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Lu C, Zhang J, Min X, Chen J, Huang Y, Zhao H, Yan T, Liu X, Wang H, Liu H. Contrasting responses of early‐ and late‐season plant phenophases to altered precipitation. OIKOS 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyan Lu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
- Inst. of Eco‐Chongming (IEC), East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Juanjuan Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou Univ. Lanzhou China
| | - Xueting Min
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
- Inst. of Eco‐Chongming (IEC), East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Jianghui Chen
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
- Inst. of Eco‐Chongming (IEC), East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Yixuan Huang
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
- Inst. of Eco‐Chongming (IEC), East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Hongfang Zhao
- School of Geographic Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
| | - Tao Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou Univ. Lanzhou China
| | - Xiang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou Univ. Lanzhou China
| | - Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro‐Ecosystems, and College of Ecology, Lanzhou Univ. Lanzhou China
| | - Huiying Liu
- Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, Shanghai Key Lab for Urban Ecological Processes and Eco-Restoration, Center for Global Change and Ecological Forecasting, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
- Inst. of Eco‐Chongming (IEC), East China Normal Univ. Shanghai China
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Swindon JG, Lauenroth WK, Schlaepfer DR, Burke IC. Spatial Distribution of Roots across Three Dryland Ecosystems and Plant Functional Types. WEST N AM NATURALIST 2019. [DOI: 10.3398/064.079.0203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica G. Swindon
- Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - William K. Lauenroth
- Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Daniel R. Schlaepfer
- Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
| | - Ingrid C. Burke
- Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511
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Araujo JKS, de Souza Júnior VS, Marques FA, Voroney P, da Silva Souza RA. Assessment of carbon storage under rainforests in Humic Hapludox along a climosequence extending from the Atlantic coast to the highlands of northeastern Brazil. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2016; 568:339-349. [PMID: 27300567 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2016.06.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2015] [Revised: 06/04/2016] [Accepted: 06/05/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
An understanding of the stock of soil organic carbon (SOC) in the umbric epipedon of Oxisols located in the tropical forests surrounded by a semi-arid region is limited but essential because of their importance in the global cycle of carbon (C). The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of climatic (temperature and rainfall), soil organic matter (SOM) composition and litter on the stability of C in surfaces and subsurfaces in five Humic Oxisols along a 475-km climosequence from 143 to 963ma.s.l. in a tropical environment in northeastern Brazil. We assessed vertical changes in SOC; soil total nitrogen (N); C from the microbial biomass; δ(13)C, δ(15)N and the humified composition of SOM; the composition of the humin (HUM) fraction by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR); and Thermogravimetry (TG) and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) at depth. The elemental and isotopic composition of the litter samples were analyzed in all areas studied. The results indicated that the current climate and recalcitrant organic compounds are not preponderant factors in the formation of the umbric epipedon, as suggested by the partial influence of temperature and rainfall on SOM. In addition, SOM was dominated by easily decomposable compounds, as indicated by the predominance of aliphatic C-H groups in the HUM fraction in the FTIR spectra; by the thermal oxidation through DSC-TG, which revealed that approximately 50% of the HUM was composed easily decomposable compounds; and by the high proportion of organic C present in the microbial biomass. Values of δ(13)C showed a predominance of C3 plant-C in SOM whereas δ(15)N patterns indicated that N dynamics differ among the profiles and drive the accumulation of C. These findings can help to characterize the susceptibility of these soils to changes in climate and land use and the implications for the sequestration of soil C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jane Kelly Silva Araujo
- Departamento de Agronomia, Universidade Federal Rural de Pernambuco, Av. Dom Manoel de Medeiros, s/n, 52171-900 Recife, PE, Brazil.
| | | | - Flávio Adriano Marques
- EMBRAPA Solos/UEP Nordeste, Empresa Brasileira de Pesquisa Agropecuária, Rua Antônio Falcão 402, 51020-240 Recife, PE, Brazil.
| | - Paul Voroney
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, N1G 2W1 Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Regilene Angelica da Silva Souza
- Instituto de Ciências Agrárias, Universidade Federal Rural da Amazônia, Av. Presidente Tancredo Neves 2501, 66077-830 Belém, PA, Brazil.
