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Manninen OH, Myrsky E, Tolvanen A, Stark S. N-fertilization and disturbance exert long-lasting complex legacies on subarctic ecosystems. Oecologia 2024; 204:689-704. [PMID: 38478083 PMCID: PMC10980618 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-024-05524-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/03/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
Subarctic ecosystems are subjected to increasing nitrogen (N) enrichment and disturbances that induce particularly strong effects on plant communities when occurring in combination. There is little experimental evidence on the longevity of these effects. We applied N-fertilization (40 kg urea-N ha-1 year-1 for 4 years) and disturbance (removal of vegetation and organic soil layer on one occasion) in two plant communities in a subarctic forest-tundra ecotone in northern Finland. Within the first four years, N-fertilization and disturbance increased the share of deciduous dwarf shrubs and graminoids at the expense of evergreen dwarf shrubs. Individual treatments intensified the other's effect resulting in the strongest increase in graminoids under combined N-fertilization and disturbance. The re-analysis of the plant communities 15 years after cessation of N-fertilization showed an even higher share of graminoids. 18 years after disturbance, the total vascular plant abundance was still substantially lower and the share of graminoids higher. At the same point, the plant community composition was the same under disturbance as under combined N-fertilization and disturbance, indicating that multiple perturbations no longer reinforced the other's effect. Yet, complex interactions between N-fertilization and disturbance were still detected in the soil. We found higher organic N under disturbance and lower microbial N under combined N-fertilization and disturbance, which suggests a lower bioavailability of N sources for soil microorganisms. Our findings support that the effects of enhanced nutrients and disturbance on subarctic vegetation persist over decadal timescales. However, they also highlight the complexity of plant-soil interactions that drive subarctic ecosystem responses to multiple perturbations across varying timescales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Outi H Manninen
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Pohjoisranta 4, 96100, Rovaniemi, Finland.
| | - Eero Myrsky
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Pohjoisranta 4, 96100, Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Anne Tolvanen
- Natural Resource Institute Finland, Paavo Havaksen Tie 3, 90570, Oulu, Finland
| | - Sari Stark
- Arctic Centre, University of Lapland, Pohjoisranta 4, 96100, Rovaniemi, Finland
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2
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Aqeel M, Khalid N, Noman A, Ran J, Manan A, Hou Q, Dong L, Sun Y, Deng Y, Lee SS, Hu W, Deng J. Interplay between edaphic and climatic factors unravels plant and microbial diversity along an altitudinal gradient. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024; 242:117711. [PMID: 37995997 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/15/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023]
Abstract
Altitude influences biodiversity and physiochemical soil attributes in terrestrial ecosystems. It is of immense importance to know the patterns of how interactions among climatic and edaphic factors influence plant and microbial diversity in various ecosystems, particularly along the gradients. We hypothesize that altitudinal variation determines the distribution of plant and microbial species as well as their interactions. To test the hypothesis, different sites with variable altitudes were selected. Analyses of edaphic factors revealed significant (p < 0.001) effects of the altitude. Soil ammonium and nitrate were strongly affected by it contrary to potassium (K), soil organic matter and carbon. The response patterns of individual taxonomic groups differed across the altitudinal gradient. Plant species and soil fungal diversity increased with increasing altitude, while soil archaeal and bacterial diversity decreased with increasing altitude. Plant species richness showed significant positive and negative interactions with edaphic and climatic factors. Fungal species richness was also significantly influenced by the soil ammonium, nitrate, available phosphorus, available potassium, electrical conductivity, and the pH of the soil, but showed non-significant interactions with other edaphic factors. Similarly, soil variables had limited impact on soil bacterial and archaeal species richness along the altitude gradient. Proteobacteria, Ascomycota, and Thaumarchaeota dominate soil bacterial, fungal, and archaeal communities, with relative abundance of 27.4%, 70.56%, and 81.55%, respectively. Additionally, Cynodon dactylon is most abundant plant species, comprising 22.33% of the recorded plant taxa in various study sites. RDA revealed that these communities influenced by certain edaphic and climatic factors, e.g., Actinobacteria strongly respond to MAT, EC, and C/N ratio, Ascomycota and Basidiomycota show strong associations with EC and MAP, respectively. Thaumarcheota are linked to pH, and OM, while Cyperus rotundus are sensitive to AI and EC. In conclusion, the observed variations in microbial as well as plant species richness and changes in soil properties at different elevations provide valuable insights into the factors determining ecosystem stability and multifunctionality in different regions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Aqeel
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Noreen Khalid
- Department of Botany, Government College Women University Sialkot, Pakistan
| | - Ali Noman
- Department of Botany, Government College University Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Jinzhi Ran
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Abdul Manan
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Qingqing Hou
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Longwei Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Ying Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Yan Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China
| | - Sang Soo Lee
- Department of Environmental and Energy Engineering, Yonsei University, Wonju, 26493, Republic of Korea
| | - Weigang Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China.
| | - Jianming Deng
- State Key Laboratory of Herbage Improvement and Grassland Agro-ecosystems (SKLHIGA), College of Ecology, Lanzhou University, 730000, Lanzhou, PR China.
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3
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Barberis D, Lombardi G, Ravetto Enri S, Pittarello M, Viglietti D, Freppaz M, Lonati M. Nitrogen fertilizer enhances vegetation establishment of a high‐altitude machine‐graded ski slope. Restor Ecol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Davide Barberis
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 10095 Grugliasco TO Italy
| | - Giampiero Lombardi
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 10095 Grugliasco TO Italy
| | - Simone Ravetto Enri
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 10095 Grugliasco TO Italy
| | - Marco Pittarello
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 10095 Grugliasco TO Italy
| | - Davide Viglietti
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 10095 Grugliasco TO Italy
| | - Michele Freppaz
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 10095 Grugliasco TO Italy
| | - Michele Lonati
- Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences University of Turin, Largo Paolo Braccini 2 10095 Grugliasco TO Italy
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4
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Brown JK, Moulton A, Zinnert JC. Plant community re-organization and increased productivity due to multi-year nutrient enrichment of a coastal grassland. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0270798. [PMID: 35901080 PMCID: PMC9333261 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0270798] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient enrichment alters plant community structure and function at a global scale. Coastal plant systems are expected to experience increased rates of nitrogen and phosphorus deposition by 2100, caused mostly by anthropogenic activity. Despite high density of studies investigating connections between plant community structure and ecosystem function in response to nutrient addition, inconsistencies in system response based on the ecosystem in question calls for more detailed analyses of nutrient impacts on community organization and resulting productivity response. Here, we focus on nutrient addition impacts on community structure and organization as well as productivity of different lifeforms in a coastal grassland. We established long-term nutrient enrichment plots in 2015 consisting of control (C), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and nitrogen + phosphorus (NP) treatments. In 2017 we collected graminoid and forb productivity, root productivity, and community composition for each plot. We found no N x P interaction, but N enrichment was a significant main effect on productivity, highlighting N limitation in coastal systems. Importantly, nutrient enrichment treatments did not alter root productivity. However, all treatments caused significant differences in community composition. Using rank abundance curves, we determined that community composition differences were driven by increased dominance of nitrophilous graminoids, re-organization of subordinate species, and species absences in N and NP plots. Results of this study highlight how coastal grassland communities are impacted by nutrient enrichment. We show that community re-organization, increased dominance, and absence of critical species are all important mechanisms that reflect community-level impacts of nutrient enrichment in our coastal grassland site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph K. Brown
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- Department of Biological Sciences, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Ashley Moulton
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
| | - Julie C. Zinnert
- Department of Biology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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5
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Changes in the Microbiological Properties of Soils along the Gradient of the Altitude Zone of Mount Kivaka in Eastern Fennoscandia, Russia. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13060849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
This study was conducted on the territory of the national park Paanayarvi, located in the taiga zone of the European north. The altitude zone common in the territory of the national park is up to 350 m above sea level. The purpose of this work is to study the microbiological and biochemical properties of soils formed under conditions of a gradient of altitude zonation. This work was performed for the first time in this territory. Based on the fatty acid composition of the cell walls of microorganisms, the composition and structure of the microbial community were determined by chemato-mass spectrometry. The dominant microbocenosis of soils of undisturbed territories was revealed. Changes in prokaryotes and microscopic fungi in the gradient of the altitude zone occur in different directions, which is consistent with the work of other researchers. The results suggest that the formation of microbocenosis of soils located in different conditions of the phytocenotic environment depends on the location of the site relative to the height. The latter determines the flow of solar energy into the ecosystem and the hydrothermal regime of soils. The data obtained can be used in monitoring global climate changes, will become the basis for the formation of a general conceptual basis for the functioning of microbial communities of soils of low-mountain landscapes.
