The surprising recovery of red spruce growth shows links to decreased acid deposition and elevated temperature

Kosiba, Alexandra; Schaberg, Paul G.; Rayback, Shelly A.; Hawley, Gary J.

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.05.010

Cited by 76 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…Numerous studies in the north‐eastern United States and northern Europe have focused on the impacts of acid deposition in poorly buffered, mainly upland ecosystems and surface waters (Driscoll, Driscoll, Mitchell, & Raynal, ) and, in recent years, gradual recovery of stream and lake chemistry (Strock, Nelson, Kahl, Saros, & McDowell, ) and forest health (Kosiba, Schaberg, Rayback, & Hawley, ) in some areas. In susceptible catchments, excess acid anion deposition is linked geochemically to mobilization of aluminium in soils and streams, progressive depletion of calcium from soils, nitrogen fertilization, and decreased acid‐neutralizing capacity (ANC) in surface water, all of which impact biota (Likens, Driscoll, & Buso, ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thirty‐year trends in acid deposition and neutralization in two headwater catchments, northwestern Massachusetts, USA

Dethier

Wieman

Racela

2018

Hydrological Processes

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Long‐term decreases in acidic precursors have changed the chemistry of precipitation and streamflow in two moderately to well‐buffered, forested headwater catchments in the Taconic Range of western New England, USA. We report 30‐year geochemical trends from Birch Brook and annual and seasonal variations from Birch Brook and adjacent Ford Glen, which drain phyllitic and carbonate bedrock. Median pH of precipitation has increased irregularly since 1983, consistent with regional trends. Increases in precipitation pH and decreases in sulfate (SO42−) correspond with increasing stream pH and decreasing SO42− concentration and flux over at least the past 30 years. Calcium (Ca2+) concentration and acid‐neutralizing capacity (ANC) in Birch Brook began to increase about 2005, in contrast to geochemical indicators from some poorly buffered catchments in the NE USA. Point and longitudinal sampling over a range of flows show that Birch Brook chemistry is a mixture of upstream source waters (throughfall, soil water, and ground water) with different chemistries. Acidic precipitation and shallow soil water affect stream chemistry directly only in the upper reaches of Birch Brook and during periods of extremely high flow, such as snowmelt. Ford Glen has high ANC and is near saturation with calcite at most flows. Long‐term trends measured at Birch Brook and at other streams in western Massachusetts show that stream chemistry reflects changes in acidic deposition in upland catchments, even where ecosystem geochemistry is well buffered by bedrock composition.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thirty‐year trends in acid deposition and neutralization in two headwater catchments, northwestern Massachusetts, USA

Dethier

Wieman

Racela

2018

Hydrological Processes

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“…Notably, sulphate pollution was found to be the most important driver of temporal forest tree community turnover, which highlights the slow recovery of forests from the accumulated legacy effects of atmospheric pollution (Driscoll et al, ). Previous studies conducted on Camels Hump and throughout the north‐eastern region have investigated the effects of climate change on forest communities (e.g., Beckage et al, ; Tang & Beckage, ), and the contribution of climate and atmospheric pollution on range shifts and growth of individual species (e.g., Kosiba, Schaberg, Rayback, & Hawley, , ; Wason & Dovciak, ; Wason, Dovciak, Beier, & Battles, ). Our results corroborate these other studies in finding temporal changes in species densities and distributions, but we are the first to parse out the joint effects of different anthropogenic influences on forest tree community turnover.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The decline of P. rubens in the north‐eastern United States began in the mid‐1960s and was attributed to winter injury induced by atmospheric pollution (Schaberg & DeHayes, ). Recent studies of P. rubens , however, document a recovery of the species throughout the region, evidenced by increased growth rates as a result of warming temperatures and reduced atmospheric deposition (Kosiba et al, ; Wason et al, ). Warming temperatures and the gradual overcoming of physiological impairments following reductions in pollution loading may suggest that P. rubens has been released from its period of decline.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Beginning in the mid‐1960s, P. rubens showed a regional decline in the northeast (Johnson, Cook, & Siccama, ; Siccama, Bliss, & Vogelmann, ; Vogelmann, Perkins, Badger, & Klein, ) attributed to winter foliar injury linked to acid deposition‐induced calcium (Ca) depletion (DeHayes, Schaberg, Hawley, & Strimbeck, ; Schaberg & DeHayes, ). While recent reports suggest P. rubens is making a recovery (Battles, Fahey, Siccama, & Johnson, ; Kosiba, Schaberg, Rayback, & Hawley, ; Wason & Dovciak, ), it is unknown how climate and/or atmospheric deposition have impacted forest tree community composition as a whole across the elevational gradient encompassing the ecotone.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long‐term monitoring reveals forest tree community change driven by atmospheric sulphate pollution and contemporary climate change

