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Wang C, Xia S, Yu X, Wen L. Timing mowing for maximal energy gain - Managing foraging habitat of wintering geese under extreme drought conditions. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2024; 370:122360. [PMID: 39243644 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.122360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2024] [Revised: 08/30/2024] [Accepted: 08/30/2024] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The availability of high-quality food resources is a critical determinant of wildlife fitness. Over the past two decades, phenological mismatch - the temporal misalignment between animals' peak nutrient demand and optimal resource availability - has emerged as a significant conservation challenge. This issue is particularly worrisome for migratory birds, which must accumulate energy reserves to meet the elevated metabolic demands of migration between breeding and wintering grounds. In Poyang Lake, a crucial wintering ground along the East Asian-Australasian flyway, increasing asynchrony between vegetation growth and the migration of herbivorous waterbirds significantly impedes conservation efforts and presents a major management challenge for this Ramsar wetland. This study evaluates the efficacy of mowing, a grassland management measure, in regulating plant growth processes and restoring food resources for geese. In-situ mowing experiments were conducted with varying timings in Carex wet meadows, the primary foraging habitats of geese. Optimal mowing times were identified, and the maximum goose carrying capacity was assessed by comparing Carex growth and nutritional dynamics with goose dietary requirements. The results reveal that mowing effectively slows down the aging process of Carex, and protein content is identified as a critical limiting factor for geese foraging. Different mowing timings extend the suitable foraging period by 11-25 days. Estimates suggest varying carrying capacities with different mowing timings, supporting goose populations ranging from 133 to 2,046 in Changhuchi Lake during wintering. The optimal mowing window is early October, avoiding dates before late September and after late November. Moreover, multiple-stage mowing is recommended to accommodate different wintering stages. The study highlights mowing as a potential habitat restoration approach for goose conservation, effectively mitigating the challenges imposed by phenological mismatch directly and indirectly caused by anthropogenic activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenxi Wang
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Shaoxia Xia
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Xiubo Yu
- Key Laboratory of Ecosystem Network Observation and Modeling, Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China; College of Resources and Environment, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100190, China.
| | - Li Wen
- Science and Insights, Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Parramatta, NSW, 2150, Australia.
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2
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Kolluru V, John R, Saraf S, Chen J, Hankerson B, Robinson S, Kussainova M, Jain K. Gridded livestock density database and spatial trends for Kazakhstan. Sci Data 2023; 10:839. [PMID: 38030700 PMCID: PMC10687097 DOI: 10.1038/s41597-023-02736-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 12/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Livestock rearing is a major source of livelihood for food and income in dryland Asia. Increasing livestock density (LSKD) affects ecosystem structure and function, amplifies the effects of climate change, and facilitates disease transmission. Significant knowledge and data gaps regarding their density, spatial distribution, and changes over time exist but have not been explored beyond the county level. This is especially true regarding the unavailability of high-resolution gridded livestock data. Hence, we developed a gridded LSKD database of horses and small ruminants (i.e., sheep & goats) at high-resolution (1 km) for Kazakhstan (KZ) from 2000-2019 using vegetation proxies, climatic, socioeconomic, topographic, and proximity forcing variables through a random forest (RF) regression modeling. We found high-density livestock hotspots in the south-central and southeastern regions, whereas medium-density clusters in the northern and northwestern regions of KZ. Interestingly, population density, proximity to settlements, nighttime lights, and temperature contributed to the efficient downscaling of district-level censuses to gridded estimates. This database will benefit stakeholders, the research community, land managers, and policymakers at regional and national levels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Venkatesh Kolluru
- Department of Sustainability and Environment, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA.
