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Sun T, Dong L, Zhang Y, Hättenschwiler S, Schlesinger WH, Zhu J, Berg B, Adair EC, Fang Y, Hobbie SE. General reversal of N-decomposition relationship during long-term decomposition in boreal and temperate forests. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2401398121. [PMID: 38728227 PMCID: PMC11098082 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2401398121] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Decomposition of dead organic matter is fundamental to carbon (C) and nutrient cycling in terrestrial ecosystems, influencing C fluxes from the biosphere to the atmosphere. Theory predicts and evidence strongly supports that the availability of nitrogen (N) limits litter decomposition. Positive relationships between substrate N concentrations and decomposition have been embedded into ecosystem models. This decomposition paradigm, however, relies on data mostly from short-term studies analyzing controls on early-stage decomposition. We present evidence from three independent long-term decomposition investigations demonstrating that the positive N-decomposition relationship is reversed and becomes negative during later stages of decomposition. First, in a 10-y decomposition experiment across 62 woody species in a temperate forest, leaf litter with higher N concentrations exhibited faster initial decomposition rates but ended up a larger recalcitrant fraction decomposing at a near-zero rate. Second, in a 5-y N-enrichment experiment of two tree species, leaves with experimentally enriched N concentrations had faster decomposition initial rates but ultimately accumulated large slowly decomposing fractions. Measures of amino sugars on harvested litter in two experiments indicated that greater accumulation of microbial residues in N-rich substrates likely contributed to larger slowly decomposing fractions. Finally, a database of 437 measurements from 120 species in 45 boreal and temperate forest sites confirmed that higher N concentrations were associated with a larger slowly decomposing fraction. These results challenge the current treatment of interactions between N and decomposition in many ecosystems and Earth system models and suggest that even the best-supported short-term controls of biogeochemical processes might not predict long-term controls.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Sun
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
| | - Lili Dong
- College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang110866, China
| | - Yunyu Zhang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Stephan Hättenschwiler
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Université de Montpellier, CNRS, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, Institutde Recherche pour le Développement, Montpellier34293, France
| | - William H. Schlesinger
- Earth and Climate Sciences Division, The Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC27710
| | - Jiaojun Zhu
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
- Qingyuan Forest Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, National Observation and Research Station, Liaoning Province, Shenyang110016, China
- Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, Shenyang110016, China
| | - Björn Berg
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, HelsinkiFIN-00014, Finland
| | - E. Carol Adair
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT05403
| | - Yunting Fang
- Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
- Key Laboratory of Isotope Techniques and Applications, Shenyang110016, China
| | - Sarah E. Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN55108
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2
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Zhang Y, Hobbie SE, Schlesinger WH, Berg B, Sun T, Zhu J. Exchangeable manganese regulates carbon storage in the humus layer of the boreal forest. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2318382121. [PMID: 38502702 PMCID: PMC10990092 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2318382121] [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] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The huge carbon stock in humus layers of the boreal forest plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle. However, there remains uncertainty about the factors that regulate below-ground carbon sequestration in this region. Notably, based on evidence from two independent but complementary methods, we identified that exchangeable manganese is a critical factor regulating carbon accumulation in boreal forests across both regional scales and the entire boreal latitudinal range. Moreover, in a novel fertilization experiment, manganese addition reduced soil carbon stocks, but only after 4 y of additions. Our results highlight an underappreciated mechanism influencing the humus carbon pool of boreal forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunyu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
- College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing100049, China
| | - Sarah E. Hobbie
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN55108
| | - William H. Schlesinger
- Earth and Climate Sciences Division, The Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC27710
| | - Björn Berg
- Department of Forest Sciences, University of Helsinki, HelsinkiFIN-00014, Finland
| | - Tao Sun
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
| | - Jiaojun Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang110016, China
- Qingyuan Forest Chinese Ecosystem Research Network, National Observation and Research Station, Liaoning Province, Shenyang110016, China
- Liaoning Key Laboratory for Management of Non-commercial Forests, Shenyang110016, China
- Key Laboratory of Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon Neutrality, Liaoning Province, Shenyang110016, China
- Chinese Academy of Sciences-Campbell Scientific Inc. Joint Laboratory of Research and Development for Monitoring Forest Fluxes of Trace Gases and Isotope Elements, Shenyang110016, China
- Sino-USA Joint Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Silviculture, Shenyang110016, China
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3
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Schlesinger WH. Biochar and greenhouse gas emissions: Comment on "Biochar as a negative emission technology: A synthesis of field research on greenhouse gas emissions". J Environ Qual 2023; 52:1061. [PMID: 37743658 DOI: 10.1002/jeq2.20518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
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4
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Wang Z, Dai S, Cowan EA, Dietrich M, Schlesinger WH, Wu Q, Zhou M, Seramur KC, Das D, Vengosh A. Isotopic Signatures and Outputs of Lead from Coal Fly Ash Disposal in China, India, and the United States. Environ Sci Technol 2023; 57:12259-12269. [PMID: 37556313 DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.3c03456] [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] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Despite extensive research and technology to reduce the atmospheric emission of Pb from burning coal for power generation, minimal attention has been paid to Pb associated with coal ash disposal in the environment. This study investigates the isotopic signatures and output rates of Pb in fly ash disposal in China, India, and the United States. Pairwise comparison between feed coal and fly ash samples collected from coal-fired power plants from each country shows that the Pb isotope composition of fly ash largely resembles that of feed coal, and its isotopic distinction allows for tracing the release of Pb from coal fly ash into the environment. Between 2000 and 2020, approx. 236, 56, and 46 Gg Pb from fly ash have been disposed in China, India, and the U.S., respectively, posing a significant environmental burden. A Bayesian Pb isotope mixing model shows that during the past 40 to 70 years, coal fly ash has contributed significantly higher Pb (∼26%) than leaded gasoline (∼7%) to Pb accumulation in the sediments of five freshwater lakes in North Carolina, U.S.A. This implies that the release of disposed coal fly ash Pb at local and regional scales can outweigh that of other anthropogenic Pb sources.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhen Wang
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Shifeng Dai
- College of Geoscience and Survey Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Ellen A Cowan
- Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina 28608, United States
| | - Matthew Dietrich
- The Polis Center, IU Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana 46202, United States
| | - William H Schlesinger
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
| | - Qingru Wu
- State Key Joint Laboratory of Environmental Simulation and Pollution Control, Tsinghua University 100084 Beijing, China
| | - Mingxuan Zhou
- College of Geoscience and Survey Engineering, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Keith C Seramur
- Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Appalachian State University, Boone, North Carolina 28608, United States
| | - Debabrata Das
- Department of Geology, Panjab University, Chandigarh 160014, India
| | - Avner Vengosh
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, United States
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5
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Qiu T, Andrus R, Aravena MC, Ascoli D, Bergeron Y, Berretti R, Berveiller D, Bogdziewicz M, Boivin T, Bonal R, Bragg DC, Caignard T, Calama R, Camarero JJ, Chang-Yang CH, Cleavitt NL, Courbaud B, Courbet F, Curt T, Das AJ, Daskalakou E, Davi H, Delpierre N, Delzon S, Dietze M, Calderon SD, Dormont L, Espelta J, Fahey TJ, Farfan-Rios W, Gehring CA, Gilbert GS, Gratzer G, Greenberg CH, Guo Q, Hacket-Pain A, Hampe A, Han Q, Hille Ris Lambers J, Hoshizaki K, Ibanez I, Johnstone JF, Journé V, Kabeya D, Kilner CL, Kitzberger T, Knops JMH, Kobe RK, Kunstler G, Lageard JGA, LaMontagne JM, Ledwon M, Lefevre F, Leininger T, Limousin JM, Lutz JA, Macias D, McIntire EJB, Moore CM, Moran E, Motta R, Myers JA, Nagel TA, Noguchi K, Ourcival JM, Parmenter R, Pearse IS, Perez-Ramos IM, Piechnik L, Poulsen J, Poulton-Kamakura R, Redmond MD, Reid CD, Rodman KC, Rodriguez-Sanchez F, Sanguinetti JD, Scher CL, Schlesinger WH, Schmidt Van Marle H, Seget B, Sharma S, Silman M, Steele MA, Stephenson NL, Straub JN, Sun IF, Sutton S, Swenson JJ, Swift M, Thomas PA, Uriarte M, Vacchiano G, Veblen TT, Whipple AV, Whitham TG, Wion AP, Wright B, Wright SJ, Zhu K, Zimmerman JK, Zlotin R, Zywiec M, Clark JS. Limits to reproduction and seed size-number trade-offs that shape forest dominance and future recovery. Nat Commun 2022; 13:2381. [PMID: 35501313 PMCID: PMC9061860 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30037-9] [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] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractThe relationships that control seed production in trees are fundamental to understanding the evolution of forest species and their capacity to recover from increasing losses to drought, fire, and harvest. A synthesis of fecundity data from 714 species worldwide allowed us to examine hypotheses that are central to quantifying reproduction, a foundation for assessing fitness in forest trees. Four major findings emerged. First, seed production is not constrained by a strict trade-off between seed size and numbers. Instead, seed numbers vary over ten orders of magnitude, with species that invest in large seeds producing more seeds than expected from the 1:1 trade-off. Second, gymnosperms have lower seed production than angiosperms, potentially due to their extra investments in protective woody cones. Third, nutrient-demanding species, indicated by high foliar phosphorus concentrations, have low seed production. Finally, sensitivity of individual species to soil fertility varies widely, limiting the response of community seed production to fertility gradients. In combination, these findings can inform models of forest response that need to incorporate reproductive potential.