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6
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Spitzer CM, Sundqvist MK, Wardle DA, Gundale MJ, Kardol P. Root trait variation along a sub‐arctic tundra elevational gradient. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Clydecia M. Spitzer
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Maja K. Sundqvist
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - David A. Wardle
- Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological Univ. Singapore Singapore
| | - Michael J. Gundale
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
| | - Paul Kardol
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Umeå Sweden
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7
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Assessing the roles of nitrogen, biomass, and niche dimensionality as drivers of species loss in grassland communities. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2112010119. [PMID: 35235460 PMCID: PMC8915794 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2112010119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Nutrient enrichment of natural ecosystems is a primary characteristic of the Anthropocene and a known cause of biodiversity loss, particularly in grasslands. In a global meta-analysis of 630 resource addition experiments, we conduct a simultaneous test of the three most prominent explanations of this phenomenon. Our results conclusively indicate that nitrogen is the leading cause of species loss. This result is important because of the increase in nitrogen deposition and the frequent use of nitrogen-based fertilizers worldwide. Our findings provide global-scale, experimental evidence that minimizing nitrogen inputs to ecological systems may help to conserve the diversity of grassland ecosystems. Eutrophication is a major driver of species loss in plant communities worldwide. However, the underlying mechanisms of this phenomenon are controversial. Previous studies have raised three main explanations: 1) High levels of soil resources increase standing biomass, thereby intensifying competitive interactions (the “biomass-driven competition hypothesis”). 2) High levels of soil resources reduce the potential for resource-based niche partitioning (the “niche dimension hypothesis”). 3) Increasing soil nitrogen causes stress by changing the abiotic or biotic conditions (the “nitrogen detriment hypothesis”). Despite several syntheses of resource addition experiments, so far, no study has tested all of the hypotheses together. This is a major shortcoming, since the mechanisms underlying the three hypotheses are not independent. Here, we conduct a simultaneous test of the three hypotheses by integrating data from 630 resource addition experiments located in 99 sites worldwide. Our results provide strong support for the nitrogen detriment hypothesis, weaker support for the biomass-driven competition hypothesis, and negligible support for the niche dimension hypothesis. The results further show that the indirect effect of nitrogen through its effect on biomass is minor compared to its direct effect and is much larger than that of all other resources (phosphorus, potassium, and water). Thus, we conclude that nitrogen-specific mechanisms are more important than biomass or niche dimensionality as drivers of species loss under high levels of soil resources. This conclusion is highly relevant for future attempts to reduce biodiversity loss caused by global eutrophication.
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Liu H, Cheng J, Jin H, Xu Z, Yang X, Min D, Xu X, Shao X, Lu D, Qin B. Characterization of Rhizosphere and Endophytic Microbial Communities Associated with Stipa purpurea and Their Correlation with Soil Environmental Factors. PLANTS 2022; 11:plants11030363. [PMID: 35161345 PMCID: PMC8839079 DOI: 10.3390/plants11030363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This study was to explore the diversity of rhizosphere and endophytic microbial communities and the correlation with soil environmental factors of Stipa purpurea on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. The bacterial phylum of Proteobacteria, Firmicutes and Bacteroidota, and the fungal phylum of Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota were dominant in microbial communities of S. purpurea in all three sampling sites. Multiple comparison analysis showed that there were significant differences in the composition of microbial communities in the roots, leaves and rhizosphere soil. Whether it is fungi or bacteria, the OTU abundance of rhizosphere soils was higher than that of leaves and roots at the same location, while the difference among locations was not obvious. Moreover, RDA analysis showed that Zygomycota, Cercozoa, Glomeromycota, Chytridiomycota and Rozellomycota possessed strongly positive associations with altitude, dehydrogenase, alkaline phosphatase, neutral phosphatase, available kalium and available phosphate, while Ascomycota was strongly negatively associated. Changes in ammonium nitrate, alkaline phosphatase, polyphenol oxidase, total phosphorus, and altitude had a significant impact on the bacterial communities in different habitats and altitudes. Taken together, we provide evidence that S. purpurea has abundant microbial communities in the alpine grassland of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, whose composition and diversity are affected by various soil environmental factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyue Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources/Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; (H.L.); (X.Y.); (D.M.); (X.X.)
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Jinan Cheng
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agricultural Science and Technology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
| | - Hui Jin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources/Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; (H.L.); (X.Y.); (D.M.); (X.X.)
- Yantai Zhongke Research Institute of Advanced Materials and Green Chemical Engineering, Yantai 264006, China
- Correspondence: (H.J.); (B.Q.)
| | - Zhongxiang Xu
- Animal, Plant & Food Inspection Center of Nanjing Customs, Nanjing 210000, China;
| | - Xiaoyan Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources/Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; (H.L.); (X.Y.); (D.M.); (X.X.)
| | - Deng Min
- CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources/Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; (H.L.); (X.Y.); (D.M.); (X.X.)
| | - Xinxin Xu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources/Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; (H.L.); (X.Y.); (D.M.); (X.X.)
| | - Xiangfeng Shao
- State Key Laboratory of Applied Organic Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China;
| | - Dengxue Lu
- Institute of Biology, Gansu Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China;
| | - Bo Qin
- CAS Key Laboratory of Chemistry of Northwestern Plant Resources/Key Laboratory for Natural Medicine of Gansu Province, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; (H.L.); (X.Y.); (D.M.); (X.X.)
- Correspondence: (H.J.); (B.Q.)
