1
|
Enari H, Enari HS, Sekiguchi T, Tanaka M, Suzuki S. Differences in spatial niche of terrestrial mammals when facing extreme snowfall: the case in east Asian forests. Front Zool 2024; 21:3. [PMID: 38297312 PMCID: PMC10832220 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-024-00522-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent climate changes have produced extreme climate events. This study focused on extreme snowfall and intended to discuss the vulnerability of temperate mammals against it through interspecies comparisons of spatial niches in northern Japan. We constructed niche models for seven non-hibernating species through wide-scaled snow tracking on skis, whose total survey length was 1144 km. RESULTS We detected a low correlation (rs < 0.4) between most pairs of species niches, indicating that most species possessed different overwintering tactics. A morphological advantage in locomotion cost on snow did not always expand niche breadth. In contrast, a spatial niche could respond to (1) drastic landscape change by a diminishing understory due to snow, possibly leading to changes in predator-prey interactions, and (2) the mass of cold air, affecting thermoregulatory cost and food accessibility. When extraordinary snowfall occurred, the nonarboreal species with larger body sizes could niche shift, whereas the smaller-sized or semi-arboreal mammals did not. In addition, compared to omnivores, herbivores were prone to severe restriction of niche breadth due to a reduction in food accessibility under extreme climates. CONCLUSIONS Dietary habits and body size could determine the redundancy of niche width, which may govern robustness/vulnerability to extreme snowfall events.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroto Enari
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23 Wakabamachi, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-8555, Japan.
| | - Haruka S Enari
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23 Wakabamachi, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-8555, Japan
| | - Tatsuhito Sekiguchi
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23 Wakabamachi, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-8555, Japan
| | - Motohisa Tanaka
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23 Wakabamachi, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-8555, Japan
| | - Sohsuke Suzuki
- Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23 Wakabamachi, Tsuruoka, Yamagata, 997-8555, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Tao B, Chen Q, Jiang Y, Zhang B, Yuan H, Wang Y. Effect of particle sizes of biochar on CO 2 emissions in a poplar plantation of ancient Yellow River channel, China. J Environ Manage 2023; 345:118721. [PMID: 37536134 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2023.118721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/05/2023]
Abstract
Forest soil is a vital pool of organic carbon, which is sensitive to management. Biochar addition could change the CO2 emissions from soil, but its effects are still ambiguous. Moreover, the impacts of particle sizes of biochar on CO2 emissions are still unknown. In this study, a series of field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of biochar addition on CO2 emissions in a poplar plantation (Populus nigra), China. Biochar with two application rates of (10 and 50 t/ha) and three particle sizes (3-1 mm, 1-0.1 mm, and <0.1 mm) was applied into the surface soil (0-10 cm), and the soil without biochar was set as control. The results showed that a high level of fine biochar addition (1-0.1 mm and <0.1 mm) had similar and positive effects on CO2 emissions by increasing the contents of soil ammonium, available phosphorus, easily oxidizable carbon, soil moisture, soil capillary pore, and the activity of β-glucosidase. However, biochar addition (1-0.1 mm and <0.1 mm) reduced the bioavailability of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), producing a negative relationship between DOC content and CO2 emissions. This investigation highlights the importance of biochar with different particle sizes in adjusting CO2 emissions from temperate soils.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Baoxian Tao
- College of Geography and Environment, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China; Liaocheng Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil Environment and Pollution Prevention, Liaocheng, 252059, China; Institute of Huanghe Studies, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China.
| | - Qinghai Chen
- College of Geography and Environment, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Yuqing Jiang
- College of Humanities and Social Science, Lyceum of the Philippines University, Batangas, 4200, Philippines
| | - Baohua Zhang
- College of Geography and Environment, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China; Liaocheng Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil Environment and Pollution Prevention, Liaocheng, 252059, China; Institute of Huanghe Studies, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Haiyan Yuan
- College of Geography and Environment, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China; Liaocheng Key Laboratory of Agricultural Soil Environment and Pollution Prevention, Liaocheng, 252059, China; Institute of Huanghe Studies, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| | - Yujiao Wang
- College of Geography and Environment, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng, 252059, China
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Devi NB, Lepcha NT. Carbon sink and source function of Eastern Himalayan forests: implications of change in climate and biotic variables. Environ Monit Assess 2023; 195:843. [PMID: 37318600 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-023-11460-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Forests serve as a sink and source of carbon and play a substantial role in regional and global carbon cycling. The Himalayan forests act as climate regulators of the Hindukush region, which is experiencing climate change at a high pace, and a proper understanding of these systems is necessary to mitigate this problem. We hypothesize that the variance of abiotic factors and vegetation will influence the carbon sink and source function of the different forest types of the Himalayas. Carbon sequestration was computed from the increment of carbon stocks estimated allometrically using Forest Survey of India equations, and soil CO2 flux was determined by the alkali absorption method. The carbon sequestration rate and CO2 flux by the different forests exhibited a negative relation. The carbon sequestration rate was highest with minimum emission in the temperate forest, while the tropical forest recorded the least sequestration and maximum carbon flux rate. The Pearson correlation test between carbon sequestration and tree species richness and diversity revealed a positive-significant influence but negative relation with climatic factors. An analysis of variance indicated significant seasonal differences between the rate of soil carbon emissions due to variations in the forest. A multivariate regression analysis of the monthly soil CO2 emission rate shows high variability (85%) due to fluctuations of climatic variables in the Eastern Himalayan forests. Results of the present study revealed that the carbon sink and source function of forests respond to changes in forest types, climatic variables, and edaphic factors. Tree species and soil nutrient content influenced carbon sequestration, while shifts in climatic factors influenced soil CO2 emission rate. Increased temperature and rainfall may further change the soil quality by enhancing soil CO2 emission and reducing soil organic carbon, thereby impacting this region's carbon sink and source function. Enhancing tree diversity in the forests of this region may be beneficial for retarding this impact.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- N Bijayalaxmi Devi
- Department of Botany, Ecology Laboratory, Sikkim University, 6th Mile Gangtok-737102, Sikkim, India.
| | - Nima Tshering Lepcha
- Department of Botany, Ecology Laboratory, Sikkim University, 6th Mile Gangtok-737102, Sikkim, India
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Kartashov AV, Zlobin IE, Pashkovskiy PP, Pojidaeva ES, Ivanov YV, Ivanova AI, Ivanov VP, Marchenko SI, Nartov DI, Kuznetsov VV. Effects of drought stress memory on the accumulation of stress-protective compounds in naturally grown pine and spruce. Plant Physiol Biochem 2023; 200:107761. [PMID: 37209454 DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2023.107761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2023] [Revised: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Forest trees are subjected to multiple stressors during their long lifetime and therefore require effective and finely regulated stress-protective systems. Stressors can induce protective systems either directly or with the involvement of stress memory mechanisms. Stress memory has only begun to be uncovered in model plants and is unexplored in coniferous species. Therefore, we studied the possible role of stress memory in the regulation of the accumulation of stress-protective compounds (heat shock proteins, dehydrins, proline) in the needles of naturally grown Scots pine and Norway spruce trees subjected to the subsequent action of long-term (multiyear) and short-term (seasonal) water shortages. Although the water deficit was relatively mild, it significantly influenced the pattern of expression of stress memory-related heat shock factor (HSF) and SWI/SNF genes, indicating the formation of stress memory in both species. In spruce, dehydrin accumulation was increased by water shortage in a manner compatible with Type II stress memory. The accumulation of HSP40 in spruce needles was positively influenced by long-term water shortage, but this increase was unlikely to be of biological importance due to the concomitant decrease in HSP70, HSP90 and HSP101 accumulation. Finally, proline accumulation was negatively influenced by short-term water deficit in spruce. In pine, no one protective compound accumulated in response to water stress. Taken together, the results indicate that the accumulation of stress-protective compounds was generally independent of stress memory effects both in pine and in spruce.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander V Kartashov
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St, Moscow, 127276, Russia.
