Nitrogen supply effects on leaf dynamics and nutrient input into the soil of plant species in a sub-arctic tundra ecosystem

Aerts, Rien

doi:10.1007/s00300-008-0521-1

Cited by 9 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 36 publications

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“…This approach assumes minimal senescence of current year or older growth prior to peak biomass, which may lead to underestimation of production for some species. However, where possible, we compared the leaf turnover rates to published values obtained from direct, leaf‐level lifespan measurements (Kudo et al ., ; Aerts, ) and found very close correspondence. Furthermore, the main functional group for which more detailed seasonal measurements would likely be required to improve production estimates (graminoids) form <10% cover in any of the study communities (Table S1) and therefore are unlikely to significantly impact the overall turnover rates.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaf and fine root carbon stocks and turnover are coupled across Arctic ecosystems

Sloan

Fletcher

Press

et al. 2013

Global Change Biology

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Estimates of vegetation carbon pools and their turnover rates are central to understanding and modelling ecosystem responses to climate change and their feedbacks to climate. In the Arctic, a region containing globally important stores of soil carbon, and where the most rapid climate change is expected over the coming century, plant communities have on average sixfold more biomass below ground than above ground, but knowledge of the root carbon pool sizes and turnover rates is limited. Here, we show that across eight plant communities, there is a significant positive relationship between leaf and fine root turnover rates (r(2) = 0.68, P < 0.05), and that the turnover rates of both leaf (r(2) = 0.63, P < 0.05) and fine root (r(2) = 0.55, P < 0.05) pools are strongly correlated with leaf area index (LAI, leaf area per unit ground area). This coupling of root and leaf dynamics supports the theory of a whole-plant economics spectrum. We also show that the size of the fine root carbon pool initially increases linearly with increasing LAI, and then levels off at LAI = 1 m(2) m(-2), suggesting a functional balance between investment in leaves and fine roots at the whole community scale. These ecological relationships not only demonstrate close links between above and below-ground plant carbon dynamics but also allow plant carbon pool sizes and their turnover rates to be predicted from the single readily quantifiable (and remotely sensed) parameter of LAI, including the possibility of estimating root data from satellites.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leaf and fine root carbon stocks and turnover are coupled across Arctic ecosystems

Sloan

Fletcher

Press

et al. 2013

Global Change Biology

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“…2001; Harrington, Fownes & Vitousek 2001; Amponsah et al. 2005; Kazakou, Garnier & Gimenez 2007; Aerts 2009) or to have no significant effect (Reader 1980; Aerts 1989, 2009; Shaver & Laundre 1997; Cordell et al. 2001; Laclau et al.…”

Section: Various Responses Of Leaf Lifespan To Nutrient Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…2001; Erley, Rademacher & Kuhbauch 2002; Steinbachova‐Vojtiskova et al. 2006; Aerts 2009; Marty, Lamaze & Pornon 2009). Altogether the reports cited above raise several questions: Why is the response of LLS to N availability so variable between species?…”

Section: Various Responses Of Leaf Lifespan To Nutrient Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although enhancement of N supply has been shown to reduce LLS (Shaver 1981;Aerts & De Caluwe 1995;Cordell et al 2001;Harrington, Fownes & Vitousek 2001;Amponsah et al 2005;Kazakou, Garnier & Gimenez 2007;Aerts 2009) or to have no significant effect (Reader 1980;Aerts 1989Aerts , 2009Shaver & Laundre 1997;Cordell et al 2001;Laclau et al 2009), decreased LLS has often been observed under high nutrient load ( ‡100 kg ha )1year )1 ; Cordell et al 2001;Harrington, Fownes & Vitousek 2001;Amponsah et al 2005;Kazakou, Garnier & Gimenez 2007) while lower input might have no effect (Amponsah et al 2005). In addition, numerous ecophysiological studies conducted in laboratories and in the field have shown that low N availability led to or was correlated to shorter LLS or ⁄ and that soil amendment delayed leaf senescence and consequently also leaf shedding (Turner & Olson 1976;Reader 1980;Millard & Thomson 1989;Chandler & Dale 1990;Guitman, Arnozis & Barneix 1991;Pilbeam 1992;Marschner 1995;Ono, Terashima & Watanabe 1996;Thomas & De Villiers 1996;Ono et al 2001;Erley, Rademacher & Kuhbauch 2002;Steinbachova-Vojtiskova et al 2006;Aerts 2009;Marty, Lamaze & Pornon 2009). Altogether the reports cited above raise several questions: Why is the response of LLS to N availability so variable between species?…”

Section: Various Responses Of Leaf Lifespan To Nutrient Availabilitymentioning

confidence: 99%

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The intriguing paradox of leaf lifespan responses to nitrogen availability

et al. 2011

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Summary 1.Here we address two main questions which have received little attention: the variability of leaf lifespan (LLS) response to nitrogen (N) availability and the frequent apparent divergence between evolutionary and plastic responses of LLS to N availability. 2. By analysing numerous ecophysiological studies conducted in laboratories and in the field, we show that: (i) there is no constancy among studies and species in the LLS response to N availability; and (ii) in contrast to what is expected in an evolutionary perspective (i.e. species with shorter LLS growing on high N conditions), species that delay leaf senescence and thus increase LLS in response to high N availability are more numerous than species that behave oppositely. 3. We propose that in a given species, N sink-source interactions in the plant and exogenous N availability regulate LLS and induce a curvilinear plastic response of LLS to N availability, the maximum LLS occurring when the strength of sink activity on endogenous N reserves is minimal. We suggest that LLS responses to N supply could depend on where the plants were located on the gradient of the strength of sink activity, which depends on soil N availability. We provide several possible explanations for why long but not short LLS are selected in N-depleted habitats, even though short LLS seems to increase certain aspects of plant fitness. Particularly, we attempt to resolve the apparent conflict between plastic and evolutionary LLS responses in the light of the relationship between LLS and nutrient source-sink interactions and also between LLS and mean residence time of N in the plant. 4. Our new concept helps to explain many of the discrepancies of plastic and evolutionary LLS responses to N availability seen in the literature.

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Seasonal dynamics of soil and plant nutrients at three environmentally contrasting sites along a sub-Arctic catchment sequence

Koller

Phoenix

2017

Polar Biol

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Nitrogen supply effects on leaf dynamics and nutrient input into the soil of plant species in a sub-arctic tundra ecosystem

Cited by 9 publications

References 36 publications

Leaf and fine root carbon stocks and turnover are coupled across Arctic ecosystems

Leaf and fine root carbon stocks and turnover are coupled across Arctic ecosystems

The intriguing paradox of leaf lifespan responses to nitrogen availability

Seasonal dynamics of soil and plant nutrients at three environmentally contrasting sites along a sub-Arctic catchment sequence

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