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Fan LL, Mekrovar O, Li YM, Li KH, Ma XX, Mao JF. Effect of Nutrient Addition on the Productivity and Species Richness of Grassland Along With an Elevational Gradient in Tajikistan. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2021; 12:765077. [PMID: 34956262 PMCID: PMC8708349 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.765077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Grasslands provide key resource for the millions of people who are dependent on livestock in Tajikistan. Productivity and species richness (SR) are important characteristics of grassland ecosystems and are greatly affected by nutrient inputs. The effect that climate change might have on these characteristics remains unclear. Here, an in situ nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) fertilization experiment was conducted at four sites along with an elevational gradient (650, 1,100, 1,250, and 2,000 m) in western Tajikistan over 2 years (2018 and 2019) to examine the influences of nutrient availability and climate change on aboveground biomass (AGB) and SR; precipitation and temperature were also considered to analyze the responses. It demonstrated that enrichment with N, P, and their combinations significantly increased AGB along with an elevational gradient (p < 0.05). AGB increased as the concentrations of nutrients added increased. The maximum AGB, which was 2-fold higher compared with control, was observed when 90 kg N ha-1year-1 and 30 kg P ha-1year-1 were added. In addition, nitrogen addition alone stimulated greater AGB than P addition, although no significant difference was observed between these two treatments. Enrichment with N, P, and their combination had no significant effect on SR; however, SR significantly changed at different elevation. Elevation had direct effect on precipitation and temperature, which, in turn, resulted in variation in AGB and SR. Moreover, both nutrient and elevation had significant effect on AGB and SR, but there was no interaction effect of them. AGB and SR interacted with significant negative correlation. In the high-elevation area, plants grew better in the warmer year (2018); this indicates that grasslands in high mountain areas in Tajikistan might have higher productivity as the climate warms, which will positively affect the economic development of the country.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lian-Lian Fan
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Okhonniyozov Mekrovar
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Yao-Ming Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Kai-Hui Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xue-Xi Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Jie-Fei Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- Research Center for Ecology and Environment of Central Asia, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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10
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McLaren JR, Buckeridge KM. Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennie R. McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Texas at El Paso El Paso Texas 79968 USA
| | - Kate M. Buckeridge
- Department of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) 41 Rue du Brill 4422 Belvaux Luxembourg
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11
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Jessen MT, Kaarlejärvi E, Olofsson J, Eskelinen A. Mammalian herbivory shapes intraspecific trait responses to warmer climate and nutrient enrichment. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:6742-6752. [PMID: 33020977 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2020] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/14/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Variation in intraspecific traits is one important mechanism that can allow plant species to respond to global changes. Understanding plant trait responses to environmental changes such as grazing patterns, nutrient enrichment and climate warming is, thus, essential for predicting the composition of future plant communities. We measured traits of eight common tundra species in a fully factorial field experiment with mammalian herbivore exclusion, fertilization, and passive warming, and assessed how trait responsiveness to the treatments was associated with abundance changes in those treatments. Herbivory exhibited the strongest impact on traits. Exclusion of herbivores increased vegetative plant height by 50% and specific leaf area (SLA) by 19%, and decreased foliar C:N by 11%; fertilization and warming also increased height and SLA but to a smaller extent. Herbivory also modulated intraspecific height, SLA and foliar C:N responses to fertilization and warming, and these interactions were species-specific. Furthermore, herbivory affected how trait change translated into relative abundance change: increased height under warming and fertilization was more positively related to abundance change inside fences than in grazed plots. Our findings highlight the key role of mammalian herbivory when assessing intraspecific trait change in tundra and its consequences for plant performance under global changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria-Theresa Jessen
- Department of Community Ecology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Halle, Germany
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Elina Kaarlejärvi
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Umea University, Umea, Sweden
| | - Anu Eskelinen
- Department of Physiological Diversity, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ, Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
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12
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van Paassen JG, Britton AJ, Mitchell RJ, Street LE, Johnson D, Coupar A, Woodin SJ. Legacy effects of nitrogen and phosphorus additions on vegetation and carbon stocks of upland heaths. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 228:226-237. [PMID: 32432343 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Soil carbon (C) pools and plant community composition are regulated by nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability. Atmospheric N deposition impacts ecosystem C storage, but the direction of response varies between systems. Phosphorus limitation may constrain C storage response to N, hence P application to increase plant productivity and thus C sequestration has been suggested. We revisited a 23-yr-old field experiment where N and P had been applied to upland heath, a widespread habitat supporting large soil C stocks. At 10 yr after the last nutrient application we quantified long-term changes in vegetation composition and in soil and vegetation C and P stocks. Nitrogen addition, particularly when combined with P, strongly influenced vegetation composition, favouring grasses over Calluna vulgaris, and led to a reduction in vegetation C stocks. However, soil C stocks did not respond to nutrient treatments. We found 40% of the added P had accumulated in the soil. This study showed persistent effects of N and N + P on vegetation composition, whereas effects of P alone were small and showed recovery. We found no indication that P application could mitigate the effects of N on vegetation or increase C sequestration in this system.
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Affiliation(s)
- José G van Paassen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Andrea J Britton
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Ruth J Mitchell
- The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen, AB15 8QH, UK
| | - Lorna E Street
- School of Geosciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH9 3FF, UK
| | - David Johnson
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, M13 9PT, UK
| | - Andrew Coupar
- Scottish Natural Heritage, The Links, Golspie, KW10 6UB, UK
| | - Sarah J Woodin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, AB24 3UU, UK
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13
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Kristensen JA, Michelsen A, Metcalfe DB. Background insect herbivory increases with local elevation but makes minor contribution to element cycling along natural gradients in the Subarctic. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:11684-11698. [PMID: 33144993 PMCID: PMC7593201 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6803] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Herbivores can exert major controls over biogeochemical cycling. As invertebrates are highly sensitive to temperature shifts (ectothermal), the abundances of insects in high-latitude systems, where climate warming is rapid, is expected to increase. In subarctic mountain birch forests, research has focussed on geometrid moth outbreaks, while the contribution of background insect herbivory (BIH) to elemental cycling is poorly constrained. In northern Sweden, we estimated BIH along 9 elevational gradients distributed across a gradient in regional elevation, temperature, and precipitation to allow evaluation of consistency in local versus regional variation. We converted foliar loss via BIH to fluxes of C, nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) from the birch canopy to the soil to compare with other relevant soil inputs of the same elements and assessed different abiotic and biotic drivers of the observed variability. We found that leaf area loss due to BIH was ~1.6% on average. This is comparable to estimates from tundra, but considerably lower than ecosystems at lower latitudes. The C, N, and P fluxes from canopy to soil associated with BIH were 1-2 orders of magnitude lower than the soil input from senesced litter and external nutrient sources such as biological N fixation, atmospheric deposition of N, and P weathering estimated from the literature. Despite the minor contribution to overall elemental cycling in subarctic birch forests, the higher quality and earlier timing of the input of herbivore deposits to soils compared to senesced litter may make this contribution disproportionally important for various ecosystem functions. BIH increased significantly with leaf N content as well as local elevation along each transect, yet showed no significant relationship with temperature or humidity, nor the commonly used temperature proxy, absolute elevation. The lack of consistency between the local and regional elevational trends calls for caution when using elevation gradients as climate proxies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeppe A. Kristensen
