Climate Variation and Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Processes in a Northern Hardwood Forest

Groffman, Peter M.; Hardy, Janet P.; Fisk, Melany C.; Fahey, Timothy J.; Driscoll, Charles T.

doi:10.1007/s10021-009-9268-y

Cited by 124 publications

(109 citation statements)

References 93 publications

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“…Seasonal cycles of soil respiration and N mineralization largely followed changes in soil temperatures, with CO 2 and N fluxes highest in summer and lowest during the coldest parts of the year. This pattern has been reported in other seasonal studies of soil C and N dynamics at the Harvard Forest and at similar temperate forest ecosystems (Davidson et al 1998, Jaeger et al 1999, Bohlen et al 2001, Savage and Davidson 2001, Knoepp and Swank 2002, Bowden et al 2004, Mo et al 2005, DeForest et al 2006, Groffman et al 2009). Soil moisture did not show this pattern, but exhibited the seasonal characteristics typical of forests in the region, with less moisture in summer and early autumn, and more moisture in winter, spring, and late fall (Davidson et al 1998, Savage and Davidson 2001, DeForest et al 2006, Turner and Henry 2010.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

“…While winter net N mineralization was low compared to summer rates, it was similar to that of spring, and comprised 2 to17% of the total annual mineralization. The contribution of winter N mineralization to the annual amount was similar to other studies in temperate regions (Knoepp and Swank 2002, Groffman et al 2009, Turner and Henry 2010 v www.esajournals.org [2007][2008]. In January 2008, air temperatures the week prior to sampling were 8.58C compared to the average À78C for the rest of the month.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

“…Until recently, winter has been perceived as a ''dormant'' period based on the belief that biological activity declines when temperatures grow cold (Campbell et al 2005). However, research in areas with seasonal snowpack has demonstrated significant contributions of winter C and N fluxes to the total annual flux , Knoepp and Swank 2002, Mo et al 2005, Groffman et al 2006, Kielland et al 2006, Groffman et al 2009). As a result, changes in winter soil C and N cycling due to higher temperatures and/or N inputs may have negative ecosystem consequences.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and N mineralization in chronically warmed and fertilized soils

Contosta¹,

Frey²,

Cooper³

2011

Ecosphere

149

133

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Abstract. Although numerous studies have examined the individual effects of increased temperatures and N deposition on soil biogeochemical cycling, few have considered how these disturbances interact to impact soil C and N dynamics. Likewise, many have not assessed season-specific responses to warming and N inputs despite seasonal variability in soil processes. We studied interactions among season, warming, and N additions on soil respiration and N mineralization at the Soil Warming 3 Nitrogen Addition Study at the Harvard Forest. Of particular interest were wintertime fluxes of C and N typically excluded from investigations of soils and global change. Soils were warmed to 58C above ambient, and N was applied at a rate of 5 g m À2 y À1 . Soil respiration and N mineralization were sampled over two years between 2007 and 2009 and showed strong seasonal patterns that mirrored changes in soil temperature.Winter fluxes of C and N contributed between 2 and 17% to the total annual flux. Net N mineralization increased in response to the experimental manipulations across all seasons, and was 8% higher in fertilized plots and 83% higher in warmed plots over the duration of the study. Soil respiration showed a more season-specific response. Nitrogen additions enhanced soil respiration by 14%, but this increase was significant only in summer and fall. Likewise, warming increased soil respiration by 44% over the whole study period, but the effect of warming was most pronounced in spring and fall. The only interaction between warming 3 N additions took place in autumn, when N availability likely diminished the positive effect of warming on soil respiration. Our results suggest that winter measurements of C and N are necessary to accurately describe winter biogeochemical processes. In addition, season-specific responses to the experimental treatments suggest that some components of the belowground community may be more susceptible to warming and N additions than others. Seasonal changes in the abiotic environment may have also interacted with the experimental manipulations to evoke biogeochemical responses at certain times of year.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 85%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 84%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and N mineralization in chronically warmed and fertilized soils