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6
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Clark JS, Andrus R, Aubry-Kientz M, Bergeron Y, Bogdziewicz M, Bragg DC, Brockway D, Cleavitt NL, Cohen S, Courbaud B, Daley R, Das AJ, Dietze M, Fahey TJ, Fer I, Franklin JF, Gehring CA, Gilbert GS, Greenberg CH, Guo Q, HilleRisLambers J, Ibanez I, Johnstone J, Kilner CL, Knops J, Koenig WD, Kunstler G, LaMontagne JM, Legg KL, Luongo J, Lutz JA, Macias D, McIntire EJB, Messaoud Y, Moore CM, Moran E, Myers JA, Myers OB, Nunez C, Parmenter R, Pearse S, Pearson S, Poulton-Kamakura R, Ready E, Redmond MD, Reid CD, Rodman KC, Scher CL, Schlesinger WH, Schwantes AM, Shanahan E, Sharma S, Steele MA, Stephenson NL, Sutton S, Swenson JJ, Swift M, Veblen TT, Whipple AV, Whitham TG, Wion AP, Zhu K, Zlotin R. Author Correction: Continent-wide tree fecundity driven by indirect climate effects. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1664. [PMID: 33686080 PMCID: PMC7940415 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22025-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
A Correction to this paper has been published: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22025-2
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Affiliation(s)
- James S Clark
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA. .,INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France.
| | - Robert Andrus
- Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | | | - Yves Bergeron
- Forest Research Institute, University of Quebec in Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC, Canada
| | - Michal Bogdziewicz
- Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Don C Bragg
- USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Monticello, AR, USA
| | - Dale Brockway
- USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Auburn, AL, USA
| | | | - Susan Cohen
- Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Benoit Courbaud
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France
| | - Robert Daley
- Greater Yellowstone Network, National Park Service, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Adrian J Das
- USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Three Rivers, CA, USA
| | - Michael Dietze
- Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Timothy J Fahey
- USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Istem Fer
- Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Catherine A Gehring
- Department of Biological Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | | | | | - Qinfeng Guo
- USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA
| | | | - Ines Ibanez
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Jill Johnstone
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Johannes Knops
- Health and Environmental Sciences Department, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Walter D Koenig
- Hastings Reservation, University of California Berkeley, Carmel Valley, CA, USA
| | - Georges Kunstler
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France
| | | | - Kristin L Legg
- Greater Yellowstone Network, National Park Service, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Jordan Luongo
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - James A Lutz
- Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University Ecology Center, Logan, UT, USA
| | - Diana Macias
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | | | - Yassine Messaoud
- Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec, Canada
| | | | - Emily Moran
- Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO, USA
| | - Jonathan A Myers
- Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Chase Nunez
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Robert Parmenter
- Valles Caldera National Preserve, National Park Service, Jemez Springs, NM, USA
| | - Sam Pearse
- Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Scott Pearson
- Department of Natural Sciences, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Ethan Ready
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Miranda D Redmond
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Chantal D Reid
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Kyle C Rodman
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France
| | - C Lane Scher
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Amanda M Schwantes
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Erin Shanahan
- Greater Yellowstone Network, National Park Service, Bozeman, MT, USA
| | - Shubhi Sharma
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | | | - Samantha Sutton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | | | - Margaret Swift
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Thomas T Veblen
- INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d'Heres, France
| | - Amy V Whipple
- Department of Biological Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Thomas G Whitham
- Department of Biological Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ, USA
| | - Andreas P Wion
- Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, USA
| | - Kai Zhu
- University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Roman Zlotin
- Geography Department and Russian and East European Institute, Bloomington, IN, USA
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7
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Clark JS, Andrus R, Aubry-Kientz M, Bergeron Y, Bogdziewicz M, Bragg DC, Brockway D, Cleavitt NL, Cohen S, Courbaud B, Daley R, Das AJ, Dietze M, Fahey TJ, Fer I, Franklin JF, Gehring CA, Gilbert GS, Greenberg CH, Guo Q, HilleRisLambers J, Ibanez I, Johnstone J, Kilner CL, Knops J, Koenig WD, Kunstler G, LaMontagne JM, Legg KL, Luongo J, Lutz JA, Macias D, McIntire EJB, Messaoud Y, Moore CM, Moran E, Myers JA, Myers OB, Nunez C, Parmenter R, Pearse S, Pearson S, Poulton-Kamakura R, Ready E, Redmond MD, Reid CD, Rodman KC, Scher CL, Schlesinger WH, Schwantes AM, Shanahan E, Sharma S, Steele MA, Stephenson NL, Sutton S, Swenson JJ, Swift M, Veblen TT, Whipple AV, Whitham TG, Wion AP, Zhu K, Zlotin R. Continent-wide tree fecundity driven by indirect climate effects. Nat Commun 2021; 12:1242. [PMID: 33623042 PMCID: PMC7902660 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20836-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.3] [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: 08/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Indirect climate effects on tree fecundity that come through variation in size and growth (climate-condition interactions) are not currently part of models used to predict future forests. Trends in species abundances predicted from meta-analyses and species distribution models will be misleading if they depend on the conditions of individuals. Here we find from a synthesis of tree species in North America that climate-condition interactions dominate responses through two pathways, i) effects of growth that depend on climate, and ii) effects of climate that depend on tree size. Because tree fecundity first increases and then declines with size, climate change that stimulates growth promotes a shift of small trees to more fecund sizes, but the opposite can be true for large sizes. Change the depresses growth also affects fecundity. We find a biogeographic divide, with these interactions reducing fecundity in the West and increasing it in the East. Continental-scale responses of these forests are thus driven largely by indirect effects, recommending management for climate change that considers multiple demographic rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- James S. Clark
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA ,grid.450307.5INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d’Heres, France
| | - Robert Andrus
- grid.266190.a0000000096214564Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO USA
| | - Melaine Aubry-Kientz
- grid.266096.d0000 0001 0049 1282School of Natural Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, CA USA
| | - Yves Bergeron
- grid.265695.bForest Research Institute, University of Quebec in Abitibi-Temiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, QC Canada
| | - Michal Bogdziewicz
- grid.5633.30000 0001 2097 3545Department of Systematic Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
| | - Don C. Bragg
- grid.497399.90000 0001 2106 5338USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Monticello, AR USA
| | - Dale Brockway
- grid.472551.00000 0004 0404 3120USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Auburn, AL USA
| | - Natalie L. Cleavitt
- grid.5386.8000000041936877XNatural Resources, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY USA
| | - Susan Cohen
- grid.10698.360000000122483208Institute for the Environment, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC USA
| | - Benoit Courbaud
