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Qiu D, Bowker MA, Xiao B, Zhao Y, Zhou X, Li X. Mapping biocrust distribution in China's drylands under changing climate. Sci Total Environ 2023; 905:167211. [PMID: 37730025 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.167211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2023] [Revised: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 09/17/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are widely distributed in global drylands and have multiple significant roles in regulating dryland soil and ecosystem multifunctionality. However, maps of their distribution over large spatial scales are uncommon and sometimes unreliable, because our current remote sensing technology is unable to efficiently discriminate between biocrusts and vascular plants or even bare soil across different ecosystem and soil types. The lack of biocrust spatial data may limit our ability to detect risks to dryland function or key tipping points. Here, we indirectly mapped biocrust distribution in China's drylands using spatial prediction modeling, based on a set of occurrences of biocrusts (379 in total) and high-resolution soil and environmental data. The results showed that biocrusts currently cover 13.9 % of China's drylands (or 5.7 % of China's total area), with moss-, lichen-, and cyanobacterial-dominated biocrusts each occupying 5.7 % to 10.7 % of the region. Biocrust distribution is mainly determined by soil properties (soil type and contents of gravel and nitrogen), aridity stress, and altitude. Their most favorable habitat is arenosols with low contents of gravel and nitrogen, in climate with a drought index of 0.54 and an altitude of about 500 m. By 2050, climate change will lead to a 5.5 %-9.0 % reduction in biocrust cover. Lichen biocrusts exhibit a high vulnerability to climate change, with potential reductions of up to 19.0 % in coverage. Biocrust cover loss is primarily caused by the combined effects of the elevated temperature and increased precipitation. Our study provides the first high-resolution (250 × 250 m) map of biocrust distribution in China's drylands and offers a reliable approach for mapping regional or global biocrust colonization. We suggest incorporating biocrusts into Earth system models to identify their significant impact on global or regional-scale processes under climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dexun Qiu
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100, China; Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwestern China/Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA; Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Bo Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100, China; Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwestern China/Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China.
| | - Yunge Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University/Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Xinrong Li
- Shapotou Desert Research and Experiment Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resource Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
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Cao Y, Bowker MA, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Xiao B. Biocrusts protect the Great Wall of China from erosion. Sci Adv 2023; 9:eadk5892. [PMID: 38064559 PMCID: PMC10708191 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adk5892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
The Great Wall of China, one of the most emblematic and historical structures built by humankind throughout all of history, is suffering from rain and wind erosion and is largely colonized by biocrusts. However, how biocrusts influence the conservation and longevity of this structure is virtually unknown. Here, we conducted an extensive biocrust survey across the Great Wall and found that biocrusts cover 67% of the studied sections. Biocrusts enhance the mechanical stability and reduce the erodibility of the Great Wall. Compared with bare rammed earth, the biocrust-covered sections exhibited reduced porosity, water-holding capacity, erodibility, and salinity by 2 to 48%, while increasing compressive strength, penetration resistance, shear strength, and aggregate stability by 37 to 321%. We further found that the protective function of biocrusts mainly depended on biocrust features, climatic conditions, and structure types. Our work highlights the fundamental importance of biocrusts as a nature-based intervention to the conservation of the Great Wall, protecting this monumental heritage from erosion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yousong Cao
- The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
- Center of Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Seville, Spain
| | - Bo Xiao
- The Research Center of Soil and Water Conservation and Ecological Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Education, Yangling, China
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs/College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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Jech SD, Day N, Barger NN, Antoninka A, Bowker MA, Reed S, Tucker C. Cultivating Resilience in Dryland Soils: An Assisted Migration Approach to Biological Soil Crust Restoration. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2570. [PMID: 37894228 PMCID: PMC10608944 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102570] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2023] [Revised: 10/01/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Land use practices and climate change have driven substantial soil degradation across global drylands, impacting ecosystem functions and human livelihoods. Biological soil crusts, a common feature of dryland ecosystems, are under extensive exploration for their potential to restore the stability and fertility of degraded soils through the development of inoculants. However, stressful abiotic conditions often result in the failure of inoculation-based restoration in the field and may hinder the long-term success of biocrust restoration efforts. Taking an assisted migration approach, we cultivated biocrust inocula sourced from multiple hot-adapted sites (Mojave and Sonoran Deserts) in an outdoor facility at a cool desert site (Colorado Plateau). In addition to cultivating inoculum from each site, we created an inoculum mixture of biocrust from the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, and Colorado Plateau. We then applied two habitat amelioration treatments to the cultivation site (growth substrate and shading) to enhance soil stability and water availability and reduce UV stress. Using marker gene sequencing, we found that the cultivated mixed inoculum comprised both local- and hot-adapted cyanobacteria at the end of cultivation but had similar cyanobacterial richness as each unmixed inoculum. All cultivated inocula had more cyanobacterial 16S rRNA gene copies and higher cyanobacterial richness when cultivated with a growth substrate and shade. Our work shows that it is possible to field cultivate biocrust inocula sourced from different deserts, but that community composition shifts toward that of the cultivation site unless habitat amelioration is employed. Future assessments of the function of a mixed inoculum in restoration and its resilience in the face of abiotic stressors are needed to determine the relative benefit of assisted migration compared to the challenges and risks of this approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sierra D Jech
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Natalie Day
- Colorado Water Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Grand Junction, CO 81506, USA
| | - Nichole N Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Anita Antoninka
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | - Sasha Reed
- Southwest Biological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, Moab, UT 84532, USA
| | - Colin Tucker
- Manti-La Sal National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, Monticello, UT 84535, USA
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Maestre FT, Le Bagousse-Pinguet Y, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Eldridge DJ, Saiz H, Berdugo M, Gozalo B, Ochoa V, Guirado E, García-Gómez M, Valencia E, Gaitán JJ, Asensio S, Mendoza BJ, Plaza C, Díaz-Martínez P, Rey A, Hu HW, He JZ, Wang JT, Lehmann A, Rillig MC, Cesarz S, Eisenhauer N, Martínez-Valderrama J, Moreno-Jiménez E, Sala O, Abedi M, Ahmadian N, Alados CL, Aramayo V, Amghar F, Arredondo T, Ahumada RJ, Bahalkeh K, Ben Salem F, Blaum N, Boldgiv B, Bowker MA, Bran D, Bu C, Canessa R, Castillo-Monroy AP, Castro H, Castro I, Castro-Quezada P, Chibani R, Conceição AA, Currier CM, Darrouzet-Nardi A, Deák B, Donoso DA, Dougill AJ, Durán J, Erdenetsetseg B, Espinosa CI, Fajardo A, Farzam M, Ferrante D, Frank ASK, Fraser LH, Gherardi LA, Greenville AC, Guerra CA, Gusmán-Montalvan E, Hernández-Hernández RM, Hölzel N, Huber-Sannwald E, Hughes FM, Jadán-Maza O, Jeltsch F, Jentsch A, Kaseke KF, Köbel M, Koopman JE, Leder CV, Linstädter A, le Roux PC, Li X, Liancourt P, Liu J, Louw MA, Maggs-Kölling G, Makhalanyane TP, Issa OM, Manzaneda AJ, Marais E, Mora JP, Moreno G, Munson SM, Nunes A, Oliva G, Oñatibia GR, Peter G, Pivari MOD, Pueyo Y, Quiroga RE, Rahmanian S, Reed SC, Rey PJ, Richard B, Rodríguez A, Rolo V, Rubalcaba JG, Ruppert JC, Salah A, Schuchardt MA, Spann S, Stavi I, Stephens CRA, Swemmer AM, Teixido AL, Thomas AD, Throop HL, Tielbörger K, Travers S, Val J, Valkó O, van den Brink L, Ayuso SV, Velbert F, Wamiti W, Wang D, Wang L, Wardle GM, Yahdjian L, Zaady E, Zhang Y, Zhou X, Singh BK, Gross N. Grazing and ecosystem service delivery in global drylands. Science 2022; 378:915-920. [DOI: 10.1126/science.abq4062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Grazing represents the most extensive use of land worldwide. Yet its impacts on ecosystem services remain uncertain because pervasive interactions between grazing pressure, climate, soil properties, and biodiversity may occur but have never been addressed simultaneously. Using a standardized survey at 98 sites across six continents, we show that interactions between grazing pressure, climate, soil, and biodiversity are critical to explain the delivery of fundamental ecosystem services across drylands worldwide. Increasing grazing pressure reduced ecosystem service delivery in warmer and species-poor drylands, whereas positive effects of grazing were observed in colder and species-rich areas. Considering interactions between grazing and local abiotic and biotic factors is key for understanding the fate of dryland ecosystems under climate change and increasing human pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando T. Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | | | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Laboratorio de Biodiversidad y Funcionamiento Ecosistémico, Instituto de Recursos Naturales y Agrobiología de Sevilla (IRNAS), CSIC, Sevilla, Spain
- Unidad Asociada CSIC-UPO (BioFun), Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Sevilla, Spain
| | - David J. Eldridge
- Department of Planning and Environment, c/o Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Hugo Saiz
- Departamento de Ciencias Agrarias y Medio Natural, Escuela Politécnica Superior, Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Ciencias Ambientales de Aragón (IUCA), Universidad de Zaragoza, Huesca, Spain
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Miguel Berdugo
- Institut de Biología Evolutiva (UPF-CSIC), Barcelona, Spain
- Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Beatriz Gozalo
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Victoria Ochoa
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Emilio Guirado
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Miguel García-Gómez
- Departamento de Ingeniería y Morfología del Terreno, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Valencia
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Biodiversidad, Ecología y Evolución, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Juan J. Gaitán
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Instituto de Suelos-CNIA, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Luján, Departamento de Tecnología, Luján, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Sergio Asensio
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Betty J. Mendoza
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Móstoles, Spain
| | - César Plaza
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Paloma Díaz-Martínez
- Instituto de Ciencias Agrarias, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Ana Rey
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid, Spain
| | - Hang-Wei Hu
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ji-Zheng He
- Key Laboratory for Humid Subtropical Eco-geographical Processes of the Ministry of Education, School of Geographical Science, Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China
- Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Jun-Tao Wang
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Anika Lehmann
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias C. Rillig
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Biology, Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
| | - Simone Cesarz
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Leipzig University, Institute of Biology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Jaime Martínez-Valderrama
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio “Ramón Margalef,” Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Eduardo Moreno-Jiménez
- Department of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain
| | - Osvaldo Sala
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Global Drylands Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Mehdi Abedi
- Department of Range Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran Province, Iran
| | - Negar Ahmadian
- Department of Range Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran Province, Iran
| | | | - Valeria Aramayo
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Fateh Amghar
- Laboratoire de Recherche: Biodiversité, Biotechnologie, Environnement et Développement Durable (BioDev), Faculté des Sciences, Université M’hamed Bougara de Boumerdès, Boumerdès, Algérie
| | - Tulio Arredondo
- Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, A.C., San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Rodrigo J. Ahumada
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Catamarca, Catamarca, Argentina
| | - Khadijeh Bahalkeh
- Department of Range Management, Faculty of Natural Resources and Marine Sciences, Tarbiat Modares University, Noor, Mazandaran Province, Iran
| | - Farah Ben Salem
- Laboratory of Range Ecology, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA), Médenine, Tunisia
| | - Niels Blaum
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Conservation Biology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Bazartseren Boldgiv
- Laboratory of Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Donaldo Bran
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Bariloche, Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Chongfeng Bu
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Rafaella Canessa
- Ecological Plant Geography, Faculty of Geography, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Helena Castro
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Ignacio Castro
- Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez (UNESR), Instituto de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos (IDECYT), Centro de Estudios de Agroecología Tropical (CEDAT), Miranda, Venezuela
| | - Patricio Castro-Quezada
- Universidad de Cuenca, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Carrera de Ingeniería Agronómica, Grupo de Agroforestería, Manejo y Conservación del paisaje, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Roukaya Chibani
- Laboratory of Range Ecology, Institut des Régions Arides (IRA), Médenine, Tunisia
| | - Abel A. Conceição
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Courtney M. Currier
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- Global Drylands Center, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Balázs Deák
- Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | - David A. Donoso
- Departamento de Biología, Escuela Politécnica Nacional, Quito, Ecuador
- Centro de Investigación de la Biodiversidad y Cambio Climático, Universidad Tecnológica Indoamérica, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Andrew J. Dougill
- Department of Environment and Geography, University of York, York, UK
| | - Jorge Durán
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Misión Biolóxica de Galicia, CSIC, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - Batdelger Erdenetsetseg
