Changes in litter chemistry associated with global change-driven forest succession resulted in time-decoupled responses of soil carbon and nitrogen cycles

Fernández‐Alonso, María José; Yuste, Jorge Curiel; Kitzler, Barbara; Ortiz, Carlos; Sánchez, Alfonso Emilio Pérez

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2018.02.013

Cited by 26 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…0.10 ± 0.01 B 0.19 ± 0.01 A -i.e. the nitrogen and lignin content of plant detritus in the litter layer (Gallardo and Merino, 1992;Melillo et al, 1982)-which is closely linked to tree C and its strategy for obtaining nutrients (Cornwell et al, 2008;Fernandez-Alonso et al, 2018). This result contradicts the similarity in the potential decomposability of soil C between forest types that was found during an incubation experiment using mineral topsoil samples from the same study site (Diaz-Pines et al, 2014).…”

Section: Soi C Stocks and Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 88%

“…Vegetation also controls R s and its fractions through its influence on litter quantity and quality, nutrient availability, microbial decomposer community, carbohydrate allocation patterns, root biomass, hydrological processes and surface soil temperatures (Bardgett and Wardle, 2010;Fernandez-Alonso et al, 2018;Hogberg et al, 2001;Salomon et al, 2015). On large spatial scales, the length of the plant-growing season is one of the major drivers of Rs (Chang et al, 2014;Goulden et al, 1996) as it regulates the gross primary production of the ecosystems (Reichstein et al, 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Disentangling the effects of tree species and microclimate on heterotrophic and autotrophic soil respiration in a Mediterranean ecotone forest

Fernández‐Alonso

Díaz‐Pinés

Ortiz

et al. 2018

Forest Ecology and Management

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Understanding how forest ecosystems influence the response of soil respiration (R s ) to climate drivers is essential to accurately predict soil carbon dioxide (C0 2 ) fluxes in a changing environment. This is particularly crucial in areas of contact between coniferous and broadleaved forests in the Mediterranean region which are already experiencing a warmer and drier climate. We present a case study in a Mediterranean ecotone forest where R s components -heterotrophic (R H ) and autotrophic (R A )-were monitored beneath pure Scots pine {Pinus sylvestris L.) and Pyrenean oak {Quercus pyrenaka Willd.) stands using the root-trenching method. We used generalized linear models to predict the soil C0 2 efflux based on interactions between soil water conent (SWC) and soil temperature. Regardless of the tree species, we found that the strong and inverse water availability and thermal seasonality of the Mediterranean climate intensely constrained soil microbial activity. The incorporation of the soil temperature-moisture covariation thus greatly improved the quality of the models compared to approaches that consider soil temperature alone. We also identified species-specific responses influencing both the total amount of R A and its sensitivity to environmental variables. Root respiration in the Scots pine stand showed greater vulnerability to the decline in SWC throughout the summer than in the oak stand. The R A in the Pyrenean oak stand was mainly limited by low soil temperatures in winter, indicating low maintenance rates during vegetative dormancy. Mean annual R H rates were highest in the Scots pine stand, probably driven by the larger litterfall rates and soil carbon (C) stocks; however, the apparent turnover rate of soil organic C in the oak stand was almost twice as fast as in the pine stand. While our observations are limited to a case study, our work shows that both soil moisture and forest composition can significantly control the temperature dependence of R s components under a Mediterranean climate.

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Section: Soi C Stocks and Cyclingmentioning

confidence: 88%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Disentangling the effects of tree species and microclimate on heterotrophic and autotrophic soil respiration in a Mediterranean ecotone forest

Fernández‐Alonso

Díaz‐Pinés

Ortiz

et al. 2018

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…lignin and/or allelopathic molecules (e.g. Curiel Yuste et al 2005;Fernández-Alonso et al, 2018) slow down the breakdown of the litter and its incorporation to SOM in the mineral soil. On the other hand, incorporation of litter in SOM occurs generally faster in ecosystems dominated by broadleaf species because the generally higher pH and higher quality of the produced residues stimulates bioturbation (Frouz et al, 2009).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Cascading effects associated with climate-change-induced conifer mortality in mountain temperate forests result in hot-spots of soil CO2 emissions