- grid.450307.5INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d’Heres, France
| | - Robert Daley
- grid.454846.f0000 0001 2331 3972Greater Yellowstone Network, National Park Service, Bozeman, MT USA
| | - Adrian J. Das
- grid.2865.90000000121546924USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Three Rivers, CA USA
| | - Michael Dietze
- grid.189504.10000 0004 1936 7558Earth and Environment, Boston University, Boston, MA USA
| | - Timothy J. Fahey
- grid.472551.00000 0004 0404 3120USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Auburn, AL USA
| | - Istem Fer
- grid.8657.c0000 0001 2253 8678Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jerry F. Franklin
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Forest Resources, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Catherine A. Gehring
- grid.261120.60000 0004 1936 8040Department of Biological Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ USA
| | - Gregory S. Gilbert
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Cathryn H. Greenberg
- grid.472551.00000 0004 0404 3120USDA Forest Service, Bent Creek Experimental Forest, Asheville, NC USA
| | - Qinfeng Guo
- grid.472551.00000 0004 0404 3120USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station, Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center, Research Triangle Park, NC USA
| | - Janneke HilleRisLambers
- grid.34477.330000000122986657Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA
| | - Ines Ibanez
- grid.214458.e0000000086837370School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI USA
| | - Jill Johnstone
- grid.25152.310000 0001 2154 235XDepartment of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK Canada
| | - Christopher L. Kilner
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Johannes Knops
- grid.440701.60000 0004 1765 4000Health and Environmental Sciences Department, Xian Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, China
| | - Walter D. Koenig
- grid.47840.3f0000 0001 2181 7878Hastings Reservation, University of California Berkeley, Carmel Valley, CA USA
| | - Georges Kunstler
- grid.450307.5INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d’Heres, France
| | - Jalene M. LaMontagne
- grid.254920.80000 0001 0707 2013Department of Biological Sciences, DePaul University, Chicago, IL USA
| | - Kristin L. Legg
- grid.454846.f0000 0001 2331 3972Greater Yellowstone Network, National Park Service, Bozeman, MT USA
| | - Jordan Luongo
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - James A. Lutz
- grid.53857.3c0000 0001 2185 8768Department of Wildland Resources, Utah State University Ecology Center, Logan, UT USA
| | - Diana Macias
- grid.266832.b0000 0001 2188 8502Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | | | - Yassine Messaoud
- grid.265704.20000 0001 0665 6279Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Rouyn-Noranda, Quebec Canada
| | - Christopher M. Moore
- grid.254333.00000 0001 2296 8213Department of Biology, Colby College, Waterville, ME USA
| | - Emily Moran
- grid.266190.a0000000096214564Department of Geography, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, CO USA
| | - Jonathan A. Myers
- grid.4367.60000 0001 2355 7002Department of Biology, Washington University in St. Louis, St. Louis, MO USA
| | - Orrin B. Myers
- grid.266832.b0000 0001 2188 8502University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM USA
| | - Chase Nunez
- grid.507516.00000 0004 7661 536XDepartment for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Robert Parmenter
- grid.454846.f0000 0001 2331 3972Valles Caldera National Preserve, National Park Service, Jemez Springs, NM USA
| | - Sam Pearse
- grid.2865.90000000121546924Fort Collins Science Center, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Scott Pearson
- grid.435676.50000 0000 8528 5973Department of Natural Sciences, Mars Hill University, Mars Hill, NC USA
| | - Renata Poulton-Kamakura
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Ethan Ready
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Miranda D. Redmond
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Chantal D. Reid
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Kyle C. Rodman
- grid.450307.5INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d’Heres, France
| | - C. Lane Scher
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - William H. Schlesinger
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Amanda M. Schwantes
- grid.17063.330000 0001 2157 2938Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON Canada
| | - Erin Shanahan
- grid.454846.f0000 0001 2331 3972Greater Yellowstone Network, National Park Service, Bozeman, MT USA
| | - Shubhi Sharma
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Michael A. Steele
- grid.268256.d0000 0000 8510 1943Department of Biology, Wilkes University, Wilkes-Barre, PA USA
| | - Nathan L. Stephenson
- grid.2865.90000000121546924USGS Western Ecological Research Center, Three Rivers, CA USA
| | - Samantha Sutton
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Jennifer J. Swenson
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Margaret Swift
- grid.26009.3d0000 0004 1936 7961Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC USA
| | - Thomas T. Veblen
- grid.450307.5INRAE, LESSEM, University Grenoble Alpes, Saint-Martin-d’Heres, France
| | - Amy V. Whipple
- grid.261120.60000 0004 1936 8040Department of Biological Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ USA
| | - Thomas G. Whitham
- grid.261120.60000 0004 1936 8040Department of Biological Science, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ USA
| | - Andreas P. Wion
- grid.47894.360000 0004 1936 8083Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO USA
| | - Kai Zhu
- grid.205975.c0000 0001 0740 6917University of California, Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA USA
| | - Roman Zlotin
- grid.411377.70000 0001 0790 959XGeography Department and Russian and East European Institute, Bloomington, IN USA
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8
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Bray CD, Battye WH, Aneja VP, Schlesinger WH. Global emissions of NH 3, NO x, and N 2O from biomass burning and the impact of climate change. J Air Waste Manag Assoc 2021; 71:102-114. [PMID: 33125305 DOI: 10.1080/10962247.2020.1842822] [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] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 10/12/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Emissions of ammonia (NH3), oxides of nitrogen (NOx; NO +NO2), and nitrous oxide (N2O) from biomass burning were quantified on a global scale for 2001 to 2015. On average biomass burning emissions at a global scale over the period were as follows: 4.53 ± 0.51 Tg NH3 year-1, 14.65 ± 1.60 Tg NOx year-1, and 0.97 ± 0.11 Tg N2O year-1. Emissions were comparable to other emissions databases. Statistical regression models were developed to project NH3, NOx, and N2O emissions from biomass burning as a function of burn area. Two future climate scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5) were analyzed for 2050-2055 ("mid-century") and 2090-2095 ("end of century"). Under the assumptions made in this study, the results indicate emissions of all species are projected to increase under both the RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5 climate scenarios. Implications: This manuscript quantifies emissions of NH3, NOx, and N2O on a global scale from biomass burning from 2001-2015 then creates regression models to predict emissions based on climate change. Because reactive nitrogen emissions have such an important role in the global nitrogen cycle, changes in these emissions could lead to a number of health and environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Casey D Bray
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - William H Battye
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Viney P Aneja
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University , Raleigh, NC, USA
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9
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Anderson CM, DeFries RS, Litterman R, Matson PA, Nepstad DC, Pacala S, Schlesinger WH, Shaw MR, Smith P, Weber C, Field CB. Natural climate solutions are not enough. Science 2019; 363:933-934. [PMID: 30819953 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaw2741] [Citation(s) in RCA: 68] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Ruth S DeFries
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Pamela A Matson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | | | - Stephen Pacala
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | | | | | - Pete Smith
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, Scotland, UK
| | | | - Christopher B Field
- Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA.