- Laboratory of Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Department of Biology, School of Arts and Sciences, National University of Mongolia, Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia
| | - Carlos I. Espinosa
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Alex Fajardo
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I3), Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Mohammad Farzam
- Department of Range and Watershed Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Daniela Ferrante
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria EEA Santa Cruz, Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - Anke S. K. Frank
- School of Agriculture, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Lauchlan H. Fraser
- Department of Natural Resource Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laureano A. Gherardi
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Aaron C. Greenville
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Carlos A. Guerra
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Martin-Luther University Halle Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | | | - Rosa M. Hernández-Hernández
- Universidad Nacional Experimental Simón Rodríguez (UNESR), Instituto de Estudios Científicos y Tecnológicos (IDECYT), Centro de Estudios de Agroecología Tropical (CEDAT), Miranda, Venezuela
| | - Norbert Hölzel
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | | | - Frederic M. Hughes
- Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (UEFS), Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Bahia, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional da Mata Atlântica (INMA), Espírito Santo, Brazil
| | - Oswaldo Jadán-Maza
- Universidad de Cuenca, Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias, Carrera de Ingeniería Agronómica, Grupo de Agroforestería, Manejo y Conservación del paisaje, Cuenca, Ecuador
| | - Florian Jeltsch
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), Berlin, Germany
- University of Potsdam, Plant Ecology and Conservation Biology, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Anke Jentsch
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Kudzai F. Kaseke
- Earth Research Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
| | - Melanie Köbel
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Jessica E. Koopman
- Microbiome@UP, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Cintia V. Leder
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Sede Atlántica, CEANPa, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Anja Linstädter
- Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- Biodiversity Research/Systematic Botany Group, Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Peter C. le Roux
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Xinkai Li
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A&F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
| | - Pierre Liancourt
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Institute of Botany, Czech Academy of Sciences, Pruhonice, Czech Republic
- Botany Department, State Museum of Natural History Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Jushan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Michelle A. Louw
- Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | - Thulani P. Makhalanyane
- Microbiome@UP, Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Oumarou Malam Issa
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement de Paris (iEES-Paris), Sorbonne Université, IRD, CNRS, INRAE, Université Paris Est Creteil, Université de Paris, Centre IRD de France Nord, Bondy, France
| | - Antonio J. Manzaneda
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación del Sistema Tierra en Andalucía, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | - Eugene Marais
- Gobabeb-Namib Research Institute, Walvis Bay, Namibia
| | - Juan P. Mora
- Instituto de Investigación Interdisciplinaria (I3), Vicerrectoría Académica, Universidad de Talca, Talca, Chile
| | - Gerardo Moreno
- Forestry School, INDEHESA, Universidad de Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
| | - Seth M. Munson
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Alice Nunes
- Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Gabriel Oliva
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria EEA Santa Cruz, Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia Austral, Río Gallegos, Santa Cruz, Argentina
| | - Gastón R. Oñatibia
- Cátedra de Ecología, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Guadalupe Peter
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas de Argentina (CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Universidad Nacional de Río Negro, Sede Atlántica, CEANPa, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Marco O. D. Pivari
- Departamento de Botânica, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Yolanda Pueyo
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE, CSIC), Zaragoza, Spain
| | - R. Emiliano Quiroga
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Catamarca, Catamarca, Argentina
- Cátedra de Manejo de Pastizales Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias, Universidad Nacional de Catamarca, Catamarca, Argentina
| | - Soroor Rahmanian
- Department of Range and Watershed Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
- Department of Forest Engineering, Forest Management Planning and Terrestrial Measurements, Faculty of Silviculture and Forest Engineering, Transilvania University of Brasov, Brasov, Romania
| | - Sasha C. Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT, USA
| | - Pedro J. Rey
- Instituto Interuniversitario de Investigación del Sistema Tierra en Andalucía, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
- Departamento de Biología Animal, Biología Vegetal y Ecología, Universidad de Jaén, Jaén, Spain
| | | | - Alexandra Rodríguez
- Centre for Functional Ecology, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Víctor Rolo
- Forestry School, INDEHESA, Universidad de Extremadura, Plasencia, Spain
| | | | - Jan C. Ruppert
- Plant Ecology Group, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | | | - Max A. Schuchardt
- Department of Disturbance Ecology, Bayreuth Center of Ecology and Environmental Research BayCEER, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Sedona Spann
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Ilan Stavi
- Dead Sea and Arava Science Center, Yotvata, Israel
| | - Colton R. A. Stephens
- Department of Natural Resource Science, Thompson Rivers University, Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Anthony M. Swemmer
- South African Environmental Observation Network (SAEON), Phalaborwa, Kruger National Park, South Africa
| | - Alberto L. Teixido
- Departamento de Botânica e Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso, Brazil
| | - Andrew D. Thomas
- Department of Geography and Earth Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Wales, UK
| | - Heather L. Throop
- School of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Samantha Travers
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - James Val
- Science Division, Department of Planning, Industry and Environment, New South Wales Government, Buronga, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Orsolya Valkó
- Lendület Seed Ecology Research Group, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Centre for Ecological Research, Vácrátót, Hungary
| | | | - Sergio Velasco Ayuso
- Cátedra de Ecología, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Frederike Velbert
- Institute of Landscape Ecology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Wanyoike Wamiti
- Zoology Department, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Deli Wang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Ecology of the Ministry of Education, Jilin Songnen Grassland Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Institute of Grassland Science, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China
| | - Lixin Wang
- Department of Earth Sciences, Indiana University–Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Indianapolis, IN, USA
| | - Glenda M. Wardle
- Desert Ecology Research Group, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Laura Yahdjian
- Cátedra de Ecología, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA-CONICET), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eli Zaady
- Department of Natural Resources, Agricultural Research Organization, Institute of Plant Sciences, Gilat Research Center, Mobile Post Negev, Israel
| | - Yuanming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, China
| | - Brajesh K. Singh
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Nicolas Gross
- Université Clermont Auvergne, INRAE, VetAgro Sup, Unité Mixte de Recherche Ecosystème Prairial, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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5
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Remke MJ, Johnson NC, Bowker MA. Sympatric soil biota mitigate a warmer-drier climate for Bouteloua gracilis. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:6280-6292. [PMID: 36038989 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is altering temperature and precipitation, resulting in widespread plant mortality and shifts in plant distributions. Plants growing in soil types with low water holding capacity may experience intensified effects of reduced water availability as a result of climate change. Furthermore, complex biotic interactions between plants and soil organisms may mitigate or exacerbate the effects of climate change. This 3-year field experiment observed the performance of Bouteloua gracilis ecotypes that were transplanted across an environmental gradient with either sympatric soil from the seed source location or allopatric soil from the location that plants were transplanted into. We also inoculated plants with either sympatric or allopatric soil biotic communities to test: (1) how changes in climate alone influence plant growth, (2) how soil types interact with climate to influence plant growth, and (3) the role of soil biota in mitigating plant migration to novel environments. As expected, plants moved to cooler-wetter sites exhibited enhanced growth; however, plants moved to warmer-drier sites responded variably depending on the provenance of their soil and inoculum. Soil and inoculum provenance had little influence on the performance of plants moved to cooler-wetter sites, but at warmer-drier sites they were important predictors of plant biomass, seed set, and specific leaf area. Specifically, transplants inoculated with their sympatric soil biota and grown in their sympatric soil were as large as or larger than reference plants grown at the seed source locations; however, individuals inoculated with allopatric soil biota were smaller than reference site individuals at warmer, drier sites. These findings demonstrate complicated plant responses to various aspects of environmental novelty where communities of soil organisms may help ameliorate stress. The belowground microbiome of plants should be considered to predict the responses of vegetation more accurately to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Remke
- Department of Biology, Fort Lewis College, Durango, Colorado, USA
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Nancy C Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Earth and Sustainability, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
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6
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Li S, Bowker MA, Xiao B. Biocrust impacts on dryland soil water balance: A path toward the whole picture. Glob Chang Biol 2022; 28:6462-6481. [PMID: 36054625 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
As a crucial living feature inhabiting the soil-atmosphere boundary, biocrusts play a vital role in liquid water or vapor transport through surface soil and thus have strong effects on soil water regimes. However, it remains unclear how biocrusts affect annual or multiyear soil water budgets through the regulation of evaporation outputs and non-rainfall water (NRW) or infiltration inputs. Thus, we used automated microlysimeters to continually investigate the differences in evaporation and NRW rates between moss-dominated biocrusts and bare soil at 0-5 cm depth for 2 years. The upper 30 cm of soil moisture (θ) and water storage (W) of bare soil and biocrusts were also monitored. Our results showed that the daily evaporation rate (E) of biocrusts was 17% higher than bare soil. Especially after rainfall events, biocrusts had higher E and larger cumulative evaporation than bare soil. Besides, the daily NRW of biocrusts averaged 15% higher than bare soil over 2 years. Furthermore, biocrusts increased θ by 11%-76% at 0-10 cm depth but decreased θ by 32%-56% at 20-30 cm depth in comparison to bare soil, and they subsequently decreased W by 20% at 0-30 cm depth. Summarized annually, the NRW amount of biocrusts was 19% higher than bare soil, but at the same time, the cumulative evaporation of biocrusts was also 19% higher than bare soil. Finally, biocrusts resulted in more water loss at shallow depth through evaporation and lessened total W throughout 0-30 cm depth of soil. These findings demonstrate that although biocrusts input more NRW into surface soil, these water inputs partially offset their intensified evaporation. Given that all rainfall water infiltrates into the soil in our study system, our findings indicate that biocrusts may have an overall negative effect on soil water balance there, while at the same time increasing water storage and availability of the deeper soil underlying biocrusts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shenglong Li
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation in North China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, USA
| | - Bo Xiao
- Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation in North China, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
- State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, China
- Breeding Base for State Key Laboratory of Land Degradation and Ecological Restoration in Northwestern China, Key Laboratory of Restoration and Reconstruction of Degraded Ecosystems in Northwestern China of Ministry of Education, Ningxia University, Yinchuan, China
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7
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Richardson AD, Kong GV, Taylor KM, Le Moine JM, Bowker MA, Barber JJ, Basler D, Carbone MS, Hayer M, Koch GW, Salvatore MR, Sonnemaker AW, Trilling DE. Soil-atmosphere fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O across an experimentally-grown, successional gradient of biocrust community types. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:979825. [PMID: 36225383 PMCID: PMC9549369 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.979825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are critical components of dryland and other ecosystems worldwide, and are increasingly recognized as novel model ecosystems from which more general principles of ecology can be elucidated. Biocrusts are often diverse communities, comprised of both eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms with a range of metabolic lifestyles that enable the fixation of atmospheric carbon and nitrogen. However, how the function of these biocrust communities varies with succession is incompletely characterized, especially in comparison to more familiar terrestrial ecosystem types such as forests. We conducted a greenhouse experiment to investigate how community composition and soil-atmosphere trace gas fluxes of CO2, CH4, and N2O varied from early-successional light cyanobacterial biocrusts to mid-successional dark cyanobacteria biocrusts and late-successional moss-lichen biocrusts and as biocrusts of each successional stage matured. Cover type richness increased as biocrusts developed, and richness was generally highest in the late-successional moss-lichen biocrusts. Microbial community composition varied in relation to successional stage, but microbial diversity did not differ significantly among stages. Net photosynthetic uptake of CO2 by each biocrust type also increased as biocrusts developed but tended to be moderately greater (by up to ≈25%) for the mid-successional dark cyanobacteria biocrusts than the light cyanobacterial biocrusts or the moss-lichen biocrusts. Rates of soil C accumulation were highest for the dark cyanobacteria biocrusts and light cyanobacteria biocrusts, and lowest for the moss-lichen biocrusts and bare soil controls. Biocrust CH4 and N2O fluxes were not consistently distinguishable from the same fluxes measured from bare soil controls; the measured rates were also substantially lower than have been reported in previous biocrust studies. Our experiment, which uniquely used greenhouse-grown biocrusts to manipulate community composition and accelerate biocrust development, shows how biocrust function varies along a dynamic gradient of biocrust successional stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew D. Richardson
