Climate change decreases nitrogen pools and mineralization rates in northern hardwood forests

View/ Open
Date
2016-03-22Author
Durán, Jorge
Concept link
Morse, Jennifer L.
Concept link
Groffman, Peter M.
Concept link
Campbell, John L.
Concept link
Christenson, Lynn M.
Concept link
Driscoll, Charles T.
Concept link
Fahey, Timothy J.
Concept link
Fisk, Melany C.
Concept link
Likens, Gene E.
Concept link
Melillo, Jerry M.
Concept link
Mitchell, Myron J.
Concept link
Templer, Pamela H.
Concept link
Vadeboncoeur, Matthew A.
Concept link
Metadata
Show full item recordCitable URI
https://hdl.handle.net/1912/8051As published
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.1251DOI
10.1002/ecs2.1251Keyword
Carbon; Global change; Microbial activity mineralization; Nitrification; Nitrogen; Soil frostAbstract
Nitrogen (N) supply often limits the productivity of temperate forests and is regulated by a complex mix of biological and climatic drivers. In excess, N is linked to a variety of soil, water, and air pollution issues. Here, we use results from an elevation gradient study and historical data from the long-term Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study (New Hampshire, USA) to examine relationships between changes in climate, especially during winter, and N supply to northern hardwood forest ecosystems. Low elevation plots with less snow, more soil freezing, and more freeze/thaw cycles supported lower rates of N mineralization than high elevation plots, despite having higher soil temperatures and no consistent differences in soil moisture during the growing season. These results are consistent with historical analyses showing decreases in rates of soil N mineralization and inorganic N concentrations since 1973 that are correlated with long-term increases in mean annual temperature, decreases in annual snow accumulation, and a increases in the number of winter thawing degree days. This evidence suggests that changing climate may be driving decreases in the availability of a key nutrient in northern hardwood forests, which could decrease ecosystem production but have positive effects on environmental consequences of excess N.
Description
© The Author(s), 2016. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Ecosphere 7 (2016): e01251, doi:10.1002/ecs2.1251.
Collections
Suggested Citation
Ecosphere 7 (2016): e01251The following license files are associated with this item:
Related items
Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.
-
The effect of mineral and organic nutrient input on yields and nitrogen balances in western Kenya
Tully, Katherine L.; Wood, Stephen A.; Almaraz, Maya; Neill, Christopher; Palm, Cheryl A. (2015-07)Soil fertility declines constrain crop productivity on smallholder farms in sub-Saharan Africa. Government and non-government organizations promote the use of mineral fertilizer and improved seed varieties to redress ... -
Consequence of altered nitrogen cycles in the coupled human and ecological system under changing climate: the need for long-term and site-based research.
Shibata, Hideaki; Branquinho, Cristina; McDowell, William H.; Mitchell, Myron J.; Monteith, Don T.; Tang, Jianwu; Arvola, Lauri; Cruz, Cristina; Cusack, Daniela F.; Halada, Lubos; Kopacek, Jiri; Maguas, Cristina; Sajidu, Samson; Schubert, Hendrik; Tokuchi, Naoko; Zahora, Jaroslav (2014-07)Anthropogenically derived nitrogen (N) has a central role in global environmental changes, including climate change, biodiversity loss, air pollution, greenhouse gas emission, water pollution, as well as food production ... -
Multi-model mean nitrogen and sulfur deposition from the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP) : evaluation of historical and projected future changes
Lamarque, J.-F.; Dentener, F.; McConnell, Joseph R.; Ro, C.-U.; Shaw, M.; Vet, R.; Bergmann, D.; Cameron-Smith, P.; Dalsoren, S.; Doherty, R.; Faluvegi, G.; Ghan, S. J.; Josse, B.; Lee, Y. H.; MacKenzie, I. A.; Plummer, D.; Shindell, D. T.; Skeie, R. B.; Stevenson, D. S.; Strode, S.; Zeng, G.; Curran, M. A. J.; Dahl-Jensen, D.; Das, Sarah B.; Fritzsche, D.; Nolan, M. (Copernicus Publications on behalf of the European Geosciences Union, 2013-08-20)We present multi-model global datasets of nitrogen and sulfate deposition covering time periods from 1850 to 2100, calculated within the Atmospheric Chemistry and Climate Model Intercomparison Project (ACCMIP). The computed ...