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10
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Schlesinger WH, Amundson R. Managing for soil carbon sequestration: Let's get realistic. Glob Chang Biol 2019; 25:386-389. [PMID: 30485613 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [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: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 08/18/2018] [Accepted: 10/08/2018] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Improved soil management is increasingly pursued to ensure food security for the world's rising global population, with the ancillary benefit of storing carbon in soils to lower the threat of climate change. While all increments to soil organic matter are laudable, we suggest caution in ascribing large, potential climate change mitigation to enhanced soil management. We find that the most promising techniques, including applications of biochar and enhanced silicate weathering, collectively are not likely to balance more than 5% of annual emissions of CO2 from fossil fuel combustion.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ronald Amundson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, California
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11
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Houlton BZ, Almaraz M, Aneja V, Austin AT, Bai E, Cassman KG, Compton JE, Davidson EA, Erisman JW, Galloway JN, Gu B, Yao G, Martinelli LA, Scow K, Schlesinger WH, Tomich TP, Wang C, Zhang X. A world of co-benefits: Solving the global nitrogen challenge. Earths Future 2019; 7:1-8. [PMID: 31501769 PMCID: PMC6733275 DOI: 10.1029/2019ef001222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
Nitrogen is a critical component of the economy, food security, and planetary health. Many of the world's sustainability targets hinge on global nitrogen solutions, which, in turn, contribute lasting benefits for: (i) world hunger; (ii) soil, air and water quality; (iii) climate change mitigation; and (iv) biodiversity conservation. Balancing the projected rise in agricultural nitrogen demands while achieving these 21st century ideals will require policies to coordinate solutions among technologies, consumer choice, and socioeconomic transformation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Z. Houlton
- John Muir Institute of the Environment, University of California, Davis, USA
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, USA
- corresponding author email address,
| | - Maya Almaraz
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Viney Aneja
- Department of Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, USA
| | - Amy T. Austin
- Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiol ogicas y Ecol ogicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA) and Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Edith Bai
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
- School of Geographical Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, 130024, China
| | | | - Jana E. Compton
- Environmental Protection Agency, Western Ecology Division, USA
| | - Eric A. Davidson
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, USA
| | - Jan Willem Erisman
- Department of Earth Sciences, VU Amsterdam and Louis Bolk Institute, Netherlands
| | | | - Baojing Gu
- School of Public Affairs, Zhejiang University, China
| | - Guolin Yao
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, USA
| | - Luiz A. Martinelli
- Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura, Univesidade de São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Kate Scow
- Department of Land, Air and Water Resources, University of California, Davis, USA
| | | | - Thomas P. Tomich
- Agricultural Sustainability Institute, University of California, Davis, USA
| | - Chao Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Management, Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang, 110016, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science, USA
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12
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Fargione JE, Bassett S, Boucher T, Bridgham SD, Conant RT, Cook-Patton SC, Ellis PW, Falcucci A, Fourqurean JW, Gopalakrishna T, Gu H, Henderson B, Hurteau MD, Kroeger KD, Kroeger T, Lark TJ, Leavitt SM, Lomax G, McDonald RI, Megonigal JP, Miteva DA, Richardson CJ, Sanderman J, Shoch D, Spawn SA, Veldman JW, Williams CA, Woodbury PB, Zganjar C, Baranski M, Elias P, Houghton RA, Landis E, McGlynn E, Schlesinger WH, Siikamaki JV, Sutton-Grier AE, Griscom BW. Natural climate solutions for the United States. Sci Adv 2018; 4:eaat1869. [PMID: 30443593 PMCID: PMC6235523 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aat1869] [Citation(s) in RCA: 112] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2018] [Accepted: 10/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Limiting climate warming to <2°C requires increased mitigation efforts, including land stewardship, whose potential in the United States is poorly understood. We quantified the potential of natural climate solutions (NCS)-21 conservation, restoration, and improved land management interventions on natural and agricultural lands-to increase carbon storage and avoid greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. We found a maximum potential of 1.2 (0.9 to 1.6) Pg CO2e year-1, the equivalent of 21% of current net annual emissions of the United States. At current carbon market prices (USD 10 per Mg CO2e), 299 Tg CO2e year-1 could be achieved. NCS would also provide air and water filtration, flood control, soil health, wildlife habitat, and climate resilience benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Scott D. Bridgham
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Richard T. Conant
- Natural Resources Ecology Laboratory, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA
| | - Susan C. Cook-Patton
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
- Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, Edgewater, MD 21037, USA
| | | | | | - James W. Fourqurean
- Marine Sciences Program, Florida International University, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | | | - Huan Gu
- Graduate School of Geography, Clark University, Worcester, MA 01610, USA
| | - Benjamin Henderson
- Trade and Agriculture Directorate, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris 75016, France
| | - Matthew D. Hurteau
- Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Kevin D. Kroeger
- Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center, United States Geological Survey, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - Timm Kroeger
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
| | - Tyler J. Lark
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | | | - Guy Lomax
- The Nature Conservancy, Oxford OX1 1HU, UK
| | | | | | - Daniela A. Miteva
- Department of Agricultural, Environmental and Development Economics, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Curtis J. Richardson
- Duke University Wetland Center, Nicholas School of the Environment, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | | | - David Shoch
- TerraCarbon LLC, Charlottesville, VA 22903, USA
| | - Seth A. Spawn
- Center for Sustainability and the Global Environment, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53726, USA
| | - Joseph W. Veldman
- Department of Ecosystem Science and Management, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | | | - Peter B. Woodbury
- College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853, USA
| | | | - Marci Baranski
- U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC 20250, USA
| | | | | | - Emily Landis
- The Nature Conservancy, Arlington, VA 22203, USA
| | - Emily McGlynn
- Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | | | - Juha V. Siikamaki
- International Union for Conservation of Nature, Washington, DC 20009, USA
| | - Ariana E. Sutton-Grier
- The Nature Conservancy, Bethesda, MD 20814, USA
- Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20740, USA
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13
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Affiliation(s)
- John M DeCicco
- Energy Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109;
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14
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Schlesinger
- President emeritus of the Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, in Millbrook, New York
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15
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16
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Abstract
Synthesizing published data, we provide a quantitative summary of the global biogeochemical cycle of vanadium (V), including both human-derived and natural fluxes. Through mining of V ores (130 × 109 g V/y) and extraction and combustion of fossil fuels (600 × 109 g V/y), humans are the predominant force in the geochemical cycle of V at Earth's surface. Human emissions of V to the atmosphere are now likely to exceed background emissions by as much as a factor of 1.7, and, presumably, we have altered the deposition of V from the atmosphere by a similar amount. Excessive V in air and water has potential, but poorly documented, consequences for human health. Much of the atmospheric flux probably derives from emissions from the combustion of fossil fuels, but the magnitude of this flux depends on the type of fuel, with relatively low emissions from coal and higher contributions from heavy crude oils, tar sands bitumen, and petroleum coke. Increasing interest in petroleum derived from unconventional deposits is likely to lead to greater emissions of V to the atmosphere in the near future. Our analysis further suggests that the flux of V in rivers has been incremented by about 15% from human activities. Overall, the budget of dissolved V in the oceans is remarkably well balanced-with about 40 × 109 g V/y to 50 × 109 g V/y inputs and outputs, and a mean residence time for dissolved V in seawater of about 130,000 y with respect to inputs from rivers.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Schlesinger
- Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Emily M Klein
- Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Avner Vengosh
- Earth and Ocean Sciences, Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
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Abstract
Recent field studies have reported anomalous CO2 uptake using eddy-covariance techniques in arid and semiarid ecosystems. The rates of CO2 uptake are incompatible with changes in situ of organic carbon pools. Here, I examine several potential mechanisms of abiotic CO2 uptake in arid and semiarid soils: atmospheric pressure pumping, carbonate dissolution, and percolation of soil water through the vadose zone. Each mechanism is deemed inadequate to explain the observations of the eddy-covariance systems, which must now be questioned for their accuracy in desert ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Schlesinger
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC, 27708, USA
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Box AB, Millbrook, NY, 12545, USA
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18
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John M. Melack
- Department of Biological Sciences and Marine Science Institute, University of California, Santa Barbara, California 93106 U.S.A
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19
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Affiliation(s)
| | - John M. Melack
- Department of Biological Sciences and Marine Sciences Institute, University of Calfornia, Santa Barbara, CA. 93106, U.S.A
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Schlesinger WH, Dietze MC, Jackson RB, Phillips RP, Rhoades CC, Rustad LE, Vose JM. Forest biogeochemistry in response to drought. Glob Chang Biol 2016; 22:2318-2328. [PMID: 26403995 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.13105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [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: 06/22/2015] [Accepted: 08/04/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Trees alter their use and allocation of nutrients in response to drought, and changes in soil nutrient cycling and trace gas flux (N2 O and CH4 ) are observed when experimental drought is imposed on forests. In extreme droughts, trees are increasingly susceptible to attack by pests and pathogens, which can lead to major changes in nutrient flux to the soil. Extreme droughts often lead to more common and more intense forest fires, causing dramatic changes in the nutrient storage and loss from forest ecosystems. Changes in the future manifestation of drought will affect carbon uptake and storage in forests, leading to feedbacks to the Earth's climate system. We must improve the recognition of drought in nature, our ability to manage our forests in the face of drought, and the parameterization of drought in earth system models for improved predictions of carbon uptake and storage in the world's forests.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael C Dietze
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Mall, Boston, MA, 02215, USA
| | - Robert B Jackson
- Department of Earth System Science, Stanford University, Y2E2 Building, 379B, Stanford, CA, 94305, USA
| | - Richard P Phillips
- Department of Biology, Indiana University, 1 E 3rd Street, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA
| | - Charles C Rhoades
- U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO, 80526, USA
| | - Lindsey E Rustad
- U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Northern Research Station, 271 Mast Rd, Durham, NH, 03824, USA
| | - James M Vose
- U.S.D.A., Forest Service, Southern Research Station, NC State University, Campus Box 8008, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
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21
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Billings SA, Schlesinger WH. Letter to the Editor on 'Pyrogenic organic matter production from wildfires: a missing sink in the global carbon cycle'. Glob Chang Biol 2015; 21:2831. [PMID: 25510226 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2014] [Accepted: 12/08/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Sharon A Billings
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Kansas Biological Survey, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS, USA
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22
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Schlesinger WH. An estimate of the global sink for nitrous oxide in soils. Glob Chang Biol 2013; 19:2929-2931. [PMID: 23630021 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Accepted: 04/16/2013] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
A literature survey of studies reporting nitrous oxide uptake in the soils of natural ecosystems is used to suggest that the median uptake potential is 4 μg m(-2) h(-1). The highest values are nearly all associated with soils of wetland and peatland ecosystems. Globally, the consumption of nitrous oxide in soils is not likely to exceed 0.3 TgN yr(-1), indicating that the projected sink is not more than 2% of current estimated sources of N(2)O in the atmosphere.
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Abstract
While several thousand square kilometers of land area have been subject to surface mining in the Central Appalachians, no reliable estimate exists for how much coal is produced per unit landscape disturbance. We provide this estimate using regional satellite-derived mine delineations and historical county-level coal production data for the period 1985–2005, and further relate the aerial extent of mining disturbance to stream impairment and loss of ecosystem carbon sequestration potential. To meet current US coal demands, an area the size of Washington DC would need to be mined every 81 days. A one-year supply of coal would result in ∼2,300 km of stream impairment and a loss of ecosystem carbon sequestration capacity comparable to the global warming potential of >33,000 US homes. For the first time, the environmental impacts of surface coal mining can be directly scaled with coal production rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian D. Lutz
- Department of Biology, Kent State University, Kent, Ohio, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Emily S. Bernhardt
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
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Schlesinger WH. Translational ecology for hydrogeology. Ground Water 2013; 51:661-662. [PMID: 23837514 DOI: 10.1111/gwat.12092] [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] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/02/2023]
Abstract
Translational ecology--a special discipline aimed to improve the accessibility of science to policy makers--will help hydrogeologists contribute to the solution of pressing environmental problems. Patterned after translational medicine, translational ecology is a partnership to ensure that the right science gets done in a timely fashion, so that it can be communicated to those who need it.
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Hering JG, Swackhamer DL, Schlesinger WH. An unparalleled scientific resource endangered. Environ Sci Technol 2012; 46:8525-8526. [PMID: 22889323 DOI: 10.1021/es3030512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- J G Hering
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH-8600 Dübendorf, Switzerland.
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26
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Billings SA, Ziegler SE, Schlesinger WH, Benner R, de B. Richter D. Predicting carbon cycle feedbacks to climate: Integrating the right tools for the job. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2012. [DOI: 10.1029/2012eo190007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Abstract
Burgeoning global demand for products derived from seaweeds is driving the increased removal of wild coastal seaweed biomass, an emerging low trophic level industry. These products are marketed as organic and "sustainable." Brown macroalgae, such as kelps (Laminariales) and rockweeds (Fucales), are foundational species that form underwater forests and thus support a diverse vertebrate, invertebrate, and algal community-including important commercial species-and deliver organic matter to coastal ecosystems. The measure of sustainability used by the rockweed (Ascophyllum nodosum (L.) LeJolis) industry, maximum sustainable yield, accounts for neither rockweed's role as habitat for 150+ species, including species of commercial or conservation significance, nor its role in coastal and estuarine ecosystems. To determine whether rockweed cutting is "sustainable" will require data on the long-term and ecosystem-wide impacts of cutting rockweed. Once a sustainable level of cutting is determined, strict regulation by resource managers will be required to protect rockweed habitat. Until sustainable levels of cutting and appropriate regulations are identified, commercial-scale rockweed cutting presents a risk to coastal ecosystems and the human communities that depend on those ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin Hadlock Seeley
- Shoals Marine Laboratory and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA.