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
- *Correspondence: Andrew D. Richardson,
| | - Gary V. Kong
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
- University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, United States
| | - Katrina M. Taylor
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
- Department of Astronomy and Astrophysics, The Pennsylvania State University, State College, PA, United States
| | - James M. Le Moine
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Jarrett J. Barber
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - David Basler
- Department of Environmental Sciences–Botany, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
- Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Mariah S. Carbone
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Michaela Hayer
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - George W. Koch
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Mark R. Salvatore
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - A. Wesley Sonnemaker
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
- Lowell Observatory, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - David E. Trilling
- Department of Astronomy and Planetary Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
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8
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Uhey DA, Bowker MA, Haubensak KA, Auty D, Vissa S, Hofstetter RW. Habitat Type Affects Elevational Patterns in Ground-dwelling Arthropod Communities. J Insect Sci 2022; 22:9. [PMID: 35983692 DOI: 10.1093/jisesa/ieac046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Understanding factors that drive biodiversity distributions is central in ecology and critical to conservation. Elevational gradients are useful for studying the effects of climate on biodiversity but it can be difficult to disentangle climate effects from resource differences among habitat types. Here we compare elevational patterns and influences of environmental variables on ground-dwelling arthropods in open- and forested-habitats. We examine these comparisons in three arthropod functional groups (detritivores, predators, and herbivores) and two taxonomic groups (beetles and arachnids). We sampled twelve sites spanning 1,132 m elevation and four life zones, collecting 4,834 individual ground arthropods identified to 123 taxa. Elevation was a strong predicator for arthropod composition, however, patterns differed among functional and taxonomic groups and individual species between open- and forested-habitats. Beetles, arachnids, and predators decreased with elevation in open habitats but increased in forests showing a significant interaction between habitat type and elevation. Detritivores and herbivores showed no elevational patterns. We found 11 arthropod taxa with linear elevational patterns, seven that peaked in abundance at high elevations, and four taxa at low elevations. We also found eight taxa with parabolic elevational patterns that peaked in abundance at mid-elevations. We found that vegetation composition and productivity had stronger explanatory power for arthropod composition in forested habitats, while ground cover was a stronger predictor in open habitats. Temperature and precipitation were important in both habitats. Our findings demonstrate that relationships between animal diversity and elevation can be mediated by habitat type, suggesting that physiological restraints and resource limitations work differently between habitat types.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek A Uhey
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Karen A Haubensak
- Department of Biological Sciences and Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, 617 North Beaver Road, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - David Auty
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Sneha Vissa
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Richard W Hofstetter
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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9
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Weber B, Belnap J, Büdel B, Antoninka AJ, Barger NN, Chaudhary VB, Darrouzet-Nardi A, Eldridge DJ, Faist AM, Ferrenberg S, Havrilla CA, Huber-Sannwald E, Malam Issa O, Maestre FT, Reed SC, Rodriguez-Caballero E, Tucker C, Young KE, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Zhou X, Bowker MA. What is a biocrust? A refined, contemporary definition for a broadening research community. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1768-1785. [PMID: 35584903 PMCID: PMC9545944 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12862] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Revised: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Studies of biological soil crusts (biocrusts) have proliferated over the last few decades. The biocrust literature has broadened, with more studies assessing and describing the function of a variety of biocrust communities in a broad range of biomes and habitats and across a large spectrum of disciplines, and also by the incorporation of biocrusts into global perspectives and biogeochemical models. As the number of biocrust researchers increases, along with the scope of soil communities defined as ‘biocrust’, it is worth asking whether we all share a clear, universal, and fully articulated definition of what constitutes a biocrust. In this review, we synthesize the literature with the views of new and experienced biocrust researchers, to provide a refined and fully elaborated definition of biocrusts. In doing so, we illustrate the ecological relevance and ecosystem services provided by them. We demonstrate that biocrusts are defined by four distinct elements: physical structure, functional characteristics, habitat, and taxonomic composition. We describe outgroups, which have some, but not all, of the characteristics necessary to be fully consistent with our definition and thus would not be considered biocrusts. We also summarize the wide variety of different types of communities that fall under our definition of biocrusts, in the process of highlighting their global distribution. Finally, we suggest the universal use of the Belnap, Büdel & Lange definition, with minor modifications: Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) result from an intimate association between soil particles and differing proportions of photoautotrophic (e.g. cyanobacteria, algae, lichens, bryophytes) and heterotrophic (e.g. bacteria, fungi, archaea) organisms, which live within, or immediately on top of, the uppermost millimetres of soil. Soil particles are aggregated through the presence and activity of these often extremotolerant biota that desiccate regularly, and the resultant living crust covers the surface of the ground as a coherent layer. With this detailed definition of biocrusts, illustrating their ecological functions and widespread distribution, we hope to stimulate interest in biocrust research and inform various stakeholders (e.g. land managers, land users) on their overall importance to ecosystem and Earth system functioning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina Weber
- Division of Plant Sciences, Institute for Biology, University of Graz, Holteigasse 6, 8010, Graz, Austria.,Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany
| | - Jayne Belnap
- Southwest Biological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2290 S. Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
| | - Burkhard Büdel
- Biology Institute, University of Kaiserslautern, PO Box 3049, 67653, Kaiserslautern, Germany
| | - Anita J Antoninka
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Nichole N Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Campus Box 334, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - V Bala Chaudhary
- Department of Environmental Studies, Dartmouth College, 6182 Steele Hall, 39 College Street, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Anthony Darrouzet-Nardi
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Texas at El Paso, 500 W. University Ave, El Paso, TX, 79968, USA
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Akasha M Faist
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30003, MSC 3-I, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
| | - Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, PO Box 30001, MSC 3AF, Las Cruces, NM, 88003, USA
| | - Caroline A Havrilla
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, 1472 Campus Delivery, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80521, USA
| | - Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald
- Division of Environmental Sciences, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, Camino a la Presa San José 2055, Col. 4ta Sección, CP 78216, San Luis Potosi, SLP, Mexico
| | - Oumarou Malam Issa
- Institute of Ecology and Environmental Sciences of Paris (IEES-Paris), SU/IRD/CNRS/INRAE/UPEC, 32, Avenue Henry Varagnat, F-93143, Bondy Cedex, France
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain.,Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Carretera de San Vicente del Raspeig s/n, 03690, San Vicente del Raspeig, Spain
| | - Sasha C Reed
- Southwest Biological Science Center, U.S. Geological Survey, 2290 S. Resource Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
| | - Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Hahn-Meitner-Weg 1, 55128, Mainz, Germany.,Department of Agronomy and Centro de Investigación de Colecciones Científicas (CECOUAL), Universidad de Almería, carretera Sacramento s/n, 04120, La cañada de San Urbano, Almeria, Spain
| | - Colin Tucker
- USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 410 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, MI, 49931-1134, USA
| | - Kristina E Young
- Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources, Utah State University, 1850 S. Aggie Blvd, Moab, UT, 84532, USA
| | - Yuanming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Bejing Road, Urumqi City, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Yunge Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, 26 Xinong Road, Yangling, Shaanxi, 712100, China
| | - Xiaobing Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 818 South Bejing Road, Urumqi City, 830011, Xinjiang, China
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
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10
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Antoninka A, Chuckran PF, Mau RL, Slate ML, Mishler BD, Oliver MJ, Coe KK, Stark LR, Fisher KM, Bowker MA. Responses of Biocrust and Associated Soil Bacteria to Novel Climates Are Not Tightly Coupled. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:821860. [PMID: 35572693 PMCID: PMC9096946 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.821860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate change is expanding drylands even as land use practices degrade them. Representing ∼40% of Earth’s terrestrial surface, drylands rely on biological soil crusts (biocrusts) for key ecosystem functions including soil stability, biogeochemical cycling, and water capture. Understanding how biocrusts adapt to climate change is critical to understanding how dryland ecosystems will function with altered climate. We investigated the sensitivity of biocrusts to experimentally imposed novel climates to track changes in productivity and stability under both warming and cooling scenarios. We established three common gardens along an elevational-climate gradient on the Colorado Plateau. Mature biocrusts were collected from each site and reciprocally transplanted intact. Over 20 months we monitored visible species composition and cover, chlorophyll a, and the composition of soil bacterial communities using high throughput sequencing. We hypothesized that biocrusts replanted at their home site would show local preference, and biocrusts transplanted to novel environments would maintain higher cover and stability at elevations higher than their origin, compared to at elevations lower than their origin. We expected responses of the visible biocrust cover and soil bacterial components of the biocrust community to be coupled, with later successional taxa showing higher sensitivity to novel environments. Only high elevation sourced biocrusts maintained higher biocrust cover and community stability at their site of origin. Biocrusts from all sources had higher cover and stability in the high elevation garden. Later successional taxa decreased cover in low elevation gardens, suggesting successional reversal with warming. Visible community composition was influenced by both source and transplant environment. In contrast, soil bacterial community composition was not influenced by transplant environments but retained fidelity to the source. Thus, responses of the visible and soil bacterial components of the biocrust community were not coupled. Synthesis: Our results suggest biocrust communities are sensitive to climate change, and loss of species and function can be expected, while associated soil bacteria may be buffered against rapid change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anita Antoninka
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Peter F Chuckran
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Rebecca L Mau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Center for Ecosystem Science and Society (ECOSS), Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Mandy L Slate
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Brent D Mishler
- Department of Integrative Biology, University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States
| | - Melvin J Oliver
- Interdisciplinary Plant Group, Division of Plant Sciences, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, United States
| | - Kirsten K Coe
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, United States
| | - Llo R Stark
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, United States
| | - Kirsten M Fisher
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, CA, United States
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
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11
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Bowker MA, Doherty KD, Antoninka AJ, Ramsey PW, DuPre ME, Durham RA. Biocrusts Influence Vascular Plant Community Development, Promoting Native Plant Dominance. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.840324] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The soil and its biota can shape the development of colonizing vascular plant communities. Because they occupy soil surfaces where most seeds disperse to, biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are uniquely positioned to influence vascular plant communities established by direct seeding, e.g., for restoration. We created mesocosms of soil overtopped by intact biocrust transplants from the field, varying in key community attributes: total cover, species richness, and proportional cover of mosses relative to lichens. We seeded the same diverse mixture of vascular plants into all mesocosms, including desired native species and problematic exotic invasive species. We tracked plant community development for two full growing seasons, both under ambient outdoor conditions and with supplemental irrigation to remove the influence of water limitation. Under ambient conditions, we found that total biocrust cover suppressed exotic plant emergence and biocrust richness slightly promoted native emergence (r = −0.23 to −0.39) but had weaker and less consistent effects on cover of either native or exotic plants (r ≤ |0.25|). Early emergence events were generally strong drivers of vascular plant recruitment (r = 0.17–0.78) and continued to influence community composition after 2 years, suggesting a priority effect. Biocrust cover also promoted final plant biomass under ambient conditions (r = 0.17–0.33) but did not influence the total cumulative number of native species (r ≤ |0.07|) nor the fecundity of exotics (r ≤ |0.08|). Biocrusts’ influence on total vascular plant biomass was minor. When water was added, biocrust effects sometimes switched from positive or negative to neutral, or vice-versa, indicating that our detection probability of biocrust effects on plants changes with moisture availability. Our results demonstrate that the condition of pre-existing biocrust communities can influence—but not strongly dictate—the outcome of multi-species restoration seedings, mostly positively or neutrally under normal conditions, but switching to potentially negatively under irrigated conditions. Our study also suggests that locations with more intact and richer biocrust communities might be slightly more conducive to successful seeding outcomes, while also providing additional contributions to ecosystem functions. As such, biocrusts, alongside vascular plants, have a role in restoring damaged or degraded ecosystems.