| | - Ilya E Zlobin
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St, Moscow, 127276, Russia
| | - Pavel P Pashkovskiy
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St, Moscow, 127276, Russia
| | - Elena S Pojidaeva
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St, Moscow, 127276, Russia
| | - Yury V Ivanov
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St, Moscow, 127276, Russia
| | - Alexandra I Ivanova
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St, Moscow, 127276, Russia
| | - Valery P Ivanov
- Bryansk State Technological University of Engineering, 3, Stanke Dimitrova St, Bryansk, 241037, Russia
| | - Sergey I Marchenko
- Bryansk State Technological University of Engineering, 3, Stanke Dimitrova St, Bryansk, 241037, Russia
| | - Dmitry I Nartov
- Bryansk State Technological University of Engineering, 3, Stanke Dimitrova St, Bryansk, 241037, Russia
| | - Vladimir V Kuznetsov
- K.A. Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology RAS, 35 Botanicheskaya St, Moscow, 127276, Russia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Hong Y, Liu X, Camarero JJ, Xu G, Zhang L, Zeng X, Aritsara ANA, Zhang Y, Wang W, Xing X, Lu Q. The effects of intrinsic water-use efficiency and climate on wood anatomy. Int J Biometeorol 2023:10.1007/s00484-023-02475-7. [PMID: 37072578 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-023-02475-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 04/05/2023] [Accepted: 04/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming may induce growth decline in warm-temperate areas subjected to seasonal soil moisture deficit, whereas increasing atmospheric CO2 concentration (Ca) is expected to enhance tree growth. An accurate understanding of tree growth and physiological processes responding to climate warming and increasing Ca is critical. Here, we analyzed tree-ring stable carbon isotope and wood anatomical traits of Pinus tabuliformis from Qinling Mountains in China to understand how lumen diameter (LD) determining potential hydraulic conductivity and cell-wall thickness (CWT) determining carbon storage responded to climate and Ca. The effects of climate and Ca on intrinsic water-use efficiency (iWUE) were isolated, and iWUE values due to only-climate (iWUEClim) and only-CO2 effects (iWUECO2) were obtained. During a low-iWUE period, the influences of climate on earlywood (EW) LD and latewood (LW) CWT prevailed. During a high-iWUE period, CO2 fertilization promoted cell enlargement and carbon storage but this was counteracted by a negative influence of climate warming. The limiting direct effects of iWUEClim and indirect effects of climate on EW LD were greater than on LW CWT. P. tabuliformis in temperate forests will face a decline of growth and carbon fixation, but will produce embolism-resistant tracheids with narrow lumen responding to future hotter droughts.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yixue Hong
- School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
- State Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-Sen University, Shenzhen, 518107, China
| | - Xiaohong Liu
- School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China.
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China.
| | - J Julio Camarero
- Instituto Pirenaico de Ecología (IPE-CSIC), Zaragoza, 50092, Spain
| | - Guobao Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, 730000, China
| | - Lingnan Zhang
- School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Xiaomin Zeng
- School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Amy Ny Aina Aritsara
- State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, Guangxi University, Nanning, 530004, China
| | - Yu Zhang
- School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
| | - Wenzhi Wang
- The Key Laboratory of Mountain Environment Evolution and Regulation, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Xiaoyu Xing
- Qinling National Botanical Garden, Xi'an, 710061, China
| | - Qiangqiang Lu
- School of Geography and Tourism, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, 710119, China
- Xi'an Botanical Garden of Shaanxi Province (Institute of Botany of Shaanxi Province), Xi'an, 710061, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Jeljli A, Houle D, Duchesne L, El-Shaarawi A, Chebana F. Evaluation of the factors governing dissolved organic carbon concentration in the soil solution of a temperate forest organic soil. Sci Total Environ 2022; 853:158240. [PMID: 36075430 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158240] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
The widespread increase of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in northern hemisphere surface waters have been generally attributed to the recovery from acidic deposition and to climatic variations. The long-term responses of DOC to environmental drivers could be better predicted with a better understanding of the mechanisms taking place at the soil level given organic forest soils are the main site of DOC production in forested watersheds. Here, we assess the long-term variation (25 years) of DOC concentration in the solution leaching from the soil organic layer (DOCOL) of a temperate forest. Our results show that DOCOL increased by 32 % (p < 0.001) during the period of study while the lake outlet DOC concentration did not show any changes. Weekly and annual models based on a simple set of explicative variables including throughfall DOC, throughfall precipitation, temperature, litterfall amounts and organic layer leachate calcium concentration (CaOL, taken as a proxy for soil solution ionic strength) explain between 17 and 58 % of the variance in DOCOL depending on model structures and temporal scales. Throughfall DOC and CaOL were both positively related to DOCOL in the models describing its variations at the weekly and annual scale. Temperature was positively correlated to DOCOL, probably due to increased microbial activity, while precipitation had a negative effect on DOCOL (only at the weekly scale), most probably due to a dilution effect. Contrary to our expectations, annual litterfall inputs had no impacts on annual DOCOL variations. Overall, the results shows that DOCOL control is a complex process implicating a set of environmental factors that are acting in different ways while no single variable alone can explain a large part of the variation in both, weekly or annual DOCOL variations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amal Jeljli
- INRS-ETE, Université du Québec, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
| | - Daniel Houle
- Science and Technology Branch, Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), 105 McGill St., Montreal, QC H2Y 2E7, Canada.
| | - Louis Duchesne
- Direction de la Recherche Forestière, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec, QC G1P 3W8, Canada
| | - Abdelhamid El-Shaarawi
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Fateh Chebana
- INRS-ETE, Université du Québec, 490 rue de la Couronne, Québec, QC G1K 9A9, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Fan DY, Dang QL, Yang XF, Liu XM, Wang JY, Zhang SR. Nitrogen deposition increases xylem hydraulic sensitivity but decreases stomatal sensitivity to water potential in two temperate deciduous tree species. Sci Total Environ 2022; 848:157840. [PMID: 35934026 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.157840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 08/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Although the effects of nitrogen deposition on tree water relations are studied extensively, its impact on the relative sensitivities of stomatal and xylem hydraulic conductance to vapor pressure deficit and water potential is still poorly understood. This study investigated the effects of a 7-year N deposition treatment on the responses of leaf water relations and sensitivity of canopy stomatal conductance to vapor pressure deficit (VPD) and water potential, as well as the sensitivity of branch hydraulic conductance to water potential in a dominant tree species (Quercus wutaishanica) and an associated tree species (Acer mono) in a temperate forest. It was found that the N deposition increased stomatal sensitivity to VPD, decreased stomatal sensitivity to water potential, and increased the vulnerability of the hydraulic system to cavitation in both species. The standardized stomatal sensitivity to VPD, however, was not affected by the N deposition, indicating that the stomata maintained the ability to regulate the water balance under nitrogen deposition condition. Although the increased stomatal sensitivity to VPD could compensate the decreased stomatal sensitivity to water potential to some extent, the combined response would increase the percentage loss of hydraulic conductivity (PLC) when 50 % loss in stomatal conductance occurred, particularly in the dominant species Q. wutaishanica. The result indicates that N deposition would increase the risk of hydraulic failure in those species if the soil and/or air becomes drier under future climate change scenarios. The results of the study can have significant implications on the modelling of ecosystem vulnerability to drought under the scenario of atmospheric nitrogen deposition.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Da-Yong Fan
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China.
| | - Qing-Lai Dang
- Faculty of Natural Resources Management, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON, Canada
| | - Xiao-Fang Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Xiao-Ming Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100096, China
| | - Jia-Yi Wang
- The Key Laboratory for Silviculture and Conservation of Ministry of Education, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, China
| | - Shou-Ren Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Vegetation and Environmental Change, Institute of Botany, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100096, China.
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Pu X, Weemstra M, Jin G, Umaña MN. Tree mycorrhizal type mediates conspecific negative density dependence effects on seedling herbivory, growth, and survival. Oecologia 2022. [PMID: 35920917 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-022-05224-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
Tree mycorrhizal type plays an important role in promoting plant species diversity and coexistence, via its mediating role in conspecific negative density dependence (CNDD), i.e., the process by which an individual's performance is impaired by the density of conspecific plants. Previous findings suggest that ectomycorrhizal (EM) tree species are generally less susceptible to CNDD than arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) tree species, due to the chemical and physical protection that EM fungi provide their host with. We examined how CNDD effects on leaf herbivory, seedling growth, and survival differ between AM and EM seedlings of ten tree species collected over 3 years in an old-growth temperate forest in northeastern China. We found that AM and EM seedlings differed in how conspecific density affected their leaf herbivory, seedling growth, and survival. Specifically, AM seedlings leaf herbivory rates significantly increased with increasing conspecific seedling and adult density, and their growth and survival rates decreased with increasing conspecific adult density, these patterns were, however, absent in EM seedlings. Our work suggests that AM seedlings have a performance disadvantage relative to EM seedlings related to the negative effects from conspecific neighbors. We highlight the importance of integrating information on seedling leaf herbivory, seedling growth, to provide further understanding on potential mechanisms driving differences in CNDD between AM and EM tree seedlings.