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Vitale J, Schlesinger WH. Historical Analysis of the Spring Arrival of Migratory Birds to Dutchess County, New York: A 123-Year Record. Northeast Nat (Steuben) 2011. [DOI: 10.1656/045.018.0306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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29
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Ostfeld RS, Schlesinger WH. The Year in Ecology and Conservation Biology. Preface. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2011; 1223:v. [PMID: 21449962 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2011.05957.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [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]
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30
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Drake JE, Gallet-Budynek A, Hofmockel KS, Bernhardt ES, Billings SA, Jackson RB, Johnsen KS, Lichter J, McCarthy HR, McCormack ML, Moore DJP, Oren R, Palmroth S, Phillips RP, Pippen JS, Pritchard SG, Treseder KK, Schlesinger WH, DeLucia EH, Finzi AC. Increases in the flux of carbon belowground stimulate nitrogen uptake and sustain the long-term enhancement of forest productivity under elevated CO2. Ecol Lett 2011; 14:349-57. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2011.01593.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 335] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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32
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Searchinger TD, Hamburg SP, Melillo J, Chameides W, Havlik P, Kammen DM, Likens GE, Obersteiner M, Oppenheimer M, Robertson GP, Schlesinger WH, Lubowski R, Tilman GD. Bioenergy: Counting on Incentives—Response. Science 2010. [DOI: 10.1126/science.327.5970.1200-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jerry Melillo
- The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - William Chameides
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Petr Havlik
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg 2361, Austria
| | - Daniel M. Kammen
- Energy and Resources Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Gene E. Likens
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| | - Michael Obersteiner
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg 2361, Austria
| | | | - G. Philip Robertson
- WK Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
| | | | | | - G. David Tilman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Searchinger TD, Hamburg SP, Melillo J, Chameides W, Havlik P, Kammen DM, Likens GE, Obersteiner M, Oppenheimer M, Robertson GP, Schlesinger WH, Tilman GD, Lubowski R. Carbon Calculations to Consider—Response. Science 2010. [DOI: 10.1126/science.327.5967.781-a] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jerry Melillo
- The Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
| | - William Chameides
- Nicholas School of Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Petr Havlik
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg 2361, Austria
| | - Daniel M. Kammen
- Energy and Resources Group, University of California at Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Gene E. Likens
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY 12545, USA
| | - Michael Obersteiner
- International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg 2361, Austria
| | | | - G. Philip Robertson
- WK Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
| | | | - G. David Tilman
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Phillips RP, Bernhardt ES, Schlesinger WH. Elevated CO2 increases root exudation from loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) seedlings as an N-mediated response. Tree Physiol 2009; 29:1513-23. [PMID: 19819875 DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpp083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
The degree to which forest ecosystems provide a long-term sink for increasing atmospheric CO(2) depends upon the capacity of trees to increase the availability of growth-limiting resources. It has been widely speculated that trees exposed to CO(2) enrichment may increase the release of root exudates to soil as a mechanism to stimulate microbes to enhance nutrient availability. As a first test to examine how the atmospheric CO(2) and nitrogen availability affect the rates of root exudation, we performed two experiments in which the exudates were collected from loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings that were grown in controlled growth chambers under low and high CO(2) and at low and high rates of N supply. Despite the differences in experimental design between the two studies, plants grown at high CO(2) were larger, and thus whole plant exudation rates were higher under elevated CO(2) (P = 0.019), but the magnitude of this response depended on the N level in both studies. Seedlings increased mass-specific exudation rates in response to elevated CO(2) in both experiments, but only at low N supply. Moreover, N supply had a greater impact on the exudation rates than did CO(2), with mass-specific exudation rates significantly greater (98% and 69% in Experiments 1 and 2, respectively) in the seedlings grown at low N supply relative to high N supply. These results provide preliminary evidence that loblolly pines alter exudation rates in response to both CO(2) concentration and N supply, and support the hypothesis that increased C allocation to root exudates may be a mechanism by which trees could delay progressive N limitation in forested ecosystems.
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Searchinger TD, Hamburg SP, Melillo J, Chameides W, Havlik P, Kammen DM, Likens GE, Lubowski RN, Obersteiner M, Oppenheimer M, Robertson GP, Schlesinger WH, Tilman GD. Climate change. Fixing a critical climate accounting error. Science 2009; 326:527-8. [PMID: 19900885 DOI: 10.1126/science.1178797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Aneja VP, Schlesinger WH, Erisman JW. Effects of agriculture upon the air quality and climate: research, policy, and regulations. Environ Sci Technol 2009; 43:4234-4240. [PMID: 19603628 DOI: 10.1021/es8024403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Scientific assessments of agricultural air quality, including estimates of emissions and potential sequestration of greenhouse gases, are an important emerging area of environmental science that offers significant challenges to policy and regulatory authorities. Improvements are needed in measurements, modeling, emission controls, and farm operation management. Controlling emissions of gases and particulate matter from agriculture is notoriously difficult as this sector affects the most basic need of humans, i.e., food. Current policies combine an inadequate science covering a very disparate range of activities in a complex industry with social and political overlays. Moreover, agricultural emissions derive from both area and point sources. In the United States, agricultural emissions play an important role in several atmospherically mediated processes of environmental and public health concerns. These atmospheric processes affect local and regional environmental quality, including odor, particulate matter (PM) exposure, eutrophication, acidification, exposure to toxics, climate, and pathogens. Agricultural emissions also contribute to the global problems caused by greenhouse gas emissions. Agricultural emissions are variable in space and time and in how they interact within the various processes and media affected. Most important in the U.S. are ammonia (where agriculture accounts for approximately 90% of total emissions), reduced sulfur (unquantified), PM25 (approximately 16%), PM110 (approximately 18%), methane (approximately 29%), nitrous oxide (approximately 72%), and odor and emissions of pathogens (both unquantified). Agriculture also consumes fossil fuels for fertilizer production and farm operations, thus emitting carbon dioxide (CO2), oxides of nitrogen (NO(x)), sulfur oxides (SO(x)), and particulates. Current research priorities include the quantification of point and nonpoint sources, the biosphere-atmosphere exchange of ammonia, reduced sulfur compounds, volatile organic compounds, greenhouse gases, odor and pathogens, the quantification of landscape processes, and the primary and secondary emissions of PM. Given the serious concerns raised regarding the amount and the impacts of agricultural air emissions, policies must be pursued and regulations must be enacted in orderto make real progress in reducing these emissions and their associated environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viney P Aneja
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695-8208, USA.
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Schlesinger WH, Ostfeld RS. Preface. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2009; 1162:vii. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.2009.04797.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Ziska LH, Epstein PR, Schlesinger WH. Rising CO(2), climate change, and public health: exploring the links to plant biology. Environ Health Perspect 2009; 117:155-8. [PMID: 19270781 PMCID: PMC2649213 DOI: 10.1289/ehp.11501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [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: 03/24/2008] [Accepted: 09/19/2008] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Although the issue of anthropogenic climate forcing and public health is widely recognized, one fundamental aspect has remained underappreciated: the impact of climatic change on plant biology and the well-being of human systems. OBJECTIVES We aimed to critically evaluate the extant and probable links between plant function and human health, drawing on the pertinent literature. DISCUSSION Here we provide a number of critical examples that range over various health concerns related to plant biology and climate change, including aerobiology, contact dermatitis, pharmacology, toxicology, and pesticide use. CONCLUSIONS There are a number of clear links among climate change, plant biology, and public health that remain underappreciated by both plant scientists and health care providers. We demonstrate the importance of such links in our understanding of climate change impacts and provide a list of key questions that will help to integrate plant biology into the current paradigm regarding climate change and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis H Ziska
- U.S. Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Crop Systems and Global Change Laboratory, Beltsville, Maryland 20705, USA.
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39
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Aneja VP, Schlesinger WH. A special issue of JA&WMA on agricultural air quality: state of the science. J Air Waste Manag Assoc 2008; 58:1113-1115. [PMID: 18817104 DOI: 10.3155/1047-3289.58.9.1113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Viney P Aneja
- Department of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695-8208, USA.