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12
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Ekwealor JTB, Benjamin SD, Jomsky JZ, Bowker MA, Stark LR, McLetchie DN, Mishler BD, Fisher KM. Genotypic confirmation of a biased phenotypic sex ratio in a dryland moss using restriction fragment length polymorphisms. Appl Plant Sci 2022; 10:e11467. [PMID: 35495199 PMCID: PMC9039795 DOI: 10.1002/aps3.11467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/12/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/21/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE In dioicous mosses, sex is determined by a single U (female, ♀) or V (male, ♂) chromosome. Although a 1 : 1 sex ratio is expected following meiosis, phenotypic sex ratios based on the production of gametangia are often female-biased. The dryland moss Syntrichia caninervis (Pottiaceae) is notable for its low frequency of sex expression and strong phenotypic female bias. Here we present a technique to determine genotypic sex in a single shoot of S. caninervis, and report results of a case study examining genotypic and phenotypic sex ratios. METHODS We reanalyzed 271 non-expressing gametophyte shoots from a previous study on S. caninervis sex expression across microhabitats using a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method. RESULTS We recovered a genotypic sex ratio in non-expressing shoots of 18.4♀ : 1♂, which exceeds the female bias of the phenotypic ratio (5.3♀ : 1♂; P = 0.013). We also found that the distribution of male and female genotypes across microsites with different levels of sun exposure was not predicted by patterns of sex expression in these microsites. DISCUSSION These findings contribute to our understanding of how the environment may modulate sex ratios in S. caninervis, either through its direct influence on sex expression or through selection on genotypes with particular sex expression phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna T. B. Ekwealor
- Department of Integrative Biology and University and Jepson HerbariaUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyUSA
- Data Science Lab, Office of the Chief Information OfficerSmithsonian InstitutionWashingtonD.C.USA
| | - Simone D. Benjamin
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLos Angeles, CaliforniaUSA
| | - Jordan Z. Jomsky
- Department of Integrative Biology and University and Jepson HerbariaUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyUSA
| | | | - Lloyd R. Stark
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of NevadaLas VegasNevadaUSA
| | | | - Brent D. Mishler
- Department of Integrative Biology and University and Jepson HerbariaUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeleyUSA
| | - Kirsten M. Fisher
- Department of Biological SciencesCalifornia State UniversityLos Angeles, CaliforniaUSA
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13
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Bowker MA, Rengifo‐Faiffer MC, Antoninka AJ, Grover HS, Coe KK, Fisher K, Mishler BD, Oliver M, Stark LR. Community composition influences ecosystem resistance and production more than species richness or intraspecific diversity. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Kirsten Fisher
- Dept of Biological Sciences, California State Univ. Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Brent D. Mishler
- Dept of Integrative Biology, Univ. of California Berkeley CA USA
| | - Mel Oliver
- Plant Sciences, Univ. of Missouri Columbia MO USA
| | - Lloyd R. Stark
- School of Life Sciences, Univ. of Nevada Las Vegas NV USA
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14
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Silva AT, Gao B, Fisher KM, Mishler BD, Ekwealor JTB, Stark LR, Li X, Zhang D, Bowker MA, Brinda JC, Coe KK, Oliver MJ. To dry perchance to live: Insights from the genome of the desiccation-tolerant biocrust moss Syntrichia caninervis. Plant J 2021; 105:1339-1356. [PMID: 33277766 DOI: 10.1111/tpj.15116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
With global climate change, water scarcity threatens whole agro/ecosystems. The desert moss Syntrichia caninervis, an extremophile, offers novel insights into surviving desiccation and heat. The sequenced S. caninervis genome consists of 13 chromosomes containing 16 545 protein-coding genes and 2666 unplaced scaffolds. Syntenic relationships within the S. caninervis and Physcomitrella patens genomes indicate the S. caninervis genome has undergone a single whole genome duplication event (compared to two for P. patens) and evidence suggests chromosomal or segmental losses in the evolutionary history of S. caninervis. The genome contains a large sex chromosome composed primarily of repetitive sequences with a large number of Copia and Gypsy elements. Orthogroup analyses revealed an expansion of ELIP genes encoding proteins important in photoprotection. The transcriptomic response to desiccation identified four structural clusters of novel genes. The genomic resources established for this extremophile offer new perspectives for understanding the evolution of desiccation tolerance in plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anderson T Silva
- Division of Plant Sciences and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
| | - Bei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Science, Urumqi, 830011, China
| | - Kirsten M Fisher
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, Los Angeles, California, 90032, USA
| | - Brent D Mishler
- Department of Integrative Biology, University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720-2465, USA
| | - Jenna T B Ekwealor
- Department of Integrative Biology, University and Jepson Herbaria, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720-2465, USA
| | - Lloyd R Stark
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, Nevada, 89154-4004, USA
| | - Xiaoshuang Li
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Science, Urumqi, 830011, China
| | - Daoyuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Science, Urumqi, 830011, China
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - John C Brinda
- Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, Missouri, 63110-0299, USA
| | - Kirsten K Coe
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, Vermont, 40506-0225, USA
| | - Melvin J Oliver
- Division of Plant Sciences and Interdisciplinary Plant Group, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
- USDA-ARS-MWA, Plant Genetics Research Unit, Columbia, Missouri, 65211, USA
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15
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Coe KK, Greenwood JL, Slate ML, Clark TA, Brinda JC, Fisher KM, Mishler BD, Bowker MA, Oliver MJ, Ebrahimi S, Stark LR. Strategies of desiccation tolerance vary across life phases in the moss Syntrichia caninervis. Am J Bot 2021; 108:249-262. [PMID: 33249553 DOI: 10.1002/ajb2.1571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
PREMISE Desiccation tolerance (DT) is a widespread phenomenon among land plants, and variable ecological strategies for DT are likely to exist. Using Syntrichia caninervis, a dryland moss and model system used in DT studies, we hypothesized that DT is lowest in juvenile (protonemal) tissues, highest in asexual reproductive propagules (gemmae), and intermediate in adults (shoots). We tested the long-standing hypothesis of an inherent constitutive strategy of DT in this species. METHODS Plants were rapidly dried to levels of equilibrating relative humidity (RHeq) ranging from 0 to 93%. Postrehydration recovery was assessed using chlorophyll fluorescence, regeneration rates, and visual tissue damage. For each life phase, we estimated the minimum rate of drying (RoDmin ) at RHeq = 42% that did not elicit damage 24 h postrehydration. RESULTS DT strategy varied with life phase, with adult shoots having the lowest RoDmin (10-25 min), followed by gemmae (3-10 h) and protonema (14-20 h). Adult shoots exhibited no detectable damage 24 h postrehydration following a rapid-dry only at the highest RHeq used (93%), but when dried to lower RHs the response declined to <50% of control fluorescence values. Notably, immediately following rehydration (0 h postrehydration), shoots were damaged below control levels of fluorescence regardless of the RHeq, thus implicating damage. CONCLUSIONS Life phases of the moss S. caninervis had a range of strategies from near constitutive (adult shoots) to demonstrably inducible (protonema). A new response variable for assessing degree of DT is introduced as the minimum rate of drying from which full recovery occurs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten K Coe
- Department of Biology, Middlebury College, Middlebury, VT, 40506-0225, USA
| | - Joshua L Greenwood
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
| | - Mandy L Slate
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
| | - Theresa A Clark
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
| | - John C Brinda
- Missouri Botanical Garden, Bryophyte Herbarium, 4344 Shaw Blvd, St. Louis, MO, 63110-0299, USA
| | - Kirsten M Fisher
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, 5151 State University Drive, Los Angeles, CA, 90032, USA
| | - Brent D Mishler
- Department of Integrative Biology, University and Jepson Herbaria and University of California, 1001 Valley Life Sciences Bld #2465, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, P.O. Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Melvin J Oliver
- USDA ARS MWA PGRU, University of Missouri, 206 Curtis Hall, Columbia, MO, 65211, USA
| | - Sotodeh Ebrahimi
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
| | - Lloyd R Stark
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Las Vegas, NV, 89154-4004, USA
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16
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Faist AM, Antoninka AJ, Barger NN, Bowker MA, Chaudhary VB, Havrilla CA, Huber-Sannwald E, Reed SC, Weber B. Broader Impacts for Ecologists: Biological Soil Crust as a Model System for Education. Front Microbiol 2021; 11:577922. [PMID: 33469449 PMCID: PMC7813986 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.577922] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) are a complex community of algae, cyanobacteria, lichens, bryophytes, and assorted bacteria, fungi, archaea, and bacteriophages that colonize the soil surface. Biocrusts are particularly common in drylands and are found in arid and semiarid ecosystems worldwide. While diminutive in size, biocrusts often cover large terrestrial areas, provide numerous ecosystem benefits, enhance biodiversity, and are found in multiple configurations and assemblages across different climate and disturbance regimes. Biocrusts have been a focus of many ecologists, especially those working in semiarid and arid lands, as biocrusts are foundational community members, play fundamental roles in ecosystem processes, and offer rare opportunities to study biological interactions at small and large spatial scales. Due to these same characteristics, biocrusts have the potential to serve as an excellent teaching tool. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the utility of biocrust communities as a model system in science education. Functioning as portable, dynamic mini ecosystems, biocrusts can be used to teach about organisms, biodiversity, biotic interactions, abiotic controls, ecosystem processes, and even global change, and can be easy to use in nearly every classroom setup. For example, education principles, such as evolution and adaptation to stress, or structure and function (patterns and processes) can be applied by bringing biocrusts into the classroom as a teaching tool. In addition, discussing the utility of biocrusts in the classroom – including theory, hypothesis testing, experimentation, and hands-on learning – this document also provides tips and resources for developing education tools and activities geared toward impactful learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Akasha M Faist
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, United States
| | - Anita J Antoninka
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Nichole N Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, United States
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - V Bala Chaudhary
- Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, United States
| | - Caroline A Havrilla
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ, United States.,Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, United States
| | - Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald
- División de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico
| | - Sasha C Reed
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT, United States
| | - Bettina Weber
- Department of Biology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
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17
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Xiao B, Bowker MA. Moss-biocrusts strongly decrease soil surface albedo, altering land-surface energy balance in a dryland ecosystem. Sci Total Environ 2020; 741:140425. [PMID: 32615433 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.140425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2020] [Revised: 06/19/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Land surface albedo measures the degree to which the sun's radiation is absorbed or reflected, and thus can be highly influential in global climate trends, local weather phenomena, and biological processes. As an extensive living cover in drylands, biocrusts cover substantial land surface but their potential influences on surface albedo and energy balance are underdocumented, and its temporal dynamic is virtually unknown. We continuously measured the surface albedo, land-surface energy balance, temperature and moisture of moss-biocrust covered soil and bare soil for two years, and measured the surface color and roughness of the two land cover types. Our results showed that the surface albedo of the biocrusts was 43.4% lower than that of the bare soil, due to the increased darkness (43.7%) and roughness (90.4%) together with increased moisture (20.7%) of the biocrust layer. Through time, the albedo of the biocrusts were negatively and linearly related with surface soil temperature or moisture, which resulted in lower albedo in summer and higher albedo in other seasons. As a result of decreased albedo, biocrusts decreased outgoing short-wave radiation by 44.8% in comparison to the bare soil, and consequently they increased net short-wave radiation by 11.4% and net all-wave solar radiation by 22.9% However, the increased energy absorption by the biocrusts did not consistently increase soil temperature; instead, soil temperature increased by up to 9.3 °C under dry conditions but decreased by as much as 11.4 °C under wet conditions, resulting in a net cooling. This indicates that the temperature regimes of the biocrust-covered soil were not determined only by albedo, but also by modification of soil thermal properties by biocrusts. Because biocrusts are highly responsive to land use, it appears that altered albedo and energy balance may be one of the ways in which human activity can impact climate and weather.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bo Xiao
- College of Land Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China; Key Laboratory of Arable Land Conservation (North China), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing 100193, China; State Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Dryland Farming on the Loess Plateau, Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Chinese Academy of Sciences and Ministry of Water Resources, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, China.
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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18
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Eldridge DJ, Reed S, Travers SK, Bowker MA, Maestre FT, Ding J, Havrilla C, Rodriguez-Caballero E, Barger N, Weber B, Antoninka A, Belnap J, Chaudhary B, Faist A, Ferrenberg S, Huber-Sannwald E, Malam Issa O, Zhao Y. The pervasive and multifaceted influence of biocrusts on water in the world's drylands. Glob Chang Biol 2020; 26:6003-6014. [PMID: 32729653 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15232] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/06/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The capture and use of water are critically important in drylands, which collectively constitute Earth's largest biome. Drylands will likely experience lower and more unreliable rainfall as climatic conditions change over the next century. Dryland soils support a rich community of microphytic organisms (biocrusts), which are critically important because they regulate the delivery and retention of water. Yet despite their hydrological significance, a global synthesis of their effects on hydrology is lacking. We synthesized 2,997 observations from 109 publications to explore how biocrusts affected five hydrological processes (times to ponding and runoff, early [sorptivity] and final [infiltration] stages of water flow into soil, and the rate or volume of runoff) and two hydrological outcomes (moisture storage, sediment production). We found that increasing biocrust cover reduced the time for water to pond on the surface (-40%) and commence runoff (-33%), and reduced infiltration (-34%) and sediment production (-68%). Greater biocrust cover had no significant effect on sorptivity or runoff rate/amount, but increased moisture storage (+14%). Infiltration declined most (-56%) at fine scales, and moisture storage was greatest (+36%) at large scales. Effects of biocrust type (cyanobacteria, lichen, moss, mixed), soil texture (sand, loam, clay), and climatic zone (arid, semiarid, dry subhumid) were nuanced. Our synthesis provides novel insights into the magnitude, processes, and contexts of biocrust effects in drylands. This information is critical to improve our capacity to manage dwindling dryland water supplies as Earth becomes hotter and drier.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sasha Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT, USA
| | - Samantha K Travers
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Departamento de Ecología, Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
- Instituto Multidisciplinar para el Estudio del Medio "Ramón Margalef", Universidad de Alicante, Alicante, Spain
| | - Jingyi Ding
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Caroline Havrilla
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Emilio Rodriguez-Caballero
- Centro de Investigación de Colecciones Científicas de la Universidad de Almería and Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Almería, Spain
| | - Nichole Barger
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Bettina Weber
- Multiphase Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, Mainz, Germany
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | - Anita Antoninka
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Jayne Belnap
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, Moab, UT, USA
| | - Bala Chaudhary
- Department of Environmental Science and Studies, DePaul University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Akasha Faist
- Department of Animal and Range Sciences, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Scott Ferrenberg
- Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, USA
| | - Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald
- Division of Environmental Sciences, Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosi, SLP, Mexico
| | - Oumarou Malam Issa
- UMR 242 (IRD, SU, CNRS, INRA, USPC, UPEC), IRD France-Nord, Bondy Cedex, France
| | - Yunge Zhao
- Institute of Soil and Water Conservation, Northwest A & F University, Yangling, Shaanxi, China
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Remke MJ, Hoang T, Kolb T, Gehring C, Johnson NC, Bowker MA. Familiar soil conditions help
