1
|
Cuartero J, Querejeta JI, Prieto I, Frey B, Alguacil MM. Warming and rainfall reduction alter soil microbial diversity and co-occurrence networks and enhance pathogenic fungi in dryland soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 949:175006. [PMID: 39069184 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175006] [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: 06/03/2024] [Revised: 07/10/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
In this 9-year manipulative field experiment, we examined the impacts of experimental warming (2 °C, W), rainfall reduction (30 % decrease in annual rainfall, RR), and their combination (W + RR) on soil microbial communities and native vegetation in a semi-arid shrubland in south-eastern Spain. Warming had strong negative effects on plant performance across five coexisting native shrub species, consistently reducing their aboveground biomass growth and long-term survival. The impacts of rainfall reduction on plant growth and survival were species-specific and more variable. Warming strongly altered the soil microbial community alpha-diversity and changed the co-occurrence network structure. The relative abundance of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) increased under W and W + RR, which could help buffer the direct negative impacts of climate change on their host plants nutrition and enhance their resistance to heat and drought stress. Indicator microbial taxa analyses evidenced that the marked sequence abundance of many plant pathogenic fungi, such as Phaeoacremonium, Cyberlindnera, Acremonium, Occultifur, Neodevriesia and Stagonosporopsis, increased significantly in the W and W + RR treatments. Moreover, the relative abundance of fungal animal pathogens and mycoparasites in soil also increased significantly under climate warming. Our findings indicate that warmer and drier conditions sustained over several years can alter the soil microbial community structure, composition, and network topology. The projected warmer and drier climate favours pathogenic fungi, which could offset the benefits of increased AMF abundance under warming and further aggravate the severe detrimental impacts of increased abiotic stress on native vegetation performance and ecosystem services in drylands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- J Cuartero
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
| | - J I Querejeta
- Departamento de Conservación de Suelos y Agua, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Murcia, Spain
| | - I Prieto
- Departamento de Conservación de Suelos y Agua, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Murcia, Spain; Area de Ecología, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Universidad de León, Campus de Vegazana s/n, 24071 León, Spain
| | - B Frey
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, 8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - M M Alguacil
- Departamento de Conservación de Suelos y Agua, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Murcia, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Finger-Higgens R, Hoover DL, Knight AC, Wilson SL, Bishop TBB, Reibold R, Reed SC, Duniway MC. Seasonal drought treatments impact plant and microbial uptake of nitrogen in a mixed shrub grassland on the Colorado Plateau. Ecology 2024:e4393. [PMID: 39104160 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.4393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2024] [Accepted: 05/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/07/2024]
Abstract
For many drylands, both long- and short-term drought conditions can accentuate landscape heterogeneity at both temporal (e.g., role of seasonal patterns) and spatial (e.g., patchy plant cover) scales. Furthermore, short-term drought conditions occurring over one season can exacerbate long-term, multidecadal droughts or aridification, by limiting soil water recharge, decreasing plant growth, and altering biogeochemical cycles. Here, we examine how experimentally altered seasonal precipitation regimes in a mixed shrub grassland on the Colorado Plateau impact soil moisture, vegetation, and carbon and nitrogen cycling. The experiment was conducted from 2015 to 2019, during a regional multidecadal drought event, and consisted of three precipitation treatments, which were implemented with removable drought shelters intercepting ~66% of incoming precipitation including: control (ambient precipitation conditions, no shelter), warm season drought (sheltered April-October), and cool season drought (sheltered November-March). To track changes in vegetation, we measured biomass of the dominant shrub, Ephedra viridis, and estimated perennial plant and ground cover in the spring and the fall. Soil moisture dynamics suggested that warm season experimental drought had longer and more consistent drought legacy effects (occurring two out of the four drought cycles) than either cool season drought or ambient conditions, even during the driest years. We also found that E. viridis biomass remained consistent across treatments, while bunchgrass cover declined by 25% by 2019 across all treatments, with the earliest declines noticeable in the warm season drought plots. Extractable dissolved inorganic nitrogen and microbial biomass nitrogen concentrations appeared sensitive to seasonal drought conditions, with dissolved inorganic nitrogen increasing and microbial biomass nitrogen decreasing with reduced soil volumetric water content. Carbon stocks were not sensitive to drought but were greater under E. viridis patches. Additionally, we found that under E. viridis, there was a negative relationship between dissolved inorganic nitrogen and microbial biomass nitrogen, suggesting that drought-induced increases in dissolved inorganic nitrogen may be due to declines in nitrogen uptake from microbes and plants alike. This work suggests that perennial grass plant-soil feedbacks are more vulnerable to both short-term (seasonal) and long-term (multiyear) drought events than shrubs, which can impact the future trajectory of dryland mixed shrub grassland ecosystems as drought frequency and intensity will likely continue to increase with ongoing climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - David L Hoover