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
- Geological Survey of Denmark and GreenlandCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Anders Michelsen
- Department of BiologyTerrestrial Ecology SectionUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- Center for PermafrostUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Daniel B. Metcalfe
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem ScienceLund UniversityLundSweden
- Department of Ecology and Environmental SciencesUmeå Umeå UniversitetUmeåSweden
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14
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Chen J, van Groenigen KJ, Hungate BA, Terrer C, van Groenigen JW, Maestre FT, Ying SC, Luo Y, Jørgensen U, Sinsabaugh RL, Olesen JE, Elsgaard L. Long-term nitrogen loading alleviates phosphorus limitation in terrestrial ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:5077-5086. [PMID: 32529708 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15218] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/21/2020] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
Increased human-derived nitrogen (N) deposition to terrestrial ecosystems has resulted in widespread phosphorus (P) limitation of net primary productivity. However, it remains unclear if and how N-induced P limitation varies over time. Soil extracellular phosphatases catalyze the hydrolysis of P from soil organic matter, an important adaptive mechanism for ecosystems to cope with N-induced P limitation. Here we show, using a meta-analysis of 140 studies and 668 observations worldwide, that N stimulation of soil phosphatase activity diminishes over time. Whereas short-term N loading (≤5 years) significantly increased soil phosphatase activity by 28%, long-term N loading had no significant effect. Nitrogen loading did not affect soil available P and total P content in either short- or long-term studies. Together, these results suggest that N-induced P limitation in ecosystems is alleviated in the long-term through the initial stimulation of soil phosphatase activity, thereby securing P supply to support plant growth. Our results suggest that increases in terrestrial carbon uptake due to ongoing anthropogenic N loading may be greater than previously thought.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ji Chen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Aarhus University Center for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- iCLIMATE Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Kees J van Groenigen
- Department of Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Bruce A Hungate
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - César Terrer
- Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA, USA
| | | | - Fernando T Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramon Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Samantha C Ying
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, CA, USA
| | - Yiqi Luo
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Uffe Jørgensen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- Aarhus University Center for Circular Bioeconomy, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
| | | | - Jørgen E Olesen
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- iCLIMATE Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
| | - Lars Elsgaard
- Department of Agroecology, Aarhus University, Tjele, Denmark
- iCLIMATE Interdisciplinary Centre for Climate Change, Aarhus University, Roskilde, Denmark
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15
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Xiao H, Wang B, Lu S, Chen D, Wu Y, Zhu Y, Hu S, Bai Y. Soil acidification reduces the effects of short-term nutrient enrichment on plant and soil biota and their interactions in grasslands. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:4626-4637. [PMID: 32438518 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2019] [Revised: 05/07/2020] [Accepted: 05/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) contents, and soil acidification have greatly increased in grassland ecosystems due to increased industrial and agricultural activities. As major environmental and economic concerns worldwide, nutrient enrichment and soil acidification can lead to substantial changes in the diversity and structure of plant and soil communities. Although the separate effects of N and P enrichment on soil food webs have been assessed across different ecosystems, the combined effects of N and P enrichment on multiple trophic levels in soil food webs have not been studied in semiarid grasslands experiencing soil acidification. Here we conducted a short-term N and P enrichment experiment in non-acidified and acidified soil in a semiarid grassland on the Mongolian Plateau. We found that net primary productivity was not affected by N or P enrichment alone in either non-acidified or acidified soil, but was increased by combined N and P enrichment in both non-acidified and acidified soil. Nutrient enrichment decreased the biomass of most microbial groups in non-acidified soil (the decrease tended to be greatest with combined N and P enrichment) but not in acidified soil, and did not affect most soil nematode variables in non-acidified or acidified soil. Nutrient enrichment also changed plant and microbial community structure in non-acidified but not in acidified soil, and had no effect on nematode community structure in non-acidified or acidified soil. These results indicate that the responses to short-term nutrient enrichment were weaker for higher trophic groups (nematodes) than for lower trophic groups (microorganisms) and primary producers (plants). The findings increase our understanding of the effects of nutrient enrichment on multiple trophic levels of soil food webs, and highlight that soil acidification, as an anthropogenic stressor, reduced the responses of plants and soil food webs to nutrient enrichment and weakened plant-soil interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong Xiao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Bing Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Shunbao Lu
- College of Life Sciences, Jiangxi Normal University, Nanchang, China
| | - Dima Chen
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Ying Wu
- Yunnan Key Laboratory of Plant Reproductive Adaption and Evolutionary Ecology, Yunnan University, Kunming, China
| | - Yuhe Zhu
- College of Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, China Three Gorges University, Yichang, China
| | - Shuijin Hu
- Department of Plant Pathology, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Yongfei Bai
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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16
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Mukai M, Mori T, Aiba S, Kitayama K. Nitrogen mineralization rates of the soils incubated under different temperatures from different elevations along an environmental gradient on Yakushima Island. Ecol Res 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mana Mukai
- Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University Sakyo‐ku Kyoto Japan
| | - Taiki Mori
- Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University Sakyo‐ku Kyoto Japan
- Kyushu Research Center Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute Kumamoto Japan
| | - Shin‐ichiro Aiba
- Graduate School of Science and Engineering Kagoshima University Kagoshima Japan
- Faculty of Environmental Earth Science Hokkaido University Sapporo Japan
| | - Kanehiro Kitayama
- Graduate School of Agriculture Kyoto University Sakyo‐ku Kyoto Japan
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17
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McLaren JR, Buckeridge KM. Decoupled above‐ and belowground responses to multi‐decadal nitrogen and phosphorus amendments in two tundra ecosystems. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jennie R. McLaren
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Texas El Paso Texas 79968 USA
| | - Kate M. Buckeridge
- Global Academy of Agriculture and Food Security The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies University of Edinburgh Edinburgh EH25 9RG UK
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18
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Sitters J, Cherif M, Egelkraut D, Giesler R, Olofsson J. Long‐term heavy reindeer grazing promotes plant phosphorus limitation in arctic tundra. Funct Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Judith Sitters
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Ecology and Biodiversity, Department Biology Vrije Universiteit Brussel Brussels Belgium
| | - Mehdi Cherif
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Abisko Sweden
| | - Dagmar Egelkraut
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Bergen Bergen Norway
| | - Reiner Giesler
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Umeå Sweden
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Abisko Sweden
| | - Johan Olofsson
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University Umeå Sweden
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19
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Fanin N, Kardol P, Farrell M, Kempel A, Ciobanu M, Nilsson MC, Gundale MJ, Wardle DA. Effects of plant functional group removal on structure and function of soil communities across contrasting ecosystems. Ecol Lett 2019; 22:1095-1103. [PMID: 30957419 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 03/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