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Hobbie SE. Plant species effects on nutrient cycling: revisiting litter feedbacks. Trends Ecol Evol 2015; 30:357-63. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2015.03.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 296] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Revised: 03/20/2015] [Accepted: 03/24/2015] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Mobley ML, Cleary MJ, Burke IC. Inorganic nitrogen supply and dissolved organic nitrogen abundance across the US Great Plains. PLoS One 2014; 9:e107775. [PMID: 25244190 PMCID: PMC4171503 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0107775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2013] [Accepted: 08/22/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Across US Great Plains grasslands, a gradient of increasing mean annual precipitation from west to east corresponds to increasing aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP) and increasing N-limitation. Previous work has shown that there is no increase in net N mineralization rates across this gradient, leading to the question of where eastern prairie grasses obtain the nitrogen to support production. One as-yet unexamined source is soil organic N, despite abundant literature from other ecosystems showing that plants take up dissolved soil organic N. This study measured KCl-extractable dissolved organic N (DON) in surface soils across the grassland productivity gradient. We found that KCl-extractable DON pools increased from west to east. If available to and used by plants, this DON may help explain the high ANPP in the eastern Great Plains. These results suggest a need for future research to determine whether, in what quantities, and in what forms prairie grasses use organic N to support primary production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan L. Mobley
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
- Helga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Matthew J. Cleary
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
| | - Ingrid C. Burke
- Department of Botany, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
- Helga Otto Haub School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, Wyoming, United States of America
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Kang M, Dai C, Ji W, Jiang Y, Yuan Z, Chen HYH. Biomass and its allocation in relation to temperature, precipitation, and soil nutrients in Inner Mongolia grasslands, China. PLoS One 2013; 8:e69561. [PMID: 23936045 PMCID: PMC3723834 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0069561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2013] [Accepted: 06/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Aim Understanding and predicting ecosystem functioning such as biomass accumulation requires an accurate assessment of large-scale patterns of biomass distribution and partitioning in relation to climatic and soil environments. Methods We sampled above- and belowground biomass from 26 sites spanning 1500 km in Inner Mongolian grasslands, compared the difference in aboveground, belowground biomass and below-aboveground biomass ratio (AGB, BGB, and B/A, respectively) among meadow steppe, typical steppe, and desert steppe types. The relationships between AGB, BGB, B/A and climatic and soil environments were then examined. Results We found that AGB and BGB differed significantly among three types of grasslands while B/A did not differ. Structural equation model analyses indicated that mean annual precipitation was the strongest positive driver for AGB and BGB. AGB was also positively associated with soil organic carbon, whereas B/A was positively associated with total soil nitrogen. Conclusions These results indicated that precipitation positively influence plant production in Inner Mongolian grasslands. Contrary to the prediction from the optimal partitioning hypothesis, biomass allocation to belowground increased with soil total nitrogen, suggesting that more productive sites may increase belowground allocation as an adaptive strategy to potentially high fire frequencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muyi Kang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (MYK); (YJ)
| | - Cheng Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Wenyao Ji
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- * E-mail: (MYK); (YJ)
| | - Zhiyou Yuan
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
| | - Han Y. H. Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Earth Surface Processes and Resource Ecology, College of Resources Science and Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada
- College of Forestry and Gardening, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, China
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Estimating root zone soil moisture at distant sites using MODIS NDVI and EVI in a semi-arid region of southwestern USA. ECOL INFORM 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoinf.2010.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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8
