Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory

We examine the sensitivity of the biogeography of nitrogen fixers to a warming climate and increased aeolian iron deposition in the context of a global earth system model. We employ concepts from the resource-ratio theory to provide a simplifying and transparent interpretation of the results. First...

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Main Authors: Ward, B. A., Dutkiewicz, Stephanie, Scott, Jeremy, Follows, Michael J
Other Authors: Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Global Change Science
Format: Article
Language:en_US
Published: Copernicus GmbH 2014
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92505
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3102-0341
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author Ward, B. A.
Dutkiewicz, Stephanie
Scott, Jeremy
Follows, Michael J
author2 Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Global Change Science
author_facet Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Global Change Science
Ward, B. A.
Dutkiewicz, Stephanie
Scott, Jeremy
Follows, Michael J
author_sort Ward, B. A.
collection MIT
description We examine the sensitivity of the biogeography of nitrogen fixers to a warming climate and increased aeolian iron deposition in the context of a global earth system model. We employ concepts from the resource-ratio theory to provide a simplifying and transparent interpretation of the results. First we demonstrate that a set of clearly defined, easily diagnosed provinces are consistent with the theory. Using this framework we show that the regions most vulnerable to province shifts and changes in diazotroph biogeography are the equatorial and South Pacific, and central Atlantic. Warmer and dustier climates favor diazotrophs due to an increase in the ratio of supply rate of iron to fixed nitrogen. We suggest that the emergent provinces could be a standard diagnostic for global change models, allowing for rapid and transparent interpretation and comparison of model predictions and the underlying mechanisms. The analysis suggests that monitoring of real world province boundaries, indicated by transitions in surface nutrient concentrations, would provide a clear and easily interpreted indicator of ongoing global change.
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spelling mit-1721.1/925052024-05-15T08:40:45Z Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory Ward, B. A. Dutkiewicz, Stephanie Scott, Jeremy Follows, Michael J Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Center for Global Change Science Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences Dutkiewicz, Stephanie Scott, Jeffery R. Follows, Michael J. We examine the sensitivity of the biogeography of nitrogen fixers to a warming climate and increased aeolian iron deposition in the context of a global earth system model. We employ concepts from the resource-ratio theory to provide a simplifying and transparent interpretation of the results. First we demonstrate that a set of clearly defined, easily diagnosed provinces are consistent with the theory. Using this framework we show that the regions most vulnerable to province shifts and changes in diazotroph biogeography are the equatorial and South Pacific, and central Atlantic. Warmer and dustier climates favor diazotrophs due to an increase in the ratio of supply rate of iron to fixed nitrogen. We suggest that the emergent provinces could be a standard diagnostic for global change models, allowing for rapid and transparent interpretation and comparison of model predictions and the underlying mechanisms. The analysis suggests that monitoring of real world province boundaries, indicated by transitions in surface nutrient concentrations, would provide a clear and easily interpreted indicator of ongoing global change. United States. Dept. of Energy. Office of Science (Grant DE-FG02-94ER61937) National Science Foundation (U.S.) (MOBY Grant OCE-1048926) National Science Foundation (U.S.) (Grant OCE-1259388) United States. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Grant NA09OAR4310069) 2014-12-24T17:10:48Z 2014-12-24T17:10:48Z 2014-10 2014-08 Article http://purl.org/eprint/type/JournalArticle 1726-4189 http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92505 Dutkiewicz, S., B. A. Ward, J. R. Scott, and M. J. Follows. “Understanding Predicted Shifts in Diazotroph Biogeography Using Resource Competition Theory.” Biogeosciences 11, no. 19 (2014): 5445–5461. https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3102-0341 en_US http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-5445-2014 Biogeosciences Creative Commons Attribution http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ application/pdf Copernicus GmbH Copernicus Publications
spellingShingle Ward, B. A.
Dutkiewicz, Stephanie
Scott, Jeremy
Follows, Michael J
Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory
title Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory
title_full Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory
title_fullStr Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory
title_full_unstemmed Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory
title_short Understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory
title_sort understanding predicted shifts in diazotroph biogeography using resource competition theory
url http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/92505
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3102-0341
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