- USDA-ARS Rangeland Resource and Systems Research Unit, Crops Research Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Anna C Knight
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Savannah L Wilson
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Tara B B Bishop
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
- Department of Earth Science, Utah Valley University, Orem, Utah, USA
| | - Robin Reibold
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Michael C Duniway
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Ren J, Wang C, Wang Q, Song W, Sun W. Nitrogen addition regulates the effects of variation in precipitation patterns on plant biomass formation and allocation in a Leymus chinensis grassland of northeast China. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2024; 14:1323766. [PMID: 38283970 PMCID: PMC10810989 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1323766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024]
Abstract
Global warming is predicted to change precipitation amount and reduce precipitation frequency, which may alter grassland primary productivity and biomass allocation, especially when interact with other global change factors, such as nitrogen deposition. The interactive effects of changes in precipitation amount and nitrogen addition on productivity and biomass allocation are extensively studied; however, how these effects may be regulated by the predicted reduction in precipitation frequency remain largely unknown. Using a mesocosm experiment, we investigated responses of primary productivity and biomass allocation to the manipulated changes in precipitation amount (PA: 150 mm, 300 mm, 450 mm), precipitation frequency (PF: medium and low), and nitrogen addition (NA: 0 and 10 g N m-2 yr-1) in a Leymus chinensis grassland. We detected significant effects of the PA, PF and NA treatments on both aboveground biomass (AGB) and belowground biomass (BGB); but the interactive effects were only significant between the PA and NA on AGB. Both AGB and BGB increased with an increment in precipitation amount and nitrogen addition; the reduction in PF decreased AGB, but increased BGB. The reduced PF treatment induced an enhancement in the variation of soil moisture, which subsequently affected photosynthesis and biomass formation. Overall, there were mismatches in the above- and belowground biomass responses to changes in precipitation regime. Our results suggest the predicted changes in precipitation regime, including precipitation amount and frequency, is likely to alter primary productivity and biomass allocation, especially when interact with nitrogen deposition. Therefore, predicting the influence of global changes on grassland structure and functions requires the consideration of interactions among multiple global change factors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jianli Ren
- 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, Jilin, China
- Institute of Resources and Ecology, Yili Normal University, Yining, Xinjiang, China
- School of Resources and Environment, Yili Normal University, Yining, Xinjiang, China
| | - Chengliang Wang
- 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, Jilin, China
| | - Qiaoxin Wang
- 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, Jilin, China
| | - Wenzheng Song
- 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, Jilin, China
- College of Tourism, Resources and Environment, Zaozhuang University, Zaozhuang, China
| | - 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, Jilin, China
- State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Wetland Ecology and Vegetation Restoration, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin, China
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
He P, Sardans J, Wang X, Ma C, Man L, Peñuelas J, Han X, Jiang Y, Li MH. Nutritional changes in trees during drought-induced mortality: A comprehensive meta-analysis and a field study. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2024; 30:e17133. [PMID: 38273504 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.17133] [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: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024]
Abstract
Both macronutrients and micronutrients are essential for tree growth and development through participating in various ecophysiological processes. However, the impact of the nutritional status of trees on their ability to withstand drought-induced mortality remains inconclusive. We thus conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis, compiling data on 11 essential nutrients from 44 publications (493 independent observations). Additionally, a field study was conducted on Pinus sylvestris L. trees with varying drought-induced vitality loss in the "Visp" forest in southern Switzerland. No consistent decline in tree nutritional status was observed during tree mortality. The meta-analysis revealed significantly lower leaf potassium (K), iron (Fe), and copper (Cu) concentrations with tree mortality. However, the field study showed no causal relationships between nutritional levels and the vitality status of trees. This discrepancy is mainly attributed to the intrinsic differences in the two types of experimental designs and the ontogenetic stages of target trees. Nutrient reductions preceding tree mortality were predominantly observed in non-field conditions, where the study was conducted on seedlings and saplings with underdeveloped root systems. It limits the nutrient uptake capacity of these young trees during drought. Furthermore, tree nutritional responses are also influenced by many variables. Specifically, (a) leaf nutrients are more susceptible to drought stress than other organs; (b) reduced tree nutrient concentrations are more prevalent in evergreen species during drought-induced mortality; (c) of all biomes, Mediterranean forests are most vulnerable to drought-induced nutrient deficiencies; (d) soil types affect the direction and extent of tree nutritional responses. We identified factors that influence the relationship between tree nutritional status and drought survival, and proposed potential early-warning indicators of impending tree mortality, for example, decreased K concentrations with declining vitality. These findings contribute to our understanding of tree responses to drought and provide practical implications for forest management strategies in the context of global change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Peng He