Pinus ponderosa
seedlings cope with warming and drying climate. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Remke
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University PO Box 15018, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
- Mountain Studies Institute 679 East 2nd Avenue, Durango Colorado 81301 U.S.A
| | - Tonny Hoang
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of California—Davis One Shields Avenue, Davis CA 95616 U.S.A
| | - Thomas Kolb
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University PO Box 15018, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Catherine Gehring
- Department of Biological Sciences and Merriam‐Powell Center for Environmental Research Northern Arizona University PO Box 5640, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Nancy C. Johnson
- School of Earth and Sustainability Northern Arizona University PO Box 5694, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University PO Box 15018, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
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20
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Faist AM, Antoninka AJ, Belnap J, Bowker MA, Duniway MC, Garcia‐Pichel F, Nelson C, Reed SC, Giraldo‐Silva A, Velasco‐Ayuso S, Barger NN. Inoculation and habitat amelioration efforts in biological soil crust recovery vary by desert and soil texture. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Akasha M. Faist
- Department of Animal and Range SciencesNew Mexico State University Las Cruces NM 88003 U.S.A
| | | | - Jayne Belnap
- Southwest Biological Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey Moab UT 84532 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona University Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Michael C. Duniway
- Southwest Biological Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey Moab UT 84532 U.S.A
| | - Ferran Garcia‐Pichel
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign InstituteArizona State University Tempe AZ 85281 U.S.A
| | - Corey Nelson
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign InstituteArizona State University Tempe AZ 85281 U.S.A
| | - Sasha C. Reed
- Southwest Biological Science CenterU.S. Geological Survey Moab UT 84532 U.S.A
| | - Ana Giraldo‐Silva
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign InstituteArizona State University Tempe AZ 85281 U.S.A
| | - Sergio Velasco‐Ayuso
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura, Facultad de AgronomíaUniversidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires Buenos Aires C1417DSE Argentina
| | - Nichole N. Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary BiologyUniversity of Colorado Boulder CO 80309 U.S.A
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21
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Chaudhary VB, Akland K, Johnson NC, Bowker MA. Do soil inoculants accelerate dryland restoration? A simultaneous assessment of biocrusts and mycorrhizal fungi. Restor Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- V. Bala Chaudhary
- Department of Environmental Science and Studies DePaul University 1110 West Belden Avenue Chicago IL 60614 U.S.A
| | - Kristine Akland
- Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University 617 S. Beaver Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Nancy C. Johnson
- Department of Biological Sciences Northern Arizona University 617 S. Beaver Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
- School of Earth and Sustainability Northern Arizona University 625 S. Knoles Drive Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Box 15018 Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
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22
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Antoninka A, Bowker MA, Barger NN, Belnap J, Giraldo‐Silva A, Reed SC, Garcia‐Pichel F, Duniway MC. Addressing barriers to improve biocrust colonization and establishment in dryland restoration. Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.13052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anita Antoninka
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive Flagstaff AZ 860011 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive Flagstaff AZ 860011 U.S.A
| | - Nichole N. Barger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Colorado Boulder, Campus Box 334 Boulder CO 80305‐0334 U.S.A
| | - Jayne Belnap
- Southwest Biological Science Center U.S. Geological Survey, 2290 S. West Resource Blvd. Moab UT 84532 U.S.A
| | - Ana Giraldo‐Silva
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 U.S.A
| | - Sasha C. Reed
- Southwest Biological Science Center U.S. Geological Survey, 2290 S. West Resource Blvd. Moab UT 84532 U.S.A
| | - Ferran Garcia‐Pichel
- School of Life Sciences and Center for Fundamental and Applied Microbiomics, Biodesign Institute Arizona State University Tempe AZ 85287 U.S.A
| | - Michael C. Duniway
- Southwest Biological Science Center U.S. Geological Survey, 2290 S. West Resource Blvd. Moab UT 84532 U.S.A
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23
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Coe KK, Howard NB, Slate ML, Bowker MA, Mishler BD, Butler R, Greenwood J, Stark LR. Morphological and physiological traits in relation to carbon balance in a diverse clade of dryland mosses. Plant Cell Environ 2019; 42:3140-3151. [PMID: 31306496 DOI: 10.1111/pce.13613] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Plant functional trait analyses have focused almost exclusively on vascular plants, but bryophytes comprise ancient and diverse plant lineages that have widespread global distributions and important ecological functions in terrestrial ecosystems. We examined a diverse clade of dryland mosses, Syntrichia, and studied carbon balance during a precipitation event (C-balance), a functional trait related to physiological functioning, desiccation tolerance, survival, and ecosystem carbon and nitrogen cycling. We examined variability in C-balance among 14 genotypes of Syntrichia and measured an additional 10 physiological and 13 morphological traits at the cell, leaf, shoot, and clump level. C-balance varied 20-fold among genotypes, and highest C-balances were associated with long, narrow leaves with awns, and small cells with thick cell walls, traits that may influence water uptake and retention during a precipitation event. Ordination analyses revealed that the axis most strongly correlated with C-balance included the maximum chlorophyll fluorescence, Fm , indicating the importance of photosystem II health for C exchange. C-balance represents a key functional trait in bryophytes, but its measurement is time intensive and not feasible to measure on large scales. We propose two models (using physiological and morphological traits) to predict C-balance, whereby identifying simpler to measure traits for trait databases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirsten K Coe
- Department of Biology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's, City, MD, 20653, USA
| | - Nora B Howard
- Department of Biology, St. Mary's College of Maryland, St. Mary's, City, MD, 20653, USA
| | - Mandy L Slate
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Brent D Mishler
- University and Jepson Herbaria, and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, 94720-2465, USA
| | - Riley Butler
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA
| | - Joshua Greenwood
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
| | - Lloyd R Stark
- School of Life Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas, Las Vegas, NV, 89154, USA
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Max Mallen‐Cooper
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
| | | | | | - David J. Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South Wales Sydney NSW Australia
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25
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Doherty K, Bowker MA, Durham RA, Antoninka A, Ramsey P, Mummey D. Adapting mechanized vascular plant seed dispersal technologies to biocrust moss restoration. Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Doherty
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona University 200 E. Pine Knoll Dr., Box 15018, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona University 200 E. Pine Knoll Dr., Box 15018, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | | | - Anita Antoninka
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona University 200 E. Pine Knoll Dr., Box 15018, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Philip Ramsey
- MPG Ranch 1001 S. Higgins Avenue STE A3, Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
| | - Daniel Mummey
- MPG Ranch 1001 S. Higgins Avenue STE A3, Missoula MT 59801 U.S.A
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26
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Bowker MA, Antoninka AJ, Chuckran PF. Improving field success of biocrust rehabilitation materials: hardening the organisms or softening the environment? Restor Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University 200 E. Pine Knoll Dr., Box 15018, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Anita J. Antoninka
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University 200 E. Pine Knoll Dr., Box 15018, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Peter F. Chuckran
- School of Forestry Northern Arizona University 200 E. Pine Knoll Dr., Box 15018, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
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27
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Affiliation(s)
- Henry S. Grover
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona University 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona University 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Peter Z. Fulé
- School of ForestryNorthern Arizona University 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
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28
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Young KE, Bowker MA, Reed SC, Duniway MC, Belnap J. Temporal and abiotic fluctuations may be preventing successful rehabilitation of soil-stabilizing biocrust communities. Ecol Appl 2019; 29:e01908. [PMID: 31004536 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 02/15/2019] [Accepted: 03/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Land degradation is a persistent ecological problem in many arid and semiarid systems globally (drylands hereafter). Most instances of dryland degradation include some form of soil disturbance and/or soil erosion, which can hinder vegetation establishment and reduce ecosystem productivity. To combat soil erosion, researchers have identified a need for rehabilitation of biological soil crusts (biocrusts), a globally relevant community of organisms aggregating the soil surface and building soil fertility. Here, the impact of plant and biocrust cover was tested on soil erosion potential in the piñon-juniper woodlands of Bandelier National Monument, New Mexico, USA. Biocrusts were found to be similarly influential to vascular plants in reducing erosion, largely acting by promoting surface roughness. The potential to rehabilitate biocrusts within the Monument was also tested. Plots were inoculated on eroding soils before the summer monsoon with greenhouse-cultured biocrusts. In a full-factorial design, treatments to reduce or halt erosion were administered to the inoculated plots and their paired controls. These erosion-reduction treatments included barriers to overland flow (flashing), slash placement, and seeding of vascular plants. Dynamic changes to soil stability, penetration resistance, and extractable soil nutrients were observed through time, but no strong effects with the addition of biocrust inoculum, seeding, or erosion intervention treatments were seen. The results do suggest possible ways forward to successfully rehabilitate biocrust, including varying the timing of biocrust application, amending inoculum application with different types of soil stabilization techniques, and adding nutrients to soils. The insights gleaned from the lack of response brings us closer to developing effective techniques to arrest soil loss in these socially and ecologically important dryland systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina E Young
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Sasha C Reed
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 SW. Resource Boulevard, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA
| | - Michael C Duniway
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 SW. Resource Boulevard, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA
| | - Jayne Belnap
- U.S. Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2290 SW. Resource Boulevard, Moab, Utah, 84532, USA
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29
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Delgado-Baquerizo M, Maestre FT, Eldridge DJ, Bowker MA, Jeffries TC, Singh BK. Biocrust-forming mosses mitigate the impact of aridity on soil microbial communities in drylands: observational evidence from three continents. New Phytol 2018; 220:824-835. [PMID: 29607501 DOI: 10.1111/nph.15120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2018] [Accepted: 02/16/2018] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
Recent research indicates that increased aridity linked to climate change will reduce the diversity of soil microbial communities and shift their community composition in drylands, Earth's largest biome. However, we lack both a theoretical framework and solid empirical evidence of how important biotic components from drylands, such as biocrust-forming mosses, will regulate the responses of microbial communities to expected increases in aridity with climate change. Here we report results from a cross-continental (North America, Europe and Australia) survey of 39 locations from arid to humid ecosystems, where we evaluated how biocrust-forming mosses regulate the relationship between aridity and the community composition and diversity of soil bacteria and fungi in dryland ecosystems. Increasing aridity was negatively related to the richness of fungi, and either positively or negatively related to the relative abundance of selected microbial phyla, when biocrust-forming mosses were absent. Conversely, we found an overall lack of relationship between aridity and the relative abundance and richness of microbial communities under biocrust-forming mosses. Our results suggest that biocrust-forming mosses mitigate the impact of aridity on the community composition of globally distributed microbial taxa, and the diversity of fungi. They emphasize the importance of maintaining biocrusts as a sanctuary for soil microbes in drylands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO, 80309, USA
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 S. Pine Knoll Drive, Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Thomas C Jeffries
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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30
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Rubin RL, Koch GW, Martinez A, Mau RL, Bowker MA, Hungate BA. Developing climate-smart restoration: Can plant microbiomes be hardened against heat waves? Ecol Appl 2018; 28:1594-1605. [PMID: 29989265 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2017] [Revised: 04/24/2018] [Accepted: 05/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Heat waves are increasing in frequency and intensity, presenting a challenge for the already difficult practice of ecological restoration. We investigated whether pre-heating locally sourced rhizosphere soil (inoculum) could acclimatize plants to a field-imposed heat wave in a restoration setting. Soil heating in the laboratory caused a marked shift in rhizosphere bacterial community composition, accompanied by an increase in species evenness. Furthermore, pre-heated rhizosphere soil reduced plant height, number of leaves, and shoot mass of the C4 grass, blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis), and it reduced the shoot mass of the C3 grass, Arizona fescue (Festuca arizonica) in the glasshouse. Following transplantation and the application of a field heat wave, pre-heated inoculum did not influence heat wave survival for either plant species. However, there were strong species-level responses to the field heat wave. For instance, heat wave survivorship was over four times higher in blue grama (92%) than in Arizona fescue (22%). These results suggest that the use of C4 seeds may be preferable for sites exhibiting high heat wave risk. Further research is needed to understand whether inocula are more effective in highly degraded soil in comparison with partially degraded soils.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel L Rubin
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - George W Koch
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Ayla Martinez
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Rebecca L Mau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Bruce A Hungate
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
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31
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Zhou X, Bowker MA, Tao Y, Wu L, Zhang Y. Chronic nitrogen addition induces a cascade of plant community responses with both seasonal and progressive dynamics. Sci Total Environ 2018; 626:99-108. [PMID: 29335179 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.01.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Revised: 01/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Short-lived herbaceous plants provide a useful model to rapidly reveal how multiple generations of plants in natural plant communities of sensitive desert ecosystems will be affected by N deposition. We monitored dynamic responses of community structure, richness, evenness, density and biomass of herbaceous plants to experimental N addition (2:1 NH4+:NO3- added at 0, 0.5, 1, 3, 6 and 24gNm-2a-1) in three seasons in each of three years in the Gurbantunggut desert, a typical temperate desert of central Asia. We found clear rate-dependent and season-dependent effects of N deposition on each of these variables, in most cases becoming more obvious through time. N addition reduced plant richness, leading to a loss of about half of the species after three generations in the highest N application level. Evenness and density were relatively insensitive to all but the greatest levels of N addition for two generations, but negative effects emerged in the third generation. Biomass, both above and below ground, was non-linearly affected by N deposition. Low and intermediate levels of N deposition often increased biomass, whereas the highest level suppressed biomass. Stimulatory effects of intermediate N addition disappeared in the third generation. All of these responses are strongly interrelated in a cascade of changes. Notably, changes in biomass due to N deposition were mediated by declines in richness and evenness, and other changes in community structure, rather than solely being the direct outcome of release from limitation. The interrelationships between N deposition and the different plant community attributes change not only seasonally, but also progressively change through time. These temporal changes appear to be largely independent of interannual or seasonal climatic conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaobing Zhou
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China.
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA.
| | - Ye Tao
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Lin Wu
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China
| | - Yuanming Zhang
- Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Key Laboratory of Biogeography and Bioresources in Arid Land, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China.