Loss of plant diversity has an impact on ecosystems worldwide, but we lack a mechanistic understanding of how this loss may influence below-ground biota and ecosystem functions across contrasting ecosystems in the long term. We used the longest running biodiversity manipulation experiment across contrasting ecosystems in existence to explore the below-ground consequences of 19 years of plant functional group removals for each of 30 contrasting forested lake islands in northern Sweden. We found that, against expectations, the effects of plant removals on the communities of key groups of soil organisms (bacteria, fungi and nematodes), and organic matter quality and soil ecosystem functioning (decomposition and microbial activity) were relatively similar among islands that varied greatly in productivity and soil fertility. This highlights that, in contrast to what has been shown for plant productivity, plant biodiversity loss effects on below-ground functions can be relatively insensitive to environmental context or variation among widely contrasting ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Fanin
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901-83, Umeå, Sweden.,INRA, UMR 1391 ISPA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, 71 avenue Edouard Bourlaux, CS, 20032, F33882, Villenave-d'Ornon cedex, France
| | - Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901-83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Mark Farrell
- CSIRO Agriculture & Food, Locked bag 2, Glen Osmond, SA, 5064, Australia
| | - Anne Kempel
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901-83, Umeå, Sweden.,University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marcel Ciobanu
- Institute of Biological Research, Branch of the National Institute of Research and Development for Biological Sciences, Str. Republicii 48, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
| | - Marie-Charlotte Nilsson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901-83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Michael J Gundale
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901-83, Umeå, Sweden
| | - David A Wardle
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, 901-83, Umeå, Sweden.,Asian School of the Environment, Nanyang Technological University, 50 Nanyang Avenue, Singapore, 639798
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20
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Zhao Y, Yang B, Li M, Xiao R, Rao K, Wang J, Zhang T, Guo J. Community composition, structure and productivity in response to nitrogen and phosphorus additions in a temperate meadow. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2019; 654:863-871. [PMID: 30448675 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.11.155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/10/2018] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Global nitrogen (N) enrichment likely alters plant community composition and increases productivity, consequently affecting ecosystem stability. Meanwhile, the effects of N addition on plant community composition and productivity are often influenced by phosphorus (P) nutrition, as the effects of N and P addition and interactions between N and P on plant community structure and productivity are still not well understood. An in situ experiment with N and P addition was conducted in a temperate meadow in northeastern China from 2013 to 2016. The responses of plant community composition, structure, functional group cover, richness and productivity to N and P additions were examined. N addition significantly reduced species richness and diversity but increased aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) during the four-study-year period. P addition exerted no significant impact on species richness, diversity or ANPP but reduced cover of grasses and increased legume cover. Under N plus P addition, P addition alleviated the negative effects of N addition on community structure by increasing species richness and covers of legume and forbs. N and P additions significantly altered plant community structure and productivity in the functional groups. N addition significantly increased the cover of gramineous and reduced the cover of legume, P addition significantly increased legume cover. Our observations revealed that soil nutrient availability regulates plant community structure and ANPP in response to nutrient enrichment caused by anthropogenic activities in the temperate meadow. Our results highlight that the negative influence of N deposition on plant community composition might be alleviated by P input in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yinan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; College of Tourism and Geographic Science, Jilin Normal University, Siping 136000, China
| | - Bing Yang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Mingxin Li
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Runqi Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Keyun Rao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Jiaqi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China
| | - Tao Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China; Plant-Soil Interaction Group, Division of Agroecology and Environment, Agroscope, Zurich CH-8046, Switzerland.
| | - Jixun Guo
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology, Ministry of Education, Institute of Grassland Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024, China.
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21
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Čapek P, Manzoni S, Kaštovská E, Wild B, Diáková K, Bárta J, Schnecker J, Biasi C, Martikainen PJ, Alves RJE, Guggenberger G, Gentsch N, Hugelius G, Palmtag J, Mikutta R, Shibistova O, Urich T, Schleper C, Richter A, Šantrůčková H. A plant–microbe interaction framework explaining nutrient effects on primary production. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1588-1596. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0662-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2018] [Accepted: 08/07/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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22
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Wang A, Wang X, Tognetti R, Lei JP, Pan HL, Liu XL, Jiang Y, Wang XY, He P, Yu FH, Li MH. Elevation alters carbon and nutrient concentrations and stoichiometry in Quercus aquifolioides in southwestern China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2018; 622-623:1463-1475. [PMID: 29890611 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.12.070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 12/06/2017] [Accepted: 12/06/2017] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Elevation is a complex environmental factor altering temperature, light, moisture and soil nutrient availability, and thus may affect plant growth and physiology. Such effects of elevation may also depend on seasons. Along an elevational gradient of the Balang Mountain, southwestern China, we sampled soil and 2-year old leaves, 2-year old shoots, stem sapwood and fine roots (diameter<5mm) of Quercus aquifolioides at 2843, 2978, 3159, 3327, 3441 and 3589m a.s.l. in both summer and winter. In summer, the concentrations of tissue non-structural carbohydrates (NSC) did not decrease with increasing elevation, suggesting that the carbon supply is sufficient for plant growth at high altitude in the growing season. The concentration of NSC in fine roots decreased with elevation in winter, and the mean concentration of NSC across tissues in a whole plant showed no significant difference between the two sampling seasons, suggesting that the direction of NSC reallocation among plant tissues changed with season. During the growing season, NSC transferred from leaves to other tissues, and in winter NSC stored in roots transferred from roots to aboveground tissues. Available soil N increased with elevation, but total N concentrations in plant tissues did not show any clear elevational pattern. Both available soil P and total P concentrations in all plant tissues decreased with increasing elevation. Thus, tissue N:P ratio increased with elevation, suggesting that P may become a limiting element for plant growth at high elevation. The present study suggests that the upper limit of Q. aquifolioides on Balang Mountain may be co-determined by winter root NSC storage and P availability. Our results contribute to better understanding of the mechanisms for plants' upper limit formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; College of Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China; Forest dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Xue Wang
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China; Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China; Forest dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Roberto Tognetti
- Dipartimento di Agraria, Ambiente e Alimenti, Università del Molise, 86090 Campobasso, Italy - European Forest Institute (EFI) Project Centre on Mountain Forests (MOUNTFOR), 38010 San Michele all'Adige, Italy
| | - Jing-Pin Lei
- Key Laboratory of Tree Breeding and Cultivation of State Forestry Administration, Research Institute of Forestry, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Beijing, China
| | - Hong-Li Pan
- Sichuan Academy of Forestry, Chengdu 610081, China
| | | | - Yong Jiang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China
| | - Xiao-Yu Wang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China; Forest dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Peng He
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China; Forest dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Fei-Hai Yu
- Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation, Taizhou University, Taizhou 318000, China.
| | - Mai-He Li
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110164, China; Forest dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL, Zuercherstrasse 111, CH-8903 Birmensdorf, Switzerland.