Collapse
|
9
|
Fedyń I, Przepióra F, Sobociński W, Wyka J, Ciach M. Eurasian beaver - A semi-aquatic ecosystem engineer rearranges the assemblage of terrestrial mammals in winter. Sci Total Environ 2022; 831:154919. [PMID: 35364166 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.154919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2022] [Revised: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
There is increasing awareness of the ecosystem engineering services provided by recovering populations of Eurasian beaver. By modifying aquatic environments, this species has a significant, positive influence on biodiversity. Beaver activity affects not only aquatic ecosystems but also terrestrial habitats and organisms. Our study compares and evaluates the species richness and activity of terrestrial mammals in winter at beaver ponds (N = 65) and randomly-selected reference sites along nearby watercourses unmodified by beavers (N = 65) in Poland (central Europe). Mammal assemblages were investigated near pond/watercourse edges, and also at some distance from them. The species richness of mammal and numbers of their tracks were respectively 25% and 33% greater on the beaver than on the reference sites. The higher species richness on beaver sites extended to areas 40-60 m distant from ponds, devoid any signs of beaver activity. Twenty-three mammal species were recorded on beaver sites (mean species richness 3.8 ± 1.6 SD), and 20 on reference ones (3.0 ± 1.5 SD). The numbers of tracks of grey wolf, least weasel and European polecat were higher on beaver than reference sites. Mammal species richness and activity were related to the existence of beaver ponds, but were also correlated with the numbers of snags and coverage of grass, bramble and coniferous saplings in neighbouring terrestrial habitats. Large and small carnivores occurred more frequently and were more active on beaver sites. The frequencies of occurrence of mesocarnivores, mesoherbivores and small herbivores were correlated with habitat characteristics, regardless of whether beavers were present or not. Our results highlight the fact that both pond creation and the habitat changes resulting from the presence of beavers rearrange the occurrence and activity of the terrestrial mammal assemblage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Izabela Fedyń
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Fabian Przepióra
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Wojciech Sobociński
- Institute of Biology, University of Bialystok, ul. Ciołkowskiego 1J, 15-245 Białystok, Poland
| | - Jakub Wyka
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland
| | - Michał Ciach
- Department of Forest Biodiversity, Faculty of Forestry, University of Agriculture, al. 29 Listopada 46, 31-425 Kraków, Poland.
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Yan G, Wang Q, Han S, Guo Z, Yu J, Wang W, Fan C, Cao W, Wang L, Xing Y, Zhang Z. Beneficial effects of warming on temperate tree carbon storage depend on precipitation and mycorrhizal types. Sci Total Environ 2022; 819:153086. [PMID: 35038543 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2021] [Revised: 01/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Despite evidence from multiple observation data sets and numerical model simulations that interactions between biotic and abiotic factors control tree carbon (C) storage in the Northern Hemisphere, it remains unclear whether the effect of one factor will be altered by other factors. Here, we used forest inventory data consisting of more than 500,000 trees from 1910 plots to explore the relative importance of these drivers of plant C storage in northeast China. We found that tree C storage was significantly positively associated with mean annual temperature (MAT). After controlling for the role of mean annual precipitation (MAP), directionality in the tree C storage-MAT relationship reversed, indicating that the direction of MAT affecting tree C storage depends on MAP. Accounting for the effects of tree-fungal symbioses on plant resistance to drought and warming, we found that warming increased AM tree C storage even after controlling the role of MAP, but decreased EcM tree C storage after controlling the role of MAP. Our analysis also shows that species richness, especially the relative richness of AM tree species, had a significantly positive relationship with all types of tree C storage. Our findings have implications for improving temperate forest C sink and afforestation strategies: the increasing richness of AM trees has the potential to enhance the tree C sink and reduce the sensitivity of warming-induced tree growth benefits to changes in precipitation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Guoyong Yan
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China
| | - Qinggui Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China; College of Modern Agriculture and Ecological Environment, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China.
| | - Shijie Han
- School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China; Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Zhongling Guo
- School of Forestry, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, China
| | - Jinghua Yu
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wenjie Wang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China; Northeast Institute of Geography and Agroecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130102, China
| | - Chunnan Fan
- School of Forestry, Beihua University, Jilin 132013, China
| | - Wei Cao
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Lihua Wang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Yajuan Xing
- School of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu 273165, China; College of Modern Agriculture and Ecological Environment, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Zhi Zhang
- College of Modern Agriculture and Ecological Environment, Heilongjiang University, Harbin 150080, China
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Arain MA, Xu B, Brodeur JJ, Khomik M, Peichl M, Beamesderfer E, Restrepo-Couple N, Thorne R. Heat and drought impact on carbon exchange in an age-sequence of temperate pine forests. Ecol Process 2022; 11:7. [PMID: 35127311 PMCID: PMC8786774 DOI: 10.1186/s13717-021-00349-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Most North American temperate forests are plantation or regrowth forests, which are actively managed. These forests are in different stages of their growth cycles and their ability to sequester atmospheric carbon is affected by extreme weather events. In this study, the impact of heat and drought events on carbon sequestration in an age-sequence (80, 45, and 17 years as of 2019) of eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) forests in southern Ontario, Canada was examined using eddy covariance flux measurements from 2003 to 2019. RESULTS Over the 17-year study period, the mean annual values of net ecosystem productivity (NEP) were 180 ± 96, 538 ± 177 and 64 ± 165 g C m-2 yr-1 in the 80-, 45- and 17-year-old stands, respectively, with the highest annual carbon sequestration rate observed in the 45-year-old stand. We found that air temperature (Ta) was the dominant control on NEP in all three different-aged stands and drought, which was a limiting factor for both gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) and ecosystems respiration (RE), had a smaller impact on NEP. However, the simultaneous occurrence of heat and drought events during the early growing seasons or over the consecutive years had a significant negative impact on annual NEP in all three forests. We observed a similar trend of NEP decline in all three stands over three consecutive years that experienced extreme weather events, with 2016 being a hot and dry, 2017 being a dry, and 2018 being a hot year. The youngest stand became a net source of carbon for all three of these years and the oldest stand became a small source of carbon for the first time in 2018 since observations started in 2003. However, in 2019, all three stands reverted to annual net carbon sinks. CONCLUSIONS Our study results indicate that the timing, frequency and concurrent or consecutive occurrence of extreme weather events may have significant implications for carbon sequestration in temperate conifer forests in Eastern North America. This study is one of few globally available to provide long-term observational data on carbon exchanges in different-aged temperate plantation forests. It highlights interannual variability in carbon fluxes and enhances our understanding of the responses of these forest ecosystems to extreme weather events. Study results will help in developing climate resilient and sustainable forestry practices to offset atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions and improving simulation of carbon exchange processes in terrestrial ecosystem models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- M. Altaf Arain
- School of Earth, Environment and Society and McMaster Centre for Climate Change, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Bing Xu
- School of Earth, Environment and Society and McMaster Centre for Climate Change, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Jason J. Brodeur
- School of Earth, Environment and Society and McMaster Centre for Climate Change, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
| | - Myroslava Khomik
- School of Earth, Environment and Society and McMaster Centre for Climate Change, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
- Department of Geography and Environmental Management, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON Canada
| | - Matthias Peichl
- School of Earth, Environment and Society and McMaster Centre for Climate Change, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Eric Beamesderfer
- School of Informatics, Computing, and Cyber Systems, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ USA
| | - Natalia Restrepo-Couple
- School of Earth, Environment and Society and McMaster Centre for Climate Change, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ USA
| | - Robin Thorne
- School of Earth, Environment and Society and McMaster Centre for Climate Change, McMaster University, 1280 Main Street West, Hamilton, ON L8S 4K1 Canada
- Department of Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON Canada
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Orwig DA, Aylward JA, Buckley HL, Case BS, Ellison AM. Land-use history impacts spatial patterns and composition of woody plant species across a 35-hectare temperate forest plot. PeerJ 2022; 10:e12693. [PMID: 35036094 PMCID: PMC8734465 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.12693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 12/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Land-use history is the template upon which contemporary plant and tree populations establish and interact with one another and exerts a legacy on the structure and dynamics of species assemblages and ecosystems. We use the first census (2010-2014) of a 35-ha forest-dynamics plot at the Harvard Forest in central Massachusetts to describe the composition and structure of the woody plants in this plot, assess their spatial associations within and among the dominant species using univariate and bivariate spatial point-pattern analysis, and examine the interactions between land-use history and ecological processes. The plot includes 108,632 live stems ≥ 1 cm in diameter (2,215 individuals/ha) and 7,595 standing dead stems ≥ 5 cm in diameter. Live tree basal area averaged 42.25 m2/ha, of which 84% was represented by Tsuga canadensis (14.0 m2/ ha), Quercus rubra (northern red oak; 9.6 m2/ ha), Acer rubrum (7.2 m2/ ha) and Pinus strobus (eastern white pine; 4.4 m2/ ha). These same four species also comprised 78% of the live aboveground biomass, which averaged 245.2 Mg/ ha. Across all species and size classes, the forest contains a preponderance (> 80,000) of small stems (<10-cm diameter) that exhibit a reverse-J size distribution. Significant spatial clustering of abundant overstory species was observed at all spatial scales examined. Spatial distributions of A. rubrum and Q. rubra showed negative intraspecific correlations in diameters up to at least a 150-m spatial lag, likely indicative of crowding effects in dense forest patches following intensive past land use. Bivariate marked point-pattern analysis, showed that T. canadensis and Q. rubra diameters were negatively associated with one another, indicating resource competition for light. Distribution and abundance of the common overstory species are predicted best by soil type, tree neighborhood effects, and two aspects of land-use history: when fields were abandoned in the late 19th century and the succeeding forest types recorded in 1908. In contrast, a history of intensive logging prior to 1950 and a damaging hurricane in 1938 appear to have had little effect on the distribution and abundance of present-day tree species. Our findings suggest that current day composition and structure are still being influenced by anthropogenic disturbances that occurred over a century ago.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- David A. Orwig