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32
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Bowker MA, Antoninka AJ, Durham RA. Applying community ecological theory to maximize productivity of cultivated biocrusts. Ecol Appl 2017; 27:1958-1969. [PMID: 28590046 DOI: 10.1002/eap.1582] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2017] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/05/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Degraded rangelands around the world may benefit from the reestablishment of lost biological soil crusts (biocrusts, soil surface cryptogamic-microbial communities). Cultivation of biocrust organisms is the first step in this process, and may benefit from harnessing species interactions. Species interactions are a dominant force structuring ecological communities. One key element of community structure, species richness, is itself important because it can promote the productivity of the entire community. Here, we use biological soil crusts as a model to test the effects of species interactions on production of biocrust materials for use in ecosystem rehabilitation. We screened eight different moss and lichen species from semiarid rangelands of Montana, USA, for growth potential under two watering regimes. Mosses generally grew well, but we were unable to cultivate the selected lichen species. We produced a >400% increase in the biomass of one species (Ceratodon purpureus). We tested whether a parasite-host relationship between two lichens could be used to enhance productivity of the parasite species, but this also resulted in no net gain of lichen productivity. Finally, we constructed all possible community combinations from a pool of five moss species to test for overyielding (community productivity exceeding that expected from the growth of community members in monoculture), and to determine both if, and the mode in which, species richness increases productivity. Polycultures yielded more than would be expected based upon the production of community constituents in monoculture. Using structural equation models, we determined that there was a modest effect of species richness on community productivity (r = 0.24-0.25), which was independent of a stronger effect of the identity of species in the community (r = 0.41-0.50). These results will contribute to the optimization of biocrust cultivation, promoting the development of this emerging ecological rehabilitation technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Anita J Antoninka
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona, 86011, USA
| | - Rebecca A Durham
- MPG Ranch, 1001 South Higgins Avenue STE 3A, Missoula, Montana, 59801, USA
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33
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Eisenhauer N, Antunes PM, Bennett AE, Birkhofer K, Bissett A, Bowker MA, Caruso T, Chen B, Coleman DC, de Boer W, de Ruiter P, DeLuca TH, Frati F, Griffiths BS, Hart MM, Hättenschwiler S, Haimi J, Heethoff M, Kaneko N, Kelly LC, Leinaas HP, Lindo Z, Macdonald C, Rillig MC, Ruess L, Scheu S, Schmidt O, Seastedt TR, van Straalen NM, Tiunov AV, Zimmer M, Powell JR. Priorities for research in soil ecology. Pedobiologia (Jena) 2017; 63:1-7. [PMID: 29129942 PMCID: PMC5675051 DOI: 10.1016/j.pedobi.2017.05.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The ecological interactions that occur in and with soil are of consequence in many ecosystems on the planet. These interactions provide numerous essential ecosystem services, and the sustainable management of soils has attracted increasing scientific and public attention. Although soil ecology emerged as an independent field of research many decades ago, and we have gained important insights into the functioning of soils, there still are fundamental aspects that need to be better understood to ensure that the ecosystem services that soils provide are not lost and that soils can be used in a sustainable way. In this perspectives paper, we highlight some of the major knowledge gaps that should be prioritized in soil ecological research. These research priorities were compiled based on an online survey of 32 editors of Pedobiologia - Journal of Soil Ecology. These editors work at universities and research centers in Europe, North America, Asia, and Australia.The questions were categorized into four themes: (1) soil biodiversity and biogeography, (2) interactions and the functioning of ecosystems, (3) global change and soil management, and (4) new directions. The respondents identified priorities that may be achievable in the near future, as well as several that are currently achievable but remain open. While some of the identified barriers to progress were technological in nature, many respondents cited a need for substantial leadership and goodwill among members of the soil ecology research community, including the need for multi-institutional partnerships, and had substantial concerns regarding the loss of taxonomic expertise.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nico Eisenhauer
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig, Deutscher Platz 5e, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Institute of Biology, Leipzig University, Johannisallee 21, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
- Corresponding author:
| | - Pedro M. Antunes
- Department of Biology, Algoma University, 1520 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, ON, P6A 2G4 Canada
| | - Alison E. Bennett
- Ecological Sciences, James Hutton Institute, Errol Road, Invergowrie, Dundee DD2 5DA United Kingdom
| | - Klaus Birkhofer
- Chair of Ecology, Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Wachsmann-Allee 6, 03046 Cottbus, Germany
| | - Andrew Bissett
- CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere, Hobart, TAS 7000, Australia
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, Flagstaff, Arizona 86011, USA
| | - Tancredi Caruso
- School of Biological Sciences and Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University of Belfast, 97 Lisburn Road, Belfast, BT9 7BL, Northern Ireland
| | - Baodong Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Urban and Regional Ecology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 18 Shuangqinglu, Haidian District, Beijing 100085, China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquanlu, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China
| | - David C. Coleman
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602, USA
| | - Wietse de Boer
- Department of Microbial Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, 6708 PB, The Netherlands
- Department of Soil Quality, Wageningen University, Wageningen, 6708 PB, the Netherlands
| | - Peter de Ruiter
- Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED), Faculty of Science, Universiteit van Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Thomas H. DeLuca
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Box 352100, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, USA
| | - Francesco Frati
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro 2, 53100, Siena, Italy
| | - Bryan S. Griffiths
- Crop and Soil Systems Research Group, Scotland’s Rural College, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, United Kingdom
| | - Miranda M. Hart
- Department of Biology, University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus, 3187 University Way, Kelowna, BC, Canada
| | - Stephan Hättenschwiler
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE) UMR 5175, CNRS - Université de Montpellier - Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier - EPHE, 1919 Route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier, France
| | - Jari Haimi
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, P.O.Box 35, FI-40014, Finland
| | - Michael Heethoff
- Ecological Networks, TU Darmstadt, Schnittspahnstr. 3, 64287 Darmstadt
| | - Nobuhiro Kaneko
- Soil Ecology Research Group, Yokohama National University ,79-7 Tokiwadai, Hodogaya, Yokohama 240-8501, Japan
| | - Laura C. Kelly
- Division of Biology and Conservation Ecology, Manchester Metropolitan University, Oxford Road, M1 5GD, United Kingdom
| | - Hans Petter Leinaas
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, PO Box 1066 Blindern, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Zoë Lindo
- Department of Biology, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Catriona Macdonald
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia
| | - Matthias C. Rillig
- Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin, Altensteinstr. 6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
- Berlin-Brandenburg Institute of Advanced Biodiversity Research (BBIB), 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Liliane Ruess
- Institute of Biology, Ecology Group, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Philippstr. 13, 10115 Berlin, Germany
| | - Stefan Scheu
- JFB Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Berliner Str. 28, 37073 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Olaf Schmidt
- UCD School of Agriculture and Food Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - Timothy R. Seastedt
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado, Boulder, UCB 450, CO 80309, USA
| | - Nico M. van Straalen
- Department of Ecological Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1085, 1081 HV Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Alexei V. Tiunov
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution RAS, Leninsky Prospect 33, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Martin Zimmer
- Leibniz-Centre for Tropical Marine Research, Fahrenheitstr. 6, 28359 Bremen
| | - Jeff R. Powell
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith NSW 2751, Australia
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Sánchez Meador A, Springer JD, Huffman DW, Bowker MA, Crouse JE. Soil functional responses to ecological restoration treatments in frequent-fire forests of the western United States: a systematic review. Restor Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Sánchez Meador
- Ecological Restoration Institute; Northern Arizona University; PO Box 15017 Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
- School of Forestry; Northern Arizona University; PO Box 15018 Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Judith D. Springer
- Ecological Restoration Institute; Northern Arizona University; PO Box 15017 Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - David W. Huffman
- Ecological Restoration Institute; Northern Arizona University; PO Box 15017 Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry; Northern Arizona University; PO Box 15018 Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Joseph E. Crouse
- Ecological Restoration Institute; Northern Arizona University; PO Box 15017 Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
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Maestre FT, Eldridge DJ, Soliveres S, Kéfi S, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Bowker MA, García-Palacios P, Gaitán J, Gallardo A, Lázaro R, Berdugo M. Structure and functioning of dryland ecosystems in a changing world. Annu Rev Ecol Evol Syst 2016; 47:215-237. [PMID: 28239303 PMCID: PMC5321561 DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-121415-032311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 105] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Understanding how drylands respond to ongoing environmental change is extremely important for global sustainability. Here we review how biotic attributes, climate, grazing pressure, land cover change and nitrogen deposition affect the functioning of drylands at multiple spatial scales. Our synthesis highlights the importance of biotic attributes (e.g. species richness) in maintaining fundamental ecosystem processes such as primary productivity, illustrate how N deposition and grazing pressure are impacting ecosystem functioning in drylands worldwide, and highlight the importance of the traits of woody species as drivers of their expansion in former grasslands. We also emphasize the role of attributes such as species richness and abundance in controlling the responses of ecosystem functioning to climate change. This knowledge is essential to guide conservation and restoration efforts in drylands, as biotic attributes can be actively managed at the local scale to increase ecosystem resilience to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando T Maestre
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Santiago Soliveres
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Alternbengrain 21, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
| | - Sonia Kéfi
- Institut des Sciences de l'Evolution, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, EPHE, CC 065, Place Eugène Bataillon, 34095 Montpellier Cedex 05, France
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, 2751, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, AZ 86011, Flagstaff, USA
| | - Pablo García-Palacios
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Juan Gaitán
- Instituto de Suelos, CIRN, INTA, Nicolas Repetto y de los Reseros Sin Número, 1686 Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Antonio Gallardo
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera kilómetro 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Roberto Lázaro
- Departamento de Desertificación y Geoecología. Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas, CSIC, Almería, Spain
| | - Miguel Berdugo
- Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
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Chiquoine LP, Abella SR, Bowker MA. Rapidly restoring biological soil crusts and ecosystem functions in a severely disturbed desert ecosystem. Ecol Appl 2016; 26:1260-1272. [PMID: 27509763 DOI: 10.1002/15-0973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Restoring biological soil crusts (biocrusts) in degraded drylands can contribute to recovery of ecosystem functions that have global implications, including erosion resistance and nutrient cycling. To examine techniques for restoring biocrusts, we conducted a replicated, factorial experiment on recently abandoned road surfaces by applying biocrust inoculation (salvaged and stored dry for two years), salvaged topsoil, an abiotic soil amendment (wood shavings), and planting of a dominant perennial shrub (Ambrosia dumosa). Eighteen months after treatments, we measured biocrust abundance and species composition, soil chlorophyll a content and fertility, and soil resistance to erosion. Biocrust addition significantly accelerated biocrust recovery on disturbed soils, including increasing lichen and moss cover and cyanobacteria colonization. Compared to undisturbed controls, inoculated plots had similar lichen and moss composition, recovered 43% of total cyanobacteria density, had similar soil chlorophyll content, and exhibited recovery of soil fertility and soil stability. Inoculation was the only treatment that generated lichen and moss cover. Topsoil application resulted in partial recovery of the cyanobacteria community and soil properties. Compared to untreated disturbed plots, topsoil application without inoculum increased cyanobacteria density by 186% and moderately improved soil chlorophyll and ammonium content and soil stability. Topsoil application produced 22% and 51% of the cyanobacteria density g⁻¹ soil compared to undisturbed and inoculated plots, respectively. Plots not treated with either topsoil or inoculum had significantly lower cyanobacteria density, soil chlorophyll and ammonium concentrations, and significantly higher soil nitrate concentration. Wood shavings and Ambrosia had no influence on biocrust lichen and moss species recovery but did affect cyanobacteria composition and soil fertility. Inoculation of severely disturbed soil with native biocrusts rapidly restored biocrust communities and soil stability such that restored areas were similar to undisturbed desert within three years. Using salvaged biocrust as inoculum can be an effective tool in ecological restoration because of its efficacy and simple implementation. Although salvaging biocrust material can be technically difficult and potentially costly, utilizing opportunities to salvage material in planned future disturbance can provide additional land management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina E Young
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, PO Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Henry S Grover
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, PO Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 E. Pine Knoll Drive, PO Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ 86011, USA
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Delgado-Baquerizo M, Maestre FT, Eldridge DJ, Bowker MA, Ochoa V, Gozalo B, Berdugo M, Val J, Singh BK. Biocrust-forming mosses mitigate the negative impacts of increasing aridity on ecosystem multifunctionality in drylands. New Phytol 2016; 209:1540-1552. [PMID: 26452175 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13688] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
