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Dirnböck T, Kraus D, Grote R, Klatt S, Kobler J, Schindlbacher A, Seidl R, Thom D, Kiese R. Substantial understory contribution to the C sink of a European temperate mountain forest landscape. Landsc Ecol 2020; 35:483-499. [PMID: 32165789 PMCID: PMC7045765 DOI: 10.1007/s10980-019-00960-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/10/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
CONTEXT The contribution of forest understory to the temperate forest carbon sink is not well known, increasing the uncertainty in C cycling feedbacks on global climate as estimated by Earth System Models. OBJECTIVES We aimed at quantifying the effect of woody and non-woody understory vegetation on net ecosystem production (NEP) for a forested area of 158 km2 in the European Alps. METHODS We simulated C dynamics for the period 2000-2014, characterized by above-average temperatures, windstorms and a subsequent bark beetle outbreak for the area, using the regional ecosystem model LandscapeDNDC. RESULTS In the entire study area, woody and non-woody understory vegetation caused between 16 and 37% higher regional NEP as compared to a bare soil scenario over the 15-year period. The mean annual contribution of the understory to NEP was in the same order of magnitude as the average annual European (EU-25) forest C sink. After wind and bark beetle disturbances, the understory effect was more pronounced, leading to an increase in NEP between 35 and 67% compared to simulations not taking into account these components. CONCLUSIONS Our findings strongly support the importance of processes related to the understory in the context of the climate change mitigation potential of temperate forest ecosystems. The expected increases in stand replacing disturbances due to climate change call for a better representation of understory vegetation dynamics and its effect on the ecosystem C balance in regional assessments and Earth System Models.
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Affiliation(s)
- T. Dirnböck
- Department for Ecosystem Research and Environmental Information Management, Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - D. Kraus
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - R. Grote
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - S. Klatt
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
| | - J. Kobler
- Department for Ecosystem Research and Environmental Information Management, Environment Agency Austria, Spittelauer Lände 5, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - A. Schindlbacher
- Department of Forest Ecology, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape (BFW), Seckendorff-Gudent Weg 8, 1131 Vienna, Austria
| | - R. Seidl
- Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Peter-Jordan Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - D. Thom
- Department of Forest- and Soil Sciences, Institute of Silviculture, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) Vienna, Peter-Jordan Straße 82, 1190 Vienna, Austria
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, 81 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT 05405 USA
- Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management Group, School of Life Sciences, Technical University of Munich, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz 2, 85354 Freising, Germany
| | - R. Kiese
- Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Institute of Meteorology and Climate Research, Atmospheric Environmental Research (IMK-IFU), Kreuzeckbahnstraße 19, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
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Schindlbacher A, Rodler A, Kuffner M, Kitzler B, Sessitsch A, Zechmeister-Boltenstern S. Experimental warming effects on the microbial community of a temperate mountain forest soil. Soil Biol Biochem 2011; 43:1417-1425. [PMID: 21760644 PMCID: PMC3103824 DOI: 10.1016/j.soilbio.2011.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Revised: 03/04/2011] [Accepted: 03/07/2011] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
Soil microbial communities mediate the decomposition of soil organic matter (SOM). The amount of carbon (C) that is respired leaves the soil as CO(2) (soil respiration) and causes one of the greatest fluxes in the global carbon cycle. How soil microbial communities will respond to global warming, however, is not well understood. To elucidate the effect of warming on the microbial community we analyzed soil from the soil warming experiment Achenkirch, Austria. Soil of a mature spruce forest was warmed by 4 °C during snow-free seasons since 2004. Repeated soil sampling from control and warmed plots took place from 2008 until 2010. We monitored microbial biomass C and nitrogen (N). Microbial community composition was assessed by phospholipid fatty acid analysis (PLFA) and by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) of ribosomal RNA genes. Microbial metabolic activity was estimated by soil respiration to biomass ratios and RNA to DNA ratios. Soil warming did not affect microbial biomass, nor did warming affect the abundances of most microbial groups. Warming significantly enhanced microbial metabolic activity in terms of soil respiration per amount of microbial biomass C. Microbial stress biomarkers were elevated in warmed plots. In summary, the 4 °C increase in soil temperature during the snow-free season had no influence on microbial community composition and biomass but strongly increased microbial metabolic activity and hence reduced carbon use efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. Schindlbacher
- Department of Forest Ecology and Soils, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape – BFW, A-1131 Vienna, Austria
- Corresponding author. Tel.: +43 680 2052761.
