in whole-plant biomass allocation are likely due to differences in carbon investment toward root vs fungal tissues, where trees with arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi favor root production while trees with ectomycorrhizal fungi favor fungal tissue production. These results suggest that considering tree mycorrhizal associations could improve our understanding of ecosystem carbon storage in terrestrial biosphere models: specifically, that greater within-tree allocation to root biomass in AM-associated tree species may contribute to stable soil carbon pools in forests dominated by arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fiona V Jevon
- Yale School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Ashley K Lang
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA
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18
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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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19
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O'Keefe K, Bachle S, Keen R, Tooley EG, Nippert JB. Root traits reveal safety and efficiency differences in grasses and shrubs exposed to different fire regimes. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly O'Keefe
- Division of Biological Sciences Saint Edward's University Austin TX USA
- Department of Botany University of Wisconsin Madison WI USA
| | - Seton Bachle
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA
| | - Rachel Keen
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA
| | - E. Greg Tooley
- Division of Biology Kansas State University Manhattan KS USA
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20
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Seethepalli A, Dhakal K, Griffiths M, Guo H, Freschet GT, York LM. RhizoVision Explorer: open-source software for root image analysis and measurement standardization. AOB PLANTS 2021; 13:plab056. [PMID: 34804466 PMCID: PMC8598384 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plab056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/23/2021] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Roots are central to the function of natural and agricultural ecosystems by driving plant acquisition of soil resources and influencing the carbon cycle. Root characteristics like length, diameter and volume are critical to measure to understand plant and soil functions. RhizoVision Explorer is an open-source software designed to enable researchers interested in roots by providing an easy-to-use interface, fast image processing and reliable measurements. The default broken roots mode is intended for roots sampled from pots and soil cores, washed and typically scanned on a flatbed scanner, and provides measurements like length, diameter and volume. The optional whole root mode for complete root systems or root crowns provides additional measurements such as angles, root depth and convex hull. Both modes support providing measurements grouped by defined diameter ranges, the inclusion of multiple regions of interest and batch analysis. RhizoVision Explorer was successfully validated against ground truth data using a new copper wire image set. In comparison, the current reference software, the commercial WinRhizo™, drastically underestimated volume when wires of different diameters were in the same image. Additionally, measurements were compared with WinRhizo™ and IJ_Rhizo using a simulated root image set, showing general agreement in software measurements, except for root volume. Finally, scanned root image sets acquired in different labs for the crop, herbaceous and tree species were used to compare results from RhizoVision Explorer with WinRhizo™. The two software showed general agreement, except that WinRhizo™ substantially underestimated root volume relative to RhizoVision Explorer. In the current context of rapidly growing interest in root science, RhizoVision Explorer intends to become a reference software, improve the overall accuracy and replicability of root trait measurements and provide a foundation for collaborative improvement and reliable access to all.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kundan Dhakal
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA
| | | | - Haichao Guo
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA
| | | | - Larry M York
- Noble Research Institute, LLC, Ardmore, OK 73401, USA
- Biosciences Division and Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
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21
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Global hunter-gatherer population densities constrained by influence of seasonality on diet composition. Nat Ecol Evol 2021; 5:1536-1545. [PMID: 34504317 PMCID: PMC7611941 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-021-01548-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The dependence of hunter-gatherers on local net primary production (NPP) to provide food played a major role in shaping long-term human population dynamics. Observations of contemporary hunter-gatherers have shown an overall correlation between population density and annual NPP but with a 1,000-fold variation in population density per unit NPP that remains unexplained. Here, we build a process-based hunter-gatherer population model embedded within a global terrestrial biosphere model, which explicitly addresses the extraction of NPP through dynamically allocated hunting and gathering activities. The emergent results reveal a strong, previously unrecognized effect of seasonality on population density via diet composition, whereby hunter-gatherers consume high fractions of meat in regions where growing seasons are short, leading to greatly reduced population density due to trophic inefficiency. This seasonal carnivory bottleneck largely explains the wide variation in population density per unit NPP and questions the prevailing usage of annual NPP as the proxy of carrying capacity for ancient humans. Our process-based approach has the potential to greatly refine our understanding of dynamical responses of ancient human populations to past environmental changes.