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, United States of America
| | - Jason A. Aylward
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, United States of America
| | - Hannah L. Buckley
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Bradley S. Case
- School of Science, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Aaron M. Ellison
- Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA, United States of America,Sound Solutions for Sustainable Science, Boston, MA, United States of America
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
He X, Chen S, Wang J, Smith NG, Rossi S, Yang H, Liu J, Chen L. Delaying effect of humidity on leaf unfolding in Europe. Sci Total Environ 2021; 800:149563. [PMID: 34399328 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.149563] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the drivers of plant phenology is critical to predict the impact of future warming on terrestrial ecosystem carbon cycling and feedbacks to climate. Using indoor growth chambers, air humidity is reported to influence spring phenology in temperate trees. However, previous studies have not investigated the effect of air humidity on the spring phenology using long-term and large-scale ground observations. Therefore, the role of humidity in spring phenology in temperate trees still remains poorly understood. Here, we synthesized 229,588 records of leaf unfolding dates in eight temperate tree species, including four early-successional and four late-successional species, at 1716 observation sites during 1951-2015 in Europe, and comprehensively analyzed the effect of humidity on the spring phenology. We found that rising humidity significantly delayed spring leaf unfolding for all eight temperate tree species. Leaf unfolding was more sensitive to humidity in early-successional species compared to late-successional species. In addition, the delaying effect of humidity on leaf unfolding increased as temperature warmed over the past 65 years. Our results provide evidence that spring leaf unfolding of temperate trees was significantly delayed by rising humidity. The delaying effect of humidity may restrict earlier spring phenology induced by warming, especially for early-successional species, under future climate warming scenarios in temperate forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xujian He
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Shanshan Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jinmei Wang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Nicholas G Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA
| | - Sergio Rossi
- Département des Sciences Fondamentales, Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, QC G7H SB1, Canada; Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Applied Botany, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, China
| | - Hongjun Yang
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Jianquan Liu
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China
| | - Lei Chen
- Key Laboratory of Bio-Resource and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China; Department of Biological Sciences, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Bodo AV, Arain MA. Radial variations in xylem sap flux in a temperate red pine plantation forest. Ecol Process 2021; 10:24. [PMID: 34722105 PMCID: PMC8550132 DOI: 10.1186/s13717-021-00295-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/01/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Scaling sap flux measurements to whole-tree water use or stand-level transpiration is often done using measurements conducted at a single point in the sapwood of the tree and has the potential to cause significant errors. Previous studies have shown that much of this uncertainty is related to (i) measurement of sapwood area and (ii) variations in sap flow at different depths within the tree sapwood. RESULTS This study measured sap flux density at three depth intervals in the sapwood of 88-year-old red pine (Pinus resinosa) trees to more accurately estimate water-use at the tree- and stand-level in a plantation forest near Lake Erie in Southern Ontario, Canada. Results showed that most of the water transport (65%) occurred in the outermost sapwood, while only 26% and 9% of water was transported in the middle and innermost depths of sapwood, respectively. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that failing to consider radial variations in sap flux density within trees can lead to an overestimation of transpiration by as much as 81%, which may cause large uncertainties in water budgets at the ecosystem and catchment scale. This study will help to improve our understanding of water use dynamics and reduce uncertainties in sap flow measurements in the temperate pine forest ecosystems in the Great Lakes region and help in protecting these forests in the face of climate change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alanna V. Bodo
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada
- McMaster Centre for Climate Change, Hamilton, ON Canada
| | - M. Altaf Arain
- School of Earth, Environment and Society, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON Canada
- McMaster Centre for Climate Change, Hamilton, ON Canada
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
Li X, Zhang C, Zhang B, Wu D, Zhu D, Zhang W, Ye Q, Yan J, Fu J, Fang C, Ha D, Fu S. Nitrogen deposition and increased precipitation interact to affect fine root production and biomass in a temperate forest: Implications for carbon cycling. Sci Total Environ 2021; 765:144497. [PMID: 33418324 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.144497] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [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: 09/16/2020] [Revised: 12/06/2020] [Accepted: 12/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Fine roots connect belowground and aboveground systems and help regulate the carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems by providing nutrients and water for plants. To evaluate the effects of atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition and increased precipitation on fine root production and standing biomass in a temperate deciduous forest in central China, we conducted a 6-year experiment. From 2013 to 2018, we applied N (25 kg N ha-1 yr-1) and water (336 mm, 30% of the ambient annual precipitation) above the forest canopy, and we quantified fine root production and biomass in 2017 and 2018. At 0-10 cm soil depth, the statistical interaction between addition of N and water was not significant in terms of fine root production or biomass. At 0-10 cm soil depth, N addition significantly increased fine root production by 18.1%, but did not affect fine root biomass. Water addition significantly increased fine root production and biomass by 13.6 and 17.0%, respectively. Both N and water addition had significant direct positive effects on fine root production, and water addition had indirect positive effects on fine root biomass through decreasing soil NO3- concentration. At 10-30 cm soil depth, the statistical interaction between N addition and water addition was significant in terms of both fine root production and biomass, i.e., the positive effect of N addition was reduced by water addition, and vice versa. These findings indicate that fine roots and therefore belowground carbon storage may have complex responses to increases in atmospheric N deposition and changes in precipitation predicted for the future. The findings also suggest that results obtained from experiments that consider only one independent variable (e.g., N input or water input) and only one soil depth should be interpreted with caution.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Xiaowei Li
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Integrated Air Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Chenlu Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Integrated Air Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China.
| | - Beibei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Di Wu
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Dandan Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Qing Ye
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Junhua Yan
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou 510650, China
| | - Juemin Fu
- Jigongshan National Nature Reserve, Xinyang 464039, China
| | | | - Denglong Ha
- Jigongshan National Nature Reserve, Xinyang 464039, China
| | - Shenglei Fu
- Key Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, Ministry of Education, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China; Henan Key Laboratory of Integrated Air Pollution Control and Ecological Security, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Denéchère R, Delpierre N, Apostol EN, Berveiller D, Bonne F, Cole E, Delzon S, Dufrêne E, Gressler E, Jean F, Lebourgeois F, Liu G, Louvet JM, Parmentier J, Soudani K, Vincent G. The within-population variability of leaf spring and autumn phenology is influenced by temperature in temperate deciduous trees. Int J Biometeorol 2021; 65:369-379. [PMID: 31352524 DOI: 10.1007/s00484-019-01762-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [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: 03/14/2019] [Revised: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/14/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Leaf phenology is a major driver of ecosystem functioning in temperate forests and a robust indicator of climate change. Both the inter-annual and inter-population variability of leaf phenology have received much attention in the literature; in contrast, the within-population variability of leaf phenology has been far less studied. Beyond its impact on individual tree physiological processes, the within-population variability of leaf phenology can affect the estimation of the average budburst or leaf senescence dates at the population scale. Here, we monitored the progress of spring and autumn leaf phenology over 14 tree populations (9 tree species) in six European forests over the period of 2011 to 2018 (yielding 16 site-years of data for spring, 14 for autumn). We monitored 27 to 512 (with a median of 62) individuals per population. We quantified the within-population variability of leaf phenology as the standard deviation of the distribution of individual dates of budburst or leaf senescence (SDBBi and SDLSi, respectively). Given the natural variability of phenological dates occurring in our tree populations, we estimated from the data that a minimum sample size of 28 (resp. 23) individuals, are required to estimate SDBBi (resp. SDLSi) with a precision of 3 (resp. 7) days. The within-population of leaf senescence (average SDLSi = 8.5 days) was on average two times larger than for budburst (average SDBBi = 4.0 days). We evidenced that warmer temperature during the budburst period and a late average budburst date were associated with a lower SDBBi, as a result of a quicker spread of budburst in tree populations, with a strong species effect. Regarding autumn phenology, we observed that later senescence and warm temperatures during the senescence period were linked with a high SDLSi, with a strong species effect. The shares of variance explained by our models were modest suggesting that other factors likely influence the within-population variation in leaf phenology. For instance, a detailed analysis revealed that summer temperatures were negatively correlated with a lower SDLSi.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rémy Denéchère
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Nicolas Delpierre
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France.