| | - Ranjeet John
- Department of Sustainability and Environment, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Sakshi Saraf
- Department of Biology, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
| | - Jiquan Chen
- Department of Geography, Environment, and Spatial Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
| | - Brett Hankerson
- Leibniz Institute of Agricultural Development in Transition Economies (IAMO), Theodor-Lieser-Str. 2, 06120, Halle (Saale), Germany
| | - Sarah Robinson
- Institute for Agricultural Policy and Market Research & Centre for International Development and Environmental Research (ZEU), Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany
| | - Maira Kussainova
- Center for Global Change and Earth Observations, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA
- Kazakh National Agrarian Research University, AgriTech Hub KazNARU, 8 Abay Avenue, Almaty, 050010, Kazakhstan
- Kazakh-German University (DKU), Nazarbaev avenue, 173, 050010, Almaty, Kazakhstan
| | - Khushboo Jain
- Department of Sustainability and Environment, University of South Dakota, Vermillion, SD, 57069, USA
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3
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Sahani J, Kumar P, Debele SE. Efficacy assessment of green-blue nature-based solutions against environmental heat mitigation. ENVIRONMENT INTERNATIONAL 2023; 179:108187. [PMID: 37699297 DOI: 10.1016/j.envint.2023.108187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2023] [Revised: 08/09/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/14/2023]
Abstract
Nature-based solutions (NBS) such as green (vegetation) and blue (waterbodies) infrastructure are being promoted as cost-effective and sustainable strategies for managing the heatwaves risks, but long-term monitoring evidence is needed to support their implementation. This work aims to conduct a comparative assessment of the cooling efficiency of green (woodland and grassland) and blue (waterbody) NBS in contrast to a built-up area. Over a year of continuous fixed monitoring showed that the average daily maximum temperatures at NBS locations were 2-3 °C (up-to 15%) lower than the built-up area. Woodland showed the maximum temperature reduction in almost all seasons, followed by waterbody and grassland. NBS performed the best during the summers, peak sunshine, and heatwave hours (up to ∼ 6 °C cooler than built-up area). Using an e-bike for mobile monitoring, the areas where green-blue NBS were combined showed the highest spatial cooling extent, followed by waterbody, woodland, and grassland areas. The database generated can validate city-scale environmental models and assist city planners to incorporate NBS into urban dwellings based on the opportunity, need and scope, aligning with Sustainable Development Goals 11 (sustainable cities and communities) and 13 (climate action).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeetendra Sahani
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
| | - Prashant Kumar
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom; Institute for Sustainability, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, Surrey, United Kingdom.
| | - Sisay E Debele
- Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE), School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford GU2 7XH, United Kingdom
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4
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Silber KM, Mohankumar NM, Hefley TJ, Boyle WA. Emigration and survival correlate with different precipitation metrics throughout a grassland songbird's annual cycle. J Wildl Manage 2023. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katy M. Silber
- Kansas State University, Division of Biology Manhattan KS 66506 USA
| | | | - Trevor J. Hefley
- Kansas State University, Department of Statistics Manhattan KS 66506 USA
| | - W. Alice Boyle
- Kansas State University, Division of Biology Manhattan KS 66506 USA
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Climate Effects on Prairie Productivity Partially Ameliorated by Soil Nutrients and Plant Community Responses. Ecosystems 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10021-022-00811-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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6
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Li S, Dong S, Fu Y, Zhou B, Liu S, Shen H, Xu Y, Gao X, Xiao J, Wu S, Li F. Air or soil temperature matters the responses of alpine plants in biomass accumulation to climate warming. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 844:157141. [PMID: 35798113 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Climate change has substantially affected plant phenology and growth on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP), while it remains unclear how plant phenology and growth impact the plant biomass under climate change. We used long-term data (from 1997 to 2017) for four plants, Stipa purpurea, Artemisia scoparia, Kobresia humilis and Astragalus laxmannii in the alpine meadow to examine the relationships among multiple climate factors, vegetative growth, reproductive growth, intrinsic growth rate and biomass. The order of returning to green determines the growth strategies of different plants, the earliest plants to green (p < 0.05) (e.g., Stipa purpurea and Artemisia scoparia) would choose the strategy of vegetative growth (p < 0.05); the earlier plants (p < 0.05) (e.g., Kobresia humilis) would be regulated by both vegetative growth and reproductive growth (p < 0.05); while the latest plant to green (p < 0.05) such as Astragalus laxmannii, would choose intrinsic growth rate rather than growing season (P < 0.05). Temperature was the most important drivers for key phenological phases and growth patterns of four species, different factors play a role in different stages of the growth period, i.e., in the early and late stage is the soil temperature, while in the middle stage is the average temperature or the maximum temperature, and all the optimum thresholds were >30 day. These findings provide the in-situ evidences of long-term changes in phenology and its associated growth on the biomass of alpine plants on the QTP in the era of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuai Li