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23
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Bacterial community structure associated with the rhizosphere soils and roots of Stellera chamaejasme L. along a Tibetan elevation gradient. ANN MICROBIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s13213-018-1336-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
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24
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Tian D, Jiang L, Ma S, Fang W, Schmid B, Xu L, Zhu J, Li P, Losapio G, Jing X, Zheng C, Shen H, Xu X, Zhu B, Fang J. Effects of nitrogen deposition on soil microbial communities in temperate and subtropical forests in China. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2017; 607-608:1367-1375. [PMID: 28738512 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.06.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2017] [Revised: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 06/07/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Increasing nitrogen (N) deposition has aroused large concerns because of its potential negative effects on forest ecosystems. Although microorganisms play a vital role in ecosystem carbon (C) and nutrient cycling, the effect of N deposition on soil microbiota still remains unclear. In this study, we investigated the responses of microbial biomass C (MBC) and N (MBN) and microbial community composition to 4-5years of experimentally simulated N deposition in temperate needle-leaf forests and subtropical evergreen broadleaf forests in eastern China, using chloroform fumigation extraction and phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) methods. We found idiosyncratic effects of N addition on microbial biomass in these two types of forest ecosystems. In the subtropical forests, N addition showed a significant negative effect on microbial biomass and community composition, while the effect of N addition was not significant in the temperate forests. The N addition decreased MBC, MBN, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, and the F/B ratio (ratio of fungi to bacteria biomass) in the subtropical forests, likely due to a decreased soil pH and changes in the plant community composition. These results showed that microbial biomass and community composition in subtropical forests, compared with the temperate forests, were sensitive to N deposition. Our findings suggest that N deposition may have negative influence on soil microorganisms and potentially alter carbon and nutrient cycling in subtropical forests, rather than in temperate forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Di Tian
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Lai Jiang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Suhui Ma
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Wenjing Fang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Bernhard Schmid
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Longchao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Jianxiao Zhu
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Peng Li
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Gianalberto Losapio
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Xin Jing
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Chengyang Zheng
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Haihua Shen
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100093, China
| | - Xiaoniu Xu
- Department of Forestry, Anhui Agricultural University, 230036 Hefei, Anhui, China
| | - Biao Zhu
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jingyun Fang
- Department of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, and Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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25
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Growth responses of the common arctic graminoid Eriophorum vaginatum to simulated grazing are independent of soil nitrogen availability. Oecologia 2017; 186:151-162. [PMID: 29098420 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3990-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/17/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Plant compensatory growth responses to herbivory are mediated by soil fertility and can have significant feedbacks that affect overall ecosystem nutrient cycling. The sedge Eriophorum vaginatum is the dominant graminoid in arctic mesic tundra, and is heavily consumed by caribou. Here, we compare the principal compensatory growth models in explaining the impact of a single episode of simulated caribou grazing at two clipping intensities on E. vaginatum total growing season shoot production, nitrogen concentrations, and nitrogen pools, over two successive years across a soil nitrogen fertilisation gradient. The clipping treatments had no effect on shoot production in the growing season when they were applied, but substantially reduced growth in the following year. Surprisingly, these reductions were consistent across all levels of soil nitrogen availability. The Limiting Resource Model can best explain this legacy effect on production because it predicts alternate compensatory growth responses depending on whether or not the herbivory affects availability of the resource that most limits plant growth. Accordingly, our results suggest that shoot compensatory growth in the year after the clipping was limited by some resource other than nitrogen-probably internal carbohydrate reserves or soil phosphorus. The clipping treatments initially enhanced shoot nitrogen concentrations and pools, but shoot nitrogen pools had decreased by the end of the second year due to the legacy effect of reduced shoot production. Finally, inflorescence removal substantially stimulated new shoot production in both years. Together, our results suggest that herbivory can significantly enhance temporal and local spatial heterogeneity in graminoid growth and nitrogen cycling.
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Augusto L, Achat DL, Jonard M, Vidal D, Ringeval B. Soil parent material-A major driver of plant nutrient limitations in terrestrial ecosystems. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2017; 23:3808-3824. [PMID: 28317232 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2016] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Because the capability of terrestrial ecosystems to fix carbon is constrained by nutrient availability, understanding how nutrients limit plant growth is a key contemporary question. However, what drives nutrient limitations at global scale remains to be clarified. Using global data on plant growth, plant nutritive status, and soil fertility, we investigated to which extent soil parent materials explain nutrient limitations. We found that N limitation was not linked to soil parent materials, but was best explained by climate: ecosystems under harsh (i.e., cold and or dry) climates were more N-limited than ecosystems under more favourable climates. Contrary to N limitation, P limitation was not driven by climate, but by soil parent materials. The influence of soil parent materials was the result of the tight link between actual P pools of soils and physical-chemical properties (acidity, P richness) of soil parent materials. Some other ground-related factors (i.e., soil weathering stage, landform) had a noticeable influence on P limitation, but their role appeared to be relatively smaller than that of geology. The relative importance of N limitation versus P limitation was explained by a combination of climate and soil parent material: at global scale, N limitation became prominent with increasing climatic constraints, but this global trend was modulated at lower scales by the effect of parent materials on P limitation, particularly under climates favourable to biological activity. As compared with soil parent materials, atmospheric deposition had only a weak influence on the global distribution of actual nutrient limitation. Our work advances our understanding of the distribution of nutrient limitation at global scale. In particular, it stresses the need to take soil parent materials into account when investigating plant growth response to environment changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurent Augusto
- UMR 1391 ISPA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRA, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - David L Achat
- UMR 1391 ISPA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRA, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Mathieu Jonard
- Earth and Life Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - David Vidal
- UMR 1391 ISPA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRA, Villenave d'Ornon, France
| | - Bruno Ringeval
- UMR 1391 ISPA, Bordeaux Sciences Agro, INRA, Villenave d'Ornon, France
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27
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Driscoll DA, Strong C. Covariation of soil nutrients drives occurrence of exotic and native plant species. J Appl Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Don A. Driscoll
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences; Centre for Integrative Ecology; Deakin University Geelong; Melbourne Vic. Australia
| | - Craig Strong
- The Fenner School of Environment & Society; The Australian National University; Canberra ACT Australia
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28
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Kotilínek M, Hiiesalu I, Košnar J, Šmilauerová M, Šmilauer P, Altman J, Dvorský M, Kopecký M, Doležal J. Fungal root symbionts of high-altitude vascular plants in the Himalayas. Sci Rep 2017; 7:6562. [PMID: 28747779 PMCID: PMC5529584 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-06938-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 05/30/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and dark septate endophytes (DSE) form symbiotic relationships with plants influencing their productivity, diversity and ecosystem functions. Only a few studies on these fungi, however, have been conducted in extreme elevations and none over 5500 m a.s.l., although vascular plants occur up to 6150 m a.s.l. in the Himalayas. We quantified AMF and DSE in roots of 62 plant species from contrasting habitats along an elevational gradient (3400-6150 m) in the Himalayas using a combination of optical microscopy and next generation sequencing. We linked AMF and DSE communities with host plant evolutionary history, ecological preferences (elevation and habitat type) and functional traits. We detected AMF in elevations up to 5800 m, indicating it is more constrained by extreme conditions than the host plants, which ascend up to 6150 m. In contrast, DSE were found across the entire gradient up to 6150 m. AMF diversity was unimodally related to elevation and positively related to the intensity of AMF colonization. Mid-elevation steppe and alpine plants hosted more diverse AMF communities than plants from deserts and the subnival zone. Our results bring novel insights to the abiotic and biotic filters structuring AMF and DSE communities in the Himalayas.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan Kotilínek
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.