| | - Ecaterina Nicoleta Apostol
- Department of Genetics, National Institute for Research and Development in Forestry "Marin Dracea", 128 Eroilor Blvd., 077190, Voluntari, Ilfov, Romania
| | - Daniel Berveiller
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Fabrice Bonne
- AgroParisTech, INRA, UMR Silva, Université de Lorraine, 14 rue Girardet, F-54000, Nancy, France
| | - Ella Cole
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Eric Dufrêne
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Eliana Gressler
- Instituto de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica, Laboratório de Fenologia, UNESP - Universidade Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Frédéric Jean
- INRA, UR629, Ecologie des Forêts Méditerranéennes (URFM), Domaine Saint Paul Site Agroparc, F-84194, Avignon Cedex 9, France
| | - François Lebourgeois
- AgroParisTech, INRA, UMR Silva, Université de Lorraine, 14 rue Girardet, F-54000, Nancy, France
| | - Guohua Liu
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
- College of Urban and Environmental Sciences, Laboratory for Earth Surface Processes of the Ministry of Education, Peking University, Beijing, China
| | | | - Julien Parmentier
- INRA, UE 0393, Unité Expérimentale Arboricole, Centre de Recherche Bordeaux, Toulenne, Aquitaine, France
| | - Kamel Soudani
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| | - Gaëlle Vincent
- Ecologie Systématique Evolution, Univ. Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 91400, Orsay, France
| |
Collapse
|
17
|
Dormann CF, Bagnara M, Boch S, Hinderling J, Janeiro-Otero A, Schäfer D, Schall P, Hartig F. Plant species richness increases with light availability, but not variability, in temperate forests understorey. BMC Ecol 2020; 20:43. [PMID: 32727542 PMCID: PMC7392730 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00311-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 07/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Temperate forest understorey vegetation poses an excellent study system to investigate whether increases in resource availability lead to an increase in plant species richness. Most sunlight is absorbed by the species-poor tree canopy, making the much more species-rich understorey species inhabit a severely resource-limited habitat. Additionally, the heterogeneity of light availability, resulting from management-moderated tree composition and age structure, may contribute to species coexistence. One would therefore expect that the diversity in the herb layer correlates positively with either the overall light availability, or the light heterogeneity, depending on whether resource availability or heterogeneity are more important drivers of diversity. To test this idea, we assessed variability of light conditions in 75 forest plots across three ecoregions with four different methods. Results We correlated these data with vegetation relevés and found light availability to be strongly positively correlated with understorey plant species richness, as well as with understorey cover. Light variability (assessed with two approaches) within plots was positively correlated with transmittance, but did not improve the relationship further, suggesting that the main driver of species richness in this system is the overall resource availability. Two of the three beech-dominated regions exhibited near-identical effects of light transmittance, while the third, featuring pine alongside beech and thus with the longest gradient of transmittance and lowest species richness, displayed a weaker light response. Conclusions While site conditions are certainly responsible for the trees selected by foresters, for the resulting forest structure, and for the differences in plant species pools, our results suggest that light transmittance is a strong mediating factor of understorey plant species richness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carsten F Dormann
- Biometry & Environmental System Analysis, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.
| | - Maurizio Bagnara
- Biometry & Environmental System Analysis, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F), Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany
| | - Steffen Boch
- WSL Swiss Federal Research Institute, Zürcherstrasse 111, 8903, Birmensdorf, Switzerland
| | - Judith Hinderling
- Institut of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Andrea Janeiro-Otero
- Biometry & Environmental System Analysis, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79104, Freiburg, Germany
| | - Deborah Schäfer
- Institut of Plant Sciences, University of Bern, Altenbergrain 21, 3013, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Peter Schall
- Silviculture and Forest Ecology of the Temperate Zones, University of Göttingen, Büsgenweg 1, 37077, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Florian Hartig
- Biometry & Environmental System Analysis, University of Freiburg, Tennenbacher Str. 4, 79104, Freiburg, Germany.,Theoretical Ecology, University of Regensburg, Universitätsstraße 31, 93053, Regensburg, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Miyake H, Ishitsuka S, Taniguchi T, Yamato M. Communities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in forest ecosystems in Japan's temperate region may be primarily constituted by limited fungal taxa. Mycorrhiza 2020; 30:257-268. [PMID: 32170391 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-020-00945-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2020] [Indexed: 05/14/2023]
Abstract
We investigated arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungal communities in secondary forests and/or Chamaecyparis obtusa plantations at eight study sites in Japan's temperate region. In the secondary forests, AM plants of the families Lauraceae, Sapindaceae, Rutaceae, Araliaceae, Rosaceae, Magnoliaceae, Cornaceae, Piperaceae, and Anacardiaceae were found. The AM fungal communities were evaluated based on compositions of the AM fungal operational taxonomic units (OTUs), which were clustered at a 97% similarity threshold of the sequences of a partial small subunit of a nuclear ribosomal RNA gene obtained from the plant roots. The compositions of AM fungal OTUs were significantly correlated with the plant family compositions and were significantly differentiated among the study sites and between the study forests. Interestingly, only 19 OTUs remained after selecting for those that had more than 1.0% of the total reads, and these 19 OTUs accounted for 86.3% of the total rarefied reads that were classified into 121 OTUs. Furthermore, three dominant OTUs constituted 48.0% of the total reads, and the most dominant OTU was found at all study sites, except at one. These results indicate that AM fungal communities are primarily constituted by limited AM fungal taxa in the forest ecosystems with diverse plant taxa in Japan's temperate region. The results of basic local algorithm search tool (BLAST) searches against MaarjAM, a database of AM fungal sequences, also revealed that the AM fungi which were the three dominant OTUs are distributed in forest ecosystems on a worldwide scale.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroki Miyake
- Graduate School of Education, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
| | - Sakiko Ishitsuka
- Faculty of Education, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan
| | - Takeshi Taniguchi
- Arid Land Research Center, Tottori University, 1390 Hamasaka, Tottori, 680-0001, Japan
| | - Masahide Yamato
- Faculty of Education, Chiba University, 1-33, Yayoi-cho, Inage-ku, Chiba, 263-8522, Japan.
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Zhou M, Yan G, Xing Y, Chen F, Zhang X, Wang J, Zhang J, Dai G, Zheng X, Sun W, Wang Q, Liu T. Nitrogen deposition and decreased precipitation does not change total nitrogen uptake in a temperate forest. Sci Total Environ 2019; 651:32-41. [PMID: 30223219 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.09.166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/12/2018] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Decreased precipitation and increased anthropogenical by derived nitrogen (N) are important climate change factors that alter the availability of soil water and N which are crucial to root function and morphological traits. However, these factors are seldom explored in forests. To clarify how altered precipitation and N addition affect the uptake of organic and inorganic N by fine roots, a field hydroponic experiment using brief 15N exposures was conducted in a temperate forest in northern China. The root traits related to nutrient foraging (root morphology and mycorrhizal colonization) were measured simultaneously. Our results showed that all three tree species preferred ammonium (NH4+) over glycine and nitrate (NO3-), and NH4+ contributed 73% to the total N uptake from the soil. Uptake of glycine was higher than that of NO3-. Decreased precipitation, N addition, and their interaction increased NH4+ uptake rate compared with the control. Decreased precipitation decreased the glycine and NO3- uptake rate. Moreover, N addition, decreased precipitation and their interaction changed root morphological traits and significantly decreased mycorrhizal colonization. Although our treatments resulted in changes to the root traits and the forms of N uptake by plants, the total amount of N uptake did not change among all treatments. We conclude that although fine root traits of dominant tree species in temperate forests have high plasticity in response to climate change, nutrient balance in plants causes the total amount of N uptake to remain unchanged.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mingxin Zhou
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Guoyong Yan
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Yajuan Xing
- College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China; Institute of Forestry Science of Heilongjiang Province, 134 Haping Road, Harbin 150081, China
| | - Fei Chen
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China
| | - Jianyu Wang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Junhui Zhang
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Guanhua Dai
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Xingbo Zheng
- Institute of Applied Ecology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 72 Wenhua Road, Shenyang 110016, China
| | - Wenjing Sun
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China
| | - Qinggui Wang
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China; College of Agricultural Resource and Environment, Heilongjiang University, 74 Xuefu Road, Harbin 150080, China.
| | - Tong Liu
- School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China.