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22
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Xia M, Valverde-Barrantes OJ, Suseela V, Blackwood CB, Tharayil N. Coordination between compound-specific chemistry and morphology in plant roots aligns with ancestral mycorrhizal association in woody angiosperms. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 232:1259-1271. [PMID: 34137048 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2021] [Accepted: 05/31/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies on fine root functional traits proposed a root economics hypothesis where adaptations associated with mycorrhizal dependency strongly influence the organization of root traits, forming a dominant axis of trait covariation unique to roots. This conclusion, however, is based on tradeoffs of a few widely studied root traits. It is unknown how other functional traits fit into this mycorrhizal-collaboration gradient. Here, we provide a significant extension to the field of root ecology by examining how fine root secondary compounds coordinate with other root traits. We analyzed a dataset integrating compound-specific chemistry, morphology and anatomy of fine roots and leaves from 34 temperate tree species spanning major angiosperm lineages. Our data uncovered previously undocumented coordination where root chemistry, morphology and anatomy covary with each other. This coordination, aligned with mycorrhizal colonization, reflects tradeoffs between chemical protection and mycorrhizal dependency, and provides mechanistic support for the mycorrhizal-collaboration gradient. We also found remarkable phylogenetic structuring in root chemistry. These patterns were not mirrored by leaves. Furthermore, chemical protection was largely decoupled from the leaf economics spectrum. Our results unveil broad organization of root chemistry, demonstrate unique belowground adaptions, and suggest that root strategies and phylogeny could impact biogeochemical cycles through their links with root chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxue Xia
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | - Oscar J Valverde-Barrantes
- Department of Biological Sciences, International Center for Tropical Biodiversity, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Vidya Suseela
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
| | | | - Nishanth Tharayil
- Department of Plant & Environmental Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, 29634, USA
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23
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Aynekulu E, Sileshi GW, Rosenstock TS, van Noordwijk M, Tsegaye D, Koala J, Sawadogo L, Milne E, de Leeuw J, Shepherd K. No changes in soil organic carbon and nitrogen following long-term prescribed burning and livestock exclusion in the Sudan-savanna woodlands of Burkina Faso. Basic Appl Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.baae.2021.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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24
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Carmona CP, Bueno CG, Toussaint A, Träger S, Díaz S, Moora M, Munson AD, Pärtel M, Zobel M, Tamme R. Fine-root traits in the global spectrum of plant form and function. Nature 2021; 597:683-687. [PMID: 34588667 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03871-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant traits determine how individual plants cope with heterogeneous environments. Despite large variability in individual traits, trait coordination and trade-offs1,2 result in some trait combinations being much more widespread than others, as revealed in the global spectrum of plant form and function (GSPFF3) and the root economics space (RES4) for aboveground and fine-root traits, respectively. Here we combine the traits that define both functional spaces. Our analysis confirms the major trends of the GSPFF and shows that the RES captures additional information. The four dimensions needed to explain the non-redundant information in the dataset can be summarized in an aboveground and a fine-root plane, corresponding to the GSPFF and the RES, respectively. Both planes display high levels of species aggregation, but the differentiation among growth forms, families and biomes is lower on the fine-root plane, which does not include any size-related trait, than on the aboveground plane. As a result, many species with similar fine-root syndromes display contrasting aboveground traits. This highlights the importance of including belowground organs to the GSPFF when exploring the interplay between different natural selection pressures and whole-plant trait integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carlos P Carmona
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.