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Aneja VP, Blunden J, James K, Schlesinger WH, Knighton R, Gilliam W, Jennings G, Niyogi D, Cole S. Ammonia assessment from agriculture: U.S. status and needs. J Environ Qual 2008; 37:515-520. [PMID: 18389937 DOI: 10.2134/jeq2007.0002in] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies suggest that human activities accelerate the production of reactive nitrogen on a global scale. Increased nitrogen emissions may lead to environmental impacts including photochemical air pollution, reduced visibility, changes in biodiversity, and stratospheric ozone depletion. In the last 50 yr, emissions of ammonia (NH3), which is the most abundant form of reduced reactive nitrogen in the atmosphere, have significantly increased as a result of intensive agricultural management and greater livestock production in many developed countries. These agricultural production practices are increasingly subject to governmental regulations intended to protect air resources. It is therefore important that an accurate and robust agricultural emission factors database exist to provide valid scientific support of these regulations. This paper highlights some of the recent work that was presented at the 2006 Workshop on Agricultural Air Quality in Washington, D.C. regarding NH3 emissions estimates and emission factors from agricultural sources in the U.S. and Europe. In addition, several best management practices are explored as the scientific community attempts to maximize the beneficial use of reactive nitrogen while simultaneously minimizing negative environmental impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Viney P Aneja
- Dep. of Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State Univ., Raleigh, NC, USA.
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Mohan JE, Ziska LH, Thomas RB, Sicher RC, George K, Clark JS, Schlesinger WH. BIOMASS AND TOXICITY RESPONSES OF POISON IVY (TOXICODENDRON RADICANS) TO ELEVATED ATMOSPHERIC CO2: REPLY. Ecology 2008. [DOI: 10.1890/07-0660.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Finzi AC, Norby RJ, Calfapietra C, Gallet-Budynek A, Gielen B, Holmes WE, Hoosbeek MR, Iversen CM, Jackson RB, Kubiske ME, Ledford J, Liberloo M, Oren R, Polle A, Pritchard S, Zak DR, Schlesinger WH, Ceulemans R. Increases in nitrogen uptake rather than nitrogen-use efficiency support higher rates of temperate forest productivity under elevated CO2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2007; 104:14014-9. [PMID: 17709743 PMCID: PMC1955801 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0706518104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 306] [Impact Index Per Article: 18.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2007] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Forest ecosystems are important sinks for rising concentrations of atmospheric CO(2). In previous research, we showed that net primary production (NPP) increased by 23 +/- 2% when four experimental forests were grown under atmospheric concentrations of CO(2) predicted for the latter half of this century. Because nitrogen (N) availability commonly limits forest productivity, some combination of increased N uptake from the soil and more efficient use of the N already assimilated by trees is necessary to sustain the high rates of forest NPP under free-air CO(2) enrichment (FACE). In this study, experimental evidence demonstrates that the uptake of N increased under elevated CO(2) at the Rhinelander, Duke, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory FACE sites, yet fertilization studies at the Duke and Oak Ridge National Laboratory FACE sites showed that tree growth and forest NPP were strongly limited by N availability. By contrast, nitrogen-use efficiency increased under elevated CO(2) at the POP-EUROFACE site, where fertilization studies showed that N was not limiting to tree growth. Some combination of increasing fine root production, increased rates of soil organic matter decomposition, and increased allocation of carbon (C) to mycorrhizal fungi is likely to account for greater N uptake under elevated CO(2). Regardless of the specific mechanism, this analysis shows that the larger quantities of C entering the below-ground system under elevated CO(2) result in greater N uptake, even in N-limited ecosystems. Biogeochemical models must be reformulated to allow C transfers below ground that result in additional N uptake under elevated CO(2).
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Richard J. Norby
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831
| | - Carlo Calfapietra
- Department of Forest Environment and Resources, University of Tuscia, I-01100 Viterbo, Italy
| | | | - Birgit Gielen
- Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - William E. Holmes
- School of Natural Resources and Environment and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | - Marcel R. Hoosbeek
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, 6700AA-47 Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Colleen M. Iversen
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996
| | - Robert B. Jackson
- School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Mark E. Kubiske
- North Central Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Rhinelander, WI 54501
| | - Joanne Ledford
- Environmental Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831
| | - Marion Liberloo
- Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
| | - Ram Oren
- School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Andrea Polle
- Institute for Forest Botany, University of Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany; and
| | - Seth Pritchard
- Department of Biology, College of Charleston, Charleston, SC 29424
| | - Donald R. Zak
- School of Natural Resources and Environment and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109
| | | | - Reinhart Ceulemans
- Research Group of Plant and Vegetation Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, B-2610 Wilrijk, Belgium
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Mohan JE, Clark JS, Schlesinger WH. Long-term CO2 enrichment of a forest ecosystem: implications for forest regeneration and succession. Ecol Appl 2007; 17:1198-212. [PMID: 17555228 DOI: 10.1890/05-1690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The composition and successional status of a forest affect carbon storage and net ecosystem productivity, yet it remains unclear whether elevated atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) will impact rates and trajectories of forest succession. We examined how CO2 enrichment (+200 microL CO2/L air differential) affects forest succession through growth and survivorship of tree seedlings, as part of the Duke Forest free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment in North Carolina, USA. We planted 2352 seedlings of 14 species in the low light forest understory and determined effects of elevated CO2 on individual plant growth, survival, and total sample biomass accumulation, an integrator of plant growth and survivorship over time, for six years. We used a hierarchical Bayes framework to accommodate the uncertainty associated with the availability of light and the variability in growth among individual plants. We found that most species did not exhibit strong responses to CO2. Ulmus alata (+21%), Quercus alba (+9.5%), and nitrogen-fixing Robinia pseudoacacia (+230%) exhibited greater mean annual relative growth rates under elevated CO2 than under ambient conditions. The effects of CO2 were small relative to variability within populations; however, some species grew better under low light conditions when exposed to elevated CO2 than they did under ambient conditions. These species include shade-intolerant Liriodendron tulipifera and Liquidambar styraciflua, intermediate-tolerant Quercus velutina, and shade-tolerant Acer barbatum, A. rubrum, Prunus serotina, Ulmus alata, and Cercis canadensis. Contrary to our expectation, shade-intolerant trees did not survive better with CO2 enrichment, and population-scale responses to CO2 were influenced by survival probabilities in low light. CO2 enrichment did not increase rates of sample biomass accumulation for most species, but it did stimulate biomass growth of shade-tolerant taxa, particularly Acer barbatum and Ulmus alata. Our data suggest a small CO2 fertilization effect on tree productivity, and the possibility of reduced carbon accumulation rates relative to today's forests due to changes in species composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline E Mohan
- Duke University, Graduate Program in Ecology, and Department of Biology, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
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Palmroth S, Oren R, McCarthy HR, Johnsen KH, Finzi AC, Butnor JR, Ryan MG, Schlesinger WH. Aboveground sink strength in forests controls the allocation of carbon below ground and its [CO2]-induced enhancement. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:19362-7. [PMID: 17159142 PMCID: PMC1748231 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0609492103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2006] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The partitioning among carbon (C) pools of the extra C captured under elevated atmospheric CO2 concentration ([CO2]) determines the enhancement in C sequestration, yet no clear partitioning rules exist. Here, we used first principles and published data from four free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiments on forest tree species to conceptualize the total allocation of C to below ground (TBCA) under current [CO2] and to predict the likely effect of elevated [CO2]. We show that at a FACE site where leaf area index (L) of Pinus taeda L. was altered through nitrogen fertilization, ice-storm damage, and droughts, changes in L, reflecting the aboveground sink for net primary productivity, were accompanied by opposite changes in TBCA. A similar pattern emerged when data were combined from the four FACE experiments, using leaf area duration (LD) to account for differences in growing-season length. Moreover, elevated [CO2]-induced enhancement of TBCA in the combined data decreased from approximately 50% (700 g C m(-2) y(-1)) at the lowest LD to approximately 30% (200 g C m(-2) y(-1)) at the highest LD. The consistency of the trend in TBCA with L and its response to [CO2] across the sites provides a norm for predictions of ecosystem C cycling, and is particularly useful for models that use L to estimate components of the terrestrial C balance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sari Palmroth