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Wu Q. Effects of snow depth manipulation on the releases of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from the foliar litter of two temperate tree species. Sci Total Environ 2018; 643:1357-1365. [PMID: 30189552 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.06.308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2018] [Revised: 06/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
The effect of snow depth on litter decomposition in cold regions has attracted substantial attention, but the importance of snow depth to the releases of carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) and the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The releases of C, N, and P from the foliar litter of Pinus koraiensis and Quercus mongolica in response to snow depth changes were examined for 12 months in a temperate forest of Northeast China via a snow depth manipulation experiment that included snow-addition (SA), snow-removal (SR), and control (CK) treatments. We found that the SA treatment promoted the releases of C, N, and P from the foliar litter during the snow-covered season but slowed these processes during the following snow-free season; however, the SR treatment produced the opposite results. Compared with the CK treatment, the SA treatment increased the annual releases of C, N, and P by 2.52%, 0.50%, and 4.68%, respectively, whereas the SR treatment decreased the corresponding values. The elemental release during the snow-covered season was associated with the freeze-thaw cycle (FTC) and microbial biomass, whereas that during the snow-free season was mainly controlled by the temperature of the litter layer. Our findings indicated that the snow depth promoted the releases of C, N and P from the foliar litter of the two tree species, especially during the snow-covered season. These results deepen the understanding of the biogeochemical cycling in cold regions under global climate change scenarios.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Qiqian Wu
- Center for Ecological Research, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, Harbin 150040, China..
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Rosumek FB, Blüthgen N, Brückner A, Menzel F, Gebauer G, Heethoff M. Unveiling community patterns and trophic niches of tropical and temperate ants using an integrative framework of field data, stable isotopes and fatty acids. PeerJ 2018; 6:e5467. [PMID: 30155364 PMCID: PMC6109374 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2018] [Accepted: 07/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The use and partitioning of trophic resources is a central aspect of community function. On the ground of tropical forests, dozens of ant species may be found together and ecological mechanisms should act to allow such coexistence. One hypothesis states that niche specialization is higher in the tropics, compared to temperate regions. However, trophic niches of most species are virtually unknown. Several techniques might be combined to study trophic niche, such as field observations, fatty acid analysis (FAA) and stable isotope analysis (SIA). In this work, we combine these three techniques to unveil partitioning of trophic resources in a tropical and a temperate community. We describe patterns of resource use, compare them between communities, and test correlation and complementarity of methods to unveil both community patterns and species' niches. Methods Resource use was assessed with seven kinds of bait representing natural resources available to ants. Neutral lipid fatty acid (NLFA) profiles, and δ15N and δ13C isotope signatures of the species were also obtained. Community patterns and comparisons were analyzed with clustering, correlations, multivariate analyses and interaction networks. Results Resource use structure was similar in both communities. Niche breadths (H') and network metrics (Q and H2') indicated similar levels of generalization between communities. A few species presented more specialized niches, such as Wasmannia auropunctata and Lasius fuliginosus. Stable isotope signatures and NLFA profiles also indicated high generalization, although the latter differed between communities, with temperate species having higher amounts of fat and proportions of C18:1n9. Bait use and NLFA profile similarities were correlated, as well as species' specialization indices (d') for the two methods. Similarities in δ15N and bait use, and in δ13C and NLFA profiles, were also correlated. Discussion Our results agree with the recent view that specialization levels do not change with latitude or species richness. Partition of trophic resources alone does not explain species coexistence in these communities, and might act together with behavioral and environmental mechanisms. Temperate species presented NLFA patterns distinct from tropical ones, which may be related to environmental factors. All methods corresponded in their characterization of species' niches to some extent, and were robust enough to detect differences even in highly generalized communities. However, their combination provides a more comprehensive picture of resource use, and it is particularly important to understand individual niches of species. FAA was applied here for the first time in ant ecology, and proved to be a valuable tool due to its combination of specificity and temporal representativeness. We propose that a framework combining field observations with chemical analysis is valuable to understand resource use in ant communities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Felix B Rosumek
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Department of Ecology and Zoology, Federal University of Santa Catarina, Florianópolis, Brazil
| | - Nico Blüthgen
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| | - Adrian Brückner
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany.,Division of Biology and Biological Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
| | - Florian Menzel
- Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution, Johannes-Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany
| | | | - Michael Heethoff
- Ecological Networks, Technische Universität Darmstadt, Darmstadt, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Gonzalez-Meler MA, Poghosyan A, Sanchez-de Leon Y, Dias de Olivera E, Norby RJ, Sturchio NC. Does elevated atmospheric CO 2affect soil carbon burial and soil weathering in a forest ecosystem? PeerJ 2018; 6:e5356. [PMID: 30065895 PMCID: PMC6065474 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.5356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2018] [Accepted: 07/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Most experimental studies measuring the effects of climate change on terrestrial C cycling have focused on processes that occur at relatively short time scales (up to a few years). However, climate-soil C interactions are influenced over much longer time scales by bioturbation and soil weathering affecting soil fertility, ecosystem productivity, and C storage. Elevated CO2can increase belowground C inputs and stimulate soil biota, potentially affecting bioturbation, and can decrease soil pH which could accelerate soil weathering rates. To determine whether we could resolve any changes in bioturbation or C storage, we investigated soil profiles collected from ambient and elevated-CO2plots at the Free-Air Carbon-Dioxide Enrichment (FACE) forest site at Oak Ridge National Laboratory after 11 years of 13C-depleted CO2 release. Profiles of organic carbon concentration, δ13C values, and activities of 137Cs, 210Pb, and 226Ra were measured to ∼30 cm depth in replicated soil cores to evaluate the effects of elevated CO2 on these parameters. Bioturbation models based on fitting advection-diffusion equations to 137Cs and 210Pb profiles showed that ambient and elevated-CO2 plots had indistinguishable ranges of apparent biodiffusion constants, advection rates, and soil mixing times, although apparent biodiffusion constants and advection rates were larger for 137Cs than for 210Pb as is generally observed in soils. Temporal changes in profiles of δ13C values of soil organic carbon (SOC) suggest that addition of new SOC at depth was occurring at a faster rate than that implied by the net advection term of the bioturbation model. Ratios of (210Pb/226Ra) may indicate apparent soil mixing cells that are consistent with biological mechanisms, possibly earthworms and root proliferation, driving C addition and the mixing of soil between ∼4 cm and ∼18 cm depth. Burial of SOC by soil mixing processes could substantially increase the net long-term storage of soil C and should be incorporated in soil-atmosphere interaction models.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Miquel A. Gonzalez-Meler
- Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Armen Poghosyan
- Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Space Center, Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Moscow, Russia
| | - Yaniria Sanchez-de Leon
- Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Agro-environmental Sciences, Universidad de Puerto Rico at Mayaguez, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico
| | - Eduardo Dias de Olivera
- Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Richard J. Norby
- Environmental Science Division and Climate Change Science Institute, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Neil C. Sturchio
- Department of Biological Sciences and Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Abrari Vajari K. Influence of interspecies competition on beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) trees and some features of stand in mixed broad-leaved forest. Environ Monit Assess 2018; 190:377. [PMID: 29869096 DOI: 10.1007/s10661-018-6754-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/25/2018] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Oriental beech (Fagus orientalis Lipsky) is one of the most important commercial tree species in the Hyrcanian region. This species is known to suffer from strong intra- and interspecific competition for above- and below-ground resources in temperate mixed stands. In the present study, a total of 26 beech trees and their surroundings trees as well as stand characteristics were evaluated for determining the interactions between them and competition index (CI) in mixed beech stand. The results showed that in mixed beech stand, there were positive correlation between CI and crown ratio and height/diameter (HD) ratio of target beech trees, but negatively correlated to crown length, crown width, crown area, and crown volume. Total height, DBH, and bole of target beech trees were decreased with increasing CI. Regression analysis showed that CI had positive significant correlation with functional group of forb richness. The target beech trees characteristics including HD ratio and crown ratio showed contrasting responses to some variables which were related to their known specific ecological strategies. This study demonstrates the different responses of target beech trees in overstory to competition in neighborhood conditions which are an important factor in retaining species coexistence and planning mixtures in temperate broad-leaved forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kambiz Abrari Vajari
- Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resource, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Vivanco L, Rascovan N, Austin AT. Plant, fungal, bacterial, and nitrogen interactions in the litter layer of a native Patagonian forest. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4754. [PMID: 29770275 PMCID: PMC5951145 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant–microbial interactions in the litter layer represent one of the most relevant interactions for biogeochemical cycling as litter decomposition is a key first step in carbon and nitrogen turnover. However, our understanding of these interactions in the litter layer remains elusive. In an old-growth mixed Nothofagus forest in Patagonia, we studied the effects of single tree species identity and the mixture of three tree species on the fungal and bacterial composition in the litter layer. We also evaluated the effects of nitrogen (N) addition on these plant–microbial interactions. In addition, we compared the magnitude of stimulation of litter decomposition due to home field advantage (HFA, decomposition occurs more rapidly when litter is placed beneath the plant species from which it had been derived than beneath a different plant species) and N addition that we previously demonstrated in this same forest, and used microbial information to interpret these results. Tree species identity had a strong and significant effect on the composition of fungal communities but not on the bacterial community of the litter layer. The microbial composition of the litter layer under the tree species mixture show an averaged contribution of each single tree species. N addition did not erase the plant species footprint on the fungal community, and neither altered the bacterial community. N addition stimulated litter decomposition as much as HFA for certain tree species, but the mechanisms behind N and HFA stimulation may have differed. Our results suggest that stimulation of decomposition from N addition might have occurred due to increased microbial activity without large changes in microbial community composition, while HFA may have resulted principally from plant species’ effects on the litter fungal community. Together, our results suggest that plant–microbial interactions can be an unconsidered driver of litter decomposition in temperate forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Vivanco