- College of Resource and Environment, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Shikui Dong
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Yongshuo Fu
- College of Water Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Bingrong Zhou
- Qinghai Institute of Meteorology Sciences, Xining 810001, China
| | - Shiliang Liu
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Hao Shen
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Yudan Xu
- College of Grassland Science, Shanxi Agricultural University, Taigu 030801, China
| | - Xiaoxia Gao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Jiannan Xiao
- School of Environment, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China
| | - Shengnan Wu
- School of Grassland Science, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Fu Li
- Qinghai Institute of Meteorology Sciences, Xining 810001, China
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Shi Y, Gao J, Li X, Li J, Brierley G. Effects of disturbances on aboveground biomass of alpine meadow in the Yellow River Source Zone, Western China. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8640. [PMID: 35342553 PMCID: PMC8928900 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2021] [Revised: 01/30/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
A field experiment quantifies the impacts of two external disturbances (mowing-simulated grazing and number of pika) on aboveground biomass (AGB) in the Yellow River Source Zone from 2018 to 2020. AGB was estimated from drone images for 27 plots subject to three levels of each disturbance (none, moderate, and severe). The three mowing severities bear a close relationship with AGB and its annual change. The effects of pika disturbance on AGB change were overwhelmed by the significantly different AGB at different mowing severities (-.471 < r < -.368), but can still be identified by inspecting each mowing intensity (-.884 < r < -.626). The impact of severe mowing on AGB loss was more profound than that of severe pika disturbance in heavily disturbed plots, and the joint effects of both severe disturbances had the most impacts on AGB loss. However, pika disturbance made little difference to AGB change in the moderate and non-mowed plots. Mowing intensity weakens the relationship between pika population and AGB change, but pika disturbance hardly affects the relationship between mowing severity and AGB change. The effects of both disturbances on AGB were further complexified by the change in monthly mean temperature. Results indicate that reducing mowing intensity is more effective than controlling pika population in efforts to achieve sustainable grazing of heavily disturbed grassland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan Shi
- School of EnvironmentThe University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Jay Gao
- School of EnvironmentThe University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
| | - Xilai Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and AgricultureQinghai UniversityXiningChina
| | - Jiexia Li
- State Key Laboratory of Plateau Ecology and AgricultureQinghai UniversityXiningChina
| | - Gary Brierley
- School of EnvironmentThe University of AucklandAucklandNew Zealand
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Colas V, Barre P, van Parijs F, Wolters L, Quitté Y, Ruttink T, Roldán-Ruiz I, Escobar Gutiérrez AJ, Muylle H. Seasonal Differences in Structural and Genetic Control of Digestibility in Perennial Ryegrass. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2022; 12:801145. [PMID: 35058960 PMCID: PMC8765707 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2021.801145] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/25/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Perennial ryegrass is an important forage crop in dairy farming, either for grazing or haying purposes. To further optimise the forage use, this study focused on understanding forage digestibility in the two most important cuts of perennial ryegrass, the spring cut at heading and the autumn cut. In a highly diverse collection of 592 Lolium perenne genotypes, the organic matter digestibility (OMD) and underlying traits such as cell wall digestibility (NDFD) and cell wall components (cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin) were investigated for 2 years. A high genotype × season interaction was found for OMD and NDFD, indicating differences in genetic control of these forage quality traits in spring versus autumn. OMD could be explained by both the quantity of cell wall content (NDF) and the quality of the cell wall content (NDFD). The variability in NDFD in spring was mainly explained by differences in hemicellulose. A 1% increase of the hemicellulose content in the cell wall (HC.NDF) resulted in an increase of 0.81% of NDFD. In autumn, it was mainly explained by the lignin content in the cell wall (ADL.NDF). A 0.1% decrease of ADL.NDF resulted in an increase of 0.41% of NDFD. The seasonal traits were highly heritable and showed a higher variation in autumn versus spring, indicating the potential to select for forage quality in the autumn cut. In a candidate gene association mapping approach, in which 503 genes involved in cell wall biogenesis, plant architecture, and phytohormone biosynthesis and signalling, identified significant quantitative trait loci (QTLs) which could explain from 29 to 52% of the phenotypic variance in the forage quality traits OMD and NDFD, with small effects of each marker taken individually (ranging from 1 to 7%). No identical QTLs were identified between seasons, but within a season, some QTLs were in common between digestibility traits and cell wall composition traits confirming the importance of hemicellulose concentration for spring digestibility and lignin concentration in NDF for autumn digestibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Colas
- Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies et Plantes Fourragères (URP3F), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Lusignan, France
| | - Philippe Barre
- Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies et Plantes Fourragères (URP3F), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Lusignan, France
| | - Frederik van Parijs
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Lukas Wolters
- DSV zaden Nederland B.V., Ven Zelderheide, Netherlands
| | | | - Tom Ruttink
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
| | - Isabel Roldán-Ruiz
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
- Department of Plant Biotechnology and Bioinformatics, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Abraham J. Escobar Gutiérrez
- Unité de Recherche Pluridisciplinaire Prairies et Plantes Fourragères (URP3F), National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), Lusignan, France
| | - Hilde Muylle
- Plant Sciences Unit, Institute for Agricultural, Fisheries and Food Research (ILVO), Melle, Belgium
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9
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Petersen K, Kraus D, Calanca P, Semenov MA, Butterbach-Bahl K, Kiese R. Dynamic simulation of management events for assessing impacts of climate change on pre-alpine grassland productivity. EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF AGRONOMY : THE JOURNAL OF THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR AGRONOMY 2021; 128:None. [PMID: 34345158 PMCID: PMC8209143 DOI: 10.1016/j.eja.2021.126306] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2021] [Accepted: 05/03/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The productivity of permanent temperate cut grasslands is mainly driven by weather, soil characteristics, botanical composition and management. To adapt management to climate change, adjusting the cutting dates to reflect earlier onset of growth and expansion of the vegetation period is particularly important. Simulations of cut grassland productivity under climate change scenarios demands management settings to be dynamically derived from actual plant development rather than using static values derived from current management operations. This is even more important in the alpine region, where the predicted temperature increase is twice as high as compared to the global or Northern Hemispheric average. For this purpose, we developed a dynamic management module that provides timing of cutting and manuring events when running the biogeochemical model LandscapeDNDC. We derived the dynamic management rules from long-term harvest measurements and monitoring data collected at pre-alpine grassland sites located in S-Germany and belonging to the TERENO monitoring network. We applied the management module for simulations of two grassland sites covering the period 2011-2100 and driven by scenarios that reflect the two representative concentration pathways (RCP) 4.5 and 8.5 and evaluated yield developments of different management regimes. The management module was able to represent timing of current management operations in high agreement with several years of field observations (r² > 0.88). Even more, the shift of the first cutting dates scaled to a +1 °C temperature increase simulated with the climate change scenarios (-9.1 to -17.1 days) compared well to the shift recorded by the German Weather Service (DWD) in the study area from 1991-2016 (-9.4 to -14.0 days). In total, the shift in cutting dates and expansion of the growing season resulted in 1-2 additional cuts per year until 2100. Thereby, climate change increased yields of up to 6 % and 15 % in the RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios with highest increases mainly found for dynamically adapted grassland management going along with increasing fertilization rates. In contrast, no or only minor yield increases were associated with simulations restricted to fertilization rates of 170 kg N ha-1 yr-1 as required by national legislations. Our study also shows that yields significantly decreased in drought years, when soil moisture is limiting plant growth but due to comparable high precipitation and water holding capacity of soils, this was observed mainly in the RCP 8.5 scenario in the last decades of the century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krischan Petersen
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - David Kraus
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Pierluigi Calanca
- Agroscope Institute for Sustainability Sciences ISS, Reckenholzstrasse 191, P.O. Box 8046, Zürich, Switzerland
| | | | - Klaus Butterbach-Bahl
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - Ralf Kiese
- Institute for Meteorology and Climate Research, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467, Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
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10