Yuste

Flores‐Rentería

García-Angulo

et al. 2019

Soil Biology and Biochemistry

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As a widespread phenomenon affecting terrestrial ecosystems worldwide, the extent and spatio-temporal scales at which the increasing number of reported events of climatechange-induced tree mortality could affect the ecology and carbon (C) sink capacity of terrestrial soils, remains unknown. We here study how regional-scale drought-induced tree mortality events registered after a very dry 2012 year in the Carpathians mountain range (Romania), which affected three of the most widely distributed conifer species: Scots pine, Black pine, and Silver fir, resulted in hot-spots of biogenic soil CO 2 emissions (soil respiration; R s ). Four to five years after the main mortality event, R s -related soil CO 2 emissions under dead trees were, on average, 21% higher than CO 2 emissions under living trees (ranging from 18 to 35%). Total (R s ) and heterotrophic (R H )-related soil CO 2 emissions were strongly determined by the soil environmental alterations following tree mortality (e.g. changes in quantity and quality of soil organic matter, microclimate, pH or fine root demography). Moreover, the massive mortality event of 2012 ultimately resulted in a stronger dominant role of successional vegetation (broadleaf seedlings, shrubland and grasses) in controlling those environmental factors that either directly or indirectly affected biotic soil fluxes (R s and R H ). We, therefore, show that apart from the well-known direct effects of climate change over soil CO 2 emissions, cascading effects triggered by climatechange-induced tree mortality could also exert a strong indirect impact over soil CO 2 emissions, altering the magnitude and the environmental controls of R s and hence determining ecosystem C budget and their response to climate.

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“…The proximity of selected areas minimizes variabilities in site-specific confounding factors related to parent material, soil type, macroclimate and former land use, facilitating the study of the effects of N fertilization on soils under Scots pine and Pyrenean oak species. Previous studies in this area highlighted vegetation-induced differences on soil C and N dynamics through different stocks, soil stoichiometry, microbial communities and relative contribution of autotrophic and heterotrophic components of R S to annual fluxes (Díaz-Pinés et al 2011a, b;Fernández-Alonso et al 2018a, b). Selected relevant information of soils and vegetation for this study is gathered in Table 1.…”

Section: Study Sitementioning

confidence: 99%

“…In the broadleavedconiferous ecotone forests of Pyrenean oak (Quercus pyrenaica Willd.) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) in Central Spain, tree species composition leads to marked differences in soil pH, nutrient stoichiometry and C decomposability (Díaz-Pinés et al 2011b;Fernández-Alonso et al 2018a; Table 1). These differences indicate that pine stands generate a more oligotrophic environment in which N is strongly limiting.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Drivers of soil respiration in response to nitrogen addition in a Mediterranean mountain forest

2021

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Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition rates affect soil N dynamics, influencing soil respiration (RS) rates. However, for the Mediterranean region, the effect of changes in atmospheric N deposition on RS are not well constrained yet. We investigated the interplay between increased N deposition and tree species composition on RS at a Scots pine—Pyrenean oak ecotone in Central Spain, and whether the observed responses were mediated by changes on selected soil properties. Throughout 3 years, we simulated two N deposition rates—10 (medium) and 40 kg N ha−1 a−1 (high)—over the background deposition (control) in neighbouring stands in which tree species composition (pine or oak) shapes soil stoichiometry and microbial communities. We monitored RS on a monthly basis during 3 years; in addition, we performed targeted measurements 24 h after the N fertilization events to assess short-term soil responses. During winter and summer, RS did not respond to enhanced N deposition rates. In spring and autumn, higher RS rates were observed in the medium-fertilization, but the size and duration of this effect was tree species dependent. We suggest that climate seasonality modulates the response of RS to N availability, with tree species effects becoming relevant only when environmental conditions are adequate. RS in fertilized plots was larger from February to May and in September under pine, while under oak a response was observed only in April, probably due to differences in native soil stoichiometry under each tree species. Overall, RS showed high stability during 3 years of N enrichment in this Mediterranean ecotone area. However, we observed short-term soil responses after N fertilization events—loss of base cations, soil acidification and reduced microbial biomass—which emphasize the need to investigate consequences for the belowground C and N cycles if chronic N enrichment persists in the long run.

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Changes in litter chemistry associated with global change-driven forest succession resulted in time-decoupled responses of soil carbon and nitrogen cycles

Cited by 26 publications

References 60 publications

Disentangling the effects of tree species and microclimate on heterotrophic and autotrophic soil respiration in a Mediterranean ecotone forest

Disentangling the effects of tree species and microclimate on heterotrophic and autotrophic soil respiration in a Mediterranean ecotone forest

Cascading effects associated with climate-change-induced conifer mortality in mountain temperate forests result in hot-spots of soil CO2 emissions

Drivers of soil respiration in response to nitrogen addition in a Mediterranean mountain forest

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