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Jordi Sardans
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xiaoyu Wang
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- Jiyang College, Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Germplasm Innovation and Utilization for Garden Plants, Zhejiang Agriculture and Forestry University, Hangzhou, China
| | - Chengcang Ma
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Liang Man
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Animal and Plant Resistance, College of Life Sciences, Tianjin Normal University, Tianjin, China
| | - Josep Peñuelas
- CSIC, Global Ecology Unit CREAF-CSIC-UAB, Bellaterra, Catalonia, Spain
- CREAF, Cerdanyola del Vallès, Catalonia, Spain
| | - Xingguo Han
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Yong Jiang
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
| | - Mai-He Li
- Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
- College of Life Sciences, Hebei University, Baoding, China
- Key Laboratory of Geographical Processes and Ecological Security in Changbai Mountains, Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Finger-Higgens R, Bishop TBB, Belnap J, Geiger EL, Grote EE, Hoover DL, Reed SC, Duniway MC. Droughting a megadrought: Ecological consequences of a decade of experimental drought atop aridification on the Colorado Plateau. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2023; 29:3364-3377. [PMID: 36919684 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Global dryland vegetation communities will likely change as ongoing drought conditions shift regional climates towards a more arid future. Additional aridification of drylands can impact plant and ground cover, biogeochemical cycles, and plant-soil feedbacks, yet how and when these crucial ecosystem components will respond to drought intensification requires further investigation. Using a long-term precipitation reduction experiment (35% reduction) conducted across the Colorado Plateau and spanning 10 years into a 20+ year regional megadrought, we explored how vegetation cover, soil conditions, and growing season nitrogen (N) availability are impacted by drying climate conditions. We observed large declines for all dominant plant functional types (C3 and C4 grasses and C3 and C4 shrubs) across measurement period, both in the drought treatment and control plots, likely due to ongoing regional megadrought conditions. In experimental drought plots, we observed less plant cover, less biological soil crust cover, warmer and drier soil conditions, and more soil resin-extractable N compared to the control plots. Observed increases in soil N availability were best explained by a negative correlation with plant cover regardless of treatment, suggesting that declines in vegetation N uptake may be driving increases in available soil N. However, in ecosystems experiencing long-term aridification, increased N availability may ultimately result in N losses if soil moisture is consistently too dry to support plant and microbial N immobilization and ecosystem recovery. These results show dramatic, worrisome declines in plant cover with long-term drought. Additionally, this study highlights that more plant cover losses are possible with further drought intensification and underscore that, in addition to large drought effects on aboveground communities, drying trends drive significant changes to critical soil resources such as N availability, all of which could have long-term ecosystem impacts for drylands.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Tara B B Bishop
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Jayne Belnap
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Erika L Geiger
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Edmund E Grote
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - David L Hoover
- USDA-ARS Rangeland Resource and Systems Research Unit, Crops Research Laboratory, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| | - Michael C Duniway
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, USA
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Schönbeck LC, Schuler P, Lehmann MM, Mas E, Mekarni L, Pivovaroff AL, Turberg P, Grossiord C. Increasing temperature and vapour pressure deficit lead to hydraulic damages in the absence of soil drought. PLANT, CELL & ENVIRONMENT 2022; 45:3275-3289. [PMID: 36030547 PMCID: PMC9826222 DOI: 10.1111/pce.14425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Temperature (T) and vapour pressure deficit (VPD) are important drivers of plant hydraulic conductivity, growth, mortality, and ecosystem productivity, independently of soil water availability. Our goal was to disentangle the effects of T and VPD on plant hydraulic responses. Young trees of Fagus sylvatica L., Quercus pubescens Willd. and Quercus ilex L. were exposed to a cross-combination of a T and VPD manipulation under unlimited soil water availability. Stem hydraulic conductivity and leaf-level hydraulic traits (e.g., gas exchange and osmotic adjustment) were tracked over a full growing season. Significant loss of xylem conductive area (PLA) was found in F. sylvatica and Q. pubescens due to rising VPD and T, but not in Q. ilex. Increasing T aggravated the effects of high VPD in F. sylvatica only. PLA was driven by maximum hydraulic conductivity and minimum leaf conductance, suggesting that high transpiration and water loss after stomatal closure contributed to plant hydraulic stress. This study shows for the first time that rising VPD and T lead to losses of stem conductivity even when soil water is not limiting, highlighting their rising importance in plant mortality mechanisms in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leonie C. Schönbeck