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Nitrogen-limitation and invasive sweetclover impacts vary between two Great Plains plant communities. Biol Invasions 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-009-9678-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Biomass, Litter, and Soil Respiration Along a Precipitation Gradient in Southern Great Plains, USA. Ecosystems 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-009-9296-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 71] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Camarero L, Garcia-Pausas J, Huguet C. A method for upscaling soil parameters for use in a dynamic modelling assessment of water quality in the Pyrenees. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2009; 407:1701-1714. [PMID: 19091383 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.10.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2008] [Revised: 10/11/2008] [Accepted: 10/14/2008] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Dynamic modelling of hydrochemistry is a valuable tool to study and predict the recovery of surface waters from acidification, and to assess the effects of confounding factors (such as delayed soil response and changing climate) that cause hysteresis during reversal from acidification. The availability of soil data is often a limitation for the regional application of dynamic models. Here we present a method to upscale site-specific soil properties to a regional scale in order to circumvent that problem. The method proposed for upscaling relied on multiple regression models between soil properties and a suite of environmental variables used as predictors. Soil measurements were made during a field survey in 13 catchments in the Pyrenees (NW Spain). The environmental variables were derived from mapped or remotely sensed topographic, lithological, land-cover, and climatic information. Regression models were then used to model soil parameters, which were supplied as input for the biogeochemical model MAGIC (Model for Acidification of Groundwater In Catchments) in order to reconstruct the history of acidification in Pyrenean lakes and forecast the recovery under a scenario of reduced acid deposition. The resulting simulations were then compared with model runs using field measurements as input parameters. These comparisons showed that regional averages for the key water and soil chemistry variables were suitably reproduced when using the modelled parameters. Simulations of water chemistry at the catchment scale also showed good results, whereas simulated soil parameters reflected uncertainty in the initial modelled estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lluís Camarero
- Centre d'Estudis Avançats de Blanes CEAB-CSIC, Accés Cala Sant Francesc 14, Blanes 17300, Girona, Spain.
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Eviner VT, Hawkes CV. Embracing Variability in the Application of Plant-Soil Interactions to the Restoration of Communities and Ecosystems. Restor Ecol 2008. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1526-100x.2008.00482.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 102] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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12
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McCulley RL, Burke IC, Lauenroth WK. Conservation of nitrogen increases with precipitation across a major grassland gradient in the Central Great Plains of North America. Oecologia 2008. [PMID: 19034525 DOI: 10.1007/s00442‐008‐1229‐1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Regional analyses and biogeochemical models predict that ecosystem N pools and N cycling rates must increase from the semi-arid shortgrass steppe to the sub-humid tallgrass prairie of the Central Great Plains, yet few field data exist to evaluate these predictions. In this paper, we measured rates of net N mineralization, N in above- and belowground primary production, total soil organic matter N pools, soil inorganic N pools and capture in resin bags, decomposition rates, foliar (15)N, and N use efficiency (NUE) across a precipitation gradient. We found that net N mineralization did not increase across the gradient, despite more N generally being found in plant production, suggesting higher N uptake, in the wetter areas. NUE of plants increased with precipitation, and delta(15)N foliar values and resin-captured N in soils decreased, all of which are consistent with the hypothesis that N cycling is tighter at the wet end of the gradient. Litter decomposition appeared to play a role in maintaining this regional N cycling trend: litter decomposed more slowly and released less N at the wet end of the gradient. These results suggest that immobilization of N within the plant-soil system increases from semi-arid shortgrass steppe to sub-humid tallgrass prairie. Despite the fact that N pools increase along a bio-climatic gradient from shortgrass steppe to mixed grass and tallgrass prairie, this element becomes relatively more limiting and is therefore more tightly conserved at the wettest end of the gradient. Similar to findings from forested systems, our results suggest that grassland N cycling becomes more open to N loss with increasing aridity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca L McCulley
- Graduate Degree Program in Ecology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523, USA.
