Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra
Abstract Phosphorus (P) limits or co‐limits plant and microbial life in multiple ecosystems, including the arctic tundra. Although current global carbon (C) models focus on the coupling between soil nitrogen (N) and C, ecosystem P response to climate warming may also influence the global C cycle. Pe...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Wiley
2021-11-01
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| Series: | Ecosphere |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3838 |
| _version_ | 1798015538918588416 |
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| author | Jennie R. McLaren Kate M. Buckeridge |
| author_facet | Jennie R. McLaren Kate M. Buckeridge |
| author_sort | Jennie R. McLaren |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Phosphorus (P) limits or co‐limits plant and microbial life in multiple ecosystems, including the arctic tundra. Although current global carbon (C) models focus on the coupling between soil nitrogen (N) and C, ecosystem P response to climate warming may also influence the global C cycle. Permafrost soils may see enhanced or reduced P availability under climate warming through multiple mechanisms including changing litter inputs through plant community change, changing plant–microbial dynamics, altered rates of mineralization of soil organic P through increased microbial activity, and newly exposed mineral‐bound P via deeper thaw. We investigated the effect of long‐term warming on plant leaf, multiple soil and microbial C, N, and P pools, and microbial extracellular enzyme activities, in Alaskan tundra plots underlain by permafrost. Here, we show that 25 yr of experimental summer warming increases community‐level plant leaf P through changing community composition to favour relatively P‐rich plant species. However, despite associated increases in P‐rich litter inputs, we found only a few responses in the belowground pools of P available for plant and microbial uptake, including a weak positive response for citric acid–extractable PO4 in the surface soil, a decrease in microbial biomass P, and no change in soil P (or C or N) stocks. This weak, neutral, or negative belowground P response to warming despite enhanced litter P inputs is consistent with a growing number of studies in the arctic tundra that find no long‐term response of soil C and N stocks to warming. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:36:05Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ba40805e1fea4b38af2b2393f901eeab |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2150-8925 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T15:36:05Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Ecosphere |
| spelling | doaj.art-ba40805e1fea4b38af2b2393f901eeab2022-12-22T04:16:01ZengWileyEcosphere2150-89252021-11-011211n/an/a10.1002/ecs2.3838Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundraJennie R. McLaren0Kate M. Buckeridge1Department of Biological Sciences University of Texas at El Paso El Paso Texas 79968 USADepartment of Environmental Research and Innovation (ERIN) Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST) 41 Rue du Brill 4422 Belvaux LuxembourgAbstract Phosphorus (P) limits or co‐limits plant and microbial life in multiple ecosystems, including the arctic tundra. Although current global carbon (C) models focus on the coupling between soil nitrogen (N) and C, ecosystem P response to climate warming may also influence the global C cycle. Permafrost soils may see enhanced or reduced P availability under climate warming through multiple mechanisms including changing litter inputs through plant community change, changing plant–microbial dynamics, altered rates of mineralization of soil organic P through increased microbial activity, and newly exposed mineral‐bound P via deeper thaw. We investigated the effect of long‐term warming on plant leaf, multiple soil and microbial C, N, and P pools, and microbial extracellular enzyme activities, in Alaskan tundra plots underlain by permafrost. Here, we show that 25 yr of experimental summer warming increases community‐level plant leaf P through changing community composition to favour relatively P‐rich plant species. However, despite associated increases in P‐rich litter inputs, we found only a few responses in the belowground pools of P available for plant and microbial uptake, including a weak positive response for citric acid–extractable PO4 in the surface soil, a decrease in microbial biomass P, and no change in soil P (or C or N) stocks. This weak, neutral, or negative belowground P response to warming despite enhanced litter P inputs is consistent with a growing number of studies in the arctic tundra that find no long‐term response of soil C and N stocks to warming.https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3838climate changeexperimental warmingextracellular enzyme activitylong‐termphosphorustoolik LTER |
| spellingShingle | Jennie R. McLaren Kate M. Buckeridge Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra Ecosphere climate change experimental warming extracellular enzyme activity long‐term phosphorus toolik LTER |
| title | Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra |
| title_full | Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra |
| title_fullStr | Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra |
| title_full_unstemmed | Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra |
| title_short | Enhanced plant leaf P and unchanged soil P stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra |
| title_sort | enhanced plant leaf p and unchanged soil p stocks after a quarter century of warming in the arctic tundra |
| topic | climate change experimental warming extracellular enzyme activity long‐term phosphorus toolik LTER |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.3838 |
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