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Sanders-DeMott R, Ouimette AP, Lepine LC, Fogarty SZ, Burakowski EA, Contosta AR, Ollinger SV. Divergent carbon cycle response of forest and grass-dominated northern temperate ecosystems to record winter warming. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:1519-1531. [PMID: 31553818 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/29/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Northern temperate ecosystems are experiencing warmer and more variable winters, trends that are expected to continue into the foreseeable future. Despite this, most studies have focused on climate change impacts during the growing season, particularly when comparing responses across different vegetation cover types. Here we examined how a perennial grassland and adjacent mixed forest ecosystem in New Hampshire, United States, responded to a period of highly variable winters from 2014 through 2017 that included the warmest winter on record to date. In the grassland, record-breaking temperatures in the winter of 2015/2016 led to a February onset of plant growth and the ecosystem became a sustained carbon sink well before winter ended, taking up roughly 90 g/m2 more carbon during the winter to spring transition than in other recorded years. The forest was an unusually large carbon source during the same period. While forest photosynthesis was restricted by leaf-out phenology, warm winter temperatures caused large pulses of ecosystem respiration that released nearly 230 g C/m2 from February through April, more than double the carbon losses during that period in cooler years. These findings suggest that, as winters continue to warm, increases in ecosystem respiration outside the growing season could outpace increases in carbon uptake during a longer growing season, particularly in forests that depend on leaf-out timing to initiate carbon uptake. In ecosystems with a perennial leaf habit, warming winter temperatures are more likely to increase ecosystem carbon uptake through extension of the active growing season. Our results highlight the importance of understanding relationships among antecedent winter conditions and carbon exchange across land-cover types to understand how landscape carbon exchange will change under projected climate warming.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Sanders-DeMott
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Andrew P Ouimette
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Lucie C Lepine
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Sean Z Fogarty
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Elizabeth A Burakowski
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Alexandra R Contosta
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
| | - Scott V Ollinger
- Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, College of Life Science and Agriculture, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
- Earth Systems Research Center, Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH, USA
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11
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Wang H, Liu H, Cao G, Ma Z, Li Y, Zhang F, Zhao X, Zhao X, Jiang L, Sanders NJ, Classen AT, He JS. Alpine grassland plants grow earlier and faster but biomass remains unchanged over 35 years of climate change. Ecol Lett 2020; 23:701-710. [PMID: 32052555 PMCID: PMC7154776 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13474] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2019] [Revised: 01/02/2020] [Accepted: 01/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Satellite data indicate significant advancement in alpine spring phenology over decades of climate warming, but corresponding field evidence is scarce. It is also unknown whether this advancement results from an earlier shift of phenological events, or enhancement of plant growth under unchanged phenological pattern. By analyzing a 35‐year dataset of seasonal biomass dynamics of a Tibetan alpine grassland, we show that climate change promoted both earlier phenology and faster growth, without changing annual biomass production. Biomass production increased in spring due to a warming‐induced earlier onset of plant growth, but decreased in autumn due mainly to increased water stress. Plants grew faster but the fast‐growing period shortened during the mid‐growing season. These findings provide the first in situ evidence of long‐term changes in growth patterns in alpine grassland plant communities, and suggest that earlier phenology and faster growth will jointly contribute to plant growth in a warming climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hao Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.,Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Huiying Liu
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Guangmin Cao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Zhiyuan Ma
- Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
| | - Yikang Li
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Fawei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Xia Zhao
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100093, China
| | - Xinquan Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Adaptation and Evolution of Plateau Biota, Northwest Institute of Plateau Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xining, 810008, China
| | - Lin Jiang
- School of Biological Sciences, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, 30332, USA
| | - Nathan J Sanders
- Environmental Program, Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Aimée T Classen
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA.,Gund Institute for Environment, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, 05405, USA
| | - Jin-Sheng He
