Contribution of biological crust to soil CO2 efflux in a Mediterranean shrubland ecosystem

Morillas, Lourdes; Bellucco, Veronica; Cascio, Mauro Lo; Marras, Serena; Spano, Donatella; Mereu, Simone

doi:10.1016/j.geoderma.2016.11.012

Cited by 32 publications

(13 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…The total mean vegetation cover and density of the juniper habitat on the Strofades Islands was 79.3%, while the mean juniper cover was 64%. Similar results were recorded in a National Reserve of northwest Sardinia, with juniper density representing 53% of the total vegetation cover of the forest area (Morillas et al 2017).…”

Section: Vegetation Assemblagessupporting

confidence: 84%

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Ecological assessment of Juniperus turbinata Guss. forest on the Strofades Islands, Ionian Sea, Greece

Martinis¹,

Chaideftou²,

Minotou³

et al. 2018

J. For. Sci.

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The Strofades Islands form part of the National Marine Park of Zakynthos. Juniperus turbinata Gussone (syn. Juniperus phoenicea Linnaeus) forests are one of the few remaining high forest forms in Mediterranean. Here, the ecological status and the state of forest regeneration on the Strofades were evaluated to contribute information to their preservation. Seventeen sampling sites were established in the most representative locations. Fourteen sites were dominated by J. turbinata, while the predominant species was Quercus coccifera Linnaeus, accompanied by Phillyrea latifolia Linnaeus and Pistacia lentiscus Linnaeus, in the remaining three sites. Our results showed the presence of poorly formed juniper populations dominated by individuals with multiple trunks and rotting heartwood. Various factors contributed to the absence of regeneration, including poor soil, rocky substrate and grazing activity by a large number of free ranging goats. The broadleaf evergreen species dominated over J. turbinata along the juniper forest boundaries. Our results demonstrate that broadleaved shrubs are favoured, limiting the regeneration of juniper, stressing the importance for implementing forest conservation measures and expanding our knowledge about juniper regeneration processes.

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Section: Vegetation Assemblagessupporting

confidence: 84%

“…(Zohary 1973;Weinstein-Evron 1987). In Sardinia, it is a component of maquis vegetation at low elevations (Morillas et al 2017).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecological assessment of Juniperus turbinata Guss. forest on the Strofades Islands, Ionian Sea, Greece

Martinis¹,

Chaideftou²,

Minotou³

et al. 2018

J. For. Sci.

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“…Despite extensive research on environmental factors affecting the temporal–spatial variation of CO 2 flux in semiarid and arid areas soils (Ahlström et al, ; Delgado‐Baquerizo et al, ; Leon et al, ; Maestre et al, ; Maestre & Cortina, ; Morillas et al, ; Rey et al, ), there is no dedicated study showing how debris flow, as a dominant geomorphic process in many dryland alluvial fans characterized by localized variations in biophysical controls, affects soil C flux dynamics within different landform positions. The findings displayed the variability of soil C flux within microhabitats generated by debris flow along alluvial fan.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of geomorphic disturbance on spatial variability of soil CO₂ flux within a depositional landform

Mohseni

Karimi

et al. 2019

Land Degrad Dev

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Landform structure‐dependent erosive soil processes impact on the physical, chemical, and biological properties of arid and semiarid areas soils through the redeposition of erosional soils and, consequently, play a role in changes to the global carbon cycle. Understanding the biophysical mechanisms that influence the balance of soil C flux is important for predicting the responses of dryland soilscapes to many forms of environmental change. This study was done along an upper‐to‐lower alluvial fan gradient, where debris flows, representing one of the most common erosive processes of dryland soils, cause local‐scale changes in soil biotic–abiotic patterns. In this empirically founded study, we assessed (a) the variations in soil CO2 flux and some related physiochemical variables such as soil organic–inorganic C, soil C storage, exchangeable cations, pH, electrical conductivity, and volumetric water content and (b) whether these variations in soil CO2 flux and its association with the above‐mentioned soil factors remained constant at three different positions in altitude along the slope of the alluvial fan. Our findings indicated significant differences according to slope position in terms of the flux rate of soil CO2 and associated physiochemical properties. The application of multiple regression demonstrated that the higher soil CO2 flux rates in the upper and middle fan positions are significantly positively correlated with organic C content. Despite the development of biological crusts on the lower fan sediments, they exhibited the lowest rate of soil CO2 flux. Further, low CO2 flux in the lower fan soils was found to be significantly negatively related to pH and inorganic C. This anomaly may be attributed to the alkalinity of the environment formed by the deposition of fine particle sediments on the lower fan position and the fact that CO2 generated by the respiration of mosses may favor the exchange of organic C to carbonate production. Our findings underline the paradoxical impacts of debris flow disturbances on soil C dynamics. This erosive soil disturbance, together with the asymmetric resource redistribution and subsequent variations in the functioning of adjacent alluvial fan positions, can simultaneously provide ‘hot spots’ of reservoir and flux of soil C within different positions of a depositional landform.