The increase in aridity predicted with climate change will have a negative impact on the multiple functions and services (multifunctionality) provided by dryland ecosystems worldwide. In these ecosystems, soil communities dominated by mosses, lichens and cyanobacteria (biocrusts) play a key role in supporting multifunctionality. However, whether biocrusts can buffer the negative impacts of aridity on important biogeochemical processes controlling carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) pools and fluxes remains largely unknown. Here, we conducted an empirical study, using samples from three continents (North America, Europe and Australia), to evaluate how the increase in aridity predicted by climate change will alter the capacity of biocrust-forming mosses to modulate multiple ecosystem processes related to C, N and P cycles. Compared with soil surfaces lacking biocrusts, biocrust-forming mosses enhanced multiple functions related to C, N and P cycling and storage in semiarid and arid, but not in humid and dry-subhumid, environments. Most importantly, we found that the relative positive effects of biocrust-forming mosses on multifunctionality compared with bare soil increased with increasing aridity. These results were mediated by plant cover and the positive effects exerted by biocrust-forming mosses on the abundance of soil bacteria and fungi. Our findings provide strong evidence that the maintenance of biocrusts is crucial to buffer negative effects of climate change on multifunctionality in global drylands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - David J Eldridge
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 S. Pine Knoll Drive, Box 15018, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Victoria Ochoa
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Beatriz Gozalo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - Miguel Berdugo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, c/Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933, Spain
| | - James Val
- Office of Environment and Heritage, PO Box 363, Buronga, NSW, 2739, Australia
| | - Brajesh K Singh
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
- Global Centre for Land-Based Innovation, Western Sydney University, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
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Maestre FT, Bowker MA, Eldridge DJ, Cortina J, Lázaro R, Gallardo A, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Berdugo M, Castillo-Monroy AP, Valencia E. Biological Soil Crusts as a Model System in Ecology. Biological Soil Crusts: An Organizing Principle in Drylands 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30214-0_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Bowker MA, Belnap J, Büdel B, Sannier C, Pietrasiak N, Eldridge DJ, Rivera-Aguilar V. Controls on Distribution Patterns of Biological Soil Crusts at Micro- to Global Scales. Biological Soil Crusts: An Organizing Principle in Drylands 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-30214-0_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
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Meneses N, Bailey JK, Allan GJ, Bangert RK, Bowker MA, Rehill BJ, Wimp GM, Lindroth RL, Whitham TG. Arthropod community similarity in clonal stands of aspen: A test of the genetic similarity rule. Écoscience 2015. [DOI: 10.2980/19-1-3402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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Antoninka A, Bowker MA, Reed SC, Doherty K. Production of greenhouse-grown biocrust mosses and associated cyanobacteria to rehabilitate dryland soil function. Restor Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/rec.12311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anita Antoninka
- School of Forestry; Northern Arizona University; 200 East Pine Knoll Drive Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry; Northern Arizona University; 200 East Pine Knoll Drive Flagstaff AZ 86011 U.S.A
- Southwest Biological Science Center; US Geological Survey; 2255 North Gemini Drive Flagstaff AZ 86001 U.S.A
| | - Sasha C. Reed
- Southwest Biological Science Center; US Geological Survey; 2290 Southwest Resource Boulevard Moab UT 84532 U.S.A
| | - Kyle Doherty
- Southwest Biological Science Center; US Geological Survey; 2255 North Gemini Drive Flagstaff AZ 86001 U.S.A
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Soliveres S, Maestre FT, Ulrich W, Manning P, Boch S, Bowker MA, Prati D, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Quero JL, Schöning I, Gallardo A, Weisser W, Müller J, Socher SA, García-Gómez M, Ochoa V, Schulze ED, Fischer M, Allan E. Intransitive competition is widespread in plant communities and maintains their species richness. Ecol Lett 2015; 18:790-798. [PMID: 26032242 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2015] [Revised: 02/20/2015] [Accepted: 04/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Intransitive competition networks, those in which there is no single best competitor, may ensure species coexistence. However, their frequency and importance in maintaining diversity in real-world ecosystems remain unclear. We used two large data sets from drylands and agricultural grasslands to assess: (1) the generality of intransitive competition, (2) intransitivity-richness relationships and (3) effects of two major drivers of biodiversity loss (aridity and land-use intensification) on intransitivity and species richness. Intransitive competition occurred in > 65% of sites and was associated with higher species richness. Intransitivity increased with aridity, partly buffering its negative effects on diversity, but was decreased by intensive land use, enhancing its negative effects on diversity. These contrasting responses likely arise because intransitivity is promoted by temporal heterogeneity, which is enhanced by aridity but may decline with land-use intensity. We show that intransitivity is widespread in nature and increases diversity, but it can be lost with environmental homogenisation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Soliveres
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Fernando T Maestre
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Werner Ulrich
- Chair of Ecology and Biogeography Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Lwowska1, 87-100, Toruń, Poland
| | - Peter Manning
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Steffen Boch
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, 86011, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Daniel Prati
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, 2751, New South Wales, Australia
| | - José L Quero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes, Universidad de Córdoba, Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, 1ª planta. Campus de Rabanales, Ctra N-IV km 396. C.P, 14071, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Ingo Schöning
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Antonio Gallardo
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera kilómetro 1, 41013, Sevilla, Spain
| | - Wolfgang Weisser
- Terrestrial Ecology Research Group, Department of Ecology and Ecosystem Management, School of Life Sciences Weihenstephan, Technische Universität München, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, Freising, Germany
| | - Jörg Müller
- Institut für Biochemie und Biologie, Universität Potsdam, Maulbeerallee 1, 14469, Potsdamm, Germany
| | - Stephanie A Socher
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Miguel García-Gómez
- Departamento de Ingeniería y Morfología del Terreno, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle Profesor Aranguren S/N, 28040, Madrid, Spain
| | - Victoria Ochoa
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933, Móstoles, Spain
| | - Ernst-Detlef Schulze
- Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Hans-Knöll-Str. 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
| | - Markus Fischer
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Eric Allan
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
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Johnson NC, Wilson GWT, Wilson JA, Miller RM, Bowker MA. Mycorrhizal phenotypes and the Law of the Minimum. New Phytol 2015; 205:1473-1484. [PMID: 25417818 DOI: 10.1111/nph.13172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 180] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2014] [Accepted: 10/06/2014] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
Mycorrhizal phenotypes arise from interactions among plant and fungal genotypes and the environment. Differences in the stoichiometry and uptake capacity of fungi and plants make arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi inherently more nitrogen (N) limited and less phosphorus (P) limited than their host plants. Mutualistic phenotypes are most likely in P-limited systems and commensal or parasitic phenotypes in N-limited systems. Carbon (C) limitation is expected to cause phenotypes to shift from mutualism to commensalism and even parasitism. Two experiments compared the influence of fertilizer and shade on mycorrhizas in Andropogon gerardii across three naturally N-limited or P-limited grasslands. A third experiment examined the interactive effects of N and P enrichment and shade on A. gerardii mycorrhizas. Our experiments generated the full spectrum of mycorrhizal phenotypes. These findings support the hypothesis that mutualism is likely in P-limited systems and commensalism or parasitism is likely in N-limited systems. Furthermore, shade decreased C-assimilation and generated less mutualistic mycorrhizal phenotypes with reduced plant and fungal biomass. Soil fertility is a key controller of mycorrhizal costs and benefits and the Law of the Minimum is a useful predictor of mycorrhizal phenotype. In our experimental grasslands arbuscular mycorrhizas can ameliorate P-limitation but not N-limitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Collins Johnson
- School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Sustainability and Department of Biological Sciences, Northern Arizona University Flagstaff, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
| | - Gail W T Wilson
- Natural Resource Ecology & Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74077, USA
| | - Jacqueline A Wilson
- Natural Resource Ecology & Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK, 74077, USA
| | - R Michael Miller
- Biosciences Division, Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, IL, 60439, USA
| | - Matthew A Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, 86011, USA
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Soliveres S, Maestre FT, Eldridge DJ, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Quero JL, Bowker MA, Gallardo A. Plant diversity and ecosystem multifunctionality peak at intermediate levels of woody cover in global drylands. Glob Ecol Biogeogr 2014; 23:1408-1416. [PMID: 25914607 PMCID: PMC4407977 DOI: 10.1111/geb.12215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
AIM The global spread of woody plants into grasslands is predicted to increase over the coming century. While there is general agreement regarding the anthropogenic causes of this phenomenon, its ecological consequences are less certain. We analyzed how woody vegetation of differing cover affects plant diversity (richness and evenness) and multiple ecosystem functions (multifunctionality) in global drylands, and how this changes with aridity. LOCATION 224 dryland sites from all continents except Antarctica widely differing in their environmental conditions (from arid to dry-subhumid sites) and woody covers (from 0 to 100%). METHODS Using a standardized field survey, we measured the cover, richness and evenness of perennial vegetation. At each site, we measured 14 ecosystem functions related to soil fertility and the build-up of nutrient pools. These functions are critical for maintaining ecosystem function in drylands. RESULTS Species richness and ecosystem multifunctionality were strongly influenced by woody vegetation, with both variables peaking at relative woody covers (RWC) of 41-60%. This relationship shifted with aridity. We observed linear positive effects of RWC in dry-subhumid sites. These positive trends shifted to hump-shaped RWC-diversity and multifunctionality relationships under semiarid environments. Finally, hump-shaped (richness, evenness) or linear negative (multifunctionality) effects of RWC were found under the most arid conditions. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Plant diversity and multifunctionality peaked at intermediate levels of woody cover, although this relationship became increasingly positive under wetter environments. This comprehensive study accounts for multiple ecosystem attributes across a range of woody covers and environmental conditions. Our results help us to reconcile contrasting views of woody encroachment found in current literature and can be used to improve predictions of the likely effects of encroachment on biodiversity and ecosystem services.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Soliveres
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación. Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Institute of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, 3013 Bern, Switzerland
- Corresponding author. . Phone: 914888517; Fax: 916647490
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación. Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - David J. Eldridge
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia. DJE:
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación. Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Penrith, 2751, New South Wales, Australia. MDB:
| | - José Luis Quero
- Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes. Universidad de Córdoba. Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, 1 planta. Campus de Rabanales. Ctra N-IV km 396. C.P. 14071, Córdoba, Spain. JLQ:
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, AZ 86011, Flagstaff, USA. MAB:
| | - Antonio Gallardo
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera kilómetro 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain. AG:
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Ulrich W, Soliveres S, Maestre FT, Gotelli NJ, Quero JL, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Bowker MA, Eldridge DJ, Ochoa V, Gozalo B, Valencia E, Berdugo M, Escolar C, García-Gómez M, Escudero A, Prina A, Alfonso G, Arredondo T, Bran D, Cabrera O, Cea A, Chaieb M, Contreras J, Derak M, Espinosa CI, Florentino A, Gaitán J, Muro VG, Ghiloufi W, Gómez-González S, Gutiérrez JR, Hernández RM, Huber-Sannwald E, Jankju M, Mau RL, Hughes FM, Miriti M, Monerris J, Muchane M, Naseri K, Pucheta E, Ramírez-Collantes DA, Raveh E, Romão RL, Torres-Díaz C, Val J, Veiga JP, Wang D, Yuan X, Zaady E. Climate and soil attributes determine plant species turnover in global drylands. J Biogeogr 2014; 41:2307-2319. [PMID: 25914437 PMCID: PMC4407967 DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
AIM Geographic, climatic, and soil factors are major drivers of plant beta diversity, but their importance for dryland plant communities is poorly known. This study aims to: i) characterize patterns of beta diversity in global drylands, ii) detect common environmental drivers of beta diversity, and iii) test for thresholds in environmental conditions driving potential shifts in plant species composition. LOCATION 224 sites in diverse dryland plant communities from 22 geographical regions in six continents. METHODS Beta diversity was quantified with four complementary measures: the percentage of singletons (species occurring at only one site), Whittake's beta diversity (β(W)), a directional beta diversity metric based on the correlation in species occurrences among spatially contiguous sites (β(R2)), and a multivariate abundance-based metric (β(MV)). We used linear modelling to quantify the relationships between these metrics of beta diversity and geographic, climatic, and soil variables. RESULTS Soil fertility and variability in temperature and rainfall, and to a lesser extent latitude, were the most important environmental predictors of beta diversity. Metrics related to species identity (percentage of singletons and β(W)) were most sensitive to soil fertility, whereas those metrics related to environmental gradients and abundance ((β(R2)) and β(MV)) were more associated with climate variability. Interactions among soil variables, climatic factors, and plant cover were not important determinants of beta diversity. Sites receiving less than 178 mm of annual rainfall differed sharply in species composition from more mesic sites (> 200 mm). MAIN CONCLUSIONS Soil fertility and variability in temperature and rainfall are the most important environmental predictors of variation in plant beta diversity in global drylands. Our results suggest that those sites annually receiving ~ 178 mm of rainfall will be especially sensitive to future climate changes. These findings may help to define appropriate conservation strategies for mitigating effects of climate change on dryland vegetation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Werner Ulrich
- Chair of Ecology and Biogeography Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń Lwowska1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland
- Corresponding author: Werner Ulrich, Chair of Ecology and Biogeography Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń, Lwowska1, 87-100 Toruń, Poland.