- *Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Ram Oren
- *Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Heather R. McCarthy
- *Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Kurt H. Johnsen
- Southern Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 3041 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Adrien C. Finzi
- Department of Biology, Boston University, 5 Cummington Street, Boston, MA 02215
| | - John R. Butnor
- Southern Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 3041 Cornwallis Road, Research Triangle Park, NC 27709
| | - Michael G. Ryan
- Rocky Mountain Research Station, U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, 240 West Prospect Road, Fort Collins, CO 80526; and
- Department of Forest Rangeland and Watershed Stewardship and Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523
| | - William H. Schlesinger
- *Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Box 90328, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
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Abstract
We investigated N cycling and denitrification rates following five years of N and dolomite amendments to whole-tree harvested forest plots at the long-term soil productivity experiment in the Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia, USA. We hypothesized that changes in soil chemistry and nutrient cycling induced by N fertilization would increase denitrification rates and the N2O:N2 ratio. Soils from the fertilized plots had a lower pH (2.96) than control plots (3.22) and plots that received fertilizer and dolomite (3.41). There were no significant differences in soil %C or %N between treatments. Chloroform-labile microbial biomass carbon was lower in fertilized plots compared to control plots, though this trend was not significant. Extractable soil NO3- was elevated in fertilized plots on each sample date. Soil-extractable NH4+, NO3-, pH, microbial biomass carbon, and %C varied significantly by sample date suggesting important seasonal patterns in soil chemistry and N cycling. In particular, the steep decline in extractable NH4+ during the growing season is consistent with the high N demands of a regenerating forest. Net N mineralization and nitrification also varied by date but were not affected by the fertilization and dolomite treatments. In a laboratory experiment, denitrification was stimulated by NO3- additions in soils collected from all field plots, but this effect was stronger in soils from the unfertilized control plots, suggesting that chronic N fertilization has partially alleviated a NO3- limitation on denitrification rates. Dextrose stimulated denitrification only in the whole-tree-harvest soils. Denitrification enzyme activity varied by sample date and was elevated in fertilized plots for soil collected in July 2000 and June 2001. There were no detectable treatment effects on N2O or N2 flux from soils under anaerobic conditions, though there was strong temporal variation. These results suggest that whole-tree harvesting has altered the N status of these soils so they are less prone to N saturation than more mature forests. It is likely that N losses associated with the initial harvest and high N demand by aggrading vegetation is minimizing, at least temporarily, the amount of inorganic N available for nitrification and denitrification, even in the fertilized plots in this experiment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Wallenstein
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina 27708, USA.
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Mohan JE, Ziska LH, Schlesinger WH, Thomas RB, Sicher RC, George K, Clark JS. Biomass and toxicity responses of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) to elevated atmospheric CO2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2006; 103:9086-9. [PMID: 16754866 PMCID: PMC1474014 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0602392103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Contact with poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) is one of the most widely reported ailments at poison centers in the United States, and this plant has been introduced throughout the world, where it occurs with other allergenic members of the cashew family (Anacardiaceae). Approximately 80% of humans develop dermatitis upon exposure to the carbon-based active compound, urushiol. It is not known how poison ivy might respond to increasing concentrations of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO(2)), but previous work done in controlled growth chambers shows that other vines exhibit large growth enhancement from elevated CO(2). Rising CO(2) is potentially responsible for the increased vine abundance that is inhibiting forest regeneration and increasing tree mortality around the world. In this 6-year study at the Duke University Free-Air CO(2) Enrichment experiment, we show that elevated atmospheric CO(2) in an intact forest ecosystem increases photosynthesis, water use efficiency, growth, and population biomass of poison ivy. The CO(2) growth stimulation exceeds that of most other woody species. Furthermore, high-CO(2) plants produce a more allergenic form of urushiol. Our results indicate that Toxicodendron taxa will become more abundant and more "toxic" in the future, potentially affecting global forest dynamics and human health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqueline E. Mohan
- *Department of Biology and
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138
- Ecosystems Center, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA 02543
| | - Lewis H. Ziska
- Agricultural Research Service, Crop Systems, and Global Change Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705; and
| | - William H. Schlesinger
- *Department of Biology and
- Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
| | - Richard B. Thomas
- **Department of Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV 26506
| | - Richard C. Sicher
- Agricultural Research Service, Crop Systems, and Global Change Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705; and
| | - Kate George
- Agricultural Research Service, Crop Systems, and Global Change Laboratory, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705; and
| | - James S. Clark
- *Department of Biology and
- Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708
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Abstract
Ecology has expanded from its traditional focus on organisms to include studies of the Earth as an integrated ecosystem. Aided by satellite technologies and computer models of the climate of the Earth, global change ecology now records basic parameters of our planet, including its net primary productivity, biogeochemical cycling and effects of humans on it. As I discuss here, this new perspective shows us what must be done to transform human behaviors to enable the persistence of life on Earth under human stewardship.
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Affiliation(s)
- William H Schlesinger
- The Nicholas School of the Environment and Earth Sciences, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708, USA.
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Aneja VP, Schlesinger WH, Nyogi D, Jennings G, Gilliam W, Knighton RE, Duke CS, Blunden J, Krishnan S. Emerging national research needs for agricultural air quality. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2006. [DOI: 10.1029/2006eo030001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Finzi AC, Moore DJP, DeLucia EH, Lichter J, Hofmockel KS, Jackson RB, Kim HS, Matamala R, McCarthy HR, Oren R, Pippen JS, Schlesinger WH. PROGRESSIVE NITROGEN LIMITATION OF ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES UNDER ELEVATED CO2IN A WARM-TEMPERATE FOREST. Ecology 2006; 87:15-25. [PMID: 16634293 DOI: 10.1890/04-1748] [Citation(s) in RCA: 194] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A hypothesis for progressive nitrogen limitation (PNL) proposes that net primary production (NPP) will decline through time in ecosystems subjected to a step-function increase in atmospheric CO2. The primary mechanism driving this response is a rapid rate of N immobilization by plants and microbes under elevated CO2 that depletes soils of N, causing slower rates of N mineralization. Under this hypothesis, there is little long-term stimulation of NPP by elevated CO2 in the absence of exogenous inputs of N. We tested this hypothesis using data on the pools and fluxes of C and N in tree biomass, microbes, and soils from 1997 through 2002 collected at the Duke Forest free-air CO2 enrichment (FACE) experiment. Elevated CO2 stimulated NPP by 18-24% during the first six years of this experiment. Consistent with the hypothesis for PNL, significantly more N was immobilized in tree biomass and in the O horizon under elevated CO2. In contrast to the PNL hypothesis, microbial-N immobilization did not increase under elevated CO2, and although the rate of net N mineralization declined through time, the decline was not significantly more rapid under elevated CO2. Ecosystem C-to-N ratios widened more rapidly under elevated CO2 than ambient CO2 indicating a more rapid rate of C fixation per unit of N, a processes that could delay PNL in this ecosystem. Mass balance calculations demonstrated a large accrual of ecosystem N capital. Is PNL occurring in this ecosystem and will NPP decline to levels under ambient CO2? The answer depends on the relative strength of tree biomass and O-horizon N immobilization vs. widening C-to-N ratios and ecosystem-N accrual as processes that drive and delay PNL, respectively. Only direct observations through time will definitively answer this question.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adrien C Finzi
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Massachusetts 02215, USA.
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