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“…Juniperus phoenicea L. represents 80% of the vascular vegetation cover, while the remaining 20% is bare soil covered by a biological soil crust community. A detailed description of this biological soil crust can be found in Morillas et al (2017). According to EMEP Status Report (1/2015), NO x deposition in Capo Caccia was ca.…”

Section: Capo Caccia Italymentioning

confidence: 99%

Nitrogen Deposition Effects on Soil Properties, Microbial Abundance, and Litter Decomposition Across Three Shrublands Ecosystems From the Mediterranean Basin

Cascio

Morillas

Ochoa‐Hueso

et al. 2021

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Atmospheric nitrogen (N) inputs in the Mediterranean Basin are projected to increase due to fossil fuel combustion, fertilizer use, and the exacerbation of agricultural production processes. Although increasing N deposition is recognized as a major threat to ecosystem functioning, little is known about how local environmental conditions modulate ecosystem function response to N addition, particularly in the context of Mediterranean-Basin ecosystems. Here, we assess how N addition affects important ecosystem properties associated with litter decomposition, soil physical-chemical properties, soil extracellular enzymatic activity and microbial abundance across three long-term N addition experimental sites in the Mediterranean Basin. Sites were located in El Regajal (Madrid, Spain), Capo Caccia (Alghero, Italy), and Arrábida (Lisbon, Portugal) and are all representative of Mediterranean shrublands. No common pattern for litter decomposition process or other studied variables emerged among the control plots of the studied sites. Nitrogen supply only affected soil pH, a major driver of decomposition, in two out of three experimental sites. Moreover, when we explored the role of N addition and soil pH in controlling litter decay, we found that the effects of these factors were site-dependent. Our results point out to local ecosystem features modulating N addition effects in controlling litter decomposition rates in Mediterranean ecosystems, suggesting that the responses of soil functioning to N deposition are site-dependent. These findings provide further knowledge to understand contrasting ecosystem responses to N additions based on a single field experiments.

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Contribution of biological crust to soil CO2 efflux in a Mediterranean shrubland ecosystem

Cited by 32 publications

References 79 publications

Ecological assessment of Juniperus turbinata Guss. forest on the Strofades Islands, Ionian Sea, Greece

Ecological assessment of Juniperus turbinata Guss. forest on the Strofades Islands, Ionian Sea, Greece

Impact of geomorphic disturbance on spatial variability of soil CO₂ flux within a depositional landform

Nitrogen Deposition Effects on Soil Properties, Microbial Abundance, and Litter Decomposition Across Three Shrublands Ecosystems From the Mediterranean Basin

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Contribution of biological crust to soil CO2 efflux in a Mediterranean shrubland ecosystem

Cited by 32 publications

References 79 publications

Ecological assessment of Juniperus turbinata Guss. forest on the Strofades Islands, Ionian Sea, Greece

Ecological assessment of Juniperus turbinata Guss. forest on the Strofades Islands, Ionian Sea, Greece

Impact of geomorphic disturbance on spatial variability of soil CO2 flux within a depositional landform

Nitrogen Deposition Effects on Soil Properties, Microbial Abundance, and Litter Decomposition Across Three Shrublands Ecosystems From the Mediterranean Basin

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Impact of geomorphic disturbance on spatial variability of soil CO₂ flux within a depositional landform