| | - C Guillermo Bueno
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Aurele Toussaint
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Sabrina Träger
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia.,Institute of Biology/Geobotany and Botanical Garden, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sandra Díaz
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto Multidisciplinario de Biología Vegetal (IMBIV), CONICET, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina.,Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Mari Moora
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Alison D Munson
- Centre for Forest Research, Département des Sciences du bois et de la forêt, Université Laval, Quebec, Quebec, Canada
| | - Meelis Pärtel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Martin Zobel
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Riin Tamme
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
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25
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Lyu M, Giardina CP, Litton CM. Interannual variation in rainfall modulates temperature sensitivity of carbon allocation and flux in a tropical montane wet forest. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:3824-3836. [PMID: 33934457 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 04/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Tropical forests exert a disproportionately large influence on terrestrial carbon (C) balance but projecting the effects of climate change on C cycling in tropical forests remains uncertain. Reducing this uncertainty requires improved quantification of the independent and interactive effects of variable and changing temperature and precipitation regimes on C inputs to, cycling within and loss from tropical forests. Here, we quantified aboveground litterfall and soil-surface CO2 efflux ("soil respiration"; FS ) in nine plots organized across a highly constrained 5.2°C mean annual temperature (MAT) gradient in tropical montane wet forest. We used five consecutive years of these measurements, during which annual rainfall (AR) steadily increased, in order to: (a) estimate total belowground C flux (TBCF); (b) examine how interannual variation in AR alters the apparent temperature dependency (Q10 ) of above- and belowground C fluxes; and (c) quantify stand-level C allocation responses to MAT and AR. Averaged across all years, FS , litterfall, and TBCF increased positively and linearly with MAT, which accounted for 49, 47, and 46% of flux rate variation, respectively. Rising AR lowered TBCF and FS , but increased litterfall, with patterns representing interacting responses to declining light. The Q10 of FS , litterfall, and TBCF all decreased with increasing AR, with peak sensitivity to MAT in the driest year and lowest sensitivity in the wettest. These findings support the conclusion that for this tropical montane wet forest, variations in light, water, and nutrient availability interact to strongly influence productivity (litterfall+TBCF), the sensitivity of above- and belowground C fluxes to rising MAT (Q10 of FS , litterfall, and TBCF), and C allocation patterns (TBCF:[litterfall+TBCF]).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maokui Lyu
- Ecology Postdoctoral Research Station, School of Geographical Sciences, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
| | - Christian P Giardina
- Institute of Pacific Islands Forestry, Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Hilo, HI, USA
| | - Creighton M Litton
- Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Management, University of Hawai'i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, USA
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26
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Hou E, Wen D, Jiang L, Luo X, Kuang Y, Lu X, Chen C, Allen KT, He X, Huang X, Luo Y. Latitudinal patterns of terrestrial phosphorus limitation over the globe. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1420-1431. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2020] [Revised: 03/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Enqing Hou
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Dazhi Wen
- 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
| | - Lifen Jiang
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Xianzhen Luo
- 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
| | - Yuanwen Kuang
- 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
| | - Xiankai Lu
- 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
| | - Chengrong Chen
- Australian Rivers Institute, School of Environment and Science Griffith University Nathan Qld. Australia
| | - Keanan T. Allen
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
| | - Xianjin He
- Key Laboratory of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region's Eco‐Environment, Ministry of Education Chongqing University Chongqing China
| | - Xingzhao Huang
- School of Forestry & Landscape of Architecture Anhui Agricultural University Hefei China
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society Northern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ USA
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27
