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Taylor CR, England LC, Keane JB, Davies JAC, Leake JR, Hartley IP, Smart SM, Janes-Bassett V, Phoenix GK. Elevated CO 2 interacts with nutrient inputs to restructure plant communities in phosphorus-limited grasslands. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17104. [PMID: 38273555 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 12/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Globally pervasive increases in atmospheric CO2 and nitrogen (N) deposition could have substantial effects on plant communities, either directly or mediated by their interactions with soil nutrient limitation. While the direct consequences of N enrichment on plant communities are well documented, potential interactions with rising CO2 and globally widespread phosphorus (P) limitation remain poorly understood. We investigated the consequences of simultaneous elevated CO2 (eCO2 ) and N and P additions on grassland biodiversity, community and functional composition in P-limited grasslands. We exposed soil-turf monoliths from limestone and acidic grasslands that have received >25 years of N additions (3.5 and 14 g m-2 year-1 ) and 11 (limestone) or 25 (acidic) years of P additions (3.5 g m-2 year-1 ) to eCO2 (600 ppm) for 3 years. Across both grasslands, eCO2 , N and P additions significantly changed community composition. Limestone communities were more responsive to eCO2 and saw significant functional shifts resulting from eCO2 -nutrient interactions. Here, legume cover tripled in response to combined eCO2 and P additions, and combined eCO2 and N treatments shifted functional dominance from grasses to sedges. We suggest that eCO2 may disproportionately benefit P acquisition by sedges by subsidising the carbon cost of locally intense root exudation at the expense of co-occurring grasses. In contrast, the functional composition of the acidic grassland was insensitive to eCO2 and its interactions with nutrient additions. Greater diversity of P-acquisition strategies in the limestone grassland, combined with a more functionally even and diverse community, may contribute to the stronger responses compared to the acidic grassland. Our work suggests we may see large changes in the composition and biodiversity of P-limited grasslands in response to eCO2 and its interactions with nutrient loading, particularly where these contain a high diversity of P-acquisition strategies or developmentally young soils with sufficient bioavailable mineral P.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher R Taylor
- Soil and Ecosystem Ecology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Luke C England
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - J Ben Keane
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
- Department of Environment and Geography, Wentworth Way, University of York, Heslington, York, UK
| | | | - Jonathan R Leake
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Iain P Hartley
- Geography, Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Victoria Janes-Bassett
- Geography and Planning, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Gareth K Phoenix
- Plants, Photosynthesis and Soil, School of Biosciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
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