- Instituto de Fisiología y Ecología Vinculado a la Agricultura (IFEVA), Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Nicolás Rascovan
- Instituto de Agrobiotecnología Rosario (INDEAR), Santa Fe, Argentina
| | - Amy T Austin
- Instituto de Fisiología y Ecología Vinculado a la Agricultura (IFEVA), Facultad de Agronomía, Universidad de Buenos Aires, CONICET, Buenos Aires, Argentina.,Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas (IIB), Universidad Nacional de San Martín, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Shi L, Zhang H, Liu T, Mao P, Zhang W, Shao Y, Fu S. An increase in precipitation exacerbates negative effects of nitrogen deposition on soil cations and soil microbial communities in a temperate forest. Environ Pollut 2018; 235:293-301. [PMID: 29294455 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.12.083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2017] [Revised: 12/19/2017] [Accepted: 12/22/2017] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
World soils are subjected to a number of anthropogenic global change factors. Although many previous studies contributed to understand how single global change factors affect soil properties, there have been few studies aimed at understanding how two naturally co-occurring global change drivers, nitrogen (N) deposition and increased precipitation, affect critical soil properties. In addition, most atmospheric N deposition and precipitation increase studies have been simulated by directly adding N solution or water to the forest floor, and thus largely neglect some key canopy processes in natural conditions. These previous studies, therefore, may not realistically simulate natural atmospheric N deposition and precipitation increase in forest ecosystems. In a field experiment, we used novel canopy applications to investigate the effects of N deposition, increased precipitation, and their combination on soil chemical properties and the microbial community in a temperate deciduous forest. We found that both soil chemistry and microorganisms were sensitive to these global change factors, especially when they were simultaneously applied. These effects were evident within 2 years of treatment initiation. Canopy N deposition immediately accelerated soil acidification, base cation depletion, and toxic metal accumulation. Although increased precipitation only promoted base cation leaching, this exacerbated the effects of N deposition. Increased precipitation decreased soil fungal biomass, possible due to wetting/re-drying stress or to the depletion of Na. When N deposition and increased precipitation occurred together, soil gram-negative bacteria decreased significantly, and the community structure of soil bacteria was altered. The reduction of gram-negative bacterial biomass was closely linked to the accumulation of the toxic metals Al and Fe. These results suggested that short-term responses in soil cations following N deposition and increased precipitation could change microbial biomass and community structure.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Leilei Shi
- Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Avenue, Kaifeng 475004, China.
| | - Hongzhi Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China.
| | - Tao Liu
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Peng Mao
- Key Laboratory of Vegetation Restoration and Management of Degraded Ecosystems, South China Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 723 Xingke Road, Tianhe District, Guangzhou 510650, China; University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Shijingshan District, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Weixin Zhang
- Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Avenue, Kaifeng 475004, China.
| | - Yuanhu Shao
- Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Avenue, Kaifeng 475004, China.
| | - Shenglei Fu
- Laboratory of Geospatial Technology for the Middle and Lower Yellow River Regions, College of Environment and Planning, Henan University, Jinming Avenue, Kaifeng 475004, China.
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Fan C, Tan L, Zhang C, Zhao X, von Gadow K. Analysing taxonomic structures and local ecological processes in temperate forests in North Eastern China. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:33. [PMID: 29084533 PMCID: PMC5663035 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0143-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2016] [Accepted: 10/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND One of the core issues of forest community ecology is the exploration of how ecological processes affect community structure. The relative importance of different processes is still under debate. This study addresses four questions: (1) how is the taxonomic structure of a forest community affected by spatial scale? (2) does the taxonomic structure reveal effects of local processes such as environmental filtering, dispersal limitation or interspecific competition at a local scale? (3) does the effect of local processes on the taxonomic structure vary with the spatial scale? (4) does the analysis based on taxonomic structures provide similar insights when compared with the use of phylogenetic information? Based on the data collected in two large forest observational field studies, the taxonomic structures of the plant communities were analyzed at different sampling scales using taxonomic ratios (number of genera/number of species, number of families/number of species), and the relationship between the number of higher taxa and the number of species. Two random null models were used and the "standardized effect size" (SES) of taxonomic ratios was calculated, to assess possible differences between the observed and simulated taxonomic structures, which may be caused by specific ecological processes. We further applied a phylogeny-based method to compare results with those of the taxonomic approach. RESULTS As expected, the taxonomic ratios decline with increasing grain size. The quantitative relationship between genera/families and species, described by a linearized power function, showed a good fit. With the exception of the family-species relationship in the Jiaohe study area, the exponents of the genus/family-species relationships did not show any scale dependent effects. The taxonomic ratios of the observed communities had significantly lower values than those of the simulated random community under the test of two null models at almost all scales. Null Model 2 which considered the spatial dispersion of species generated a taxonomic structure which proved to be more consistent with that in the observed community. As sampling sizes increased from 20 m × 20 m to 50 m × 50 m, the magnitudes of SESs of taxonomic ratios increased. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, we found that the Jiaohe plot was phylogenetically clustered at almost all scales. We detected significant phylogenetically overdispersion at the 20 m × 20 m and 30 m × 30 m scales in the Liangshui plot. CONCLUSIONS The results suggest that the effect of abiotic filtering is greater than the effects of interspecific competition in shaping the local community at almost all scales. Local processes influence the taxonomic structures, but their combined effects vary with the spatial scale. The taxonomic approach provides similar insights as the phylogenetic approach, especially when we applied a more conservative null model. Analysing taxonomic structure may be a useful tool for communities where well-resolved phylogenetic data are not available.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Chunyu Fan
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Lingzhao Tan
- Key Laboratory for Forest Resources & Ecosystem Processes of Beijing, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing, 100083 China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry Administration, Beijing Forestry Univerity, 100083 Beijing, China
| | - Xiuhai Zhao
- Research Center of Forest Management Engineering of State Forestry Administration, Beijing Forestry Univerity, 100083 Beijing, China
| | - Klaus von Gadow
- Department of Forest and Wood Science, University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
- Faculty of Forestry and Forest Ecology, Georg-August-University Göttingen, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Laforest-Lapointe I, Messier C, Kembel SW. Tree phyllosphere bacterial communities: exploring the magnitude of intra- and inter-individual variation among host species. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2367. [PMID: 27635335 PMCID: PMC5012278 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [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: 05/15/2016] [Accepted: 07/25/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The diversity and composition of the microbial community of tree leaves (the phyllosphere) varies among trees and host species and along spatial, temporal, and environmental gradients. Phyllosphere community variation within the canopy of an individual tree exists but the importance of this variation relative to among-tree and among-species variation is poorly understood. Sampling techniques employed for phyllosphere studies include picking leaves from one canopy location to mixing randomly selected leaves from throughout the canopy. In this context, our goal was to characterize the relative importance of intra-individual variation in phyllosphere communities across multiple species, and compare this variation to inter-individual and interspecific variation of phyllosphere epiphytic bacterial communities in a natural temperate forest in Quebec, Canada. Methods We targeted five dominant temperate forest tree species including angiosperms and gymnosperms: Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, Abies balsamea and Picea glauca. For one randomly selected tree of each species, we sampled microbial communities at six distinct canopy locations: bottom-canopy (1–2 m height), the four cardinal points of mid-canopy (2–4 m height), and the top-canopy (4–6 m height). We also collected bottom-canopy leaves from five additional trees from each species. Results Based on an analysis of bacterial community structure measured via Illumina sequencing of the bacterial 16S gene, we demonstrate that 65% of the intra-individual variation in leaf bacterial community structure could be attributed to the effect of inter-individual and inter-specific differences while the effect of canopy location was not significant. In comparison, host species identity explains 47% of inter-individual and inter-specific variation in leaf bacterial community structure followed by individual identity (32%) and canopy location (6%). Discussion Our results suggest that individual samples from consistent positions within the tree canopy from multiple individuals per species can be used to accurately quantify variation in phyllosphere bacterial community structure. However, the considerable amount of intra-individual variation within a tree canopy ask for a better understanding of how changes in leaf characteristics and local abiotic conditions drive spatial variation in the phyllosphere microbiome.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe
- Centre d'étude de la forêt, Montreal, Canada; Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Christian Messier
- Centre d'étude de la forêt, Montreal, Canada; Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada; ISFORT - Institut des Sciences de la Forêt Tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, Quebec, Canada
| | - Steven W Kembel
- Centre d'étude de la forêt, Montreal, Canada; Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Laforest-Lapointe I, Messier C, Kembel SW. Host species identity, site and time drive temperate tree phyllosphere bacterial community structure. Microbiome 2016; 4:27. [PMID: 27316353 PMCID: PMC4912770 DOI: 10.1186/s40168-016-0174-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 122] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 05/24/2016] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The increasing awareness of the role of phyllosphere microbial communities in plant health calls for a greater understanding of their structure and dynamics in natural ecosystems. Since most knowledge of tree phyllosphere bacterial communities has been gathered in tropical forests, our goal was to characterize the community structure and assembly dynamics of phyllosphere epiphytic bacterial communities in temperate forests in Quebec, Canada. We targeted five dominant tree species: Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, Betula papyrifera, Abies balsamea, and Picea glauca. We collected 180 samples of phyllosphere communities on these species at four natural forest sites, three times during the growing season. RESULTS Host functional traits (i.e., wood density, leaf nitrogen content) and climate variables (summer mean temperature and precipitation) were strongly correlated with community structure. We highlight three key findings: (1) temperate tree species share a "core microbiome"; (2) significant evolutionary associations exist between groups of bacteria and host species; and (3) a greater part of the variation in phyllosphere bacterial community assembly is explained by host species identity (27 %) and species-site interaction (14 %), than by site (11 %) or time (1 %). CONCLUSIONS We demonstrated that host species identity is a stronger driver of temperate tree phyllosphere bacterial communities than site or time. Our results suggest avenues for future studies on the influence of host functional traits on phyllosphere community functional biogeography across terrestrial biomes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle Laforest-Lapointe
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada.