Contosta¹,

Frey²,

Cooper³

2011

Ecosphere

149

133

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Other periods of high NO 3 À concentrations in Ag drainage water did occur during our study, but were not associated with high N 2 O fluxes, perhaps due to lags in gas sampling following fertilization, differences in soil moisture and temperature that might have suppressed N 2 O fluxes, or different fertilization practices for other crops. Because temperatures were around 88C during the week prior to and the day of sampling in January 2009, it is unlikely that the high N 2 O flux was the result of freeze-thawing, a pathway that has been shown to be important for northern forests in winter and spring (Papen and Butterbach-Bahl 1999, Groffman et al 2009, Eberling et al 2010. This N 2 O pulse was not seen in our other sites on this date, supporting this conclusion.…”

Section: áYrsupporting

confidence: 73%

Greenhouse gas fluxes in southeastern U.S. coastal plain wetlands under contrasting land uses

Morse

Ardón

Bernhardt

2012

Ecological Applications

102

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Abstract.Whether through sea level rise or wetland restoration, agricultural soils in coastal areas will be inundated at increasing rates, renewing connections to sensitive surface waters and raising critical questions about environmental trade-offs. Wetland restoration is often implemented in agricultural catchments to improve water quality through nutrient removal. Yet flooding of soils can also increase production of the greenhouse gases nitrous oxide and methane, representing a potential environmental trade-off. Our study aimed to quantify and compare greenhouse gas emissions from unmanaged and restored forested wetlands, as well as actively managed agricultural fields within the North Carolina coastal plain, USA. In sampling conducted once every two months over a two-year comparative study, we found that soil carbon dioxide flux (range: 8000-64 800 kg CO 2 Áha À1 Áyr À1 ) comprised 66-100% of total greenhouse gas emissions from all sites and that methane emissions (range: À6.87 to 197 kg CH 4 Áha À1 Áyr À1 ) were highest from permanently inundated sites, while nitrous oxide fluxes (range: À1.07 to 139 kg N 2 OÁha À1 Áyr À1 ) were highest in sites with lower water tables. Contrary to predictions, greenhouse gas fluxes (as CO 2 equivalents) from the restored wetland were lower than from either agricultural fields or unmanaged forested wetlands. In these acidic coastal freshwater ecosystems, the conversion of agricultural fields to flooded young forested wetlands did not result in increases in greenhouse gas emissions.

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“…We found significantly higher N availability and potential activity of all four tested potential soil enzymes for the cold site despite lower mean temperatures at the site. Groffman et al (2009) found the same pattern along an altitudinal gradient in a northern hardwood forest. This suggests that the local climate may have an important influence on the magnitude of N mobilization processes.…”

Section: 05supporting

confidence: 57%

Increased winter soil temperature variability enhances nitrogen cycling and soil biotic activity in temperate heathland and grassland mesocosms

et al. 2014

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Abstract. Winter air temperatures are projected to increase in the temperate zone, whereas snow cover is projected to decrease, leading to increased soil temperature variability, and potentially to changes in nutrient cycling. Here, we experimentally evaluated the effects of increased winter soil temperature variability on selected aspects of the N-cycle in mesocosms containing different plant community compositions. The experiment was replicated at two sites, a colder mountainous upland site with high snow accumulation and a warmer and drier lowland site.Increased soil temperature variability enhanced soil biotic activity for both sites during winter, as indicated by 35 % higher nitrogen (N) availability in the soil solution, 40 % higher belowground decomposition and a 25 % increase in the potential activity of the enzyme cellobiohydrolase. The mobilization of N differed between sites, and the 15 N signal in leaves was reduced by 31 % in response to winter warming pulses, but only at the cold site, with significant reductions occurring for three of four tested plant species at this site. Furthermore, there was a trend of increased N leaching in response to the recurrent winter warming pulses.Overall, projected winter climate change in the temperate zone, with less snow and more variable soil temperatures, appears important for shifts in ecosystem functioning (i.e. nutrient cycling). While the effects of warming pulses on plant N mobilization did not differ among sites, reduced plant 15 N incorporation at the colder temperate site suggests that frost damage may reduce plant N uptake in a warmer world, with important implications for nitrogen cycling and nitrogen losses from ecosystems.

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Climate Variation and Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling Processes in a Northern Hardwood Forest

Cited by 124 publications

References 93 publications

Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and N mineralization in chronically warmed and fertilized soils

Seasonal dynamics of soil respiration and N mineralization in chronically warmed and fertilized soils

Greenhouse gas fluxes in southeastern U.S. coastal plain wetlands under contrasting land uses

Increased winter soil temperature variability enhances nitrogen cycling and soil biotic activity in temperate heathland and grassland mesocosms

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