| | - A. Rodler
- Department of Forest Ecology and Soils, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape – BFW, A-1131 Vienna, Austria
| | - M. Kuffner
- AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Department of Health and Environment, Bioresources Unit, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria
| | - B. Kitzler
- Department of Forest Ecology and Soils, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape – BFW, A-1131 Vienna, Austria
| | - A. Sessitsch
- AIT – Austrian Institute of Technology GmbH, Department of Health and Environment, Bioresources Unit, A-2444 Seibersdorf, Austria
| | - S. Zechmeister-Boltenstern
- Department of Forest Ecology and Soils, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape – BFW, A-1131 Vienna, Austria
- Institute of Soil Research, BOKU University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, A-1180 Vienna, Austria
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Högberg P, Högberg MN, Göttlicher SG, Betson NR, Keel SG, Metcalfe DB, Campbell C, Schindlbacher A, Hurry V, Lundmark T, Linder S, Näsholm T. High temporal resolution tracing of photosynthate carbon from the tree canopy to forest soil microorganisms. New Phytol 2008; 177:220-228. [PMID: 17944822 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-8137.2007.02238.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
Half of the biological activity in forest soils is supported by recent tree photosynthate, but no study has traced in detail this flux of carbon from the canopy to soil microorganisms in the field. Using (13)CO(2), we pulse-labelled over 1.5 h a 50-m(2) patch of 4-m-tall boreal Pinus sylvestris forest in a 200-m(3) chamber. Tracer levels peaked after 24 h in soluble carbohydrates in the phloem at a height of 0.3 m, after 2-4 d in soil respiratory efflux, after 4-7 d in ectomycorrhizal roots, and after 2-4 d in soil microbial cytoplasm. Carbon in the active pool in needles, in soluble carbohydrates in phloem and in soil respiratory efflux had half-lives of 22, 17 and 35 h, respectively. Carbon in soil microbial cytoplasm had a half-life of 280 h, while the carbon in ectomycorrhizal root tips turned over much more slowly. Simultaneous labelling of the soil with (15)NH(+)(4) showed that the ectomycorrhizal roots, which were the strongest sinks for photosynthate, were also the most active sinks for soil nitrogen. These observations highlight the close temporal coupling between tree canopy photosynthesis and a significant fraction of soil activity in forests.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Högberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - M N Högberg
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - S G Göttlicher
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - N R Betson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - S G Keel
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - D B Metcalfe
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, SLU, SE-901 83 Umeå, Sweden
| | - C Campbell
- Department of Plant Physiology and Umeå Plant Science Centre, University of Umeå, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - A Schindlbacher
- Department of Forest and Soil Science, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, BOKU, Peter Jordan-Strasse 82, A-1190 Vienna, Austria
| | - V Hurry
- Department of Plant Physiology and Umeå Plant Science Centre, University of Umeå, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
| | - T Lundmark
- Unit for Field-based Forest Research, SLU, Vindeln Experimental Forests and Svartberget Research Station, SLU, SE-922 91 Vindeln, Sweden
| | - S Linder
- Southern Swedish Forest Research Centre, SLU, PO Box 49, SE-230 53 Alnarp, Sweden
| | - T Näsholm
- Department of Forest Genetics and Plant Physiology and Umeå Plant Science Centre, SLU, SE-901 87 Umeå, Sweden
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