How Phosphorus Availability Affects the Impact of Nitrogen Deposition on Sphagnum and Vascular Plants in Bogs

Limpens, Juul; Berendse, F.; Klees, Herman

doi:10.1007/s10021-004-0274-9

Cited by 133 publications

(106 citation statements)

References 37 publications

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“…N deposition above c. 1-1.5 g m −2 yr −1 generally increases vascular plant cover, and decreases Sphagnum cover, although changes may be slow, and experimentally difficult to demonstrate, especially in regions with low background deposition where the Sphagnum layer is not yet N saturated. Whereas vegetation changes were reported within 4 years of N fertilization at high background deposition in the Netherlands (Limpens et al, 2004), it took 5-8 years for the first effects to emerge in Northern Sweden and Canada Wiedermann et al, 2007). An increase in cover of vascular plants beyond a critical limit inevitably leads to a decrease in Sphagnum cover (Berendse et al, 2001), and this alteration in dominance of the different groups of plants is driven by positive feedbacks mediated by increased light competition and decreased uptake of N by the Sphagnum mosses Rydin and Jeglum, 2006).…”

Section: Vegetation Responses To Environmental Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Peatlands and the carbon cycle: from local processes to global implications – a synthesis

et al. 2008

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Abstract. Peatlands cover only 3% of the Earth's land surface but boreal and subarctic peatlands store about 15-30% of the world's soil carbon (C) as peat. Despite their potential for large positive feedbacks to the climate system through sequestration and emission of greenhouse gases, peatlands are not explicitly included in global climate models and therefore in predictions of future climate change. In April 2007 a symposium was held in Wageningen, the Netherlands, to advance our understanding of peatland C cycling. This paper synthesizes the main findings of the symposium, focusing on (i) small-scale processes, (ii) C fluxes at the landscape scale, and (iii) peatlands in the context of climate change.The main drivers controlling C fluxes are largely scale dependent and most are related to some aspects of hydrology. Despite high spatial and annual variability in Net Ecosystem Exchange (NEE), the differences in cumulative annual NEE are more a function of broad scale geographic location and physical setting than internal factors, suggesting the existence of strong feedbacks. In contrast, trace gas emissions seem mainly controlled by local factors.Key uncertainties remain concerning the existence of perturbation thresholds, the relative strengths of the CO 2 and CH 4 feedback, the links among peatland surface climate, hydrology, ecosystem structure and function, and trace gas biogeochemistry as well as the similarity of process rates across peatland types and climatic zones. Progress on these research areas can only be realized by stronger co-operation between disciplines that address different spatial and temporal scales.

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Section: Vegetation Responses To Environmental Changementioning

confidence: 99%

Peatlands and the carbon cycle: from local processes to global implications – a synthesis

et al. 2008

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“…Experimental studies have been conducted to study the response of Sphagnum bog plant communities to components of global change. In these experiments temperature (Bridgham et al 1999;Weltzin et al 2000Weltzin et al , 2003Gunnarsson et al 2004), atmospheric CO 2 Heijmans et al 2001b), water level (Bridgham et al 1999;Weltzin et al 2000Weltzin et al , 2003 and N deposition Heijmans et al 2001b;Gunnarsson et al 2004;Limpens et al 2004) have been manipulated during three or four growing seasons. All these studies showed that the main response was a shift in the relative abundance of species.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Long‐term effects of climate change on vegetation and carbon dynamics in peat bogs

Heijmans

Mauquoy

Geel

et al. 2008

J Vegetation Science

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101

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Questions: What are the long-term effects of climate change on the plant species composition and carbon sequestration in peat bogs? Methods: We developed a bog ecosystem model that includes vegetation, carbon, nitrogen and water dynamics. Two groups of vascular plant species and three groups of Sphagnum species compete with each other for light and nitrogen. The model was tested by comparing the outcome with long-term historic vegetation changes in peat cores from Denmark and England. A climate scenario was used to analyse the future effects of atmospheric CO 2 , temperature and precipitation. Results: The main changes in the species composition since 1766 were simulated by the model. Simulations for a future warmer, and slightly wetter, climate with doubling CO 2 concentration suggest that little will change in species composition, due to the contrasting effects of increasing temperatures (favouring vascular plants) and CO 2 (favouring Sphagnum). Further analysis of the effects of temperature showed that simulated carbon sequestration is negatively related to vascular plant expansion. Model results show that increasing temperatures may still increase carbon accumulation at cool, low N deposition sites, but decrease carbon accumulation at high N deposition sites. Conclusions: Our results show that the effects of temperature, precipitation, N-deposition and atmospheric CO 2 are not straightforward, but interactions between these components of global change exist. These interactions are the result of changes in vegetation composition. When analysing long-term effects of global change, vegetation changes should be taken into account and predictions should not be based on temperature increase alone.

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“…Species of the genus Sphagnum are dominant in bog ecosystems and play a major role in this process of peat accumulation. Sphagnum reduces the amount of available nutrients in the ecosystem both by producing litter of a poor quality, which favors slow decomposition, and by intercepting atmospheric nutrients Limpens et al 2004;Bragazza et al 2006). By keeping the amount of available nutrients in the ecosystem low, Sphagnum restricts the number of vascular plants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dwarf shrubs are stronger competitors than graminoid species at high nutrient supply in peat bogs

Kool

Heijmans

2009

Plant Ecol

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Climate warming is likely to increase nutrient mineralization rates in bog ecosystems which may change the plant species composition. We examined the competitive relationships between two graminoid species, Eriophorum vaginatum and Rhynchospora alba, and two ericoid species, Calluna vulgaris and Vaccinium oxycoccus, at different nutrient supply rates. In a greenhouse, the plants were grown in monocultures and mixtures at four nutrient treatments: control, high N, high P, and high N ? P. The results show that the ericoids responded more strongly to the nutrient treatments than the graminoids. The dwarf shrubs showed higher growth rates and reduced root:shoot ratio at high N ? P supply. When grown in mixture the ericoids increased their growth, while graminoids decreased in biomass or showed signs of nutrient limitation compared to their monoculture plants. This suggests that under increased nutrient availability, bogs are more likely to turn into dwarf shrub dominated ecosystems and not grassland.

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How Phosphorus Availability Affects the Impact of Nitrogen Deposition on Sphagnum and Vascular Plants in Bogs

Cited by 133 publications

References 37 publications

Peatlands and the carbon cycle: from local processes to global implications – a synthesis

Peatlands and the carbon cycle: from local processes to global implications – a synthesis

Long‐term effects of climate change on vegetation and carbon dynamics in peat bogs

Dwarf shrubs are stronger competitors than graminoid species at high nutrient supply in peat bogs

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