Sommerkorn Martin

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Sommerkorn
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Martin
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Nitrate is an important nitrogen source for Arctic tundra plants

2018-03-27 , Liu, Xue-Yan , Koba, Keisuke , Koyama, Lina A. , Hobbie, Sarah E. , Weiss, Marissa S. , Inagaki, Yoshiyuki , Shaver, Gaius R. , Giblin, Anne E. , Hobara, Satoru , Nadelhoffer, Knute J. , Sommerkorn, Martin , Rastetter, Edward B. , Kling, George W. , Laundre, James A. , Yano, Yuriko , Makabe, Akiko , Yano, Midori , Liu, Cong-Qiang

Plant nitrogen (N) use is a key component of the N cycle in terrestrial ecosystems. The supply of N to plants affects community species composition and ecosystem processes such as photosynthesis and carbon (C) accumulation. However, the availabilities and relative importance of different N forms to plants are not well understood. While nitrate (NO3−) is a major N form used by plants worldwide, it is discounted as a N source for Arctic tundra plants because of extremely low NO3− concentrations in Arctic tundra soils, undetectable soil nitrification, and plant-tissue NO3− that is typically below detection limits. Here we reexamine NO3− use by tundra plants using a sensitive denitrifier method to analyze plant-tissue NO3−. Soil-derived NO3− was detected in tundra plant tissues, and tundra plants took up soil NO3− at comparable rates to plants from relatively NO3−-rich ecosystems in other biomes. Nitrate assimilation determined by 15N enrichments of leaf NO3− relative to soil NO3− accounted for 4 to 52% (as estimated by a Bayesian isotope-mixing model) of species-specific total leaf N of Alaskan tundra plants. Our finding that in situ soil NO3− availability for tundra plants is high has important implications for Arctic ecosystems, not only in determining species compositions, but also in determining the loss of N from soils via leaching and denitrification. Plant N uptake and soil N losses can strongly influence C uptake and accumulation in tundra soils. Accordingly, this evidence of NO3− availability in tundra soils is crucial for predicting C storage in tundra.

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Climate and species affect fine root production with long-term fertilization in acidic tussock tundra near Toolik Lake, Alaska

2007-04-12 , Sullivan, Patrick F. , Sommerkorn, Martin , Rueth, Heather M. , Nadelhoffer, Knute J. , Shaver, Gaius R. , Welker, Jeffrey M.

Long-term fertilization of acidic tussock tundra has led to changes in plant species composition, increases in aboveground production and biomass and substantial losses of soil organic carbon (SOC). Root litter is an important input to SOC pools, though little is known about fine root demography in tussock tundra. In this study, we examined the response of fine root production and live standing fine root biomass to short- and long-term fertilization, as changes in fine root demography may contribute to observed declines in SOC. Live standing fine root biomass increased with long-term fertilization, while fine root production declined, reflecting replacement of the annual fine root system of Eriophorum vaginatum, with the long-lived fine roots of Betula nana. Fine root production increased in fertilized plots during an unusually warm growing season, but remained unchanged in control plots, consistent with observations that B. nana shows a positive response to climate warming. Calculations based on a few simple assumptions suggest changes in fine root demography with long-term fertilization and species replacement could account for between 20 and 39% of observed declines in SOC stocks.

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