- State Key Laboratory of Grassland Agro-Ecosystems, College of Pastoral Agriculture Science and Technology, Institute of Innovation Ecology, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, 730000, China.,Institute of Ecology, College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Key Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China
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Förster L, Grant J, Michel T, Ng C, Barth S. Growth under cold conditions in a wide perennial ryegrass panel is under tight physiological control. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5520. [PMID: 30221088 PMCID: PMC6138037 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 08/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Perennial ryegrass is a cool-season grass species from the family Poaceae and is widely cultivated in temperate regions because it exhibits rapid growth and establishment, and possesses high forage quality. The extension of the growing season in Ireland in spring and autumn is a breeding target to make farming more profitable since a grass-fed diet based on grazing is the cheapest way of nutrition for ruminants. Methods Fifty-seven perennial ryegrass accessions were screened for their ability to grow under typical Irish spring conditions as taken from long term temperature records in controlled climate chambers. They were grown in low temperature (8 °C/2 °C day/night) and control conditions (15 °C/8 °C day/night) in three consecutive independent experiments. Fresh weight, height, chlorophyll content and electrolyte leakage were measured, and these parameters were used to rank plant performance under low temperature growth conditions. Results The results showed that height, yield and electrolyte leakage are excellent measures for the impact of cold stress tolerance. Little variation in growth was seen under cold stress, but a wide variety of responses were observed under control conditions. Discussion Our results suggest that cold stress is under tight physiological control. Interestingly, the various genotypes responded differentially to more amenable control conditions, indicating that a quick response to more amenable growth conditions is a better target for breeding programmes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Förster
- Crops, Environment & Land Use Programme, Crops Research Centre Oak Park, Teagasc, Carlow, Ireland
| | - Jim Grant
- Statistics and Applied Physics Department, Teagasc Research Operations Group, Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Thibauld Michel
- Crops, Environment & Land Use Programme, Crops Research Centre Oak Park, Teagasc, Carlow, Ireland
| | - Carl Ng
- UCD School of Biology and Environmental Science and UCD Earth Institute, University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Susanne Barth
- Crops, Environment & Land Use Programme, Crops Research Centre Oak Park, Teagasc, Carlow, Ireland
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Nagelmüller S, Hiltbrunner E, Körner C. Low temperature limits for root growth in alpine species are set by cell differentiation. AOB PLANTS 2017; 9:plx054. [PMID: 29218137 PMCID: PMC5710522 DOI: 10.1093/aobpla/plx054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 10/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/31/2023]
Abstract
Plant growth in cold climates is not limited by carbon assimilation (source activity) but rather by reduced carbon investment into new tissues (sink limitation). It has been hypothesized that all cold-adapted plants face similar growth constraints at low temperature mainly associated with the formation of new tissues. To explore the thermal limitation of plant tissue formation, we studied root growth and anatomical root tissue characteristics in four cold-adapted alpine species (Ranunculus glacialis, Rumex alpinus, Tussilago farfara, Poa alpina), grown in thermostated soils with a vertical temperature gradient approaching 1 °C. Above-ground plant organs were exposed to typical alpine climate conditions (high solar radiation and cool nights) at 2440 m a.s.l. in the Swiss Alps to assure continuous source activity. Image-based measurements of root growth (root elongation rates at 12-h intervals, RERs) were combined with anatomical examinations in thermally constrained root tips as well as with a functional growth analysis of entire plants. Temperatures in the range 0.8 to 1.4 °C were denoted as critically low temperature thresholds for root formation across the four species. The RERs per 12 h revealed that roots kept extending at low rates at 0.7-1.2 °C but cell elongation and xylem lignification were clearly inhibited in the terminal zones of root tips. Roots exposed to temperatures between 1 and 5 °C showed strongly reduced elongation rates so that these roots contributed very little to the entire root system compared to control roots grown at 10 °C. Hardly any secondary roots were formed at temperatures below 5 °C and total root mass was substantially lower (74 % reduction in comparison to control), also the above-ground biomass was reduced by 23 %. Cell elongation and differentiation rather than cell division control length and shape of root cells at the low temperature limit of growth. Lignification of root xylem is clearly constrained at temperatures below 3 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian Nagelmüller
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
- Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, Universitätsstrasse 2, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Erika Hiltbrunner
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
| | - Christian Körner
- Institute of Botany, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Schönbeinstrasse 6, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
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