Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communities

Recent vegetation changes in arctic-alpine tundra ecosystems may affect several ecosystem processes that regulate microbe and soil functions. Such changes can alter ecosystem carbon (C) cycling with positive feedback to the atmosphere if plant C uptake is less than the amount of soil C released. Her...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mia Vedel Sørensen, Bente Jessen Graae, Aimee Classen, Brian J. Enquist, Richard Strimbeck
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2019-01-01
Series:Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2019.1592649
_version_ 1818034455741202432
author Mia Vedel Sørensen
Bente Jessen Graae
Aimee Classen
Brian J. Enquist
Richard Strimbeck
author_facet Mia Vedel Sørensen
Bente Jessen Graae
Aimee Classen
Brian J. Enquist
Richard Strimbeck
author_sort Mia Vedel Sørensen
collection DOAJ
description Recent vegetation changes in arctic-alpine tundra ecosystems may affect several ecosystem processes that regulate microbe and soil functions. Such changes can alter ecosystem carbon (C) cycling with positive feedback to the atmosphere if plant C uptake is less than the amount of soil C released. Here, we examine how differences in plant functional traits, microbial activity, and soil processes within and across Salix-dominated shrub, dwarf shrub–dominated heath, and herb- and cryptogam-dominated meadow communities influence C cycling. We develop a hypothesized framework based on a priori model selection of variation in daytime growing season gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP) and above- and belowground respiration. The fluxes were standardized to light and temperature. Gross ecosystem photosynthesis was primarily related to soil moisture and secondarily to plant functional traits and aboveground biomass, and belowground respiration was dependent on the community weighted mean of specific leaf area (SLACWM). Similarly, microbial activity was linked with SLACWM and was highest in meadows, and carbon-degrading microbial activity decreased with vegetation woodiness. These results suggest that shrub expansion may influence summer C cycling differently depending on plant community, as belowground respiration might increase in the heath and decrease in the meadow communities.
first_indexed 2024-12-10T06:39:26Z
format Article
id doaj.art-d5ea2678c14c48ad82de03ec40001355
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1523-0430
1938-4246
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-10T06:39:26Z
publishDate 2019-01-01
publisher Taylor & Francis Group
record_format Article
series Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
spelling doaj.art-d5ea2678c14c48ad82de03ec400013552022-12-22T01:58:50ZengTaylor & Francis GroupArctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research1523-04301938-42462019-01-0151112814710.1080/15230430.2019.15926491592649Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communitiesMia Vedel Sørensen0Bente Jessen Graae1Aimee Classen2Brian J. Enquist3Richard Strimbeck4NTNU, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyNTNU, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyUniversity of VermontUniversity of Arizona, BioSciences WestNTNU, Norwegian University of Science and TechnologyRecent vegetation changes in arctic-alpine tundra ecosystems may affect several ecosystem processes that regulate microbe and soil functions. Such changes can alter ecosystem carbon (C) cycling with positive feedback to the atmosphere if plant C uptake is less than the amount of soil C released. Here, we examine how differences in plant functional traits, microbial activity, and soil processes within and across Salix-dominated shrub, dwarf shrub–dominated heath, and herb- and cryptogam-dominated meadow communities influence C cycling. We develop a hypothesized framework based on a priori model selection of variation in daytime growing season gross ecosystem photosynthesis (GEP) and above- and belowground respiration. The fluxes were standardized to light and temperature. Gross ecosystem photosynthesis was primarily related to soil moisture and secondarily to plant functional traits and aboveground biomass, and belowground respiration was dependent on the community weighted mean of specific leaf area (SLACWM). Similarly, microbial activity was linked with SLACWM and was highest in meadows, and carbon-degrading microbial activity decreased with vegetation woodiness. These results suggest that shrub expansion may influence summer C cycling differently depending on plant community, as belowground respiration might increase in the heath and decrease in the meadow communities.http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2019.1592649gross ecosystem photosynthesisrespirationshrub expansionplant functional traitsenzyme activity
spellingShingle Mia Vedel Sørensen
Bente Jessen Graae
Aimee Classen
Brian J. Enquist
Richard Strimbeck
Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communities
Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research
gross ecosystem photosynthesis
respiration
shrub expansion
plant functional traits
enzyme activity
title Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communities
title_full Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communities
title_fullStr Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communities
title_full_unstemmed Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communities
title_short Drivers of C cycling in three arctic-alpine plant communities
title_sort drivers of c cycling in three arctic alpine plant communities
topic gross ecosystem photosynthesis
respiration
shrub expansion
plant functional traits
enzyme activity
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/15230430.2019.1592649
work_keys_str_mv AT miavedelsørensen driversofccyclinginthreearcticalpineplantcommunities
AT bentejessengraae driversofccyclinginthreearcticalpineplantcommunities
AT aimeeclassen driversofccyclinginthreearcticalpineplantcommunities
AT brianjenquist driversofccyclinginthreearcticalpineplantcommunities
AT richardstrimbeck driversofccyclinginthreearcticalpineplantcommunities