| | - Inga Hiiesalu
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Košnar
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Marie Šmilauerová
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Petr Šmilauer
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
| | - Jan Altman
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Miroslav Dvorský
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
| | - Martin Kopecký
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Department of Forest Ecology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, Prague 6, Suchdol, CZ-165 21, Czech Republic
| | - Jiří Doležal
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 1760, 370 05, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Botany, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Zámek 1, 252 43, Průhonice, Czech Republic
- Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University, Kita-19, Nishi-8, Kita-ku, Sapporo, 060-0819, Japan
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29
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Interactive Effects Between Reindeer and Habitat Fertility Drive Soil Nutrient Availabilities in Arctic Tundra. Ecosystems 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-017-0108-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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30
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Du Z, Zhang X, Xu X, Zhang H, Wu Z, Pang J. Quantifying influences of physiographic factors on temperate dryland vegetation, Northwest China. Sci Rep 2017; 7:40092. [PMID: 28067259 PMCID: PMC5220299 DOI: 10.1038/srep40092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2016] [Accepted: 12/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Variability in satellite measurements of terrestrial greenness in drylands is widely observed in land surface processes and global change studies. Yet the underlying causes differ and are not fully understood. Here, we used the GeogDetector model, a new spatial statistical approach, to examine the individual and combined influences of physiographic factors on dryland vegetation greenness changes, and to identify the most suitable characteristics of each principal factor for stimulating vegetation growth. Our results indicated that dryland greenness was predominantly affected by precipitation, soil type, vegetation type, and temperature, either separately or in concert. The interaction between pairs of physiographic factors enhanced the influence of any single factor and displayed significantly non-linear influences on vegetation greenness. Our results also implied that vegetation greenness could be promoted by adopting favorable ranges or types of major physiographical factors, thus beneficial for ecological conservation and restoration that aimed at mitigating environmental degradation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziqiang Du
- Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Xiaoyu Zhang
- College of environmental &Resource Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Xiaoming Xu
- Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Hong Zhang
- College of environmental &Resource Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Zhitao Wu
- Institute of Loess Plateau, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
| | - Jing Pang
- College of environmental &Resource Science, Shanxi University, Taiyuan, Shanxi 030006, China
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31
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He X, Hou E, Liu Y, Wen D. Altitudinal patterns and controls of plant and soil nutrient concentrations and stoichiometry in subtropical China. Sci Rep 2016; 6:24261. [PMID: 27052367 PMCID: PMC4823659 DOI: 10.1038/srep24261] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2016] [Accepted: 03/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Altitude is a determining factor of ecosystem properties and processes in mountains. This study investigated the changes in the concentrations of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) and their ratios in four key ecosystem components (forest floor litter, fine roots, soil, and soil microorganisms) along an altitudinal gradient (from 50 m to 950 m a.s.l.) in subtropical China. The results showed that soil organic C and microbial biomass C concentrations increased linearly with increasing altitude. Similar trends were observed for concentrations of total soil N and microbial biomass N. In contrast, the N concentration of litter and fine roots decreased linearly with altitude. With increasing altitude, litter, fine roots, and soil C:N ratios increased linearly, while the C:N ratio of soil microbial biomass did not change significantly. Phosphorus concentration and C:P and N:P ratios of all ecosystem components generally had nonlinear relationships with altitude. Our results indicate that the altitudinal pattern of plant and soil nutrient status differs among ecosystem components and that the relative importance of P vs. N limitation for ecosystem functions and processes shifts along altitudinal gradients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xianjin He
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Enqing Hou
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Yang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Dazhi Wen
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
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32
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Li Y, Niu S, Yu G. Aggravated phosphorus limitation on biomass production under increasing nitrogen loading: a meta-analysis. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2016; 22:934-43. [PMID: 26463578 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 153] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2015] [Revised: 09/07/2015] [Accepted: 09/13/2015] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), either individually or in combination, have been demonstrated to limit biomass production in terrestrial ecosystems. Field studies have been extensively synthesized to assess global patterns of N impacts on terrestrial ecosystem processes. However, to our knowledge, no synthesis has been done so far to reveal global patterns of P impacts on terrestrial ecosystems, especially under different nitrogen (N) levels. Here, we conducted a meta-analysis of impacts of P addition, either alone or with N addition, on aboveground (AGB) and belowground biomass production (BGB), plant and soil P concentrations, and N : P ratio in terrestrial ecosystems. Overall, our meta-analysis quantitatively confirmed existing notions: (i) colimitation of N and P on biomass production and (ii) more P limitation in tropical forest than other ecosystems. More importantly, our analysis revealed new findings: (i) P limitation on biomass production was aggravated by N enrichment and (ii) plant P concentration was a better indicator of P limitation than soil P availability. Specifically, P addition increased AGB and BGB by 34% and 13%, respectively. The effect size of P addition on biomass production was larger in tropical forest than grassland, wetland, and tundra and varied with P fertilizer forms, P addition rates, or experimental durations. The P-induced increase in biomass production and plant P concentration was larger under elevated than ambient N. Our findings suggest that the global limitation of P on biomass production will become severer under increasing N fertilizer and deposition in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Li
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Shuli Niu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Guirui Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
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33
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Siles JA, Cajthaml T, Minerbi S, Margesin R. Effect of altitude and season on microbial activity, abundance and community structure in Alpine forest soils. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2016; 92:fiw008. [PMID: 26787774 DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiw008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/13/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current context of climate change, the study of microbial communities along altitudinal gradients is especially useful. Only few studies considered altitude and season at the same time. We characterized four forest sites located in the Italian Alps, along an altitude gradient (545-2000 m a.s.l.), to evaluate the effect of altitude in spring and autumn on soil microbial properties. Each site in each season was characterized with regard to soil temperature, physicochemical properties, microbial activities (respiration, enzymes), community level physiological profiles (CLPP), microbial abundance and community structure (PLFA). Increased levels of soil organic matter (SOM) and nutrients were found at higher altitudes and in autumn, resulting in a significant increase of (soil dry-mass related) microbial activities and abundance at higher altitudes. Significant site- and season-specific effects were found for enzyme production. The significant interaction of the factors site and incubation temperature for soil microbial activities indicated differences in microbial communities and their responses to temperature among sites. CLPP revealed site-specific effects. Microbial community structure was influenced by altitudinal, seasonal and/or site-specific effects. Correlations demonstrated that altitude, and not season, was the main factor determining the changes in abiotic and biotic characteristics at the sites investigated.