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
- Department of Botany & Plant SciencesUniversity of California, RiversideRiversideCaliforniaUSA
| | - Philipp Schuler
- Forest Dynamics Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
- Institute of Agricultural SciencesETH ZurichZurichSwitzerland
| | - Marco M. Lehmann
- Forest Dynamics Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLBirmensdorfSwitzerland
| | - Eugénie Mas
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Laura Mekarni
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
| | | | - Pascal Turberg
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
| | - Charlotte Grossiord
- Plant Ecology Research Laboratory PERL, School of Architecture, Civil and Environmental Engineering ENACEPFLLausanneSwitzerland
- Community Ecology Unit, Swiss Federal Institute for ForestSnow and Landscape WSLLausanneSwitzerland
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Liberati D, Guidolotti G, de Dato G, De Angelis P. Enhancement of ecosystem carbon uptake in a dry shrubland under moderate warming: The role of nitrogen-driven changes in plant morphology. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:5629-5642. [PMID: 34363286 PMCID: PMC9290483 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2021] [Revised: 07/07/2021] [Accepted: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Net ecosystem CO2 exchange is the result of net carbon uptake by plant photosynthesis and carbon loss by soil and plant respiration. Temperature increases due to climate change can modify the equilibrium between these fluxes and trigger ecosystem-climate feedbacks that can accelerate climate warming. As these dynamics have not been well studied in dry shrublands, we subjected a Mediterranean shrubland to a 10-year night-time temperature manipulation experiment that analyzed ecosystem carbon fluxes associated with dominant shrub species, together with several plant parameters related to leaf photosynthesis, leaf morphology, and canopy structure. Under moderate night-time warming (+0.9°C minimum daily temperature, no significant reduction in soil moisture), Cistus monspeliensis formed shoots with more leaves that were relatively larger and denser canopies that supported higher plant-level photosynthesis rates. Given that ecosystem respiration was not affected, this change in canopy morphology led to a significant enhancement in net ecosystem exchange (+47% at midday). The observed changes in shoot and canopy morphology were attributed to the improved nutritional state of the warmed plants, primarily due to changes in nitrogen cycling and higher nitrogen resorption efficiency in senescent leaves. Our results show that modifications in plant morphology triggered by moderate warming affected ecosystem CO2 fluxes, providing the first evidence for enhanced daytime carbon uptake in a dry shrubland ecosystem under experimental warming.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Dario Liberati
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro‐Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF)University of TusciaViterboItaly
| | - Gabriele Guidolotti
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro‐Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF)University of TusciaViterboItaly
- Present address:
Institute of Research on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET)National Research Council (CNR)PoranoTRItaly
| | - Giovanbattista de Dato
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro‐Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF)University of TusciaViterboItaly
- Present address:
Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA) – Research Centre for Forestry and WoodArezzoItaly
| | - Paolo De Angelis
- Department for Innovation in Biological, Agro‐Food and Forest Systems (DIBAF)University of TusciaViterboItaly
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Young KE, Reed SC, Ferrenberg S, Faist A, Winkler DE, Cort C, Darrouzet-Nardi A. Incorporating Biogeochemistry into Dryland Restoration. Bioscience 2021; 71:907-917. [PMID: 34483747 DOI: 10.1093/biosci/biab043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Dryland degradation is a persistent and accelerating global problem. Although the mechanisms initiating and maintaining dryland degradation are largely understood, returning productivity and function through ecological restoration remains difficult. Water limitation commonly drives slow recovery rates within drylands; however, the altered biogeochemical cycles that accompany degradation also play key roles in limiting restoration outcomes. Addressing biogeochemical changes and resource limitations may help improve restoration efforts within this difficult-to-restore biome. In the present article, we present a synthesis of restoration literature that identifies multiple ways biogeochemical understandings might augment dryland restoration outcomes, including timing restoration around resource cycling and uptake, connecting heterogeneous landscapes, manipulating resource pools, and using organismal functional traits to a restoration advantage. We conclude by suggesting ways to incorporate biogeochemistry into existing restoration frameworks and discuss research directions that may help improve restoration outcomes in the world's highly altered dryland landscapes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kristina E Young
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States
| | - Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, United States
| | - Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
| | - Akasha Faist
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico, United States
| | - Daniel E Winkler
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah, United States
| | - Catherine Cort
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States
| | - Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso, El Paso, Texas, United States
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Querejeta JI, Ren W, Prieto I. Vertical decoupling of soil nutrients and water under climate warming reduces plant cumulative nutrient uptake, water-use efficiency and productivity. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2021; 230:1378-1393. [PMID: 33550582 DOI: 10.1111/nph.17258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 02/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Warming-induced desiccation of the fertile topsoil layer could lead to decreased nutrient diffusion, mobility, mineralization and uptake by roots. Increased vertical decoupling between nutrients in topsoil and water availability in subsoil/bedrock layers under warming could thereby reduce cumulative nutrient uptake over the growing season. We used a Mediterranean semiarid shrubland as model system to assess the impacts of warming-induced topsoil desiccation on plant water- and nutrient-use patterns. A 6 yr manipulative field experiment examined the effects of warming (2.5°C), rainfall reduction (30%) and their combination on soil resource utilization by Helianthemum squamatum shrubs. A drier fertile topsoil ('growth pool') under warming led to greater proportional utilization of water from deeper, wetter, but less fertile subsoil/bedrock layers ('maintenance pool') by plants. This was linked to decreased cumulative nutrient uptake, increased nonstomatal (nutritional) limitation of photosynthesis and reduced water-use efficiency, above-ground biomass growth and drought survival. Whereas a shift to greater utilization of water stored in deep subsoil/bedrock may buffer the negative impact of warming-induced topsoil desiccation on transpiration, this plastic response cannot compensate for the associated reduction in cumulative nutrient uptake and carbon assimilation, which may compromise the capacity of plants to adjust to a warmer and drier climate.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- José Ignacio Querejeta
- Departamento de Conservación de Suelos y Agua, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS-CSIC), Murcia, 30100, Spain
| | - Wei Ren
- Departamento de Conservación de Suelos y Agua, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS-CSIC), Murcia, 30100, Spain
- Chongqing Key Laboratory of Karst Environment, School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, Chongqing, 400715, China
| | - Iván Prieto
- Departamento de Conservación de Suelos y Agua, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura - Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CEBAS-CSIC), Murcia, 30100, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Peltier DMP, Guo J, Nguyen P, Bangs M, Gear L, Wilson M, Jefferys S, Samuels-Crow K, Yocom LL, Liu Y, Fell MK, Auty D, Schwalm C, Anderegg WRL, Koch GW, Litvak ME, Ogle K. Temporal controls on crown nonstructural carbohydrates in southwestern US tree species. TREE PHYSIOLOGY 2021; 41:388-402. [PMID: 33147630 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpaa149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
In trees, large uncertainties remain in how nonstructural carbohydrates (NSCs) respond to variation in water availability in natural, intact ecosystems. Variation in NSC pools reflects temporal fluctuations in supply and demand, as well as physiological coordination across tree organs in ways that differ across species and NSC fractions (e.g., soluble sugars vs starch). Using landscape-scale crown (leaves and twigs) NSC concentration measurements in three foundation tree species (Populus tremuloides, Pinus edulis, Juniperus osteosperma), we evaluated in situ, seasonal variation in NSC responses to moisture stress on three timescales: short-term (via predawn water potential), seasonal (via leaf δ13C) and annual (via current year's ring width index). Crown NSC responses to moisture stress appeared to depend on hydraulic strategy, where J. osteosperma appears to regulate osmotic potentials (via higher sugar concentrations), P. edulis NSC responses suggest respiratory depletion and P. tremuloides responses were consistent with direct sink limitations. We also show that overly simplistic models can mask seasonal and tissue variation in NSC responses, as well as strong interactions among moisture stress at different timescales. In general, our results suggest large seasonal variation in crown NSC concentrations reflecting the multiple cofunctions of NSCs in plant tissues, including storage, growth and osmotic regulation of hydraulically vulnerable leaves. We emphasize that crown NSC pool size cannot be viewed as a simple physiological metric of stress; in situ NSC dynamics are complex, varying temporally, across species, among NSC fractions and among tissue types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Drew M P Peltier
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Jessica Guo
- Geology and Geophysics, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Phiyen Nguyen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Michael Bangs
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Linnea Gear
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Michelle Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Stacy Jefferys
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Kimberly Samuels-Crow
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Larissa L Yocom
- Department of Wildland Resources and the Ecology Center, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Yao Liu
- Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831, USA
| | - Michael K Fell
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - David Auty