- Centre d'étude de la forêt, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada.
| | - Christian Messier
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada
- Centre d'étude de la forêt, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada
- Institut des Sciences de la Forêt tempérée, Université du Québec en Outaouais, Ripon, J0V 1V0, Québec, Canada
| | - Steven W Kembel
- Département des sciences biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada
- Centre d'étude de la forêt, Université du Québec à Montréal, C.P. 8888, Succ. Centre-Ville, Montréal, H3C 3P8, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
Miyamoto Y, Nara K. Soil propagule banks of ectomycorrhizal fungi share many common species along an elevation gradient. Mycorrhiza 2016; 26:189-197. [PMID: 26231215 DOI: 10.1007/s00572-015-0658-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2015] [Accepted: 07/20/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
We conducted bioassay experiments to investigate the soil propagule banks of ectomycorrhizal (EM) fungi in old-growth forests along an elevation gradient and compared the elevation pattern with the composition of EM fungi on existing roots in the field. In total, 150 soil cores were collected from three forests on Mt. Ishizuchi, western Japan, and subjected to bioassays using Pinus densiflora and Betula maximowicziana. Using molecular analyses, we recorded 23 EM fungal species in the assayed propagule banks. Eight species (34.8 %) were shared across the three sites, which ranged from a warm-temperate evergreen mixed forest to a subalpine conifer forest. The elevation pattern of the assayed propagule banks differed dramatically from that of EM fungi on existing roots along the same gradient, where only a small proportion of EM fungal species (3.5 %) were shared across sites. The EM fungal species found in the assayed propagule banks included many pioneer fungal species and composition differed significantly from that on existing roots. Furthermore, only 4 of 23 species were shared between the two host species, indicating a strong effect of bioassay host identity in determining the propagule banks of EM fungi. These results imply that the assayed propagule bank is less affected by climate compared to EM fungal communities on existing roots. The dominance of disturbance-dependent fungal species in the assayed propagule banks may result in higher ecosystem resilience to disturbance even in old-growth temperate forests.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yumiko Miyamoto
- Department of Natural Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8563, Japan.
| | - Kazuhide Nara
- Department of Natural Environmental Studies, The University of Tokyo, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba, 277-8563, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Schindlbacher A, Borken W, Djukic I, Brandstätter C, Spötl C, Wanek W. Contribution of carbonate weathering to the CO 2 efflux from temperate forest soils. Biogeochemistry 2015; 124:273-290. [PMID: 26213432 PMCID: PMC4512732 DOI: 10.1007/s10533-015-0097-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2015] [Accepted: 04/01/2015] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Temperate forests provide favorable conditions for carbonate bedrock weathering as the soil CO2 partial pressure is high and soil water is regularly available. As a result of weathering, abiotic CO2 can be released and contribute to the soil CO2 efflux. We used the distinct isotopic signature of the abiotic CO2 to estimate its contribution to the total soil CO2 efflux. Soil cores were sampled from forests on dolomite and limestone and were incubated under the exclusion of atmospheric CO2. Efflux and isotopic signatures of CO2 were repeatedly measured of cores containing the whole mineral soil and bedrock material (heterotrophic respiration + CO2 from weathering) and of cores containing only the mineral top-soil layer (A-horizon; heterotrophic respiration). An aliquot of the cores were let dry out during incubation to assess effects of soil moisture. Although the δ13C values of the CO2 efflux from the dolomite soil cores were within a narrow range (A-horizon -26.2 ± 0.1 ‰; whole soil profile wet -25.8 ± 0.1 ‰; whole soil profile dry -25.5 ± 0.1 ‰) the CO2 efflux from the separated A-horizons was significantly depleted in 13C when compared to the whole soil profiles (p = 0.015). The abiotic contribution to the total CO2 efflux from the dolomite soil cores was 2.0 ± 0.5 % under wet and 3.4 ± 0.5 % under dry conditions. No abiotic CO2 efflux was traceable from the limestone soil cores. An overall low contribution of CO2 from weathering was affirmed by the amount and 13C signature of the leached dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and the radiocarbon signature of the soil CO2 efflux in the field. Together, our data point towards no more than 1-2 % contribution of abiotic CO2 to the growing season soil CO2 efflux in the field.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Schindlbacher
- />Department of Forest Ecology, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape – BFW, Seckendorff-GudentWeg 8, 1131 Vienna, Austria
| | - Werner Borken
- />Department of Soil Ecology, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany
| | - Ika Djukic
- />Department of Forest Ecology, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape – BFW, Seckendorff-GudentWeg 8, 1131 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christian Brandstätter
- />Department of Forest Ecology, Federal Research and Training Centre for Forests, Natural Hazards and Landscape – BFW, Seckendorff-GudentWeg 8, 1131 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christoph Spötl
- />Institute of Geology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Wanek
- />Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Abstract
Trends in living aboveground biomass and inputs to the pool of coarse woody debris (CWD) in an undisturbed, old-growth hemlock-northern hardwood forest in northern MI were estimated from multi-decade observations of permanent plots. Growth and demographic data from seven plot censuses over 47 years (1962–2009), combined with one-time measurement of CWD pools, help assess biomass/carbon status of this landscape. Are trends consistent with traditional notions of late-successional forests as equilibrial ecosystems? Specifically, do biomass pools and CWD inputs show consistent long-term trends and relationships, and can living and dead biomass pools and trends be related to forest composition and history? Aboveground living biomass densities, estimated using standard allometric relationships, range from 360–450 Mg/ha among sampled stands and types; these values are among the highest recorded for northeastern North American forests. Biomass densities showed significant decade-scale variation, but no consistent trends over the full study period (one stand, originating following an 1830 fire, showed an aggrading trend during the first 25 years of the study). Even though total above-ground biomass pools are neither increasing nor decreasing, they have been increasingly dominated, over the full study period, by very large (>70 cm dbh) stems and by the most shade-tolerant species (Acer saccharum and Tsuga canadensis). CWD pools measured in 2007 averaged 151 m3/ha, with highest values in Acer-dominated stands. Snag densities averaged 27/ha, but varied nearly ten-fold with canopy composition (highest in Tsuga-dominated stands, lowest in Acer-dominated); snags constituted 10–50% of CWD biomass. Annualized CWD inputs from tree mortality over the full study period averaged 1.9–3.2 Mg/ha/yr, depending on stand and species composition. CWD input rates tended to increase over the course of the study. Input rates may be expected to increase over longer-term observations because, (a) living biomass is increasingly dominated by very large trees whose dead trunks have longer residence time in the CWD pool, and (b) infrequent major disturbances, thought to be important in the dynamics of these forests, have not occurred during the study period but would be expected to produce major, episodic pulses in CWD input. Few fragments of old-growth cool-temperate forests remain, but such forests can constitute a very large carbon pool on a per-area basis. The carbon sink/source status of these forests remains unclear. While aboveground living biomass at this study site shows no strong aggrading or declining trend over the last half-century, this remains a modest span in the innate time-scale of late-successional forest. The effects of rare disturbances, long-term shifts in composition and size structure, and changes in soil carbon and CWD pools may all influence long-term carbon status.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kerry D Woods
- Natural Sciences, Bennington College , Bennington, VT , USA
| |
Collapse
|