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Affiliation(s)
- José A Siles
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Tomas Cajthaml
- Institute of Microbiology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, v.v.i., Vídeňská 1083, CZ-142 20 Prague 4, Czech Republic Institute for Environmental Studies, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Benatska 2, CZ-128 01 Prague 2, Czech Republic
| | - Stefano Minerbi
- Division Forestry, Autonomous Province of Bozen/Bolzano, Brennerstrasse 6, I-39100 Bozen/Bolzano, Italy
| | - Rosa Margesin
- Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Technikerstrasse 25, A-6020 Innsbruck, Austria
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34
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Fanin N, Hättenschwiler S, Chavez Soria PF, Fromin N. (A)synchronous Availabilities of N and P Regulate the Activity and Structure of the Microbial Decomposer Community. Front Microbiol 2016; 6:1507. [PMID: 26779162 PMCID: PMC4701990 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2015.01507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability both control microbial decomposers and litter decomposition. However, these two key nutrients show distinct release patterns from decomposing litter and are unlikely available at the same time in most ecosystems. Little is known about how temporal differences in N and P availability affect decomposers and litter decomposition, which may be particularly critical for tropical rainforests growing on old and nutrient-impoverished soils. Here we used three chemically contrasted leaf litter substrates and cellulose paper as a widely accessible substrate containing no nutrients to test the effects of temporal differences in N and P availability in a microcosm experiment under fully controlled conditions. We measured substrate mass loss, microbial activity (by substrate induced respiration, SIR) as well as microbial community structure (using phospholipid fatty acids, PLFAs) in the litter and the underlying soil throughout the initial stages of decomposition. We generally found a stronger stimulation of substrate mass loss and microbial respiration, especially for cellulose, with simultaneous NP addition compared to a temporally separated N and P addition. However, litter types with a relatively high N to P availability responded more to initial P than N addition and vice versa. A third litter species showed no response to fertilization regardless of the sequence of addition, likely due to strong C limitation. Microbial community structure in the litter was strongly influenced by the fertilization sequence. In particular, the fungi to bacteria ratio increased following N addition alone, a shift that was reversed with complementary P addition. Opposite to the litter layer microorganisms, the soil microbial community structure was more strongly influenced by the identity of the decomposing substrate than by fertilization treatments, reinforcing the idea that C availability can strongly constrain decomposer communities. Collectively, our data support the idea that temporal differences in N and P availability are critical for the activity and the structure of microbial decomposer communities. The interplay of N, P, and substrate-specific C availability will strongly determine how nutrient pulses in the environment will affect microbial heterotrophs and the processes they drive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Fanin
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier Montpellier, France
| | - Stephan Hättenschwiler
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier Montpellier, France
| | | | - Nathalie Fromin
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier Montpellier, France
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35
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Buckeridge KM, Schaeffer SM, Schimel JP. Vegetation Leachate During Arctic Thaw Enhances Soil Microbial Phosphorus. Ecosystems 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-015-9947-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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36
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De Long JR, Sundqvist MK, Gundale MJ, Giesler R, Wardle DA. Effects of elevation and nitrogen and phosphorus fertilization on plant defence compounds in subarctic tundra heath vegetation. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. De Long
- Department of Forest Ecology & Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | - Maja K. Sundqvist
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Umeå University SE‐901 87 Umeå Sweden
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate The Natural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen 2100 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - Michael J. Gundale
- Department of Forest Ecology & Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | - Reiner Giesler
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Umeå University SE‐901 87 Umeå Sweden
- Climate Impacts Research Centre Department of Ecology and Environmental Sciences Umeå University SE‐981 07 Abisko Sweden
| | - David A. Wardle
- Department of Forest Ecology & Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐901 83 Umeå Sweden
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37
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Veen GF(C, Sundqvist MK, Wardle DA. Environmental factors and traits that drive plant litter decomposition do not determine home‐field advantage effects. Funct Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12421] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- G. F. (Ciska) Veen
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐90183 Umeå Sweden
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology Netherlands Institute of Ecology PO Box 50 6700 AB Wageningen The Netherlands
| | - Maja K. Sundqvist
- Department of Ecology and Environmental Science Umeå University SE‐901 87 Umeå Sweden
- Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate The Natural History Museum of Denmark University of Copenhagen 2100 Copenhagen Denmark
| | - David A. Wardle
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences SE‐90183 Umeå Sweden
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38
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De Long JR, Kardol P, Sundqvist MK, Veen GFC, Wardle DA. Plant growth response to direct and indirect temperature effects varies by vegetation type and elevation in a subarctic tundra. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan R. De Long
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | - Paul Kardol
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | - Maja K. Sundqvist
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
- Dept of Ecology and Environmental Science; Umeå Univ.; SE-901 87 Umeå Sweden
| | - G. F. Ciska Veen
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
- Dept of Terrestrial Ecology; Netherlands Inst. of Ecology; PO Box 50, NL-6700 AB, Wageningen the Netherlands
| | - David A. Wardle
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; SE-901 83 Umeå Sweden
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39
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Kardol P, De Long JR, Wardle DA. Local plant adaptation across a subarctic elevational gradient. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2014; 1:140141. [PMID: 26064553 DOI: 10.5061/dryad.v2k50] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Predicting how plants will respond to global warming necessitates understanding of local plant adaptation to temperature. Temperature may exert selective effects on plants directly, and also indirectly through environmental factors that covary with temperature, notably soil properties. However, studies on the interactive effects of temperature and soil properties on plant adaptation are rare, and the role of abiotic versus biotic soil properties in plant adaptation to temperature remains untested. We performed two growth chamber experiments using soils and Bistorta vivipara bulbil ecotypes from a subarctic elevational gradient (temperature range: ±3(°)C) in northern Sweden to disentangle effects of local ecotype, temperature, and biotic and abiotic properties of soil origin on plant growth. We found partial evidence for local adaption to temperature. Although soil origin affected plant growth, we did not find support for local adaptation to either abiotic or biotic soil properties, and there were no interactive effects of soil origin with ecotype or temperature. Our results indicate that ecotypic variation can be an important driver of plant responses to the direct effects of increasing temperature, while responses to covariation in soil properties are of a phenotypic, rather than adaptive, nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kardol
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management , Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , 90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonathan R De Long
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management , Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , 90183 Umeå, Sweden
| | - David A Wardle
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management , Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences , 90183 Umeå, Sweden
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40
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Kardol P, De Long JR, Wardle DA. Local plant adaptation across a subarctic elevational gradient. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2014; 1:140141. [PMID: 26064553 PMCID: PMC4448849 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.140141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2014] [Accepted: 10/14/2014] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
Predicting how plants will respond to global warming necessitates understanding of local plant adaptation to temperature. Temperature may exert selective effects on plants directly, and also indirectly through environmental factors that covary with temperature, notably soil properties. However, studies on the interactive effects of temperature and soil properties on plant adaptation are rare, and the role of abiotic versus biotic soil properties in plant adaptation to temperature remains untested. We performed two growth chamber experiments using soils and Bistorta vivipara bulbil ecotypes from a subarctic elevational gradient (temperature range: ±3(°)C) in northern Sweden to disentangle effects of local ecotype, temperature, and biotic and abiotic properties of soil origin on plant growth. We found partial evidence for local adaption to temperature. Although soil origin affected plant growth, we did not find support for local adaptation to either abiotic or biotic soil properties, and there were no interactive effects of soil origin with ecotype or temperature. Our results indicate that ecotypic variation can be an important driver of plant responses to the direct effects of increasing temperature, while responses to covariation in soil properties are of a phenotypic, rather than adaptive, nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Kardol
- Author for correspondence: Paul Kardol e-mail:
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41
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Wardle DA, Bellingham PJ, Kardol P, Giesler R, Tanner EVJ. Coordination of aboveground and belowground responses to local-scale soil fertility differences between two contrasting Jamaican rain forest types. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David A. Wardle
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; SE- 901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | | | - Paul Kardol
- Dept of Forest Ecology and Management; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; SE- 901 83 Umeå Sweden
| | - Reiner Giesler
- Climate Impacts Research Centre, Dept of Ecology and Environmental Sciences; Umeå Univ.; Abisko Sweden
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