Climate change implications of soil temperature in the Mojave Desert, USA

Bai, Yongliang; Scott, Thomas Allan; Min, Qingwen

doi:10.1007/s11707-013-0398-3

Cited by 37 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 26 publications

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“…Increases in soil temperature as a result of a warmer climate will have profound effects on surface and subsurface hydrologic conditions, thawing permafrost in high latitudes and at high altitudes, accelerating the decomposition of organic carbon in the soil, in creasing the release of CO 2 from the soil to the atmosphere and altering terrestrial ecosystems, thereby creating a positive feedback loop leading to further climate change (Nelson 2003, Davidson & Janssens 2006, Kurylyk et al 2014. Therefore, analysing the variability and trends in long-term soil temperatures at various depths may contribute to our understanding of the consequences of a warmer climate on surface energy processes and regional environmental and climatic conditions (Hu & Feng 2003, Qian et al 2011, Alamusa et al 2014, Bai et al 2014, Yeşilırmak 2014.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frozen ground temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three River Source Region from 1980 to 2014

Luo¹,

Fang²,

Lyu³

et al. 2016

Clim. Res.

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Long-term (1981Long-term ( −2014 trends in soil temperatures at depths ranging from 0−320 cm were used to examine relationships between regional climate change and soil temperatures in the Three River Source Region (TRSR) of the Tibetan Plateau (TP). Air temperature, precipitation, maximum depth of frozen ground and maximum snow depth were also analysed for trends and for correlations with soil temperatures. A significant warming trend was evident in the TRSR during the 35 yr analysed. Significant soil warming was detected, at rates of 0.706°C decade −1 for surface soils (0 cm), 0.477°C decade −1 for shallow layer soils (5−20 cm) and 0.417°C decade −1 for deep layer soils (40−320 cm). There was a clear effect of air temperature on soil temperature, as seen from the concurrent significant increases in air and soil temperature trends and the strong correlation between them. The relationship between precipitation and soil temperatures was complicated. Higher levels of precipitation on the ground also resulted in higher soil temperatures during the summer in the frozen soil, while the process of freezing and thawing had an inhibitory effect on the soil temperature increase. The warming trends in soil temperature are expected to continue with the degradation of frozen soil in the TRSR.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frozen ground temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three River Source Region from 1980 to 2014

Luo¹,

Fang²,

Lyu³

et al. 2016

Clim. Res.

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“…Global warming has been widely debates in scientific, political and social communities over recent decades; furthermore, it has caused changes in various ecological processes and has potential to change ecosystems’ stability 1 2 3 . In spite of comprehensive studies to investigate responses of various ecosystem processes to rising air temperatures 4 5 6 7 under global warming, much less is known about changes in soil temperatures and their impact on below-ground processes 8 9 10 11 12 13 , particularly deep in the soil profile. Temperature change can affect most soil processes, including decomposition and formation of soil organic matter 14 15 , mineralisation/immobilization of nutrients (N, P, K, etc.)…”

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confidence: 99%

Rising soil temperature in China and its potential ecological impact

Zhang

Wang

Zhou

et al. 2016

Sci Rep

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Global warming influences a series of ecological processes and ecosystems’ stability. Although comprehensive studies have been done to investigate responses of various ecosystem processes to rising air temperatures, less is known about changes in soil temperatures and their impact on below-ground processes, particularly in deep layers. Herein, we used 50 y of temperature data (1962–2011) from 360 sites in China to assess spatio-temporal changes in soil temperatures from the surface to a depth of 3.20 m. We determined, apparently for the first time, that soil surface temperature increased 31% more than air temperature, potentially leading to more carbon release to the atmosphere than predicted. Annual mean surface temperature increased by 2.07–4.04 and 0.66–2.21 °C in northern and southern China, respectively, with the greatest in winter. Warming occurred as deep as 3.20 m. The soil temperature rise was predicted to have increased soil respiration by up to 28%, reinforcing climate warming and extending the potential growing season by up to 20 d across China. However, use of only air temperature to estimate soil temperature changes would underestimate those impacts. In conclusion, these results highlighted the importance of soil warming and of using soil temperature to assess and predict soil processes.

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“…a) and corresponding soil temperatures (Bai et al. ) each could have contributed to what appears to be relatively recent shrub mortality. Creosote is an especially long‐lived shrub, however, with one plant, located outside of Death Valley in the Mojave Desert, estimated to be almost 12,000 yr old (Vasek ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Soil temperature (50 cm depth) increased 0.79°C per decade on average from 1982 to 2000 in the Mojave Desert (Bai et al. ). Precipitation is sporadic and patchy in Death Valley in any year (Stachelski ), but the region has experienced increased aridity and drought frequency over the past several decades (Ficklin et al.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Square denotes National Park Service's Furnace Creek Visitor Center and meteorological station, (c) satellite image of Sidewinder Canyon alluvial fan, (d) examples of channel and desert pavement sites on alluvial fan. depth) increased 0.79°C per decade on average from 1982 to 2000 in the Mojave Desert (Bai et al 2014). Precipitation is sporadic and patchy in Death Valley in any year (Stachelski 2013), but the region has experienced increased aridity and drought frequency over the past several decades (Ficklin et al 2015, Lehner et al 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Soil organic matter determines the distribution and abundance of nematodes on alluvial fans in Death Valley, California

et al. 2019

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Death Valley, located within the Mojave Desert of the United States, is one of the most extreme terrestrial environments on Earth. We studied free‐living soil nematode abundance and community structure in soil samples collected from alluvial fans in Death Valley between 2013 and 2018. Our objective was to establish the distribution and abundance of soil nematodes on alluvial fans with respect to soil properties, vegetation, and channels that reflect past and future water flows. The study period spanned an extreme drought for the region but also included a 2016 superbloom of spring annual plants that followed a strong El Niño event. We found that nematode communities were dominated by bacterial‐feeding species and had higher densities under shrub canopies than in adjacent interplant soils. Nematode abundance was similar between areas on alluvial fans that were channelized by past water flows and adjacent desert pavement and does not appear to be linked to how water distributes on the fans following rainfall events. Nematode abundance increased during the superbloom in soils around annual plants. Across the study period, soil organic matter content was the only soil variable measured that was significantly and positively correlated to nematode abundance. Overall, nematodes in this extreme environment are adapted to drought, but they are highly dependent on the growth and distribution of both perennial and annual plants to supply the soil organic matter that their microbial food sources rely upon.

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Climate change implications of soil temperature in the Mojave Desert, USA

Cited by 37 publications

References 26 publications

Frozen ground temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three River Source Region from 1980 to 2014

Frozen ground temperature trends associated with climate change in the Tibetan Plateau Three River Source Region from 1980 to 2014

Rising soil temperature in China and its potential ecological impact

Soil organic matter determines the distribution and abundance of nematodes on alluvial fans in Death Valley, California

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