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Khedim N, Cécillon L, Poulenard J, Barré P, Baudin F, Marta S, Rabatel A, Dentant C, Cauvy‐Fraunié S, Anthelme F, Gielly L, Ambrosini R, Franzetti A, Azzoni RS, Caccianiga MS, Compostella C, Clague J, Tielidze L, Messager E, Choler P, Ficetola GF. Topsoil organic matter build-up in glacier forelands around the world. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1662-1677. [PMID: 33342032 PMCID: PMC8048894 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Since the last glacial maximum, soil formation related to ice-cover shrinkage has been one major sink of carbon accumulating as soil organic matter (SOM), a phenomenon accelerated by the ongoing global warming. In recently deglacierized forelands, processes of SOM accumulation, including those that control carbon and nitrogen sequestration rates and biogeochemical stability of newly sequestered carbon, remain poorly understood. Here, we investigate the build-up of SOM during the initial stages (up to 410 years) of topsoil development in 10 glacier forelands distributed on four continents. We test whether the net accumulation of SOM on glacier forelands (i) depends on the time since deglacierization and local climatic conditions (temperature and precipitation); (ii) is accompanied by a decrease in its stability and (iii) is mostly due to an increasing contribution of organic matter from plant origin. We measured total SOM concentration (carbon, nitrogen), its relative hydrogen/oxygen enrichment, stable isotopic (13 C, 15 N) and carbon functional groups (C-H, C=O, C=C) compositions, and its distribution in carbon pools of different thermal stability. We show that SOM content increases with time and is faster on forelands experiencing warmer climates. The build-up of SOM pools shows consistent trends across the studied soil chronosequences. During the first decades of soil development, the low amount of SOM is dominated by a thermally stable carbon pool with a small and highly thermolabile pool. The stability of SOM decreases with soil age at all sites, indicating that SOM storage is dominated by the accumulation of labile SOM during the first centuries of soil development, and suggesting plant carbon inputs to soil (SOM depleted in nitrogen, enriched in hydrogen and in aromatic carbon). Our findings highlight the potential vulnerability of SOM stocks from proglacial areas to decomposition and suggest that their durability largely depends on the relative contribution of carbon inputs from plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norine Khedim
- Univ. Savoie Mont‐BlancUniv. Grenoble AlpesCNRSEDYTEMChambéryFrance
- Univ. Grenoble AlpesUniv. Savoie Mont‐BlancCNRSLECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Lauric Cécillon
- Univ. NormandieUNIROUENINRAEECODIVFR Scale CNRS 3730RouenFrance
- Laboratoire de GéologieCNRSÉcole normale supérieurePSL UniversityIPSLParisFrance
| | - Jérôme Poulenard
- Univ. Savoie Mont‐BlancUniv. Grenoble AlpesCNRSEDYTEMChambéryFrance
| | - Pierre Barré
- Laboratoire de GéologieCNRSÉcole normale supérieurePSL UniversityIPSLParisFrance
| | | | - Silvio Marta
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniv. of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Antoine Rabatel
- Institut des Géosciences de l'EnvironnementUMR 5001Univ. Grenoble AlpesCNRSIRDGrenobleFrance
| | | | | | | | - Ludovic Gielly
- Univ. Grenoble AlpesUniv. Savoie Mont‐BlancCNRSLECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Roberto Ambrosini
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniv. of MilanMilanItaly
| | - Andrea Franzetti
- Department of Earth and Environmental ScienceUniv. of Milano BicoccaMilanItaly
| | | | | | | | - John Clague
- Department of Earth SciencesSimon Fraser UniversityBurnabyBCCanada
| | - Levan Tielidze
- Antarctic Research CentreVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
- School of GeographyEnvironment and Earth SciencesVictoria University of WellingtonWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Erwan Messager
- Univ. Savoie Mont‐BlancUniv. Grenoble AlpesCNRSEDYTEMChambéryFrance
| | - Philippe Choler
- Univ. Grenoble AlpesUniv. Savoie Mont‐BlancCNRSLECAGrenobleFrance
| | - Gentile Francesco Ficetola
- Univ. Grenoble AlpesUniv. Savoie Mont‐BlancCNRSLECAGrenobleFrance
- Department of Environmental Science and PolicyUniv. of MilanMilanItaly
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28
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Keller AB, Brzostek ER, Craig ME, Fisher JB, Phillips RP. Root‐derived inputs are major contributors to soil carbon in temperate forests, but vary by mycorrhizal type. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:626-635. [DOI: 10.1111/ele.13651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Revised: 11/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adrienne B. Keller
- Department of Biology Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington IM USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota Twin Cities Minneapolis MN USA
| | | | - Matthew E. Craig
- Environmental Sciences Division and Climate Change Science Institute Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
| | - Joshua B. Fisher
- Jet Propulsion Laboratory California Institute of Technology Joint Institute for Regional Earth System Science and EngineeringUniversity of California at Los Angeles Los Angeles CA USA
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29
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Alonso-Serra J. Carbon sequestration: counterintuitive feedback of plant growth. QUANTITATIVE PLANT BIOLOGY 2021; 2:e11. [PMID: 37077205 PMCID: PMC10095961 DOI: 10.1017/qpb.2021.11] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Revised: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 07/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Interaction between the atmosphere, plants and soils plays an important role in the carbon cycle. Soils contain vast amounts of carbon, but their capacity to keep it belowground depends on the long-term ecosystem dynamics. Plant growth has the potential of adding or releasing carbon from soil stocks. Since plant growth is also stimulated by higher CO2 levels, understanding its impact on soils becomes crucial for estimating carbon sequestration at the ecosystem level. A recent meta-analysis explored the effect CO2 levels have in plant versus soil carbon sequestration. The integration of 108 experiments performed across different environments revealed that the magnitude of plant growth and the nutrient acquisition strategy result in counterintuitive feedback for soil carbon sequestration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Alonso-Serra
- Laboratoire de Reproduction et Développement des Plantes, ENS de Lyon, Institut National de Recherche pour l’Agriculture, l’Alimentation et l’Environnement (INRAE), CNRS, 46 Allée d’Italie, 69364 Lyon Cedex 07, France
- Author for correspondence: J. Alonso-Serra, E-mail:
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