Verrico

Weiland

Perkins

et al. 2019

Diversity and Distributions

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Aim Montane environments are sentinels of global change, providing unique opportunities to assess impacts on species diversity. Multiple anthropogenic stressors such as climate change and atmospheric pollution may act concurrently or synergistically in restructuring communities. Thus, a major challenge for conservation is untangling the relative importance of different stressors. Here, we combine long‐term monitoring with multivariate community modelling to estimate the anthropogenic drivers shaping forest tree diversity along an elevational gradient. Location Camels Hump Mountain, Vermont, USA. Methods We used Generalized Dissimilarity Modelling (GDM) to model spatial and temporal turnover in beta diversity along an elevational gradient over a 50‐year period and tested for spatiotemporal shifts in density and elevational distribution of individual species. GDMs were used to predict community turnover as nonlinear functions of changes in elevation, climate and atmospheric pollution. Results We observed significant shifts in elevational range and density of individual species, which contributed to an overall reduction in the elevational gradient in beta diversity through time. GDMs showed the combined effects of sulphate deposition and temperature as drivers of this temporal reduction in beta diversity. Spatiotemporal changes differed among species, with shifts observed both up‐ and downslope. For example, in a reversal of a previous upslope range contraction, red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) increased in density and shifted downslope since the 1990s, occupying warmer, drier climates. Main conclusion Our results demonstrate that global change is impacting the stratification of forest tree diversity along elevational gradients, but the responses of individual species are complex and variable in direction. We suggest abiotic drivers may directly impact individual species while also indirectly altering species interactions along elevational gradients. Our approach modelling the drivers of compositional turnover quantifies the rate and amount of change in beta diversity along environmental gradients and serves as a powerful complement to studying species‐specific responses.

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“…Over the past three decades, improvements in air quality have reduced N deposition in the northeastern United States, potentially altering the N status of temperate forest ecosystems (Groffman et al, 2018; Patel and Fernandez, 2018). The concomitant increases in air temperatures and atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations (Wuebbles et al, 2017) have stimulated biomass growth (Kosiba et al, 2018), potentially increasing plant N demand. There is also evidence of increased C flow to soils increasing soil C availability and potentially stimulating microbial N immobilization in temperate forests (Groffman et al, 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Forest N Dynamics after 25 years of Whole Watershed N Enrichment: The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine

Patel

Fernandez

Nelson

et al. 2019

Soil Science Soc of Amer J

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Core Ideas Chronic N enrichment increased N exports, although ecosystem N retention was still high. Soil was the largest ecosystem N pool, but it was not significantly altered by chronic N enrichment. Chronic N enrichment increased biomass N accumulation in hardwood but not in softwood stands. We examine the temporal trend of input–output N fluxes and net ecosystem N retention, and estimate a mass balance for ecosystem soil and vegetation pools, after 25 yr of chemical manipulation at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM). The BBWM is a paired whole watershed manipulation experiment designed to study the effects of elevated N and S deposition on forest ecosystem function. Starting in 1989, 25.2 kg N ha−1 was added annually to the West Bear (treated) watershed. The N additions in West Bear stimulated N loss through stream exports, and West Bear retained 81% of the annual N inputs, compared to 94% retention in the reference, East Bear. After 25 yr of N additions, the West Bear watershed had accumulated ∼700 kg ha−1 more N than East Bear in soils and vegetation, with ∼10% of the accumulated N stored in forest biomass. The treatment increased recent biomass N accumulation rates in the hardwood stands, but not in the softwoods. Soils did not show detectable differences in total N content between watersheds, although the organic soils had greater N in West Bear. This paper presents a unique set of findings from one of the few long‐term whole forest ecosystem N enrichment studies in the world. While N dynamics were clearly altered in West Bear, with evidence of accelerated N cycling, the treated watershed did not attain an advanced stage of N saturation during the study period, based on the evidence from forest growth and stream N exports.

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The surprising recovery of red spruce growth shows links to decreased acid deposition and elevated temperature

Cited by 76 publications

References 60 publications

Thirty‐year trends in acid deposition and neutralization in two headwater catchments, northwestern Massachusetts, USA

Thirty‐year trends in acid deposition and neutralization in two headwater catchments, northwestern Massachusetts, USA

Long‐term monitoring reveals forest tree community change driven by atmospheric sulphate pollution and contemporary climate change

Forest N Dynamics after 25 years of Whole Watershed N Enrichment: The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine

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