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Christopher Schwalm
- Woods Hole Research Center, Falmouth, MA 02540, USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - William R L Anderegg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - George W Koch
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Marcy E Litvak
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Kiona Ogle
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Gehring C, Sevanto S, Patterson A, Ulrich DEM, Kuske CR. Ectomycorrhizal and Dark Septate Fungal Associations of Pinyon Pine Are Differentially Affected by Experimental Drought and Warming. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2020; 11:582574. [PMID: 33193530 PMCID: PMC7606852 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2020.582574] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Changing climates can cause shifts in temperature and precipitation, resulting in warming and drought in some regions. Although each of these factors has been shown to detrimentally affect forest ecosystems worldwide, information on the impacts of the combined effects of warming and drought is lacking. Forest trees rely on mutualistic root-associated fungi that contribute significantly to plant health and protection against climate stresses. We used a six-year, ecosystem-scale temperature and precipitation manipulation experiment targeted to simulate the climate in 2100 in the Southwestern United States to quantify the effects of drought, warming and combined drought and warming on the root colonization (abundance), species composition and diversity of ectomycorrhizal fungi (EMF), and dark septate fungal endophytes in a widespread woodland tree, pinyon pine (Pinus edulis E.). Our results show that pinyon shoot growth after 6 years of these treatments was reduced more by drought than warming. The combined drought and warming treatment reduced the abundance and diversity of EMF more than either treatment alone. Individual ectomycorrhizal fungal taxa, including the drought tolerant Cenococcum geophilum, were present in all treatments but the combined drought and warming treatment. The combined drought and warming treatment also reduced the abundance of dark septate endophytes (DSE), but did not affect their diversity or species composition. The current year shoot growth of the trees correlated positively with ectomycorrhizal fungal diversity, highlighting the importance of diversity in mutualistic relationships to plant growth. Our results suggest that EMF may be more important than DSE to aboveground growth in P. edulis, but also more susceptible to the negative effects of combined climate stressors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Gehring
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Sanna Sevanto
- Earth and Environmental Science Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| | - Adair Patterson
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Adaptable Western Landscapes, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | | | - Cheryl R. Kuske
- Bioscience Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Winkler DE, Belnap J, Hoover D, Reed SC, Duniway MC. Shrub persistence and increased grass mortality in response to drought in dryland systems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2019; 25:3121-3135. [PMID: 31025434 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2019] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Droughts in the southwest United States have led to major forest and grassland die-off events in recent decades, suggesting plant community and ecosystem shifts are imminent as native perennial grass populations are replaced by shrub- and invasive plant-dominated systems. These patterns are similar to those observed in arid and semiarid systems around the globe, but our ability to predict which species will experience increased drought-induced mortality in response to climate change remains limited. We investigated meteorological drought-induced mortality of nine dominant plant species in the Colorado Plateau Desert by experimentally imposing a year-round 35% precipitation reduction for eight continuous years. We distributed experimental plots across numerous plant, soil, and parent material types, resulting in 40 distinct sites across a 4,500 km2 region of the Colorado Plateau Desert. For all 8 years, we tracked c. 400 individual plants and evaluated mortality responses to treatments within and across species, and through time. We also examined the influence of abiotic and biotic site factors in driving mortality responses. Overall, high mortality trends were driven by dominant grass species, including Achnatherum hymenoides, Pleuraphis jamesii, and Sporobolus cryptandrus. Responses varied widely from year to year and dominant shrub species were generally resistant to meteorological drought, likely due to their ability to access deeper soil water. Importantly, mortality increased in the presence of invasive species regardless of treatment, and native plant die-off occurred even under ambient conditions, suggesting that recent climate changes are already negatively impacting dominant species in these systems. Results from this long-term drought experiment suggest major shifts in community composition and, as a result, ecosystem function. Patterns also show that, across multiple soil and plant community types, native perennial grass species may be replaced by shrubs and invasive annuals in the Colorado Plateau Desert.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel E Winkler
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - Jayne Belnap
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - David Hoover
- Rangeland Resources & Systems Research Unit, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service, Fort Collins, Colorado
| | - Sasha C Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| | - Michael C Duniway
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, Utah
| |
Collapse
|