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Conservation of nitrogen increases with precipitation across a major grassland gradient in the Central Great Plains of North America. Oecologia 2008; 159:571-81. [PMID: 19034525 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-008-1229-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2007] [Accepted: 10/31/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Regional analyses and biogeochemical models predict that ecosystem N pools and N cycling rates must increase from the semi-arid shortgrass steppe to the sub-humid tallgrass prairie of the Central Great Plains, yet few field data exist to evaluate these predictions. In this paper, we measured rates of net N mineralization, N in above- and belowground primary production, total soil organic matter N pools, soil inorganic N pools and capture in resin bags, decomposition rates, foliar (15)N, and N use efficiency (NUE) across a precipitation gradient. We found that net N mineralization did not increase across the gradient, despite more N generally being found in plant production, suggesting higher N uptake, in the wetter areas. NUE of plants increased with precipitation, and delta(15)N foliar values and resin-captured N in soils decreased, all of which are consistent with the hypothesis that N cycling is tighter at the wet end of the gradient. Litter decomposition appeared to play a role in maintaining this regional N cycling trend: litter decomposed more slowly and released less N at the wet end of the gradient. These results suggest that immobilization of N within the plant-soil system increases from semi-arid shortgrass steppe to sub-humid tallgrass prairie. Despite the fact that N pools increase along a bio-climatic gradient from shortgrass steppe to mixed grass and tallgrass prairie, this element becomes relatively more limiting and is therefore more tightly conserved at the wettest end of the gradient. Similar to findings from forested systems, our results suggest that grassland N cycling becomes more open to N loss with increasing aridity.
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Reed HE, Martiny JBH. Testing the functional significance of microbial composition in natural communities. FEMS Microbiol Ecol 2008; 62:161-70. [PMID: 17937673 DOI: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2007.00386.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 155] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecologists have long studied the relationship between biotic composition and ecosystem functioning in larger organisms; however, only recently has this relationship been investigated widely in microorganisms. Recent studies are reviewed within a framework of three experimental approaches that are often used to study larger organisms: environmental treatment, common garden, and reciprocal transplant experiments. Although the composition of microorganisms cannot be easily manipulated in the field, applying these approaches to intact microbial communities can begin to tease apart the effects of microbial composition from environmental parameters on ecosystem functioning. The challenges in applying these approaches to microorganisms are highlighted and it is discussed how the experimental approach and duration affects a study's interpretation. In general, long-term environmental treatment experiments identify correlative relationships between microbial composition and ecosystem functioning, whereas short-term common garden experiments demonstrate that microbial composition influences ecosystem functioning. Finally, reciprocal transplants simultaneously test for interactive effects of the environment and composition on functioning. The studies reviewed provide evidence that, at least in some cases, microbial composition influences ecosystem functioning. It is concluded that whole-community experiments offer a way to test whether information about microbial composition will help predict ecosystem responses to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather E Reed
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA 92697, USA.
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Abiotic constraints on the competitive ability of exotic and native grasses in a Pacific Northwest prairie. Oecologia 2007; 155:357-66. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-007-0909-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2006] [Accepted: 10/18/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Chambers JC, Roundy BA, Blank RR, Meyer SE, Whittaker A. WHAT MAKES GREAT BASIN SAGEBRUSH ECOSYSTEMS INVASIBLE BYBROMUS TECTORUM? ECOL MONOGR 2007. [DOI: 10.1890/05-1991] [Citation(s) in RCA: 439] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Hancock JE, Loya WM, Giardina CP, Li L, Chiang VL, Pregitzer KS. Plant growth, biomass partitioning and soil carbon formation in response to altered lignin biosynthesis in Populus tremuloides. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2007; 173:732-742. [PMID: 17286822 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2006.01965.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
We conducted a glasshouse mesocosm study that combined (13)C isotope techniques with wild-type and transgenic aspen (Populus tremuloides) in order to examine how altered lignin biosynthesis affects plant production and soil carbon formation. Our transgenic aspen lines expressed low stem lignin concentration but normal cellulose concentration, low lignin stem concentration with high cellulose concentration or an increased stem syringyl to guaiacyl lignin ratio. Large differences in stem lignin concentration observed across lines were not observed in leaves or fine roots. Nonetheless, low lignin lines accumulated 15-17% less root C and 33-43% less new soil C than the control line. Compared with the control line, transformed aspen expressing high syringyl lignin accumulated 30% less total plant C - a result of greatly reduced total leaf area - and 70% less new soil C. These findings suggest that altered stem lignin biosynthesis in Populus may have little effect on the chemistry of fine roots or leaves, but can still have large effects on plant growth, biomass partitioning and soil C formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica E Hancock