| | - Santiago Soliveres
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | | | - José L. Quero
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes. Universidad de Córdoba. Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, 1 planta. Campus de Rabanales. Ctra N-IV km 396. C.P. 14071, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera kilómetro 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, AZ 86011, Flagstaff, USA
| | - David J. Eldridge
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Victoria Ochoa
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Beatriz Gozalo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Enrique Valencia
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Miguel Berdugo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Cristina Escolar
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Miguel García-Gómez
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Ingeniería y Morfología del Terreno, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle Profesor Aranguren S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Adrián Escudero
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación Departamento de Biología y Geología Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Aníbal Prina
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Casilla de Correo 300, 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Graciela Alfonso
- Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, Casilla de Correo 300, 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
| | - Tulio Arredondo
- Division de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (IPICYT)
| | - Donaldo Bran
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental San Carlos de Bariloche, Casilla de Correo 277 (8400), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Omar Cabrera
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Marcelino Champagnat, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Alex Cea
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 599
| | - Mohamed Chaieb
- UR Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Arid Environments, Faculty of Sciences, University of Sfax. Route de Sokra, km 3.5, Boîte Postale 802, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Jorge Contreras
- Departamento de Suelos; Universidad Centroccidental Lizandro Alvarado, Barquisimeto, estado Lara, Venezuela
| | - Mchich Derak
- Direction Régionale des Eaux et Forêts et de la Lutte Contre la Désertification du Rif, Avenue Mohamed 5, Boîte Postale 722, 93000 Tétouan, Morocco
| | - Carlos I. Espinosa
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Marcelino Champagnat, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Adriana Florentino
- Instituto de Edafología, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Campus UCV-Maracay, ZP 2101, estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - Juan Gaitán
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental San Carlos de Bariloche, Casilla de Correo 277 (8400), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
| | - Victoria García Muro
- IANIGLA, CCT Mendoza, CONICET A. Ruiz Leal s/n, Parque General San Martín, Mendoza, Argentina. CP.: M5502IRA
| | - Wahida Ghiloufi
- UR Plant Biodiversity and Ecosystems in Arid Environments, Faculty of Sciences, University of Sfax. Route de Sokra, km 3.5, Boîte Postale 802, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Susana Gómez-González
- Instituto de Edafología, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Campus UCV-Maracay, ZP 2101, estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - Julio R. Gutiérrez
- Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Estación Experimental San Carlos de Bariloche, Casilla de Correo 277 (8400), Bariloche, Río Negro, Argentina
- Laboratorio de Genómica y Biodiversidad, Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, Universidad del Bío-Bío, Chillán, Chile
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
| | - Rosa M. Hernández
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile; Laboratorio de Biogeoquímica, Centro de Agroecología Tropical, Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez, Apdo 47925, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Elisabeth Huber-Sannwald
- Division de Ciencias Ambientales, Instituto Potosino de Investigacion Cientifica y Tecnologica (IPICYT)
| | - Mohammad Jankju
- Department of Range and Watershed Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Rebecca L. Mau
- Center for Ecosystem Science and Society, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Frederic Mendes Hughes
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brasil
| | - Maria Miriti
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, Ohio State University, 318 West 12 Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Jorge Monerris
- Université du Québec à Montréal Pavillon des sciences biologiques Département des sciences biologiques 141 Président-Kennedy Montréal, Québec H2X 3Y5, Canada
| | - Muchai Muchane
- Zoology Department of the National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Kamal Naseri
- Department of Range and Watershed Management, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran
| | - Eduardo Pucheta
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de San Juan, J5402DCS Rivadavia, San Juan, Argentina
| | - David A. Ramírez-Collantes
- Production Systems and the Environment Sub-Program, International Potato Center. Apartado 1558, Lima 12, Peru
| | - Eran Raveh
- Department of Natural Resources and Agronomy, Agriculture Research Organization, Ministry of Agriculture, Gilat Research Center, Mobile Post Negev 85280, Israel
| | - Roberto L. Romão
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Avenida Transnordestina Sin Número, Bairro Novo Horizonte, Feira de Santana, 44036-900, Brasil
| | - Cristian Torres-Díaz
- Instituto de Edafología, Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Campus UCV-Maracay, ZP 2101, estado Aragua, Venezuela
| | - James Val
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - José Pablo Veiga
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de CCNN (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Deli Wang
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory for Vegetation Ecology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China
| | - Xia Yuan
- Institute of Grassland Science, Key Laboratory for Vegetation Ecology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, Jilin 130024, China
| | - Eli Zaady
- Department of Natural Resources and Agronomy, Agriculture Research Organization, Ministry of Agriculture, Gilat Research Center, Mobile Post Negev 85280, Israel
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Ochoa-Hueso R, Arróniz-Crespo M, Bowker MA, Maestre FT, Pérez-Corona ME, Theobald MR, Vivanco MG, Manrique E. Biogeochemical indicators of elevated nitrogen deposition in semiarid Mediterranean ecosystems. Environ Monit Assess 2014; 186:5831-42. [PMID: 24894911 PMCID: PMC4427508 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-014-3822-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2013] [Accepted: 05/09/2014] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen (N) deposition has doubled the natural N inputs received by ecosystems through biological N fixation and is currently a global problem that is affecting the Mediterranean regions. We evaluated the existing relationships between increased atmospheric N deposition and biogeochemical indicators related to soil chemical factors and cryptogam species across semiarid central, southern, and eastern Spain. The cryptogam species studied were the biocrust-forming species Pleurochaete squarrosa (moss) and Cladonia foliacea (lichen). Sampling sites were chosen in Quercus coccifera (kermes oak) shrublands and Pinus halepensis (Aleppo pine) forests to cover a range of inorganic N deposition representative of the levels found in the Iberian Peninsula (between 4.4 and 8.1 kg N ha(-1) year(-1)). We extended the ambient N deposition gradient by including experimental plots to which N had been added for 3 years at rates of 10, 20, and 50 kg N ha(-1) year(-1). Overall, N deposition (extant plus simulated) increased soil inorganic N availability and caused soil acidification. Nitrogen deposition increased phosphomonoesterase (PME) enzyme activity and PME/nitrate reductase (NR) ratio in both species, whereas the NR activity was reduced only in the moss. Responses of PME and NR activities were attributed to an induced N to phosphorus imbalance and to N saturation, respectively. When only considering the ambient N deposition, soil organic C and N contents were positively related to N deposition, a response driven by pine forests. The PME/NR ratios of the moss were better predictors of N deposition rates than PME or NR activities alone in shrublands, whereas no correlation between N deposition and the lichen physiology was observed. We conclude that integrative physiological measurements, such as PME/NR ratios, measured on sensitive species such as P. squarrosa, can provide useful data for national-scale biomonitoring programs, whereas soil acidification and soil C and N storage could be useful as additional corroborating ecosystem indicators of chronic N pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raúl Ochoa-Hueso
- Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, New South Wales, 2751, Australia,
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Soliveres S, Maestre FT, Bowker MA, Torices R, Quero JL, García-Gómez M, Cabrera O, Cea A, Coaguila D, Eldridge DJ, Espinosa CI, Hemmings F, Monerris JJ, Tighe M, Delgado-Baquerizo M, Escolar C, García-Palacios P, Gozalo B, Ochoa V, Blones J, Derak M, Ghiloufi W, Gutiérrez JR, Hernández RM, Noumi Z. Functional traits determine plant co-occurrence more than environment or evolutionary relatedness in global drylands. Perspect Plant Ecol Evol Syst 2014; 16:164-173. [PMID: 25914604 PMCID: PMC4407970 DOI: 10.1016/j.ppees.2014.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Plant-plant interactions are driven by environmental conditions, evolutionary relationships (ER) and the functional traits of the plants involved. However, studies addressing the relative importance of these drivers are rare, but crucial to improve our predictions of the effects of plant-plant interactions on plant communities and of how they respond to differing environmental conditions. To analyze the relative importance of -and interrelationships among- these factors as drivers of plant-plant interactions, we analyzed perennial plant co-occurrence at 106 dryland plant communities established across rainfall gradients in nine countries. We used structural equation modeling to disentangle the relationships between environmental conditions (aridity and soil fertility), functional traits extracted from the literature, and ER, and to assess their relative importance as drivers of the 929 pairwise plant-plant co-occurrence levels measured. Functional traits, specifically facilitated plants' height and nurse growth form, were of primary importance, and modulated the effect of the environment and ER on plant-plant interactions. Environmental conditions and ER were important mainly for those interactions involving woody and graminoid nurses, respectively. The relative importance of different plant-plant interaction drivers (ER, functional traits, and the environment) varied depending on the region considered, illustrating the difficulty of predicting the outcome of plant-plant interactions at broader spatial scales. In our global-scale study on drylands, plant-plant interactions were more strongly related to functional traits of the species involved than to the environmental variables considered. Thus, moving to a trait-based facilitation/competition approach help to predict that: 1) positive plant-plant interactions are more likely to occur for taller facilitated species in drylands, and 2) plant-plant interactions within woody-dominated ecosystems might be more sensitive to changing environmental conditions than those within grasslands. By providing insights on which species are likely to better perform beneath a given neighbour, our results will also help to succeed in restoration practices involving the use of nurse plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Santiago Soliveres
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Fernando T. Maestre
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry, Northern Arizona University, 200 East Pine Knoll Drive, AZ 86011, Flagstaff, USA
| | - Rubén Torices
- Centro de Ecologia Funcional. Departamento de Ciências da Vida. Universidade de Coimbra. 3001–455. Coimbra, Portugal
| | - José L. Quero
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Ingeniería Forestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica y de Montes. Universidad de Córdoba. Edificio Leonardo da Vinci, 1 planta. Campus de Rabanales. Ctra N-IV km 396. C.P. 14071, Córdoba, Spain
| | - Miguel García-Gómez
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Ingeniería y Morfología del Terreno, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros de Caminos, Canales y Puertos, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Calle Profesor Aranguren S/N, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Omar Cabrera
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Marcelino Champagnat, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Alex Cea
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 599
| | - Daniel Coaguila
- Instituto Regional de Ciencias Ambientales (IRECA) Universidad Nacional San Agustín de Arequipa. Arequipa, Perú
| | - David J. Eldridge
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Carlos I. Espinosa
- Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, San Cayetano Alto, Marcelino Champagnat, Loja, Ecuador
| | - Frank Hemmings
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Jorge J. Monerris
- Université du Québec à Montréal Pavillon des sciences biologiques Département des sciences biologiques 141 Président-Kennedy Montréal, Québec H2X 3Y5, Canada
| | - Matthew Tighe
- Department of Agronomy and Soil Science, School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England, Armidale, New South Wales 2351, Australia
| | - Manuel Delgado-Baquerizo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
- Departamento de Sistemas Físicos, Químicos y Naturales, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Carretera de Utrera kilómetro 1, 41013 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Cristina Escolar
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | | | - Beatriz Gozalo
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Victoria Ochoa
- Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación, Departamento de Biología y Geología, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán S/N, 28933 Móstoles, Spain
| | - Julio Blones
- Laboratorio de Biogeoquímica, Centro de Agroecología Tropical, Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez, Apdo 47925, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Mchich Derak
- Direction Régionale des Eaux et Forêts et de la Lutte Contre la Désertification du Rif, Avenue Mohamed 5, Boîte Postale 722, 93000 Tétouan, Morocco
| | - Wahida Ghiloufi
- Université de Sfax, Faculté des Sciences, Unité de Recherche Plant Diversity and Ecosystems in Arid Environments, Route de Sokra, km 3.5, Boîte Postale 802, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia
| | - Julio R. Gutiérrez
- Departamento de Biología, Universidad de La Serena, Casilla 599
- Centro de Estudios Avanzados en Zonas Áridas (CEAZA), La Serena, Chile
- Instituto de Ecología y Biodiversidad (IEB), Santiago, Chile
| | - Rosa M. Hernández
- Laboratorio de Biogeoquímica, Centro de Agroecología Tropical, Universidad Experimental Simón Rodríguez, Apdo 47925, Caracas, Venezuela
| | - Zouhaier Noumi
- Université de Sfax, Faculté des Sciences, Unité de Recherche Plant Diversity and Ecosystems in Arid Environments, Route de Sokra, km 3.5, Boîte Postale 802, 3018, Sfax, Tunisia
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Delgado-Baquerizo M, Maestre FT, Gallardo A, Bowker MA, Wallenstein MD, Quero JL, Ochoa V, Gozalo B, García-Gómez M, Soliveres S, García-Palacios P, Berdugo M, Valencia E, Escolar C, Arredondo T, Barraza-Zepeda C, Bran D, Carreira JA, Chaieb M, Conceição AA, Derak M, Eldridge DJ, Escudero A, Espinosa CI, Gaitán J, Gatica MG, Gómez-González S, Guzman E, Gutiérrez JR, Florentino A, Hepper E, Hernández RM, Huber-Sannwald E, Jankju M, Liu J, Mau RL, Miriti M, Monerris J, Naseri K, Noumi Z, Polo V, Prina A, Pucheta E, Ramírez E, Ramírez-Collantes DA, Romão R, Tighe M, Torres D, Torres-Díaz C, Ungar ED, Val J, Wamiti W, Wang D, Zaady E. Decoupling of soil nutrient cycles as a function of aridity in global drylands. Nature 2013; 502:672-6. [DOI: 10.1038/nature12670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 537] [Impact Index Per Article: 48.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2013] [Accepted: 09/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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50
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Eldridge DJ, Soliveres S, Bowker MA, Val J. Grazing dampens the positive effects of shrub encroachment on ecosystem functions in a semi-arid woodland. J Appl Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David J. Eldridge
- Office of Environment and Heritage; c/o Evolution and Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; University of New South Wales; Sydney; NSW; 2052; Australia
| | - Santiago Soliveres
- Departamento de Biología y Geología; Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; c/Tulipán s/n; 28933; Móstoles; Spain
| | - Matthew A. Bowker
- School of Forestry; Northern Arizona University; 200 East Pine Knoll Drive; PO Box 15018; Flagstaff; AZ; 86011; USA
| | - James Val
- Office of Environment and Heritage; P.O. Box 363; Buronga; NSW; 2739; Australia
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