- Ecosystem Science Center, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
- United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service. North Central Research Station, 410 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Wendy M Loya
- Ecosystem Science Center, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Christian P Giardina
- United States Department of Agriculture-Forest Service. North Central Research Station, 410 MacInnes Drive, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
| | - Laigeng Li
- Department of Forest Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Vincent L Chiang
- Department of Forest Sciences, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC 27695, USA
| | - Kurt S Pregitzer
- Ecosystem Science Center, School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences, Michigan Technological University, Houghton, MI 49931, USA
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Abstract
It is well established that plant species influence ecosystem processes, but we have little ability to predict which vegetation changes will alter ecosystems, or how the effects of a given species might vary seasonally. We established monocultures of eight plant species in a California grassland in order to determine the plant traits that account for species impacts on nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. Plant species differed in their effects on net N mineralization and nitrification rates, and the patterns of species differences varied seasonally. Soil PO4- and microbial P were more strongly affected by slope position than by species. Although most studies focus on litter chemistry as the main determinant of plant species effects on nutrient cycling, this study showed that plant species affected biogeochemical cycling through many traits, including direct traits (litter chemistry and biomass, live-tissue chemistry and biomass) and indirect traits (plant modification of soil bioavailable C and soil microclimate). In fact, species significantly altered N and P cycling even without litter inputs. It became particularly critical to consider the effects of these multiple traits in order to account for seasonal changes in plant species effects on ecosystems. For example, species effects on potential rates of net N mineralization were most strongly influenced by soil bioavailable C in the fall and by litter chemistry in the winter and spring. Under field conditions, species effects on soil microclimate influenced rates of mineralization and nitrification, with species effects on soil temperature being critical in the fall and species effects on soil moisture being important in the dry spring. Overall, this study clearly demonstrated that in order to gain a mechanistic, predictive understanding of plant species effects on ecosystems, it is critical to look beyond plant litter chemistry and to incorporate the effects of multiple plant traits on ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valerie T Eviner
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA.
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Vivanco L, Austin AT. Intrinsic effects of species on leaf litter and root decomposition: a comparison of temperate grasses from North and South America. Oecologia 2006; 150:97-107. [PMID: 16917779 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-006-0495-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2005] [Accepted: 06/27/2006] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Plant species affect natural ecosystems through interactions between environmental and genetic factors. The importance of plant species in controlling decomposition is now well-established through its influence on litter quality, which affects mass loss and nutrient release. At the same time, direct species effects are often confounded with indirect site effects due to the ecophysiological responses of plants to environmental variability. We evaluated the intrinsic effects of species on litter quality and decomposition, comparing 14 native perennial grass species from three different grassland ecosystems in North and South America. Plants were grown under controlled greenhouse conditions to eliminate any indirect effects of climate on litter quality, and senescent material of leaf litter and roots were collected. The initial litter nutrient quality and the carbon quality were assessed, and decomposition was determined over a period of one year by placing litterbags in a common grassland site. In spite of constant growth conditions, species' litter showed broad and significant differences in N, P and lignin concentration, as well as C:N ratio, with the greatest differences occurring between C(3) and C(4) species and leaf litter and root material. In addition, decomposition was significantly different among species and between leaf litter and roots within species, with constants (k) ranging from 1.50 to 3.65 year(-1) for leaf litter, and 0.51-1.82 year(-1) for roots. These results highlight the fact that, independent of climate or edaphic changes due to human activity, changes in plant species or in allocation patterns among plant organs in grassland ecosystems could have a large effect on carbon turnover. At the same time, the way in which intrinsic species characteristics affect decomposition demonstrates a large degree of functional convergence among species from grasslands of North and South America.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Vivanco
- Facultad de Agronomía, Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura (IFEVA), CONICET and Universidad de Buenos Aires, Avenida San Martín 4453, Buenos Aires, C1417DSE, Argentina.
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SYMSTAD AMYJ. Secondary Invasion Following the Reduction of Coronilla varia (Crownvetch) in Sand Prairie. AMERICAN MIDLAND NATURALIST 2004. [DOI: 10.1674/0003-0031(2004)152[0183:siftro]2.0.co;2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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